| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
64° 00' North Latitude
26° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
338,145 sq 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 |
| Natural Resources |
Timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Finland |
| Capital City |
Helsinki |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani |
| Independence Day |
6 December 1917 (from Russia) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
5,223,442 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Finnish |
| Ethnic Groups |
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1% |
| Religion |
Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% |
| Languages |
Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.16% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Euro (EUR) |
| Industries |
Metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing |
| Labor Force |
2.66 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public services 32% |
| Agriculture Products |
Barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999) |
| Export Partners |
Sweden 11%, Germany 10.6%, Russia 8.9%, UK 7%, US 6.4%, Netherlands 5.2%, China 4.1% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains (1999) |
| Import Partners |
Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 12.8%, Netherlands 6.3%, Denmark 5.3%, UK 4.6%, France 4.3% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
5,851 km |
| Highways |
78,197 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 694 km (2004) |
| Airports |
148 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+358 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.fi |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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. |
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| www.kfrawy.com |
