2018 Edition

Background

Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the EU since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.

Area

land

303,815 sq km

total

338,145 sq km

water

34,330 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly more than two times the size of Georgia; 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

1,250 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

0 m lowest point: Baltic Sea

mean elevation

164 m

note

1328 highest point: Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi)

Environment Current Issues

limited air pollution in urban centers; some water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment International Agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

64 00 N, 26 00 E

Geography Note

long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

Irrigated Land

690 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (3)

Norway 709 km, Sweden 545 km, Russia 1309 km

total

2,563 km

Land Use

arable land: 7.4% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0.1% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

7.5% (2011 est.)

forest

72.9% (2011 est.)

other

19.6% (2011 est.)

Location

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Map References

Europe

Maritime Claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive fishing zone

12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden, Estonia, and Russia

territorial sea

12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)

Natural Hazards

severe winters in the north

Natural Resources

timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone

Population Distribution

the vast majority of people are found in the south; the northern interior areas remain sparsely poplulated

Terrain

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

Age Structure

0-14 years

16.44% (male 465,298 /female 445,186)

15-24 years

11.21% (male 317,500 /female 303,326)

25-54 years

37.64% (male 1,064,751 /female 1,019,748)

55-64 years

13.19% (male 359,434 /female 370,993)

65 years and over

21.51% (male 519,775 /female 671,353) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

10.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

85.5% (2015)

note

percent of women aged 18-49

Death Rate

10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

32 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

3.1 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.9 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

25.9 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

7.2% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

Finn, Swede, Russian, Estonian, Romani, Sami

Health Expenditures

9.7% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

NA

Hiv Aids Deaths

NA

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

NA

Hospital Bed Density

4.4 beds/1,000 population (2015)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Finnish (official) 87.9%, Swedish (official) 5.2%, Russian 1.4%, other 5.5% (2017 est.)

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

84.2 years (2018 est.)

male

78.1 years (2018 est.)

total population

81.1 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

1.279 million HELSINKI (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

44.3 years (2018 est.)

male

41 years

total

42.6 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

28.8 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Finnish

noun

Finn(s)

Net Migration Rate

2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

22.2% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.2 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

5,537,364 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.33% (2018 est.)

Religions

Lutheran 70.9%, Greek Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.7%, unspecified 26.3% (2017 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 99.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 88% of population (2015 est.)

total: 97.6% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 0.6% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 12% of population (2015 est.)

total: 2.4% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

20 years (2015)

male

19 years (2015)

total

19 years (2015)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.75 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

18.6% (2016 est.)

male

21.8% (2016 est.)

total

20.1% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.42% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

85.4% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

19 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta (Finnish); landskapen, singular - landskapet (Swedish)); Aland (Swedish), Ahvenanmaa (Finnish); Etela-Karjala (Finnish), Sodra Karelen (Swedish) [South Karelia]; Etela-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Sodra Osterbotten (Swedish) [South Ostrobothnia]; Etela-Savo (Finnish), Sodra Savolax (Swedish) [South Savo]; Kanta-Hame (Finnish), Egentliga Tavastland (Swedish); Kainuu (Finnish), Kajanaland (Swedish); Keski-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Mellersta Osterbotten (Swedish) [Central Ostrobothnia]; Keski-Suomi (Finnish), Mellersta Finland (Swedish) [Central Finland]; Kymenlaakso (Finnish), Kymmenedalen (Swedish); Lappi (Finnish), Lappland (Swedish); Paijat-Hame (Finnish), Paijanne-Tavastland (Swedish); Pirkanmaa (Finnish), Birkaland (Swedish) [Tampere]; Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Osterbotten (Swedish) [Ostrobothnia]; Pohjois-Karjala (Finnish), Norra Karelen (Swedish) [North Karelia]; Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Norra Osterbotten (Swedish) [North Ostrobothnia]; Pohjois-Savo (Finnish), Norra Savolax (Swedish) [North Savo]; Satakunta (Finnish and Swedish); Uusimaa (Finnish), Nyland (Swedish) [Newland]; Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish), Egentliga Finland (Swedish) [Southwest Finland]

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

60 10 N, 24 56 E

name

Helsinki

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Finland

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

6 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Parliament; passage normally requires simple majority vote in two readings in the first parliamentary session and at least two-thirds majority vote in a single reading by the newly elected Parliament; proposals declared "urgent" by five-sixths of Parliament members can be passed by at least two-thirds majority vote in the first parliamentary session only; amended several times, last in 2012 (2016)

history

previous 1906, 1919; latest drafted 17 June 1997, approved by Parliament 11 June 1999, entered into force 1 March 2000 (2016)

Country Name

conventional long form

Republic of Finland

conventional short form

Finland

etymology

name may derive from the ancient Fenni peoples who are first described as living in northeastern Europe in the first centuries A.D.

local long form

Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland

local short form

Suomi/Finland

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert "Bob" Frank PENCE (since 24 May 2018) (2018)

embassy

Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki

FAX

[358] (9) 6162-5135

mailing address

APO AE 09723

telephone

[358] (9) 6162-50

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Kirsti KAUPPI (since 17 September 2015)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 298-6030

telephone

[1] (202) 298-5800

Executive Branch

cabinet

Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament

chief of state

President Sauli NIINISTO (since 1 March 2012)

election results

Sauli NIINISTO reelected president; percent of vote Sauli NIINISTO (independent) 62.7%, Pekka HAAVISTO (Vihr) 12.4%, Laura HUHTASAARI (PS) 6.9%, Paavo VAYRYNEN (independent) 6.2%, Matti VANHANEN (Kesk) 4.1%, other 7.7%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 January 2018 (next to be held in January 2024); prime minister appointed by Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Juha SIPILA (since 28 May 2015)

Flag Description

white with a blue cross extending 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); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter

Government Type

parliamentary republic

Independence

6 December 1917 (from Russia)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (consists of the court president and 18 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 21 judges including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - Finland has a dual judicial system - courts with civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction for litigation between individuals and administrative organs of the state and communities

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court judges appointed by the president of the republic; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts

6 Courts of Appeal; 8 regional administrative courts; 27 district courts; special courts for issues relating to markets, labor, insurance, impeachment, land, tenancy, and water rights

Legal System

civil law system based on the Swedish model

Legislative Branch

description

unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; 199 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member in the province of Aland directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - Kesk 21.1%, PS 17.6%, Kok 18.2%, SDP 16.5%, Vihr 8.5%, Vas 7.1%, SFP 4.9%, KD 3.5%, other 2.6%; seats by party/coalition - Kesk 49, PS 38, Kok 37, SDP 34, Vihr 15, Vas 12, SFP 9, KD 5, Aland Coalition 1; composition men 117, women 83, percent of women 41.5%

elections

last held on 19 April 2015 (next to be held by April 2019)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Johan Ludvig RUNEBERG/Fredrik PACIUS

name

"Maamme" (Our Land)

note

in use since 1848; although never officially adopted by law, the anthem has been popular since it was first sung by a student group in 1848; Estonia's anthem uses the same melody as that of Finland

National Holiday

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

National Symbol S

lion; national colors: blue, white

Political Parties And Leaders

Aland Coalition (a coalition of several political parties on the Aland Islands)Center Party or Kesk [Juha SIPILA]Christian Democrats or KD [Sari ESSAYAH]Finns Party or PS [Jussi HALLA-AHO]Green League or Vihr [Pekka HAAVISTO]Left Alliance or Vas [Li ANDERSSON]]National Coalition Party or Kok [Petteri ORPO]Social Democratic Party or SDP [Antti RINNE]Swedish People's Party or SFP [Anna-Maja HENRIKSSON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Budget

expenditures

135.6 billion (2017 est.)

note

Central Government Budget data; these numbers represent a significant reduction from previous official reporting

revenues

134.2 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

1.25% (31 December 2017)

0% (31 December 2010)

note

this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

1.61% (31 December 2017 est.)

1.79% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

$1.806 billion (2017 est.)

-$819 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$150.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$147.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

27.2 (2016)

22.2 (1995)

Economy Overview

Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy with per capita GDP almost as high as that of Austria and the Netherlands and slightly above that of Germany and Belgium. Trade is important, with exports accounting for over one-third of GDP in recent years. The government is open to, and actively takes steps to attract, foreign direct investment.Finland is historically competitive in manufacturing, particularly in the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Finland excels in export of technology as well as promotion of startups in the information and communications technology, gaming, cleantech, and biotechnology sectors. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the cold climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export industry, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population.Finland had been one of the best performing economies within the EU before 2009 and its banks and financial markets avoided the worst of global financial crisis. However, the world slowdown hit exports and domestic demand hard in that year, causing Finland’s economy to contract from 2012 to 2014. The recession affected general government finances and the debt ratio. The economy returned to growth in 2016, posting a 1.9% GDP increase before growing an estimated 3.3% in 2017, supported by a strong increase in investment, private consumption, and net exports. Finnish economists expect GDP to grow a rate of 2-3% in the next few years.Finland's main challenges will be reducing high labor costs and boosting demand for its exports. In June 2016, the government enacted a Competitiveness Pact aimed at reducing labor costs, increasing hours worked, and introducing more flexibility into the wage bargaining system. As a result, wage growth was nearly flat in 2017. The Government was also seeking to reform the health care system and social services. In the long term, Finland must address a rapidly aging population and decreasing productivity in traditional industries that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth.

Exchange Rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.885 (2017 est.)

0.903 (2016 est.)

0.9214 (2015 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exports

$67.73 billion (2017 est.)

$51.9 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber

Exports Partners

Germany 14.2%, Sweden 10.1%, US 7%, Netherlands 6.8%, China 5.7%, Russia 5.7%, UK 4.5% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

38.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

22.9% (2017 est.)

household consumption

54.4% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-38.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

22.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

2.7% (2017 est.)

industry

28.2% (2017 est.)

services

69.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$252.8 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$44,500 (2017 est.)

$43,400 (2016 est.)

$42,500 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$244.9 billion (2017 est.)

$238.2 billion (2016 est.)

$232.4 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

2.8% (2017 est.)

2.5% (2016 est.)

0.1% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

23.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

21.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

20% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

45.2% (2013)

lowest 10%

45.2% (2013)

Imports

$65.26 billion (2017 est.)

$58.18 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, computers, electronic industry products, textile yarn and fabrics, grains

Imports Partners

Germany 17.7%, Sweden 15.8%, Russia 13.1%, Netherlands 8.7% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

6.2% (2017 est.)

Industries

metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

0.8% (2017 est.)

0.4% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

2.473 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

4%

industry

20.7%

services

75.3% (2017 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$231 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$207.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$208.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Public Debt

61.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

62.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

note

data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$10.51 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$11.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$152.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$124 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$185.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$116.7 billion (2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$135.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$84.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$323.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$351.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$152.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$124 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

note

see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Taxes And Other Revenues

53.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

8.5% (2017 est.)

8.8% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

46.01 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

236,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

82.79 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

3.159 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

41% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

20% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

17% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

23% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

22.11 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

16.27 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

66.54 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

2.35 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

4 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

NA cu m (1 January 2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

217,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

166,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

122,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

310,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

31 (2017 est.)

total

1,709,400 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

a mix of 3 publicly operated TV stations and numerous privately owned TV stations; several free and special-interest pay-TV channels; cable and satellite multi-channel subscription services are available; all TV signals are broadcast digitally; Internet television, such as Netflix and others, is available; public broadcasting maintains a network of 13 national and 25 regional radio stations; a large number of private radio broadcasters and access to Internet radio (2017)

Internet Country Code

.finote - Aland Islands assigned .ax

Internet Users

percent of population

87.7% (July 2016 est.)

total

4,822,132 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

digital fiber-optic, fixed-line 7 per 100 subscription; 132 per 100 mobile-cellular; network and an extensive mobile-cellular network provide domestic needs (2017)

general assessment

modern system with excellent service; one of the most progressive in Europe; one of the highest broadband and mobile penetrations rates in the region; forefront in testing 5G networks; for 2025 and 2030 FttP (fiber to the home) and DOCSIS3.1 (new generation of cable services for high speed connections) technologies (2017)

international

country code - 358; submarine cables provide links to Estonia and Sweden; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) (2015)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

378,200 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

132 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

7,307,800 (2017 est.)

Airports

148 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

10 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

26 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

21 (2017)

over 3,047 m

3 (2017)

total

74 (2017)

under 914 m

14 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

914 to 1,523 m

3 (2013)

total

74 (2013)

under 914 m

71 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

OH (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type

bulk carrier 7, container ship 1, general cargo 92, oil tanker 5, other 162 (2017)

total

267 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

713.484 million mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

9,972,333 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

73 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

3 (2015)

Pipelines

1288 km gas transmission pipes, 1976 km distribution pipes (2016)

Ports And Terminals

major seaport(s)

Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma

Railways

broad gauge

5,926 km 1.524-m gauge (3,270 km electrified) (2016)

total

5,926 km (2016)

Roadways

highways

78,000 km (50,000 paved, including 700 km of expressways; 28,000 unpaved) (2012)

private and forest roads

350,000 km (2012)

total

454,000 km (2012)

urban

26,000 km (2012)

Waterways

8,000 km (includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia; water transport used frequently in the summer and widely replaced with sledges on the ice in winter; there are 187,888 lakes in Finland that cover 31,500 km); Finland also maintains 8,200 km of coastal fairways (2013)

Military Branches

Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): Army (Puolustusvoimat), Navy (Merivoimat, includes Coastal Defense Forces), Air Force (Ilmavoimat) (2016)

Military Expenditures

1.23% of GDP (2018)

1.26% of GDP (2017)

1.31% of GDP (2016)

1.29% of GDP (2015)

1.3% of GDP (2014)

Military Service Age And Obligation

all Finnish men are called-up for military service the year they turn 18; at 18, women may volunteer for military service; service obligation 6-12 months; individuals enter the reserve upon completing their initial obligation; military obligation to age 60 (2016)

Disputes International

various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the former Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

refugees (country of origin)

7,849 (Iraq) (2017)

stateless persons

2,749 (2017)