The kantele (pronounced [ˈkɑntele] in Finnish) is a traditional plucked string instrument from Finland and Karelia.
Similar instruments exist in many regions of the world such as the Estonian kannel, the kusle, the Russian gousli,
the Latvian kokle, or the Lithuanian kanklės.
The Kantele is also close to ancient Asian instruments such as the Uyghur qalun, the Chinese gu zheng,
the Japanese Koto and the Korean gayageum.
It is made of wood and traditionally has 5 strings. More recent models (mainly from the 20th century)
can have a variable number of strings, from 5 to 40