Finland

Airports

total: 160 usable: 157 with permanent-surface runways: 66 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 26 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 20

Highways

total: 76,631 km (1991) paved: bituminous concrete, bituminous treated soil 46,745 km unpaved: gravel 29,886 km

Inland waterways

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

Merchant marine

93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,040,905 GRT/1,143,276 DWT, bulk 7, cargo 20, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas 3, oil tanker 15, passenger 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 30, short-sea passenger 9

Pipelines

natural gas 580 km

Ports

Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku

Railroads

5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km 1,524-mm gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,710 km are electrified

Telecommunications

good service from cable and microwave radio relay network; 3,140,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 105 FM, 235 TV; 1 submarine cable; INTELSAT satellite transmission service via Swedish earth station and a receive-only INTELSAT earth station near Helsinki

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Coast Guard)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.6 billion, about 1.5% of GDP (1993)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,323,322; fit for military service 1,089,300; reach military age (17) annually 33,594 (1994 est.)

Agriculture

accounts for 5% of GDP (including forestry); livestock production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; forestry is an important export earner and a secondary occupation for the rural population; main crops - cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of foodgrains and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons

Budget

revenues: $26.8 billion expenditures: $40.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Currency

1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia

Economic aid

donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion

Electricity

capacity: 13,500,000 kW production: 55.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 11,050 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 5.6920 (January 1994), 5.7123 (1993), 4.4794 (1992), 4.0440 (1991), 3.8235 (1990), 4.2912 (1989)

Exports

$23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993) commodities: timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear partners: EC 53.2% (Germany 15.6%, UK 10.7%), EFTA 19.5% (Sweden 12.8%), US 5.9%, Japan 1.3%, Russia 2.8% (1992)

External debt

$30 billion (December 1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$18 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains partners: EC 47.2% (Germany 16.9%, UK 8.7%), EFTA 19.0% (Sweden 11.7%), US 6.1%, Japan 5.5%, Russia 7.1% (1992)

Industrial production

growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.)

Industries

metal products, shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (1992)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $81.1 billion (1993)

National product per capita

$16,100 (1993)

National product real growth rate

-2.6% (1993)

Overview

Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output two-thirds of the US figure. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% 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. The economy, which experienced an average of 4.9% annual growth between 1987 and 1989, sank into deep recession in 1991 as growth contracted by 6.5%. The recession - which continued in 1992 with growth contracting by 4.1% - has been caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union under which Soviet oil and gas had been exchanged for Finnish manufactured goods. The Finnish Government has proposed efforts to increase industrial competitiveness and efficiency by an increase in exports to Western markets, cuts in public expenditures, partial privatization of state enterprises, and changes in monetary policy. In June 1991 Helsinki had tied the markka to the European Union's (EU) European Currency Unit (ECU) to promote stability. Ongoing speculation resulting from a lack of confidence in the government's policies forced Helsinki to devalue the markka by about 12% in November 1991 and to indefinitely break the link in September 1992. The devaluations have boosted the competitiveness of Finnish exports to the extent the recession bottomed out in 1993 with renewed economic growth expected in 1994. Unemployment probably will remain a serious problem during the next few years, with the majority of Finnish firms facing a weak domestic market and the troubled German and Swedish export markets. Declining revenues, increased transfer payments, and extensive funding to bail out the banking system pushed the central government's budget deficit to nearly 13% in 1993. Helsinki continues to harmonize its economic policies with those of the EU during Finland's current EU membership bid. In early 1995, Finland is expected to join the European Union (formerly the European Community), thus broadening European economic unity.

Unemployment rate

22% (1993)

Area

total area: 337,030 sq km land area: 305,470 sq km comparative area: 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)

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 natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

620 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 2,628 km, Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km

Land use

arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 76% other: 16%

Location

Nordic State, Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Russia

Map references

Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 6 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 4 nm

Natural resources

timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver

Note

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

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

12 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa

Capital

Helsinki

Constitution

17 July 1919

Digraph

FI

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: (202) 363-2430

Executive branch

chief of state: President Martti AHTISAARI (since 1 March 1994); election last held 31 January - 6 February 1994 (next to be held January 2000); results - Martti AHTISAARI 54%, Elisabeth REHN 46% head of government: Prime Minister Esko AHO (since 26 April 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Pertti SALOLAINEN (since at least January 1992) cabinet: Council of State (Valtioneuvosto); appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament

FAX

(202) 363-8233 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

FAX

[358] (0) 174681

Flag

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)

Independence

6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)

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

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Other political or pressure groups

Finnish Communist Party-Unity, Yrjo HAKANEN; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI

Parliament (Eduskunta)

elections last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1995); results - Center Party 24.8%, Social Democratic Party 22.1%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 19.3%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.1%, Green League 6.8%, Swedish People's Party 5.5%, Rural 4.8%, Finnish Christian League 3.1%, Liberal People's Party 0.8%; seats - (200 total) Center Party 55, Social Democratic Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 40, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 19, Swedish People's Party 12, Green League 10, Finnish Christian League 8, Rural 7, Liberal People's Party 1

Political parties and leaders

government coalition: Center Party, Esko AHO; National Coalition (conservative) Party, Perti SALOLAINEN; Swedish People's Party, (Johan) Ole NORRBACK; Finnish Christian League, Toimi KANKAANNIEMI other parties: Social Democratic Party, Paavo LIPPONEN, acting chairman; Leftist Alliance (Communist) People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative, Claes ANDERSON; Green League, Pekka SAURI; Rural Party, Tina MAKELA; Liberal People's Party, Kalle MAATTA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador John H. KELLY embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, SF-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (0) 171931

Birth rate

12.41 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

9.84 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar

Infant mortality rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

2.533 million by occupation: public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15.0%, finance, insurance, and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%

Languages

Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.93 years male: 72.18 years female: 79.86 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.) total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish

Net migration rate

0.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

5,068,931 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.34% (1994 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (1994 est.)