from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Finland
Introduction
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. As a
member of the European Union, Finland was the only
Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation
in January 1999.
Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of
Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Geographic 64 00 N, 26 00 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 338,145 sq km
land: 304,473 sq km
water: 33,672 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Montana
comparative:
Land total: 2,681 km
boundaries: border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia
1,340 km
Coastline: 1,250 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental
shelf boundary with Sweden
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 lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
Natural timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel,
resources: gold, silver, limestone
Land use: arable land: 6.54%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 93.44% (2005)
Irrigated 640 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural NA
hazards:
Environment - air pollution from manufacturing and power plants
current contributing to acid rain; water pollution from
issues: industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss
threatens wildlife populations
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
international Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
agreements: 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 - long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost
note: national capital on European continent; population
concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
People
Population: 5,231,372 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.1% (male 455,420/female 438,719)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,766,674/female 1,724,858)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 337,257/female 508,444)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 41.3 years
male: 39.7 years
female: 42.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.14% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 10.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 78.5 years
expectancy at male: 74.99 years
birth: female: 82.17 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 1,500 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 100 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish
Ethnic groups: Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%,
Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1%
Religions: Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in
Finland 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none
13.5% (2003)
Languages: Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other
2.4% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities)
(2003)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)
Government
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 republic
type:
Capital: name: Helsinki
geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 58 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 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland,
divisions: Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen
Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Russia)
National Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March
branch: 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN
(since 24 June 2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Eero
HEINALUOMA (since 24 September 2005)
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 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
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 - HOLONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%
note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP
Legislative unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members
branch: are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held
March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk
24.7%, SDP 24.5%, Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD
5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party - Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok
40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, other 4
Judicial Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by
branch: the president)
Political Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian
parties and Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR
leaders: [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of
People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative
[Martti KORHONEN]; National Coalition (conservative)
Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party
or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP
[Stefan WALLIN]
International AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS,
organization CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9,
participation: IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA,
NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club,
PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL,
UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU
(observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU
representation chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Marilyn WARE
representation embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
from the US: mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (9) 616250
FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800
Flag white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the
description: flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the
hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy
Economy - Finland has a highly industrialized, largely
overview: 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. Rapidly increasing integration with Western
Europe - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining
the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - will
dominate the economic picture over the next several
years. High unemployment remains a persistent problem.
GDP $161.9 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $184.2 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $31,000 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 2.8%
composition by industry: 29.5%
sector: services: 67.6% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 2.61 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction
by occupation: 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business
services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public
services 32%
Unemployment 8.4% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 4.2%
income or highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 26.9 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 0.9% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 19.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $99.61 billion
expenditures: $97.14 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 39.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle;
products: fish
Industries: metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and
scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper,
foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
Industrial -2% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 79.61 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 39%
production by hydro: 18.7%
source: nuclear: 30.4%
other: 11.8% (2001)
Electricity - 78.94 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 7 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 11.9 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 9,013 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 219,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 101,000 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 318,300 bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 5.028 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 4.567 billion cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Current $5.043 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $67.88 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber,
commodities: paper, pulp (1999)
Exports - Russia 11.2%, Sweden 10.7%, Germany 10.5%, UK 6.6%, US
partners: 6.2%, Netherlands 4.8% (2005)
Imports: $56.45 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products,
commodities: chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel,
machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains
Imports - Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 13.9%, Netherlands
partners: 6.2%, Denmark 4.6%, UK 4.3%, China 4.2% (2005)
Reserves of $11.4 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $211.7 billion (30 June 2005)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $379 million (2001)
donor:
Currency euro (EUR)
(code): note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by
financial institutions of member countries; on 1
January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for
everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code: EUR
Exchange euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
rates: 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 2.12 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 5.231 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern system with excellent
system: service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an
extensive cellular network provide domestic needs
international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable
(Finland Estonia Connection); 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 AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 7.7 million (1997)
Television 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 3.2 million (1997)
Internet .fi; note - the IANA has assigned the ccTLD of .ax to
country code: the Aland Islands
Internet 1,633,614 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 3 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 3.286 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 148 (2006)
Airports - total: 76
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 14 (2006)
Airports - total: 72
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 5
runways: under 914 m: 67 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 694 km (2006)
Railways: total: 5,741 km
broad gauge: 5,741 km 1.524-m gauge (2,619 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 78,189 km
paved: 50,633 km (including 653 km of expressways)
unpaved: 27,556 km (2006)
Waterways: 7,842 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km;
southern part leased from Russia (2005)
Merchant total: 87 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,250,600 GRT/
marine: 952,072 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 22, chemical tanker 6,
container 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 20, petroleum
tanker 4, roll on/roll off 25
foreign-owned: 3 (Norway 1, Russia 1, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 48 (Bahamas 8, Germany
2, Gibraltar 3, Luxembourg 4, Marshall Islands 2,
Netherlands 13, Norway 4, Sweden 11, UK 1) (2006)
Ports and Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvoo,
terminals: Raahe, Rauma, Turku
Military
Military Finnish Defense Forces: Army, Navy (includes coastal
branches: defense forces), Air Force (2003)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service age service (October 2004)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,121,275
available for females age 18-49: 1,076,684 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 913,617
for military females age 18-49: 875,689 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 32,040
reaching females age 18-49: 30,519 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $1.8 billion (FY98/99)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 2% (FY98/99)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - various groups in Finland advocate restoration of
international: Karelia and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union, but
the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands