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Communications

Airports [time series]

160 total, 157 usable; 57 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

42 major transport

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

about 103,000 km total, including 35,000 km paved (bituminous, concrete, bituminous-treated surface) and 38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel, gravel, earth); additional 30,000 km of private (state-subsidized) roads

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers

Merchant marine [time series]

83 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 807,020 GRT/831,774 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 10 short-sea passenger, 16 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 23 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 14 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 8 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

natural gas, 580 km

Ports [time series]

Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku; 6 secondary, numerous minor ports

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km 1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,445 km are electrified

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

good service from cable and radio relay network; 3,140,000 telephones; stations--4 AM, 42 (101 relays) FM, 79 (197 relays) TV; 2 submarine cables; satellite service via Swedish earth stations; earth stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Sea Guard)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$1.1 billion, 1.5% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 1,313,346; 1,089,217 fit for military service; 32,866 reach military age (17) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 8% of GNP (including forestry); livestock production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; forestry is an important export earner and a secondary occupation for the rural population; main crops--cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of food and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons

Budget [time series]

revenues $35.1 billion; expenditures $33.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.4 billion (1990)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

markka (plural--markkaa); 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia

Economic aid [time series]

donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion

Electricity [time series]

13,324,000 kW capacity; 49,330 million kWh produced, 9,940 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

markkaa (FMk) per US$1--3.6421 (January 1991), 3.8235 (1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988), 4.3956 (1987), 5.0695 (1986), 6.1979 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$23.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear; partners--EC 44.0% (UK 12.0%, FRG 10.8%), USSR 14.5%, Sweden 14.3%, US 6.4%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$5.3 billion (1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$77.3 billion, per capita $15,500; real growth rate - 0.1% (1990)

Imports [time series]

$24.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains; partners--EC 44.5% (FRG 17.3%, UK 6.6%), Sweden 13.6%, USSR 11.5%, US 6.3%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 3.0% (1991 est.); accounts for 28% of GDP

Industries [time series]

metal manufacturing and shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5.0% (1991 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per capita output nearly three-fourths the US figure. Its main economic force is the manufacturing sector--principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imported raw materials, energy, and some components of manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic commodities. The economy, which experienced an average of 4.9% annual growth between 1987 and 1989, leveled off in 1990 and is now in a recession facing negative growth in 1991. The clearing account system between Finland and the Soviet Union in the postwar period--mainly Soviet oil and gas for Finnish manufactured goods--had kept Finland isolated from world recessions; the system, however, was dismantled on 1 January 1991 in favor of hard currency trade. As a result, Finland must increase its competitiveness in certain sectors, for example, textiles, foodstuffs, paper, and metals, and has already begun to shift trade westward. Finland, as a member of EFTA, is negotiating a European Economic Area arrangement with the EC which would allow for free movement of capital, goods, services, and labor within the organization.

Unemployment rate [time series]

5.7% (1991 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Coastline [time series]

1,126 km excluding islands and coastal indentations Contiguous zone: 6 nm; Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; Territorial sea: 4 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Montana

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

Land boundaries [time series]

2,628 km total; Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, USSR 1,313 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 8%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 76%; other 16%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Natural resources [time series]

timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver

Note [time series]

long boundary with USSR; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent

Terrain [time series]

mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Area (Total area) [time series]

337,030 km2; land area: 305,470 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

12 provinces (laanit, singular--laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa

Capital [time series]

Helsinki

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

28,000 registered members; an additional 45,000 persons belong to People's Democratic League Finnish Communist Party-Unity, Esko-Juhani TENNILA; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI

Constitution [time series]

17 July 1919

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington DC 20016; telephone (202) 363-2430; there are Finnish Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York, and Consulates in Chicago and Houston; US--Ambassador John G. WEINMANN; Embassy at Itainen Puistotie 14A, SF-00140, Helsinki (mailing address is APO New York 09664); telephone [358] (0) 171931

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)

Flag [time series]

white with a blue cross that extends 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)

Independence [time series]

6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus) Chief of State--President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982); Head of Government--Prime Minister Esko AHO (since 26 April 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ilkka KANERVA (since 26 April 1991) government coalition--Center Party, Esko AHO; National Coalition (Conservative) Party, Ilkka SUOMINEN; and Swedish People's Party, (Johan) Ole NORRBACK; other parties--Social Democratic Party, Pertti PAASIO; Leftist Alliance (Communist) consisting of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative, Claes ANDERSSON; Green League, Heidi HAUTALA; Rural Party, Heikki RIIHIJAERVI; Finnish Christian League, Esko ALMGREN; Liberal People's Party, Kyosti LALLUKKA

Legal system [time series]

civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Eduskunta

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Finland

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held 31 January-1 February and 15 February 1988 (next to be held January 1994); results--Mauno KOIVISTO 48%, Paavo VAYRYNEN 20%, Harri HOLKERI 18%; Eduskunta--last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1995); results--Center Party 24.8%, Social Democratic Party 22.1%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 19.3%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.1%, Green League 6.8%, Swedish People's Party 5.5%, Rural 4.8%, Finnish Christian League 3.1%, Liberal People's Party 0.8%; seats--(200 total) Center Party 55, Social Democratic Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 40, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 19, Swedish People's Party 12, Green League 10, Finnish Christian League 8, Rural 7, Liberal People's Party 1

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

12 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar

Infant mortality rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

2,470,000; services 38.2%, mining and manufacturing 22.7%, commerce 14.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 8.8%, construction 8.0%, transportation and communications 7.2% (1989)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Finnish 93.5%, Swedish (both official) 6.3%; small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

71 years male, 80 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

100% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Finn(s); adjective--Finnish

Net migration rate [time series]

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

80% of labor force

Population [time series]

4,991,131 (July 1991), growth rate 0.3% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.7 children born/woman (1991)