Finland

lowest point:

Baltic Sea 0 m

highest point:

Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m

total:

1.63 cu km/yr (25%/72%/3%)

per capita:

308.9 cu m/yr (2005)

• air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain;
• water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals;
• habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

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

noun:

Finn(s)

adjective:

Finnish

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.71 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Finland

conventional short form:

Finland

local long form:

Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland

local short form:

Suomi/Finland

name:

Helsinki

geographic coordinates:

60 10 N, 24 56 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

• 19 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta (Finnish); landskapen, singular - landskapet (Swedish));
• Aland (Swedish), Ahvenanmaa (Finnish);
• Etela-Karjala (Finnish), Sodra Karelen (Swedish) [South Karelia];
• Etela-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Sodra Osterbotten (Swedish) [South Ostrobothnia];
• Etela-Savo (Finnish), Sodra Savolax (Swedish) [South Savo];
• Kanta-Hame (Finnish), Egentliga Tavastland (Swedish);
• Kainuu (Finnish), Kajanaland (Swedish);
• Keski-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Mellersta Osterbotten (Swedish) [Central Ostrobothnia];
• Keski-Suomi (Finnish), Mellersta Finland (Swedish) [Central Finland];
• Kymenlaakso (Finnish), Kymmenedalen (Swedish);
• Lappi (Finnish), Lappland (Swedish);
• Paijat-Hame (Finnish), Paijanne-Tavastland (Swedish);
• Pirkanmaa (Finnish), Birkaland (Swedish) [Tampere];
• Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Osterbotten (Swedish) [Ostrobothnia];
• Pohjois-Karjala (Finnish), Norra Karelen (Swedish) [North Karelia];
• Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Norra Osterbotten (Swedish) [North Ostrobothnia];
• Pohjois-Savo (Finnish), Norra Savolax (Swedish) [North Savo];
• Satakunta (Finnish and Swedish);
• Uusimaa (Finnish), Nyland (Swedish) [Newland];
• Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish), Egentliga Finland (Swedish) [Southwest Finland]

• previous 1906, 1919;
• latest drafted 17 June 1997, approved by Parliament 11 June 1999, entered into force 1 March 2000;
• amended several times, last in 2011 (2011)

chief of state:

President Sauli NIINISTO (since 1 March 2012)

head of government:

Prime Minister Jyrki KATAINEN (since 22 June 2011)

cabinet:

Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to parliament; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 5 February 2012 (next to be held in February 2018);
• the parliament elects a prime minister who is then appointed to office by the president

election results:

• percent of vote - Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 36.96%, Pekka HAAVISTO (Vihr) 18.76%, Paavo VAYRYNEN (Kesk) 17.53%, Timo SOINI (TF) 9.4%, Paavo LIPPONEN (SDP) 6.7%, Paavo ARHINMÄKI (Vas) 5.48%, Eva BIAUDET (SFP) 2.7%, Sari ESSAYAH (KD) 2.47%;
• a runoff election between NIINISTO and HAAVISTO was held 5 February 2012 - NIINISTO 62.59%, HAAVISTO 37.41%;
• Jyrki KATAINEN elected prime minister;
• election results 118-72

note: government coalition - Kok, SDP, Vihr, SFP, Vas, and KD (2013)

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (consists of the court president and 18 judges);
• Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 21 judges including the court president and organized into 3 chambers)

; note - Finland has a dual judicial system - courts with civil and criminal jurisdiction, and administrative courts with jurisdiction for litigation between individuals and administrative organs of the state and communities

judge selection and term of office:

Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court judges appointed by the president of the republic; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts:

• 6 Courts of Appeal;
• 8 regional administrative courts;
• 27 district courts;
• special courts for issues relating to markets, labor, insurance, impeachment, land, tenancy, and water rights

• Center Party or Kesk [Juha SIPILA]
• Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]
• Green League or Vihr [Ville NIINISTO]
• Left Alliance or Vas [Paavo ARHINMAKI]
• National Coalition Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]
• Social Democratic Party or SDP [Jutta URPILAINEN]
• Swedish People's Party or SFP [Carl HAGLUND]
• The Finns Party or PS [Timo SOINI]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ritva KOUKKU-RONDE (since 1 September 2011)

chancery:

3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 298-5800

FAX:

[1] (202) 298-6030

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles (Juha Pekka MARKKANEN), New York (Jukka PIETIKAINEN)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Bruce J. ORECK (since 12 August 2009)

embassy:

Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki

mailing address:

APO AE 09723

telephone:

[358] (9) 616250

FAX:

[358] (9) 6162 5800

• 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);
• the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter

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

agriculture and forestry:

4.4%

industry:

15.5%

construction:

7.1%

commerce:

21.3%

finance, insurance, and business services:

13.3%

transport and communications:

9.9%

public services:

28.5% (2011)

lowest 10%:

3.6%

highest 10%:

24.7% (2007)

general assessment:

modern system with excellent service

domestic:

digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive mobile-cellular network provide domestic needs

international:

• country code - 358;
• submarine cables provide links to Estonia and Sweden;
• 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) (2011)

• a mix of publicly operated TV stations and privately owned TV stations;
• the 2 publicly owned TV stations recently expanded services and the largest private TV station has introduced several special-interest pay-TV channels;
• cable and satellite multi-channel subscription services are available;
• all TV signals have been broadcast digitally since September 2007;
• analog broadcasts via cable networks were terminated in February 2008;
• public broadcasting maintains a network of 13 national and 25 regional radio stations;
• a large number of private radio broadcasters (2008)

total:

5,944 km

country comparison to the world: 31

broad gauge:

5,944 km 1.524-m gauge (3,067 km electrified) (2013)

total:

78,000 km

country comparison to the world: 60

paved:

50,000 km (includes 700 km of expressways)

unpaved:

28,000 km

note: there 78,000 km of highways, 350,000 km of private and forest roads, and 26,000 km of urban roads giving Finland a total road network of 450,000 km (2012)

• 8,000 km (includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia; water transport is used frequently in the summer and is widely replaced with sledges on the ice in winter; there are 187,888 lakes in Finland that cover 31,500 km);
• Finand also maintains 8,200 km of coastal fairways (2013)

country comparison to the world: 18

• 18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory - and female voluntary - national military and nonmilitary service;
• service obligation 6-12 months;
• military obligation to age 60 (2012)

males age 16-49:

1,155,368

females age 16-49:

1,106,193 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

955,151

females age 16-49:

912,983 (2010 est.)

male:

32,599

female:

31,416 (2010 est.)