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3 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Finland
n : republic in northern Europe; achieved independence from
Russia in 1917 [syn: {Republic of Finland}, {Suomi}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Finland
Introduction Finland
--------------------
Background: Ruled by Sweden from the 12th to the
19th centuries and by Russia from
1809, Finland finally won its
independence in 1917. During World
War II, it was able to successfully
defend its freedom and fend off
invasions by the Soviet Union and
Germany. In the subsequent half
century, the Finns have 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.
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: 337,030 sq km
water: 31,560 sq km
land: 305,470 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries: total: 2,628 km
border countries: Norway 729 km,
Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km
Coastline: 1,126 km (excludes islands and
coastal indentations)
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to
the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM;
extends to continental shelf
boundary with Sweden
territorial sea: 12 NM (in the Gulf
of Finland - 3 NM)
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: Halti 1,328 m
Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore,
silver
Land use: arable land: 6.98%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 93.01% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 640 sq km (1998 est.)
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 party to: Air Pollution, Air
agreements: Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-
Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-
Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-
Marine Living Resources, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol
Geography - note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki
is northernmost national capital on
European continent; population
concentrated on small southwestern
coastal plain
People Finland
--------------
Population: 5,183,545 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.9% (male 471,920;
female 454,082)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,752,493;
female 1,717,544)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male
306,216; female 481,290) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.14% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 10.6 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 9.78 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.75 years
female: 81.52 years (2002 est.)
male: 74.1 years
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.05% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 1,100 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish
Ethnic groups: Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma
0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian
Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
Languages: Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish
5.9% (official), small Lapp- and
Russian-speaking minorities
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 100% (1980 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Finland
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local short form: Suomi
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
Government type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (laanit, singular -
laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani,
Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen
Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Russia)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Constitution: 17 July 1919
Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish
law; Supreme Court may request
legislation interpreting or
modifying laws; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Tarja
HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister
Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995)
and Deputy Prime Minister Ville
ITALA (since 31 August 2001)
cabinet: Council of State or
Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
president, responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 6 February 2000
(next to be held NA February 2006);
prime minister and deputy prime
minister appointed from the majority
party by the president after
parliamentary elections
note: government coalition - SDP,
Kok, Leftist Alliance (People's
Democratic Union and Democratic
Alternative), SFP, and Green League
election results: Tarja HALONEN
elected president; percent of vote -
Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO
(Kesk) 48.4%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta
(200 seats; members are elected by
popular vote on a proportional basis
to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by
party - SDP 22.9%, Kesk 22.5%, Kok
21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist)
10.9%, SFP 5.1%, Green League 7.2%,
SKL 4.2%; seats by party - SDP 51,
Kesk 48, Kok 46, Leftist Alliance
(Communist) 20, SFP 11, Green League
11, SKL 10, other 3
elections: last held 21 March 1999
(next to be held NA March 2003)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus
(judges appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders: Center Party or Kesk [Esko AHO];
Finnish Christian Democratic Party
or SKL [C. P. Bjarne KALLIS]; Green
League [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Leftist
Alliance (Communist) composed of
People's Democratic League and
Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne
SIIMES]; National Coalition
(conservative) Party or Kok [Ville
ITALA]; Social Democratic Party or
SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish
People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik
ENESTAM]; True Finns [Timo SOINI]
International organization AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS,
participation: CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NC, NEA,
NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNMOVIC,
UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka
Robert VALTASAARI
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Bonnie
US: McELVEEN-HUNTER
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-
00140, Helsinki
mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (9) 171931
FAX: [358] (9) 174681
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)
Economy Finland
---------------
Economy - overview: Finland has a highly industrialized,
largely free-market economy, with
per capita output roughly that of
the UK, France, Germany, and Italy.
Its key economic sector is
manufacturing - principally the
wood, metals, engineering,
telecommunications, and electronics
industries. Trade is important, with
exports equaling almost one-third 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. Forestry, an
important export earner, provides a
secondary occupation for the rural
population. Rapidly increasing
integration with Western Europe -
Finland was one of the 11 countries
joining the euro monetary system
(EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will
dominate the economic picture over
the next several years. Growth in
2001 was held back by the global
slowdown and will likely be anemic
again in 2002.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $133.5
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.6% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,800
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3%
industry: 28%
services: 69% (2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 4.2%
percentage share: highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)
Distribution of family income - Gini 25.6 (1991)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.6% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 2.6 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: public services 32%, industry 22%,
commerce 14%, finance, insurance,
and business services 10%,
agriculture and forestry 8%,
transport and communications 8%,
construction 6%
Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $36.1 billion
expenditures: $31 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2000
est.)
Industries: metal products, electronics,
shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper
refining, foodstuffs, chemicals,
textiles, clothing
Industrial production growth rate: 5.1% (2001)
Electricity - production: 75.356 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 40.86%
hydro: 19.22%
other: 11.6% (2000)
nuclear: 28.32%
Electricity - consumption: 81.961 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 326 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 12.206 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: barley, wheat, sugar beets,
potatoes; dairy cattle; fish
Exports: $40.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals,
metals; timber, paper, pulp
Exports - partners: Germany 12.5%, Sweden 9.3%, UK 9.1%,
US 7.4%, France 5.2%, Italy 4.4%
(2000)
Imports: $31.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum
products, chemicals, transport
equipment, iron and steel,
machinery, textile yarn and fabrics,
grains
Imports - partners: Germany 14.2%, Sweden 10.3%, Russia
9.4%, US 7.1%, UK 6.4%, Japan 5.3%
(2000)
Debt - external: $30 billion (December 1993)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $379 million (1997)
Currency: markka (FIM); euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the
European Monetary Union introduced
the euro as a common currency to be
used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002,
the euro became the sole currency
for everyday transactions within the
member countries
Currency code: FIM; EUR
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324
(January 2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999);
markkaa per US dollar - 5.3441
(1998), 5.1914 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Finland
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.861 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,162,574 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system
with excellent service
domestic: cable, microwave radio
relay, and an extensive cellular net
provide domestic needs
international: 1 submarine cable;
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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 7.7 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 130 (plus 385 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 3.2 million (1997)
Internet country code: .fi
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 23 (2000)
Internet users: 2.27 million (2000)
Transportation Finland
----------------------
Railways: total: 5,865 km
broad gauge: 5,865 km 1.524-m gauge
(2,234 km electrified; 480 km
double- or multiple-track) (2000
est.)
Highways: total: 77,831 km
paved: 49,789 km (including 444 km
of expressways)
unpaved: 28,042 km (1999)
Waterways: 6,675 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal; 3,700
km suitable for large ships
Pipelines: natural gas 580 km
Ports and harbors: Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka,
Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku,
Uusikaupunki, Varkaus
Merchant marine: total: 98 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 1,172,404 GRT/1,144,139 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 26,
chemical tanker 5, passenger 1,
petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll
off 36, short-sea passenger 10
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 1, Sweden 1
(2002 est.)
Airports: 160 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 73
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 12 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 87
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 82 (2001)
Military Finland
----------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier
Guard (including Sea Guard)
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,240,762 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,024,379 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 33,883 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $1.8 billion (FY98/99)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2% (FY98/99)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Finland
----------------------------
Disputes - international: none
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Finland, MN
Zip code(s): 55603
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