General background: Ruled by Sweden from the
12th to the 19th centuries and by Russia from 1809, Finland
finally won its independence in 1917. During World War
II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and
fend off invasions by the Soviet Union and Germany. In
the subsequent half century, the Finns have 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.
Area comparative: Slightly smaller than Montana
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
Population: 5,183,545 (July 2002 est.)
Ethnic groups: Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%,
Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian
Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
Language: Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish
5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Government type: Republic
Capital: Helsinki
Legal system: Civil law system based on Swedish
law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting
or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations.
Economic 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, with exports
equaling almost one-third 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. Rapidly
increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland
was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary
system (EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will dominate the economic
picture over the next several years. Growth in 2001
was held back by the global slowdown and will likely
be anemic again in 2002.
Communication/Telephone system: Modern system with
excellent service
Places of interest: You can ski across vast frozen
lakes or relax in a sauna, Finland is a sailing and
fishing paradise.
Travel tips:
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