Finland

Finland

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Suomen Tasavalta (Finnish)/Republiken Finland (Swedish)/Republic of Finland Area 338,145 sq km/130,557 sq mi Capital Helsinki (Swedish Helsingfors) Language Finnish (93%), Swedish (6%) (both official), Saami (Lapp), Russian Religion Evangelical Lutheran 87%, Greek Orthodox 1% Time difference GMT +2 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 31 October, 1 November, 1, 24–26, 31 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Midsummer Eve and Day (June), Twelfthtide (January), Whitsuntide (May/June)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Tampere, Turku, Espoo, Vantaa, Oulu Major ports Turku, Oulu Physical features most of the country is forest, with low hills and about 60,000 lakes; one-third is within the Arctic Circle; archipelago in south includes Åland Islands; Helsinki is the most northerly national capital on the European continent. At the 70th parallel there is constant daylight for 73 days in summer and 51 days of uninterrupted night in winter. Airports one principal international airport; 21 domestic airports, of which 17 also handle international flghts; total passengers carried: 6.2 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 5,385 km/3,346 mi; total passenger journeys: 59.9 million (2003) Roads total road network: 78,216 km/48,601 mi, of which 61% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 450.2 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Tarja Halonen from 2000 Head of government Matti Taneli Vanhanen from 2003 Political system liberal democracy Political executive dual executive Administrative divisions six provinces, subdivided into 452 municipalities Political parties Finnish Social Democratic Party (SSDP), moderate left of centre; National Coalition Party (KOK), moderate right of centre; Finnish Centre Party (KESK), radical centrist, rural-oriented; Swedish People's Party (SFP), independent Swedish-oriented; Finnish Rural Party (SMP), farmers and small businesses; Left-Wing Alliance (VL), left wing; Finnish Christian League (SKL), centre-right Death penalty abolished in 1972 Armed forces 28,300; plus 237,000 reservists (2006 est) Conscription 6–12 months, followed by refresher training of 40–100 days (before age 50) Defence spend (% GDP) 1.1 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 6.4 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 5.7 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency euro (markka until 2002) GDP (US$) 193.2 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 3.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 196.5 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 31,170 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 1.7% (2006 est) Unemployment 7.9% (2006 est) Labour force 4.8% agriculture, 25.6% industry, 69.6% services (2005) Major trading partners Germany, Sweden, Russia, UK, USA, the Netherlands, France Resources copper ore, lead ore, gold, zinc ore, silver, peat, hydro power, forests Industries food processing, paper and paper products, machinery, printing and publishing, wood products, metal products, shipbuilding, chemicals, clothing and footwear Exports electrical and optical equipment, metal and engineering products, paper and paper products, machinery and transport equipment, wood and pulp, rubber and plastic. Principal market: Sweden 11% (2005) Imports mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, consumer goods, chemical and related products, textiles, iron and steel. Principal source: Germany 14.7% (2005) Arable land 6.5% (2006 est) Agricultural products oats, sugar beet, potatoes, barley, hay; forestry and animal husbandry


POPULATION

Population 5,261,800 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.2% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 16 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 61 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 17%, 15–59 62%, 60+ 21% (2005 est) Ethnic groups predominantly Finnish; significant Swedish minority (6% of population); small minorities of native Saami (Lapp) and Russians Life expectancy 76 (men); 82 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 4 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 31.1 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 7.2 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <100 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 40.4 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 99.7 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 1,624 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 679 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 48.2 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 64 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1st century Occupied by Finnic nomads from Asia who drove out native Saami (Lapps) to far north. 12th–13th centuries Series of Swedish crusades conquered Finns and converted them to Christianity. 16th–17th centuries Semi-autonomous Swedish duchy with Swedish landowners ruling Finnish peasants; Finland allowed relative autonomy, becoming grand duchy in 1581. 1634 Finland fully incorporated into Swedish kingdom. 1700–21 Great Northern War between Sweden and Russia; half of Finnish population died in famine and epidemics. 1741–43 and 1788–90 Further Russo-Swedish wars; much of the fighting took place in Finland. 1808 Russia invaded Sweden (with support of Napoleon). 1809 Finland ceded to Russia as grand duchy with Russian tsar as grand duke; Finns retained own legal system and Lutheran religion and exempt from Russian military service. 1812 Helsinki became capital of grand duchy. 19th century Growing prosperity followed by rise of national feeling among new Finnish middle class. 1904–05 Policies promoting Russification of Finland provoked national uprising; Russians imposed military rule. 1917 Finland declared independence. 1918 Bitter civil war between Reds (supported by Russian Bolsheviks) and Whites (supported by Germany); Baron Carl Gustaf Mannerheim led Whites to victory. 1919 Republican constitution adopted with Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg as first president. 1927 Land reform broke up big estates and created many small peasant farms. 1939–40 Winter War: USSR invaded Finland after demand for military bases refused. 1940 Treaty of Moscow: Finland ceded territory to USSR. 1941 Finland joined German attack on USSR in hope of regaining lost territory. 1944 Finland agreed separate armistice with USSR; German troops withdrawn. 1947 Finno-Soviet peace treaty: Finland forced to cede 12% of its total area and to pay $300 million in reparations. 1948 Finno-Soviet Pact of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (YYA treaty): Finland pledged to repel any attack on USSR through its territories. 1950s Unstable centre-left coalitions excluded communists from government and adopted strict neutrality in foreign affairs. 1955 Finland joined United Nations (UN) and Nordic Council. 1956 General strike over unemployment and inflation. 1973 Trade agreements signed with European Community (EC) and Comecon. 1991 There was a swing towards the Centre Party in a general election. 1995 Finland joined European Union (EU). 2000 Socila Democrat Tarja Halonen elected woman president of Finland. 2002 Finland adopted single European currency (euro). 2003 Anneli Jaatteenmaki of Centre Party became first woman prime minister but resigned two months later; replaced by Matti Vanhanen. 2006 Tarja Halonen re-elected for second presidential term. 2007 Centre Party led broad coalition government after narrow election victory.


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