Finland. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Finland | 
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|
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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 finally won its complete 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. |
| 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: 337,030 sq
km water: 31,560 sq km land: 305,470 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; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden 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: Halti 1,328 m |
| Natural
resources: |
timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 6.98%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 93.01% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
640 sq km (1998 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 |
| People | Finland |
| Population: |
5,183,545 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 17.9%
(male 471,920; female 454,082) 15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,752,493; female 1,717,544) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 306,216; female 481,290) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.14% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
10.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
9.78 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
3.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
77.75 years female: 81.52 years (2002 est.) male: 74.1 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.7 children born/woman (2002 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%, Russian 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% |
| Government | Finland |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local short form: Suomi local long form: Suomen Tasavalta |
| 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 Ville ITALA (since 31 August 2001) 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 note: government coalition - SDP, Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's Democratic Union and Democratic Alternative), SFP, and Green League election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral Parliament or
Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional
basis to serve four-year terms) 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 League 7.2%, SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51, Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green League 11, SKL 10, other 3 elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003) |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Center Party or Kesk [Esko AHO]; Finnish Christian Democratic Party or SKL [C. P. Bjarne KALLIS]; Green League [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Leftist Alliance (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Ville ITALA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]; True Finns [Timo SOINI] |
| 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, 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, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jukka Robert VALTASAARI consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Bonnie McELVEEN-HUNTER 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 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) |
| Economy | Finland |
| 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 almost 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 2002 was held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2003 provided the world economy suffers no further blows. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $136.2 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
1.1% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $26,200 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 4% industry: 34% services: 62% (2002 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 22% (1991) (1991) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
26 (1991) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1.9% (2002 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: |
8.5% (2002 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $36.1 billion
expenditures: $31 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
5% (2002 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
75.356 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 41%
hydro: 19% other: 12% (2000) nuclear: 28% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
81.961 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
326 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
12.206 billion kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish |
| Exports: |
$40.1 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp |
| Exports
- partners: |
Germany 12.4%, US 9.7%, UK 9.6%, Sweden 8.4%, Russia 5.9%, France 4.6% (2001) |
| Imports: |
$31.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains |
| Imports
- partners: |
Germany 14.5%, Sweden 10.2%, Russia 9.6%, US 6.9%, UK 6.4%, France 4.5% (2001) |
| Debt
- external: |
$30 billion (December 1993) |
| Economic
aid - donor: |
ODA, $379 million (1997) |
| Currency: |
euro (EUR); markka (FIM)
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; FIM |
| Exchange
rates: |
euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); markkaa per US dollar - 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Finland |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
2,847,900 (2001) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
3,728,600 (2001) |
| 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: |
120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999) |
| Televisions: |
3.2 million (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.fi |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2002) |
| Internet
users: |
2.69 million (2002) |
| Transportation | Finland |
| Railways: |
total: 5,865 km broad gauge: 5,865 km 1.524-m gauge (2,234 km electrified; 480 km double- or multiple-track) (2000 est.) |
| Highways: |
total: 77,831 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 1,172,404 GRT/1,144,139 DWT ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, chemical tanker 5, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 36, short-sea passenger 10 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1, Sweden 1 (2002 est.) |
| Airports: |
160 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 74 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 12 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 76 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 72 (2002) |
| Military | Finland |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Sea Guard) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
17 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 1,240,762 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 1,024,379 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 33,883 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$1.8 billion (FY98/99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2% (FY98/99) |
| Transnational Issues | Finland |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
Association for Human Rights Defense International
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