Finland

Finland 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 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 on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.

Finland Information

• Population: 5,214,512 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish
• Location:: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
• Religions:: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
• Ethnic Groups:: Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 2,690 km border countries: Norway 736 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km
• Area: total: 338,145 sq km water: 33,672 sq km land: 304,473 sq km
• Coast Line: 1,250 km
• 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
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm) continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden
• Land Use: arable land: 7.19% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 92.78% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
• Natural Resources: timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
• Highways: total: 78,137 km paved: 50,398 km (including 750 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,739 km (2003)
• Railways: total: 5,851 km broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus
• Airports: 148 (2003 est.)