| Finland |
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Finland | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | Ruled by Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and by Russia from 1809, Finland finally won its independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and fend off invasions by the Soviet Union and Germany. In the subsequent half century, the Finns have 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. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.

Finland | Geography | Top of Page

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 references: | Europe

Area: | total: 337,030 sq km land: 305,470 sq km water: 31,560 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries: | total: 2,628 km border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km

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

Maritime claims: | 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 highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

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

Land use: | arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 76% other: 16% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | 640 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | NA

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

Environment - 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-Marine Living Resources, 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 signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

Finland | People | Top of Page

Population: | 5,175,783 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18% (male 474,967; female 456,584) 15-64 years: 66.97% (male 1,750,660; female 1,715,358) 65 years and over: 15.03% (male 300,569; female 477,645) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 0.16% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 10.69 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 9.75 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 3.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.58 years male: 73.92 years female: 81.36 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 1.7 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.05% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1,100 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: | noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish

Ethnic groups: | Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%

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

Languages: | Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

Finland | Government | Top of Page

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 Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

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

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000) 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 6 February 2000 (next to be held NA February 2006); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed from the majority party by the president after parliamentary elections election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esco AHO (Kesk) 48.4% note: government coalition - SDP, Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's Democratic Union and Democratic Alternative), SFP, and Green Union

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 - SDP 22.9%, Kesk 22.5%, Kok 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, SFP 5.1%, Green Union 7.2%, SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51, Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green Union 11, SKL 10, other 3

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

Political parties and leaders: | Center Party or Kesk [Esko AHO]; Finnish Christian Union or SKL [C. P. Bjarne KALLIS]; Green Union [Satu HASSI]; Leftist Alliance (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Sauli NIINISTO]; Reform Group [Risto KUISMA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]; True Finns [Timo SOINI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | Communist Workers Party [Timo LAHDENMAKI]; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Communist Party-Unity [Yrjo HAKANEN]; Finnish Pensioners Party

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, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Jaakko Tapani LAAJAVA chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Carol VAN VOORST embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 171931 FAX: [358] (9) 174681

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)

Finland | Economy | Top of Page

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 exports equaling more than one-third 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. 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 2001 will be bolstered by strong private consumption, yet may be 1 or 2 points lower than in 2000, largely because of a weakening in export demand.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $118.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 5.6% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $22,900 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3.5% industry: 29% services: 67.5% (1999)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 2.6 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: | public services 32%, industry 22%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, agriculture and forestry 8%, transport and communications 8%, construction 6%

Unemployment rate: | 9.8% (2000 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $36.1 billion expenditures: $31 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: | 7.5% (2000)

Electricity - production: | 75.792 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 41.88% hydro: 16.77% nuclear: 28.82% other: 12.53% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 81.611 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 232 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 11.356 billion kWh (1999)

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

Exports: | $44.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp

Exports - partners: | EU 58% (Germany 13%, Sweden 10%, UK 9%, France 5%, Netherlands 4%), US 8%, Russia, Japan (1999)

Imports: | $32.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains

Imports - partners: | EU 60% (Germany 15%, Sweden 11%, UK 7%), US 8%, Russia 7%, Japan 6% (1999)

Debt - external: | $30 billion (December 1993)

Economic aid - donor: | ODA, $379 million (1997)

Currency: | markka (FIM); euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Finland at a fixed rate of 5.94573 markkaa per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code: | FIM; EUR

Exchange rates: | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); markkaa per US dollar - 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997), 4.5936 (1996)

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Finland | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 2.861 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 2,162,574 (1997)

Telephone system: | general assessment: modern system with excellent service domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net provide 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)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: | 7.7 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 130 (plus 385 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: | 3.2 million (1997)

Internet country code: | .fi

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 23 (2000)

Internet users: | 2.27 million (2000)

Finland | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 5,865 km broad gauge: 5,865 km 1.524-m gauge (2,192 km electrified; 480 km double or multiple track) (1998)

Highways: | total: 77,796 km paved: 49,789 km (including 444 km of expressways) unpaved: 28,042 km (1999)

Waterways: | 6,675 km note: includes Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km suitable for large ships

Pipelines: | natural gas 580 km

Ports and harbors: | Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus

Merchant marine: | total: 98 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,172,808 GRT/1,138,175 DWT ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 23, chemical tanker 5, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, railcar carrier 1, roll on/roll off 37, short-sea passenger 11 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 159 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 90 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 84 (2000 est.)

Finland | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea Guard)

Military manpower - military age: | 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,251,700 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,033,188 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 33,883 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $1.8 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2% (FY98)

Finland | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none