1987 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1987 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
cold temperate, potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of Gulf Stream, Baltic Sea, more than 60,000 lakes
Coastline
1,126 km excluding islands and coastal indentations
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Montana
Contiguous zone
6 nm
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Environment
permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
Exclusive fishing zone
12 nm
Land boundaries
2,534 km total
Land use
8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 76% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Special notes
long boundary with USSR; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent
Terrain
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with low hills
Territorial sea
4 nm
Total area
337,030 km?; land area: 305,470 km?
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar
Infant mortality rate
6.2/1,000 (1983)
Labor force
2.487 million (1985); 24.5% mining and manufacturing; 27.9% services; 20.9% commerce; 11.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 7.3% construction; 7.6% transportation and communications; 6.2% unemployed (1985 average)
Language
93.5% Finnish, 6.8% Swedish (both official); small Lappand Russianspeaking minorities
Life expectancy
men 70.1, women 78.1
Literacy
almost 100%
Nationality
noun—Finn(s); adjective— Finnish
Organized labor
80% of labor force
Population
4,939,880 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.86%
Religion
97% Evangelical Lutheran, 1.2% Greek Orthodox, 1.8% other
Government
Administrative divisions
12 provinces, 377 communes, 84 towns
Branches
legislative authority rests jointly with President and unicameral legislature (Eduskunta); executive power vested in President and exercised through coalition Cabinet responsible to parliament; Supreme Court, four superior courts, 193 lower courts
Capital
Helsinki
Communists
28,000 registered members; an additional 45,000 persons belong to People’s Democratic League
Elections
parliamentary, every four years (next in March, 1991); presidential, every six years (next in 1988) Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Kalevi Sorsa; Center Party, Paavo Vayrynen; People’s Democratic League (majority Communist front), Esko Helle; Nationa! Coalition (Conservative) Party, Ilkka Suominen; Liberal People’s Party, Kyésti Lallukka; Swedish People’s Party, Christoffer Taxell; Rural Party, Pekka Vennamo; Finnish Communist Party (majority Communist faction), Arvo Aalto; Finnish Communist Party-Unity (minority faction), Taisto Sinisalo; Democratic Alternative (minority Communist front), Kristiina Halkola; Finnish Christian League, Esko Almgren; Constitutional Rightist Party, Georg Ehrnrooth; Finnish Pensioners Party; Greens
Government leaders
Dr. Mauno KOIVISTO, President (since January 1982); Kalevi SORSA, Prime Minister (since February 1982)
Legal system
civil law system based on Swedish law; constitution adopted 1919; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory IC) jurisdiction, with reservations
Member of
ADB, CEMA (special cooperation agreement), DAC, EC (free trade agreement), EFTA (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, 1DB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, 1LO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC—Internationa] Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 December
Official name
Republic of Finland
Suffrage
universal, 18 years and over; not compulsory
Type
republic
Voting strength
(1987 parliamentary election) 24.8% Social Democratic (56 seats), 23.9% Conservative (58 seats), 18.6% Center-Liberal (40 seats), 9.4% People’s Democratic League (16 seats), 6.8% Rural (9 seats), 5.3% Swedish Peoples (18 seats), 4.3% Democratic Alternative (4 seats), 4.0% Greens (4 seats), 2.6% Christian League (5 seats), 1.2% Pensioners (no seats), 0.1% Constitutional Rightist (no seats)
Economy
Agriculture
animal husbandry, especially dairying, predominates; forestry important secondary occupation for rural population; main crops—cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient; shortages—food and fodder grains
Aid
donor—ODA and OOF economic aid commitments (1970-84), $998 million
Budget
expenditures, $16.3 billion; revenues, $14.4 billion (1985)
Crude steel
2.5 million metric tons produced (1985), 580 kg per capita
Electric power
12,389,000 kW capacity; 45,590 million kWh produced, 9,250 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$13.54 billion (f.0.b., 1985); timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 157,100 metric tons (1983)
GNP
$54.4 billion (1985), $11,100 per capita; 55.6% private consumption, 23.4% gross fixed capital formation; 20.2% government consumption; 0.8% net exports of goods and services; 1985 growth rate 2.9% (1980 prices)
Imports
$13.14 billion (c.i-f., 1985); foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics
Major industries
metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing
Major trade partners
(1985) exports— 35.2% EC (10.6% UK, 9.0% FRG), 21.4% USSR, 13.1% Sweden, 6.2% US; imports— 86.9% EC (14.9% FRG, 7.2% UK), 20.6% USSR, 11.7% Sweden, 5.4% US
Monetary conversion rate
6.206 Finnmarks (Fim)=US$I (830 December 1986)
Natural resources
forests, copper, zinc, iron, farmland
Shortages
fossil fuels; industrial raw materials (except wood, iron ore)
Communications
Airfields
163 total, 160 usable; 47 with permanent-surface runways; 22 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Highways
about 103,000 km total, including 35,000 km paved (bituminous, concrete, bituminous-treated surface) and $8,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel, gravel, earth); additional 30,000 km of private (state subsidized) roads
Inland waterways
6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal), 3,700 km suitable for steamers
Pipelines
natural gas, 16) km
Ports
1] major, 34 minor Civil air; 39 major transport
Railroads
6,071 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 6,010 km 1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,257 km are electrified
Telecommunications
good service from cable and radio-relay network; 2.95 million telephones (57 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, 105 FM, 235 TV stations; 3 submarine cables
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military budget
fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $1.08 billion; 5.7% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,315,000; 1,102,000 fit for military service; 31,000 reach military age (17) annually