Finland

Republic of FinlandSuomen Tasavalta

republicIndependence 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)

Finland as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalHelsinki

Area337,030 km2

LocationNorthern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Russia

Populationas each edition published it

5.05 million July 1993 est. · 4.98m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.37% 1993 est. · 0.02% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 40.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

75.65 years 1993 est. · 82.2 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.79 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$15,900 1992 · $55,600 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

-3.5% 1992 · -0.2% in 2025

Geography

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Russia

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Land useshare of 337,030 km2

arable land 8%meadows and pastures 0%forest and woodland 76%other 16%permanent crops 0% in all · irrigated 620 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

337,030km2

land area: 305,470 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Montana

Coastline

1,126km

(excludes islands and coastal indentations)contiguous zone: 6 nmcontinental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitationexclusive fishing zone: 12 nmterritorial sea: 4 nm

Land boundaries

2,628km

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

Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Russia

Map references

Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

Environment

permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

Note

long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent

People

14 fields

Population

5,050,942

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.37% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

12.61Death

9.91Net migration

1.04

Religions

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

Labor force

2.533million

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%

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1980)total population: 100%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 75.65 years
male:: 71.85 years
female:: 79.62 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Finn(s)
adjective:: Finnish

Ethnic divisions

Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar

Languages

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

Government

Republic

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

48%

Mauno KOIVISTO 48%Paavo VAYRYNEN 20%Harri HOLKERI 18%

Names

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

Digraph

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)

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

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, Antero KEKKONEN, 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

Other political or pressure groups

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

President:: last held 31 January - 1 February and 15 February 1988 (next to be held January 1994); results - Mauno KOIVISTO 48%, Paavo VAYRYNEN 20%, Harri HOLKERI 18%
Parliament:: 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

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament (Eduskunta)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Esko AHO (since 26 April 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ilkka KANERVA (since 26 April 1991)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, 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, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI
chancery:: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone:: (202) 363-2430
FAX:: (202) 363-8233
consulates general:: Los Angeles and New York
consulates:: Chicago and Houston

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
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

Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per | capita output two-thirds of the US figure.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$15,900

(1992)

Real growth rate

-3.5%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.1%

(1992)

Unemployment rate

13.1%

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$26.8 billionExpenditures

$40.6 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

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 3.5% - 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 EC's 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. By boosting the competitiveness of Finnish exports, these measures presumably have kept the economic downturn from being even more severe.

Unemployment probably will remain a serious problem during the next few years - monthly figures in early 1993 are approaching 20% - 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 are expected to push the central government's budget deficit to nearly 13% in 1993. Helsinki continues to harmonize its economic policies with those of the EC during Finland's current EC membership bid.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $79.4 billion (1992)

Exports

$24.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

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)

Imports

$21.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

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

$25 billion (1992)

Electricity

13,500,000 kW capacity; 55,300 million kWh produced, 11,050 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

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

Economic aid

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

Currency

1 markkaa (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia

Exchange rates

markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 5.4193 (January 1993), 4.4794 (1992), 4.0440 (1991), 3.8235 (1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 87 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger 3short-sea passenger 11cargo 17refrigerated cargo 1roll-on/roll-off 26oil tanker 14chemical tanker 6liquefied gas 2bulk 787 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 935,260 GRT/973,995 DWT

Networkskm

Railroads

5,924Inland waterways

6,675

Railroads: ; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km 1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,445 km are electrified · Inland waterways: (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers

Railroads

5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km 1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,445 km are electrified

Highways

about 103,000 km total, including 35,000 km paved (bituminous, concrete, bituminous-treated surface) and 38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel, gravel, earth);
additional 30,000 km of private (state-subsidized) roads

total:: 160
usable:: 157
with permanent-surface runways:: 66
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 25
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 22

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