GENERAL:

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 coordinates:	64 00 N, 26 00 E

Map references:	Europe

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

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

Coastline:	1,250 km

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

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:	Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

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

Land use:	arable land:	6.54%
	permanent crops:	0.02%
	other:	93.44%

Irrigated land:	640 sq km

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

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


PEOPLE:

Population:	5,231,372

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)

Median age:	total:	41.3 years
	male:	39.7 years
	female:	42.8 years

Population growth rate:	0.14%

Birth rate:	10.45 births/1,000 population

Death rate:	9.86 deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:	0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population

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

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

Life expectancy at birth:	total population:	78.5 years
	male:	74.99 years
	female:	82.17 years

Total fertility rate:	1.73 children born/woman

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%

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

Literacy:	definition:	age 15 and over can read and write
	total population:	100%
	male:	100%
	female:	100%
GOVERNMENT:

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

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:	01-Mar-00

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 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; 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 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

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

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 [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM]

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:

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.

GDP - real growth rate:	2.20%

GDP - per capita (PPP):	$30,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:	agriculture:	3.10%
	industry:	30.40%
	services:	66.50%

Labor force:	2.61 million

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%

Unemployment rate:	7.90%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):	1.20%

Agriculture - products:	barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate:	3%

Exports - commodities:	machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp

Exports - partners:	Sweden 11.1%, Germany 10.7%, Russia 8.9%, UK 7%, US 6.4%, Netherlands 5.1%

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 14.3%, Russia 12.8%, Netherlands 6.3%, Denmark 5.2%, UK 4.6%, France 4.3%

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

Fiscal year:	calendar year


TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES:

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