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Introduction - Finland
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 among the highest in 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. In the 21st century, the key
features of Finland's modern welfare state are a high standard of education,
equality promotion, and national social security system; currently challenged by
an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
Geography - Finland
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: 338,145 sq km
country comparison to the world: 64
land: 303,815 sq km
water: 34,330 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 2,654 km
border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km
Coastline:
1,250 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:
Current Weather
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, 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 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
110 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.33 cu km/yr (14%/84%/3%)
per capita: 444 cu m/yr (1999)
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-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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European
continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
People - Finland
Population:
5,255,068 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.2% (male 433,446/female 418,080)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,769,232/female 1,729,242)
65 years and over: 17.2% (male 369,482/female 535,586) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 42.3 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 44 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.084% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Birth rate:
10.37 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Death rate:
10.15 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Net migration rate:
0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Urbanization:
urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 215
male: 3.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.13 years
country comparison to the world: 37
male: 75.64 years
female: 82.76 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.73 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,400 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Nationality:
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish
Ethnic groups:
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami
0.1% (2006)
Religions:
Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%,
other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
Languages:
Finnish 91.2% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3.3% (small Sami- and
Russian-speaking minorities) (2007)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 17 years
female: 18 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.4% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 33
Government - Finland
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:
20 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta [Finnish]; landskapen, singular -
landskapet [Swedish]); Aland (Swedish), Ahvenanmaa (Finnish); Etela-Karjala
(Finnish), Sodra Karelen (Swedish); Etela-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Sodra Osterbotten
(Swedish); Etela-Savo (Finnish), Sodra Savolax (Swedish); Kanta-Hame (Finnish),
Egentliga Tavastland (Swedish); Ita-Uusimaa (Finnish), Ostra Nyland (Swedish);
Kainuu (Finnish), Kajanaland (Swedish); Keski-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Mellersta
Osterbotten (Swedish); Keski-Suomi (Finnish), Mellersta Finland (Swedish);
Kymenlaakso (Finnish), Kymmenedalen (Swedish); Lappi (Finnish), Lappland
(Swedish); Paijat-Hame (Finnish), Paijanne-Tavastland (Swedish); Pirkanmaa
(Finnish), Birkaland (Swedish); Osterbotten (Swedish), Pohjanmaa (Finnish);
Pohjois-Karjala (Finnish), Norra Karelen (Swedish); Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Finnish),
Norra Osterbotten (Swedish); Pohjois-Savo (Finnish), Norra Savolax (Swedish);
Satakunta (Finnish and Swedish); Uusimaa (Finnish), Nyland (Swedish);
Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish), Egentliga Finland (Swedish)
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 Mari KIVINIEMI (since 22 June 2010; Deputy
Prime Minister Jyrki KATAINEN (since 19 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president,
responsible to parliament
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a
second term); election last held on 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
on 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 reelected prime minister; election results 121-71
note: government coalition - Kesk, KOK, VIHR, and SFP
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members elected by popular vote
on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 18 March 2007 (next to be held in 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 (the constituency of Aland)
Judicial branch:
general courts - deal with criminal and civil cases (include district courts,
Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, whose judges are
appointed by the president); administrative courts
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party or Kesk [Mari KIVINIEMI]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi
RASANEN]; Green Party or VIHR [Anni SINNEMAKI]; Left Alliance or VAS [Paavo
ARHINMAKI] (composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative);
National Coalition Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN] (conservative); Social
Democratic Party or SDP [Jutta URPILAINEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP
[Stefan WALLIN]; True Finns [Timo SOINI]
International organization participation:
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia
Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, 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, MINURCAT, NC,
NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen
Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bruce J. ORECK
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (9) 616250
FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800
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); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country,
while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter
Economy - Finland
Economy - overview:
Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy with per capita
output roughly that of Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Trade is
important with exports accounting for over one third of GDP in recent years.
Finland is strongly competitive in manufacturing - principally the wood, metals,
engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Finland excels in
high-tech exports such as 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. Finland had
been one of the best performing economies within the EU in recent years and its
banks and financial markets avoided the worst of global financial crisis.
However, the world slowdown hit exports and domestic demand hard in 2009, with
Finland experiencing one of the deepest contractions in the euro zone, and will
serve as a brake on economic growth in 2010. The slowdown of construction, other
investment, and exports will cause unemployment to rise further from the 2009
level. The recession will leave a deep, long-lasting mark on general government
finances and the debt ratio. It turned previously strong public finances into
deficit within a year. In the next few years, the great challenge of economic
policy will be to implement a post-recession exit strategy in which measures
supporting growth will be combined with general government adjustment measures.
Longer-term, Finland must address a rapidly aging population and decreasing
productivity that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic
growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$182.6 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
$197.6 billion (2008 est.)
$195.2 billion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$238.2 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-7.6% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
1.2% (2008 est.)
4.9% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$34,900 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
$37,700 (2008 est.)
$37,300 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 30.3%
services: 66.1% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
2.678 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and forestry: 4.5%
industry: 18.2%
construction: 7.3%
commerce: 15.9%
finance, insurance, and business services: 14.5%
transport and communications: 6.9%
public services: 32.7% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
8.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
6.4% (2008)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 24.7% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29.5 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 115
25.6 (1991)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Budget:
revenues: $127 billion
expenditures: $132.3 billion (2009 est.)
Public debt:
44% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
34.8% of GDP (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
4.1% (2008 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 104
5% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility,
which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.79% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$NA
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the
European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control
the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders
Stock of quasi money:
$NA
Stock of domestic credit:
$241.1 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 30
$225.4 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 28
$154.4 billion (31 December 2008)
$369.2 billion (31 December 2007)
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:
-11.8% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Electricity - production:
77.44 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Electricity - consumption:
87.25 billion kWh (2008)
country comparison to the world: 32
Electricity - exports:
3.335 billion kWh (2008)
Electricity - imports:
16.11 billion kWh (2008)
Oil - production:
8,718 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Oil - consumption:
206,200 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
Oil - exports:
130,500 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Oil - imports:
337,900 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
Oil - proved reserves:
NA bbl
Natural gas - production:
NA (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
4.289 billion cu m (2009)
country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas - imports:
4.289 billion cu m (2009)
country comparison to the world: 34
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
Current account balance:
$2.916 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$7.955 billion (2008 est.)
Exports:
$62.93 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$96.97 billion (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and
pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
Exports - partners:
Germany 10.32%, Sweden 9.79%, Russia 9%, US 7.85%, Netherlands 5.9%, UK 5.24%,
China 4.1% (2009)
Imports:
$58.98 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
$88.26 billion (2008)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment,
iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains
Imports - partners:
Russia 16.28%, Germany 15.76%, Sweden 14.65%, Netherlands 6.99%, China 5.29%,
France 4.22% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$11.45 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
$8.346 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$364.9 billion (30 June 2009)
country comparison to the world: 21
$339.5 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$80.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$78.28 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$117.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
$114.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964
(2006), 0.8041 (2005)
Communications - Finland
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.65 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 63
Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.83 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 74
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive
mobile-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)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 59, shortwave 2 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999); note - on 1 September 2007, Finland began
broadcasting all television signals digitally; analog broadcasts via cable
networks were discontinued 29 February 2008
Internet country code:
.fi; note - Aland Islands assigned .ax
Internet hosts:
4.205 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 18
Internet users:
4.383 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 46
Transportation - Finland
Airports:
148 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 37
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 75
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 14 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 70 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 694 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 5,794 km
country comparison to the world: 31
broad gauge: 5,794 km 1.524-m gauge (3,047 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 78,141 km
country comparison to the world: 62
paved: 50,914 km (includes 700 km of expressways)
unpaved: 27,227 km (2009)
Waterways:
7,842 km
country comparison to the world: 18
note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia
(2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 98
country comparison to the world: 51
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 28, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6, container 3,
passenger 5, passenger/cargo 18, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 27,
vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: 8 (Estonia 2, Germany 1, Norway 3, Sweden 2)
registered in other countries: 47 (Bahamas 9, Germany 4, Gibraltar 3,
Netherlands 14, Norway 1, Panama 2, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Sweden 12, UK 1)
(2008)
Ports and terminals:
Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Raahe, Rauma, Turku
Military - Finland
Military branches:
Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): Army, Navy (includes Coastal Defense Forces), Air
Force (Suomen Ilmavoimat) (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory - and female voluntary -
national military and nonmilitary service; service obligation 6-12 months;
mandatory retirement at age 60 (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,160,812
females age 16-49: 1,111,743 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 958,949
females age 16-49: 916,818 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 33,297
female: 32,233 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Transnational Issues - Finland
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
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