Background: Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995 Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.

Geographic coordinates: 64 00 N 26 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 338,145 km²
Land: 304,473 km²
Water: 33,672 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 2,681 km
Border countries: (3) Norway 727 km; , Sweden 614 km; , Russia 1,340 km

Coastline: 1250 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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 iron ore copper lead zinc chromite nickel gold silver limestone

Land use
Arable land: 6.54%
Permanent crops: 0.02%
Other: 93.44% (2005)

Irrigated land: 640 km² (2003)

Natural hazards: NA

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

Population: 5,238,460 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 0.127% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Finn
Adjective: Finnish

Ethnic groups: Finn 93.4% Swede 5.7% Russian 0.4% Estonian 0.2% Roma (Gypsy) 0.2% Sami 0.1%

Languages: Finnish 92% (official) Swedish 5.6% (official) other 2.4% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)

Religions: Lutheran Church of Finland 84.2% Orthodox Church 1.1% other Christian 1.1% other 0.1% none 13.5% (2003)

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.9% (male 449,548/female 433,253)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,768,996/female 1,727,143)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 344,798/female 514,722) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.6 years
Male: 40 years
Female: 43.1 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.127% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 10.42 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 9.93 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.78 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.038 male/female
15-64 years: 1.024 male/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male/female
Total population: 0.958 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.52 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.84 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.2 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.66 years
Male: 75.15 years
Female: 82.31 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1500 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100% (2000 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Finland
Conventional short form: Finland
Local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
Local short form: Suomi/Finland

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Helsinki
Geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 56 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (laanit singular - laani); Aland Etela-Suomen Laani Ita-Suomen Laani Lansi-Suomen Laani Lappi Oulun Laani

Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Russia)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 December (1917)

Constitution: 1 March 2000

Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
Head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Jyrki KATAINEN (since 19 April 2007)
Cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to parliament
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2012); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament must approve the appointment; Prime Minister VANHANEN reelected 17 April 2007
Election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti Vanhanen (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA (VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held 29 January 2006 - HALONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%; Matti VANHANEN relected prime minister; election results 121-71
Note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 18 March 2007 (next to be held March 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 23.1%, Kok 22.3%, SDP 21.4%, VAS 8.8%, VIHR 8.5%, KD 4.9%, SFP 4.5%, True Finns 4.1%, other 3.4%; seats by party - Kesk 51, Kok 50, SDP 45, VAS 17, VIHR 15, SFP 9, KD 7, True Finns 5, other 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green Party or VIHR [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left Alliance or VAS [Martti KORHONEN] (composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative); National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Stefan WALLIN]; True Finns

International organization participation: AfDB Arctic Council AsDB Australia Group BIS CBSS CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EMU ESA EU FAO G- 9 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM (guest) NC NEA NIB NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE Paris Club PCA PFP Schengen Convention UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNMEE UNMIL UNMIS UNMOGIP UNTSO UPU WCO WEU (observer) WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU
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, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Marilyn WARE
From the us embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,723
From the us telephone: [358] (9) 616,250
From the us fax: [358] (9) 6,162 5,800

Flag description: white with a blue cross extending 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 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; exports equal two-fifths of GDP. Finland excels in high-tech exports e.g. mobile phones. 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. High unemployment remains a persistent problem.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $175.2 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4.9% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $33,500 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.5%
Industry: 32.3%
Services: 65.1% (2006 est.)

Agriculture products: barley wheat sugar beets potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Industries: metals and metal products electronics machinery and scientific instruments shipbuilding pulp and paper foodstuffs chemicals textiles clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2006 est.)

Labor force: 2.65 million (2006 est.)
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 4.4%
By occupation industry: 17.5%
By occupation construction: 6%
By occupation commerce: 22%
By occupation finance insurance and business services: 12%
By occupation transport and communications: 8%
By occupation public services: 30.2% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4%
Highest 10: 22.6% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 26.9 (2000)

Budget
Revenues: $109.6 billion
Expenditures: $101.8 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt: 38.9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.6% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $209.5 billion (2005)

Current account balance: $12.21 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $77.52 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals metals; timber paper pulp (1999)
Partners: Germany 11.3% Sweden 10.5% Russia 10.1% UK 6.5% US 6.5% Netherlands 5.1% (2006)

Imports: $66.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs petroleum and petroleum products chemicals transport equipment iron and steel machinery textile yarn and fabrics grains
Partners: Germany 15.6% Russia 14% Sweden 13.7% Netherlands 6.6% China 5.4% UK 4.7% Denmark 4.5% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.499 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external: $251.9 billion (30 June 2006)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $64.18 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $90.83 billion (2006 est.)

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006) 0.8041 (2005) 0.8054 (2004) 0.886 (2003) 1.0626 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 67.09 billion kWh (2005)
Consumption: 81.11 billion kWh (2005)
Exports: 933 million kWh (2005)
Imports: 17.92 billion kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 4.244 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Imports: 4.245 billion m³ (2005)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.92 million (2006)
Mobile cellular: 5.67 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system with excellent service
Domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive cellular network provide domestic needs
International: country code - 358; submarine cables provide links to Estonia and Sweden; 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)

Internet
Country code: .fi; note - the ICANN has assigned the ccTLD of .ax to the Aland Islands
Hosts: 2.323 million (2007)
Users: 2.925 million (2006)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 2% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (October 2004)

Airports: 148 (2007)
With paved runways total: 76
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 27
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 22
With paved runways under 914 m: 15 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 72
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 68 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 694 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 5,741 km
Broad gauge: 5,741 km 1.524-m gauge (2,619 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 78,189 km
Paved: 50,760 km (includes 700 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 27,429 km (2007)

Waterways
Note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2006)

Merchant marine
Total: 92 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,362,014 GRT/1,002,280 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 26, chemical tanker 6, container 3, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 20, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 23, vehicle carrier 2
Foreign owned: 5 (Germany 2, Norway 1, Sweden 2)
Registered in other countries: 43 (Bahamas 8, Germany 4, Gibraltar 3, Marshall Islands 2, Netherlands 14, Norway 1, Sweden 10, UK 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Hamina Hanko Helsinki Kotka Naantali Pori Porvoo Raahe Rauma Turku

Disputes international: various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands