under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
Geography
Finland
Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Geographic coordinates:
64 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 338,145 sq km land: 304,473 sq km water: 33,672 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 2,654 km border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km
Coastline:
1,250 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm) contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
Natural resources:
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 93.44% (2005)
Irrigated land:
640 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
110 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.33 cu km/yr (14%/84%/3%) per capita: 444 cu m/yr (1999)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; 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
Geography - note:
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
People
Finland
Population:
5,244,749 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 16.6% (male 443,738/female 427,875) 15–64 years: 66.8% (male 1,773,232/female 1,731,808) 65 years and over: 16.6% (male 349,826/female 518,270) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.8 years male: 40.3 years female: 43.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.112% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
10.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
10 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.82 years male: 75.31 years female: 82.46 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.73 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish
Ethnic groups:
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami 0.1% (2006)
Religions:
Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other
Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
Languages:
Finnish 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small
Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years male: 17 years female: 18 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.4% of GDP (2005)
Government
Finland
Country name:
conventional