Background:
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| 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 among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999. |
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Location:
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| Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
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Geographic coordinates:
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64 00 N, 26 00 E
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 338,145 sq km
country comparison to the world: 71
land:
303,815 sq km
water:
34,330 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Montana
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,654 km
border countries:
Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km
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Coastline:
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1,250 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive fishing zone:
12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Climate:
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cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
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Terrain:
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mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point:
Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
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Natural resources:
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timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
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Land use:
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arable land: 6.54%
permanent crops:
0.02%
other:
93.44% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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640 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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110 cu km (2005)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 2.33 cu km/yr (14%/84%/3%)
per capita:
444 cu m/yr (1999)
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain |
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Population:
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| 5,250,275 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.4% (male 438,425/female 422,777)
15-64 years:
66.8% (male 1,773,495/female 1,732,792)
65 years and over:
16.8% (male 357,811/female 524,975) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 42.1 years
male:
40.5 years
female:
43.7 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.098% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
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Birth rate:
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10.38 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
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Death rate:
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10.07 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
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Net migration rate:
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0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.68 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 3.47 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 216
male:
3.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
3.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.97 years
country comparison to the world: 37
male:
75.48 years
female:
82.61 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.73 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,400 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
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Nationality:
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noun: Finn(s)
adjective:
Finnish
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Ethnic groups:
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Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami 0.1% (2006)
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Religions:
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Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
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Languages:
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Finnish 91.2% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3.3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2007)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100% (2000 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 17 years
male:
17 years
female:
18 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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6.4% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 33
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