1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
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
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
2,578 km total; Norway 729 km, Sweden 536 km, USSR 1,313 km
Land use
8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 76% forest and woodland; 16% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Natural resources
timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Note
long boundary with USSR; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent
Terrain
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Territorial sea
4 nm
Total area
337,030 km2; land area: 305,470 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar
Infant mortality rate
6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
2,556,000; 33.1% services, 22.9% mining and manufacturing, 13.8% commerce, 10.3% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 7.2% construction, 7.1% transportation and communications (1989 est.)
Language
93.5% Finnish, 6.3% Swedish (both official); small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Life expectancy at birth
71 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Literacy
almost 100%
Nationality
noun--Finn(s); adjective--Finnish
Net migration rate
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
80% of labor force
Population
4,977,325 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Religion
97% Evangelical Lutheran, 1.2% Eastern Orthodox, 1.8% other
Total fertility rate
1.7 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
12 provinces (laanit, singular--laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa
Capital
Helsinki
Communists
28,000 registered members; an additional 45,000 persons belong to People's Democratic League
Constitution
17 July 1919
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington DC 20016; telephone (202) 363-2430; there are Finnish Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York, and Consulates in Chicago and Houston; US--Ambassador John G. WEINMANN; Embassy at Itainen Puistotie 14ASF-00140, Helsinki (mailing address is APO New York 09664); telephone [358] (0) 171931
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 15-16 March 1987 (next to be held March 1991); results--Social Democratic 24.3%, National Coalition (Conservative) 23.9%, Center-Liberal People's 18.6%, People's Democratic League 9.4%, Rural 6.3%, Swedish People's 5.3%, Democratic Alternative 4.3%, Green League 4.0%, Finnish Christian League 2.6%, Finnish Pensioners 1.2%, Constitutional Rightist 0.1%; seats--(200 total) Social Democratic 56, National Coalition (Conservative) 53, Center-Liberal People's 40, People's Democratic League 16, Swedish People's 13, Rural 9, Finnish Christian League 5; Democratic Alternative 4, Green League 4
Executive branch
president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)
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)
Independence
6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)
Leaders
Chief of State--President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982); Head of Government--Prime Minister Harri HOLKERI (since 30 April 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Pertti PAASIO (since NA January 1989)
Legal system
civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (Eduskunta)
Long-form name
Republic of Finland
Member of
ADB, CCC, CEMA (special cooperation agreement), DAC, EC (free trade agreement), EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Other political or pressure groups
Finnish Communist Party (majority Communist faction), Jarmo Wahlstrom; Finnish Communist Party-Unity (minority faction), Esko-Juhani Tennila; Democratic Alternative (minority Communist front), Kristiina Halkola; Finnish Christian League, Esko Almgren; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Green League, Heidi Hautala; Communist Workers Party, Timo Lahdenmaki
Political parties and leaders
Social Democratic Party, Pertti Paasio; Center Party, Paavo Vayrynen; People's Democratic League (majority Communist front), Reijo Kakela; National Coalition (Conservative) Party, Ilkka Suominen; Liberal People's Party, Kyosti Lallukka; Swedish People's Party, Christoffer Taxell; Rural Party, leader NA
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 8% of GNP (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 food and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons
Aid
donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion
Budget
revenues $28.3 billion; expenditures $28.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1988 est.)
Currency
markka (plural--markkaa); 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Electricity
13,324,000 kW capacity; 49,330 million kWh produced, 9,940 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
markkaa (FMk) per US$1--4.0022 (January 1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988), 4.3956 (1987), 5.0695 (1986), 6.1979 (1985)
Exports
$22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear; partners--EC 44.2% (UK 13.0%, FRG 10.8%), USSR 14.9%, Sweden 14.1%, US 5.8%
External debt
$5.3 billion (1989)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$74.4 billion, per capita $15,000; real growth rate 4.6% (1989 est.)
Imports
$22.0 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains; partners--EC 43.5% (FRG 16.9%, UK 6.8%), Sweden 13.3%, USSR 12.1%, US 6.3%
Industrial production
growth rate 4.3% (1989)
Industries
metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
6.5% (1989)
Overview
Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output nearly three-fourths the US figure. Its main economic force is the manufacturing sector--principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 25% of GNP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imported raw materials, energy, and some components of manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic commodities. Economic prospects are generally bright, the main shadow being the increasing pressures on wages and prices.
Unemployment rate
3.4% (1989)
Communications
Airports
160 total, 157 usable; 56 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
39 major transport
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
Inland waterways
6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers
Merchant marine
82 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 737,811 GRT/764,695 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 11 short-sea passenger, 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 24 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 7 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Pipelines
natural gas, 580 km
Ports
Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku; 6 secondary, numerous minor ports
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
Telecommunications
good service from cable and radio relay network; 3,140,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, 42 (101 relays) FM, 79 (195 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite service via Swedish earth stations; satellite earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Defense expenditures
1.5% of GDP (1989 est.)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,312,941; 1,091,416 fit for military service; 32,288 reach military age (17) annually