| 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 |
|
