2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

305,470 sq km

total

337,030 sq km

water

31,560 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Montana

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

Coastline

1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

lowest point

Baltic Sea 0 m

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 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

Geographic coordinates

64 00 N, 26 00 E

Geography - note

long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

Irrigated land

640 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km

total

2,628 km

Land use

arable land

8%

forests and woodland

76%

other

16% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

0%

Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

6 nm

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)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver

Terrain

mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 478,497; female 459,646) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,747,738; female 1,712,058) 65 years and over: 15% (male 295,177; female 474,370) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

10.8 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

9.73 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Lapp 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%

Infant mortality rate

3.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.2 years (2000 est.)

male

73.74 years

total population

77.41 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

100% (1980 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Finnish

noun

Finn(s)

Net migration rate

0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

5,167,486 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.17% (2000 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%

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: 0.62 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

Capital

Helsinki

Constitution

17 July 1919

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Finland

conventional short form

Finland

local long form

Suomen Tasavalta

local short form

Suomi

Data code

FI

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Eric EDELMAN

embassy

Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki

mailing address

APO AE 09723

telephone

(9) 171931

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Jaakko Tapani LAAJAVA

telephone

(202) 298-5800

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament

chief of state

President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)

election results

Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esco AHO (Kesk) 48.4%

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

head of government

Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sauli NIINISTO (since 13 April 1995)

note

government coalition - SFP, Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's Democratic Union and Democratic Alternative), SFP, and Green Union

FAX

(202) 298-6030

(9) 174681

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles and New York

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)

Government type

republic

Independence

6 December 1917 (from Russia)

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, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, judges appointed by the president

Legal system

civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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 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

elections

last held 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Political parties and leaders

Center Party or Kesk ; Ecological Party or EPV ; Finnish Christian Union or SKL ; Green Union ; Leftist Alliance (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative ; Liberal People's Party or LKP [Pekka RYTILA]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Sauli NIINISTO]; Rural Party or SMP ; Social Democratic Party or SDP ; Swedish People's Party or SFP [(Johan) Ole NORRBACK]; Young Finns

Political pressure groups and leaders

Communist Workers Party [Timo LAHDENMAKI]; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Communist Party-Unity ; Finnish Pensioners Party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Budget

expenditures

$41 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

revenues

$41 billion

Currency

1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia

Debt - external

$30 billion (December 1993)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $379 million (1997)

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. The economy has come back from the recession of 1990-92, which had been caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union. 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 2000 will probably be at the same level as in 1999, enough to continue the decline in unemployment from its current high level.

Electricity - consumption

79.278 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

300 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

9.55 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

75.299 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

41.62%

hydro

19.59%

nuclear

27.59%

other

11.2% (1998)

Exchange rates

euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997), 4.5936 (1996), 4.3667 (1995)

note

on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at a fixed rate of 5.94573 markkaa per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Exports

$43 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, and pulp

Exports - partners

EU 56% (Germany 12%, UK 9%, Sweden 9%, France 5%), US 7%, Russia 6%, Japan (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $108.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

5%

industry

32%

services

63% (1997)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $21,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)

Imports

$30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains

Imports - partners

EU 60% (Germany 15%, Sweden 12%, UK 7%), US 8%, Russia 7%, Japan 6% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

4.8% (1999)

Industries

metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (1999 est.)

Labor force

2.533 million

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%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

10% (1999 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

36 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios

7.7 million (1997)

Telephone system

modern system with excellent service

domestic

cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net take provide of 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)

Telephones - main lines in use

2.861 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2,162,574 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

130 (plus 385 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

3.2 million (1997)

Airports

157 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

88 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 82 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

49,853 km (including 473 km of expressways)

total

77,895 km

unpaved

28,042 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 9, cargo 23, chemical tanker 6, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, rail car carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off 38, short-sea passenger 12 (1999 est.)

total

101 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,185,966 GRT/1,153,089 DWT

Pipelines

natural gas 580 km

Ports and harbors

Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus

Railways

broad gauge

5,865 km 1.524-m gauge (2,192 km electrified; 480 km double- or multiple-track) (1998)

total

5,865 km

Waterways

6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$1.8 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,262,526 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,041,795 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

34,651 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

FRANCE