Map of Finland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Long ruled by foreign powers, including Sweden and the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, Finland finally declared independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland fought the USSR twice and then the Germans toward the end of the war. In the following half-century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy. Per capita income has risen to the West European level; Finland is a member of the European Union and is the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.


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Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 64 00 N, 26 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 337,030 km²
Land: 305,470 km²
Water: 31,560 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 2,628 km
Border countries: (3) Norway 729 km; , Sweden 586 km; , Russia 1,313 km

Coastline: 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 6 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland_3 nm)

Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver

Land use
Arable land: 8%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: 76%
Other: 16% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 640 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain


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Population: 5,158,372 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Finn(s)
Adjective: Finnish

Ethnic groups: Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Lapp 0.11%, Gypsy 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%

Languages: Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18% (male 483,700; female 464,431)
15-64 years: 67% (male 1,743,340; female 1,706,873)
65 years and over: 15% (male 289,405; female 470,623) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 10.77 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.67 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 3.8 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.32 years
Male: 73.81 years
Female: 80.98 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.68 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 100% (1980 est.)
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Finland
Conventional short form: Finland
Local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
Local short form: Suomi

Government type: republic

Capital: Helsinki

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (laanit, singular_laani; Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Lanni, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Russia)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Constitution: 17 July 1919

Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Martti AHTISAARI (since 1 March 1994)
Head of government: Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sauli NIINISTO (since 13 April 1995)
Cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 31 January-6 February 1994 (next to be held NA January 2000); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed from the majority party by the president after parliamentary elections
Election results: Martti AHTISAARI elected president; percent of vote_Martti AHTISAARI 54%, Elisabeth REHN 46%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)
Election results: percent of vote by party_Social Democratic Party 22.9%, Center Party 22.5%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, Swedish People's Party 5.1%, Green Union 7.2%, Finnish Christian League 4.2%; seats by party_Social Democratic Party 51, Center Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, Swedish People's Party 11, Green Union 11, Finnish Christian League 10, other 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, judges appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jaakko Tapani LAAJAVA
In the us chancery: 3,301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 298-5,800
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 298-6,030
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Eric EDELMAN
From the us embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,723
From the us telephone: [358] (9) 171,931
From the us FAX: [358] (9) 174,681

Flag description: white with a blue cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing_principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. The economy has come back from the recession of 1990-92, which had been caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe_Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on 1 January 1999_will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 1999 probably will slow, perhaps to 3%, a barrier to any substantial drop in unemployment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.1% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $20,100 (1998 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5%
Industry: 32%
Services: 63% (1997)

Agriculture products: cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Industries: metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (1995)

Labor force: 2.533 million
By occupation public services: 30.4%
By occupation industry: 20.9%
By occupation commerce: 15%
By occupation finance insurance and business services: 10.2%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 8.6%
By occupation transport and communications: 7.7%
By occupation construction: 7.2%

Unemployment rate: 12% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $33 billion
Expenditures: $40 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1996 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $43 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, and pulp
Partners: Germany 11%, UK 10%, Sweden 10%, US 7%, Russia 7%, France 4%, Japan (1997)

Imports: $30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains
Partners: Germany 15%, Sweden 12%, UK 8%, Russia 8%, US 7%, Japan 5% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $30 billion (December 1993)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1_5.12 (January 1999), 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997), 4.5936 (1996), 4.3667 (1995), 5.2235 (1994);
Note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 5.93472 Markkaa per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002


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Electricity
Production: 67.469 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 54.73%
Production by source hydro: 17.35%
Production by source nuclear: 27.9%
Production by source other: 0.02% (1996)
Consumption: 71.169 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 1.7 billion kWh (1996)
Imports: 5.4 billion kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 2.5 million (1995 est.)

Telephone system: modern system with excellent service
Domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net care for domestic needs
International: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations_access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note_Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.8 billion (1999)
Percent of gdp: 2% (1999)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 157 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 68
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 26
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 20
With paved runways under 914 m: 9 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 89
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 83 (1998 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: natural gas 580 km

Railways
Total: 5,859 km
Broad gauge: 5,859 km 1.524-m gauge (2,073 km electrified; 480 km double- or more-track) (1996)

Roadways

Waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km suitable for steamers

Merchant marine
Total: 101 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,192,559 GRT/1,161,594 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 23, chemical tanker 6, oil tanker 11, passenger 1, railcar carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 38, short-sea passenger 12 (1998 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for Latin American cocaine for the West European market