FINLAND
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FINLAND
@Finland:Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Map references: Europe
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FINLAND - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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HELSINKI 492,000 60.08N, 25.00E 358-0 GMT+2
Tampere 171,000 61.32N, 23.45E 358-31 GMT+2
Espoo 168,000 60.10N, 24.42E 358-0 GMT+2
Turku 162,000 60.27N, 22.15E 358-21 GMT+2
Vantaa 151,000 60.18N, 24.57E 358-0 GMT+2
Oulu 99,000 65.00N, 25.26E 358-81 GMT+2
Lahti 94,000 61.00N, 25.40E 358-18 GMT+2
Pori 80,000 61.28N, 21.45E 358-39 GMT+2
Kuopio 79,000 62.54N, 27.40E 358-71 GMT+2
Jyvaskyla 66,000 62.16N, 25.50E 358-41 GMT+2
Kotka 60,000 60.26N, 26.55E 358-52 GMT+2
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Area:
total area: 337,030 sq km
land area: 305,470 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total 2,628 km, Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia
1,313 km
Coastline: 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 6 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 4 nm
International disputes: none
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
Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 76%
other: 16%
Irrigated land: 620 sq km (1989 est.)
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 85, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur
94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national
capital on European continent; population concentrated on small
southwestern coastal plain
@Finland:People
Population: 5,085,206 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (female 469,666; male 491,484)
15-64 years: 67% (female 1,683,371; male 1,716,307)
65 years and over: 14% (female 457,061; male 267,317) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.3% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 12.22 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.77 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.22 years
male: 72.51 years
female: 80.11 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish
Ethnic divisions: Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other
1%
Languages: Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small
Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
total population: 100%
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%
@Finland:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
local short form: Suomi
Digraph: FI
Type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular - laani);
Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu,
Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)
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 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 Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April
1995); Deputy Prime Minister Sauli NIINISTO (since 13 April 1995)
cabinet: Council of State (Valtioneuvosto); appointed by the
president, responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament (Eduskunta): elections last held 19 March 1995 (next to be
held March 1999); results - Social Democratic Party 28.3%, Center
Party 19.9%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 17.9%, Leftist
Alliance (Communist) 11.2%, Swedish People's Party 5.1%, Green League
6.5%, Ecology Party 0.3%, Rural 1.3%, Finnish Christian League 3.0%,
Liberal People's Party 0.6%, Young Finns 2.8%; seats - (200 total)
Social Democratic Party 63, Center Party 44, National Coalition
(Conservative) Party 39, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 22, Swedish
People's Party 11, Green League 9, Ecology Party 1, Rural 1, Finnish
Christian League 7, Young Finns 2, Aaland Islands 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)
Political parties and leaders:
government coalition: Social Democratic Party, Paavo LIPPONEN;
National Coalition (conservative) Party, Sauli NIINISTO; Leftist
Alliance (Communist) People's Democratic League and Democratic
Alternative, Claes ANDERSON; Swedish People's Party, (Johan) Ole
NORRBACK; Green League, Pekka HAAVISTO
other: Center Party, Esko AHO; Finnish Christian League, Toimi
KANKAANNIEMI; Rural Party, Tina MAKELA; Liberal People's Party,
Tuulikki UKKOLA; Greens Ecological Party (EPV); Young Finns
Other political or pressure groups: Finnish Communist Party-Unity,
Yrjo HAKANEN; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party;
Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC,
CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), EU, FAO, G- 9, GATT, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC
(observer), NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Derek N. SHEARER
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki
mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (0) 171931
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)
Economy
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. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a
secondary occupation for the rural population. The economy, which
experienced an average of 4.9% annual growth between 1987 and 1989,
sank into deep recession in 1991 as GDP contracted by 6.5%. The
recession - which continued in 1992 with GDP 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. The recession bottomed out in 1993, and Finland participated
in the general European upturn of 1994. Unemployment probably will
remain a serious problem during the next few years; the majority of
Finnish firms face a weak domestic market and the troubled German and
Swedish export markets. The Finns voted in an October 1994 referendum
to enter the EU, and Finland officially joined the Union on 1 January
1995. Increasing integration with Western Europe will dominate the
economic picture over the next few years.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $81.8 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 3.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $16,140 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1992)
Unemployment rate: 22% (1993)
Budget:
revenues: $21.7 billion
expenditures: $31.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1993 est.)
Exports: $23.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: paper and pulp, machinery, chemicals, metals, timber
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)
Imports: $18 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
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)
External debt: $30 billion (December 1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1993 est.); accounts for 28% of
GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 13,360,000 kW
production: 58 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 12,196 kWh (1993)
Industries: metal products, shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing
(pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles,
clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 7% of GDP (including forestry); livestock
production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; main crops -
cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of
foodgrains and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric
tons
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Latin American cocaine for the
West European market
Economic aid:
donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion
Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 4.7358 (January 1995), 5.2235
(1994), 5.7123 (1993), 4.4794 (1992), 4.0440 (1991), 3.8235 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Finland:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 5,864 km
broad gauge: 5,864 km 1.524-m gauge (1,710 km electrified; 480 km
multiple track)
Highways:
total: 76,755 km
paved: bituminous concrete, bituminous treated soil 47,588 km (318 km
of expressways)
unpaved: gravel 29,167 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km
suitable for steamers
Pipelines: natural gas 580 km
Ports: Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma,
Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus
Merchant marine:
total: 93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,050,270 GRT/1,080,150
DWT
ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 20, chemical tanker 5, liquefied gas
tanker 3, oil tanker 12, passenger 3, refrigerated cargo 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 31, short-sea passenger 10, vehicle carrier 1
Airports:
total: 159
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 21
with paved runways under 914 m: 94
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5
@Finland:Communications
Telephone system: 3,140,000 telephones; good service from cable and
microwave radio relay network
local: NA
intercity: cable and microwave radio relay
international: 1 submarine cable; INTELSAT satellite transmission
service via Swedish earth station and a receive-only INTELSAT earth
station near Helsinki for TV programs
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 105, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 235
televisions: NA
@Finland:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea Guard)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,318,231; males fit for
military service 1,083,749; males reach military age (17) annually
33,085 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.86 billion, about
1.9% of GDP (1994)
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