Finland was part of Sweden until Napoleonic wars. At that time, the Enlightenment was a fashionable topic among European monarchs. Instead of annexing Finland, Alexander I of Russia set it up as an autonomous grand duchy, as a test case for more modern forms of government. Finland gained a political identity and kept Swedish institutions instead of adopting Russian ones.
Economic growth started in the mid 19th century. Industrialization began, the old guild system was abolished, and there were fancy new things such as public education, own currency, and railroads. When Finland gained independence during WW1, it was largely a formality. There was still a bloody civil war, and Finns didn't really start working together until WW2.
When WW2 ended, Finland was still largely rural. There were war reparations to be paid and refugees from lost territories to resettle. While Finland had leaned towards Germany until then, it was no longer possible, and Sweden became the new role model. Finland focused on heavy industry and technology. People started moving to cities (and to Sweden). Because Finland was a special case as the favorite capitalist country of the Soviet block, trade with the USSR became lucrative. The economy was mostly free but not fully open, and the occasional devaluation of the currency was a key financial tool. By the 1980s, Finland had become a wealthy country.
The end of the Cold War was a catastrophe. Trade with the USSR/Russia collapsed. Business leaders didn't know how to operate in an open market. The government didn't know how to deal with that. The result was probably the worst depression in Finnish history. Other political choices of the time (such as joining the EU) were better. The next center-left/center-right coalition made some good choices, as did Nokia. After 2000, Finland started regularly appearing near the top of various "top countries by [a good thing]" lists.