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conventional long form: Republic
of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
local short form: Suomi
Description:
The history and politics of Finland has been shaped by its location,
wedged between Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and Russia to
the east. The national character of the Finns has been further
coloured by the water-logged landscape - the country is hemmed in by
the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland and 10% of its landmass
lies underwater. Finland has more islands than any other country on
earth - 30,000 off the Finnish coast and a further 98,000 islands in
its 188,000 inland lakes - and the Saimaa Lake system in the
southeast of the country is the largest inland water system in
Europe.
By European standards, Finland is very sparsely populated. Around
69% of the country is covered by the pine forests that define the
northern coniferous zone. In the south and southwest, the forest is
mainly pine, fir and birch; in Lapland, in the far north, scattered
dwarf birch forests give way to Arctic tundra. Most of the national
forests are managed for timber, which is used for the manufacture of
furniture, paper and fibreboards and for domestic heating and
warming Finland's 1.6 million saunas. Finland's forests are said to
be the most sustainably managed in Europe. Only 8% of the land is
used for agriculture - more than 50% of Finns work in manufacturing
or the service sector.
Helsinki. Population: 561,000 (census
2005).
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic
Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
338,144 sq km (130,558 sq miles).
5.3 million (2009 estimate).
There are two official languages:
Finnish, mother tongue for 91.6% of the population, and Swedish,
first language of 5.5% of the population
Climate:
Finland has a reputation as a land of ice and snow, but summers are
warm and sunny, with daytime temperatures reaching 25-30ēC
(77-86˚F), and even spring and autumn can be surprisingly mild
Economy - overview:
The Finnish economy was sluggish in the 1990s but buoyant in the
early years of the new millennium. As a result, the nation has a
budget surplus and low levels of debt, placing Finland in a much
better position to weather the global economic downturn than the
debt-laden economies of Western Europe.
The Finnish economy has traditionally been driven by the export of
timber and paper and heavy manufacturing, but the rise of the Nokia
mobile phone company has made Finland a leading light in the world
of telecommunication - which along with optics account for some 30%
of Finnish exports. Nevertheless, experts are predicting that growth
in the Finnish economy will slow to 2.3% in 2009 as a result of the
global financial crisis. Finland's GNP per capita is around 34,000,
which puts it on a par with the most successful Western European
economies.
Although only 8% of land is used for agriculture, Finland is
virtually self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs such as grain, dairy
products and root crops. However, industry is heavily dependent on
imported components. Finland has exploited its geographical position
to develop strong trading links to Scandinavia, Western Europe and
Russia. The national airline, Finnair has massively expanded its
network, particularly in Asia, dramatically increasing the number of
tourists visiting Finland en route to other countries.
Unemployment continues to be a problem in rural areas - the overall
rate stands at around 7%, but this is inflated by the statistics
from Lapland, where unemployment regularly exceeds 11%. In southern
Finland, the rate is just 4.7%. Although the economy has been
liberalised, the traditional network of social welfare services
remains strong - helped by a low rate of population growth - and
Finland ranks consistently highly on standard-of-living indices.
Economy:
The Finnish economy was sluggish in the 1990s but buoyant in the
early years of the new millennium. As a result, the nation has a
budget surplus and low levels of debt, placing Finland in a much
better position to weather the global economic downturn than the
debt-laden economies of Western Europe.
The Finnish economy has traditionally been driven by the export of
timber and paper and heavy manufacturing, but the rise of the Nokia
mobile phone company has made Finland a leading light in the world
of telecommunication - which along with optics account for some 30%
of Finnish exports. Nevertheless, experts are predicting that growth
in the Finnish economy will slow to 2.3% in 2009 as a result of the
global financial crisis. Finland's GNP per capita is around 34,000,
which puts it on a par with the most successful Western European
economies.
Although only 8% of land is used for agriculture, Finland is
virtually self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs such as grain, dairy
products and root crops. However, industry is heavily dependent on
imported components. Finland has exploited its geographical position
to develop strong trading links to Scandinavia, Western Europe and
Russia. The national airline, Finnair has massively expanded its
network, particularly in Asia, dramatically increasing the number of
tourists visiting Finland en route to other countries.
Unemployment continues to be a problem in rural areas - the overall
rate stands at around 7%, but this is inflated by the statistics
from Lapland, where unemployment regularly exceeds 11%. In southern
Finland, the rate is just 4.7%. Although the economy has been
liberalised, the traditional network of social welfare services
remains strong - helped by a low rate of population growth - and
Finland ranks consistently highly on standard-of-living indices.
metal products, electronics,
shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs,
chemicals, textiles, clothing
Exports:
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, timber, paper and pulp.
Imports:
Food, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport
equipment, iron and steel.
Main trade partners: EU (mainly Germany, Sweden and UK), Russian
Federation and USA.
Exchange rates:
Euro (EUR; symbol ) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of 500,
200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of 2 and 1,
and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents. Note that 1 and 2 cent coins, while valid
in other eurozone countries, are not used in Finland.
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/90/money/Europe/Finland.html
GDP :
US$281.2 billion (2008).
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