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.

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 1,126 km excluding islands and coastal indentations

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 6 nm
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Territorial sea: 4 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

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

Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 76% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Geography
Note: long boundary with USSR; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent geoad0.gif" border="0" geoad1

Population: 4,963,592 (July 1989), growth rate 0.3% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Finn(s; adjective - Finnish

Ethnic groups: Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar

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

Religions: 97% Evangelical Lutheran, 1.2% Eastern Orthodox, 1.8% other

Birth rate: 12 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 10 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1000 population (1989)

Environment
Current issues: permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 79 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1989)

Literacy: almost 100%

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Finland

Government type: republic

Capital: Helsinki

Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular - laani; Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa

Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)

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

Suffrage: universal, 18 years and over; not compulsory

Executive branch: Chief of State - President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982; Head of Government - Prime Minister Harri HOLKERI (since 30 April 1987; Deputy Prime Minister Kalevi SORSA (since NA )

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force

International organization participation: ADB, CCC, CEMA (special cooperation agreement), DAC, EC (free trade agreement), EFTA (associate), ESA (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC - International Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3,216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,016; telephone (202) 363-2,430; there are Finnish Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York, and Consulates in Chicago and Houston; US - Ambassador Rockwell A. SCHNABEL; Embassy at Itainen Puistotie 14ASF-00140, Helsinki (mailing address is APO New York 9,664; telephone Õ358å (0) 171,931

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)

Economy overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy. Its main economic force is the manufacturing sector - principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods contributing about 25% to GNP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imported raw materials, energy, and some components of manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic commodities. During the 1980s the economic growth rate exceeded the average of all European OECD countries for every year except 1986.

Agriculture products: animal husbandry, especially dairying, predominates; forestry important as a secondary occupation for the rural population; main crops - cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of food and fodder grains

Industries: metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1987)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 5.1% (1987)

Budget: revenues $26.9 billion; expenditures $28.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (1988)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $20.0 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear
Partners: EC 37.7% (UK 10.3%, FRG 9.5%), USSR 20.2%, Sweden 14.7%, US 5.4%

Imports: $19.8 billion (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains
Partners: EC 42.9% (FRG 16.9%, UK 6.5%), USSR 15.2%, Sweden 13.4%, US 4.8%

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 4.2390 (January 1989), 4.1828 (1988), 4.3956 (1987), 5.0695 (1986), 6.1979 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 13,119,000 kW capacity; 47,894 million kWh produced, 9,700 kWh per capita (1988)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1.478 billion, 5.0% of central government budget (1988 est.)

Airports: 161 total, 158 usable; 55 with permanent-surface runways; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Pipelines: natural gas, 580 km

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

Merchant marine: 79 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 691,712 GRT/717,946 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 12 short-sea passenger, 16 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 20 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 14 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 6 bulk, 1 combination bulk