1993 Edition

Area

total area: 337,030 km2 land area: 305,470 km2 comparative area: 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

Coastline

1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)

Environment

permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

620 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 2,628 km, Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km

Land use

arable land: 8% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 76% other: 16%

Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Russia

Map references

Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 6 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 4 nm

Natural resources

timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver

Note

long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent

Terrain

mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Birth rate

12.61 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

9.91 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar

Infant mortality rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force

2.533 million by occupation: public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15.0%, finance, insurance, and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%

Languages

Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.65 years male: 71.85 years female: 79.62 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish

Net migration rate

1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

5,050,942 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

0.37% (1993 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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

Chief of State

President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982)

Constitution

17 July 1919

Digraph

FI

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: (202) 363-2430

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)

FAX

(202) 363-8233 consulates general: Los Angeles and New York consulates: Chicago and Houston

[358] (0) 174681

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)

Head of Government

Prime Minister Esko AHO (since 26 April 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ilkka KANERVA (since 26 April 1991)

Independence

6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)

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)

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Other political or pressure groups

Finnish Communist Party-Unity, Yrjo HAKANEN; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI

Parliament

last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1995); results - Center Party 24.8%, Social Democratic Party 22.1%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 19.3%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.1%, Green League 6.8%, Swedish People's Party 5.5%, Rural 4.8%, Finnish Christian League 3.1%, Liberal People's Party 0.8%; seats - (200 total) Center Party 55, Social Democratic Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 40, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 19, Swedish People's Party 12, Green League 10, Finnish Christian League 8, Rural 7, Liberal People's Party 1

Political parties and leaders

government coalition: Center Party, Esko AHO; National Coalition (conservative) Party, Perti SALOLAINEN; Swedish People's Party, (Johan) Ole NORRBACK; Finnish Christian League, Toimi KANKAANNIEMI other parties: Social Democratic Party, Antero KEKKONEN, Acting Chairman; Leftist Alliance (Communist) People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative, Claes ANDERSON; Green League, Pekka SAURI; Rural Party, Tina MAKELA; Liberal People's Party, Kalle MAATTA

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%

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador John H. KELLY embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, SF-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (0) 171931

Agriculture

accounts for 5% of GDP (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 foodgrains and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons

Budget

revenues $26.8 billion; expenditures $40.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Currency

1 markkaa (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion

Electricity

13,500,000 kW capacity; 55,300 million kWh produced, 11,050 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates

markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 5.4193 (January 1993), 4.4794 (1992), 4.0440 (1991), 3.8235 (1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988)

Exports

$24.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear partners: EC 53.2% (Germany 15.6%, UK 10.7%), EFTA 19.5% (Sweden 12.8%), US 5.9%, Japan 1.3%, Russia 2.8% (1992)

External debt

$25 billion (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$21.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains

Industrial production

growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.)

Industries

metal products, shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.1% (1992)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $79.4 billion (1992)

National product per capita

$15,900 (1992)

National product real growth rate

-3.5% (1992)

Overview

Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output two-thirds of the US figure. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% 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. The economy, which experienced an average of 4.9% annual growth between 1987 and 1989, sank into deep recession in 1991 as growth contracted by 6.5%. The recession - which continued in 1992 with growth contracting by 3.5% - has been caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union under which Soviet oil and gas had been exchanged for Finnish manufactured goods. The Finnish Government has proposed efforts to increase industrial competitiveness and efficiency by an increase in exports to Western markets, cuts in public expenditures, partial privatization of state enterprises, and changes in monetary policy. In June 1991 Helsinki had tied the markka to the EC's European Currency Unit (ECU) to promote stability. Ongoing speculation resulting from a lack of confidence in the government's policies forced Helsinki to devalue the markka by about 12% in November 1991 and to indefinitely break the link in September 1992. By boosting the competitiveness of Finnish exports, these measures presumably have kept the economic downturn from being even more severe. Unemployment probably will remain a serious problem during the next few years - monthly figures in early 1993 are approaching 20% - with the majority of Finnish firms facing a weak domestic market and the troubled German and Swedish export markets. Declining revenues, increased transfer payments, and extensive funding to bail out the banking system are expected to push the central government's budget deficit to nearly 13% in 1993. Helsinki continues to harmonize its economic policies with those of the EC during Finland's current EC membership bid.

Unemployment rate

13.1% (1992)

Airports

total: 160 usable: 157 with permanent-surface runways: 66 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 22

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

87 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 935,260 GRT/973,995 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 11 short-sea passenger, 17 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 26 roll-on/roll-off, 14 oil tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 7 bulk

Pipelines

natural gas 580 km

Ports

Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku

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 microwave radio relay network; 3,140,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 105 FM, 235 TV; 1 submarine cable; INTELSAT satellite transmission service via Swedish earth station and a receive-only INTELSAT earth station near Helsinki

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Coast Guard)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.93 billion, about 2% of GDP (1992)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,323,381; fit for military service 1,091,613; reach military age (17) annually 33,828 (1993 est.)