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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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.) |
| 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 |
| 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% |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
local short form: Suomi |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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.) |
| 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) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
