Finland

Internet country code

.fi; note - the IANA has assigned the ccTLD of .ax to the Aland Islands

Internet hosts

1,633,614 (2006)

Internet users

3.286 million (2005)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: modern system with excellent 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)

Telephones - main lines in use

2.12 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

5.231 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999)

Agriculture - products

barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Budget

revenues: $99.61 billion expenditures: $97.14 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

euro (EUR) 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

Current account balance

$5.043 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$211.7 billion (30 June 2005)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26.9 (2000)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $379 million (2001)

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; 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.

Electricity - consumption

78.94 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

7 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

11.9 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

79.61 billion kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Exports

$67.88 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999)

Exports - partners

Russia 11.2%, Sweden 10.7%, Germany 10.5%, UK 6.6%, US 6.2%, Netherlands 4.8% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$184.2 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$161.9 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2.8% industry: 29.5% services: 67.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$31,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$56.45 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 13.9%, Netherlands 6.2%, Denmark 4.6%, UK 4.3%, China 4.2% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

-2% (2005 est.)

Industries

metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Labor force

2.61 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public services 32%

Natural gas - consumption

5.028 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

4.567 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

219,700 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

101,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

318,300 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

9,013 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

39.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$11.4 billion (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.4% (2005 est.)

Area

total: 338,145 sq km land: 304,473 sq km water: 33,672 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

1,250 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air 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

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 (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 2,681 km border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

Land use

arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 93.44% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm) continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

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

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

Constitution

1 March 2000

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland local short form: Suomi/Finland

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Marilyn WARE embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 616250 FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 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

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)

Government type

republic

Independence

6 December 1917 (from Russia)

International organization participation

AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, 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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)

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

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 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Political parties and leaders

Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [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]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 1,121,275 females age 18-49: 1,076,684 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 913,617 females age 18-49: 875,689 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 32,040 females age 18-49: 30,519 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Finnish Defense Forces: Army, Navy (includes coastal defense forces), Air Force (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2% (FY98/99)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (October 2004)

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.)

Birth rate

10.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

9.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups

Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,500 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.5 years male: 74.99 years female: 82.17 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.)

Median age

total: 41.3 years male: 39.7 years female: 42.8 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish

Net migration rate

0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

5,231,372 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

0.14% (2006 est.)

Religions

Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003)

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.)

Total fertility rate

1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international

various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands

Airports

148 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 76 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: 14 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 72 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 67 (2006)

Merchant marine

total: 87 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,250,600 GRT/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)

Pipelines

gas 694 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma, Turku

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)