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Finland Country Guide
Explore Finland in Europe
The terrain features mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills. The average density of population is approximately 16 per km². The notable climate conditions in Finland can be described as cold temperate with potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes. Potential natural disasters are NA.
To reach someone in Finland dial +358 prior to a number. There are 1,430,000 installed telephones. And there are 7,700,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900/1800/3G MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".fi". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 230V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Finland
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); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter.
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. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are a high standard of education, equality promotion, and national social security system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Europe Neighbours: Norway, Russia, Sweden Capital: Helsinki |
| Size | 337,030 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 130,128 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than Montana |
| Population | 5,244,000 |
| Currency | Name Euro, Currency Code:EUR |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .fi |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +358 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 7,700,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 1,430,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 338,145 (sq km) | 65 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,266,114 | 116 |
| Population growth rate | 0.06 (%) | 186 |
| Birth rate | 10.36 (births/1,000 population) | 185 |
| Death rate | 10.42 (deaths/1,000 population) | 44 |
| Net migration rate | 0.62 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 63 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 5.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 177 |
| Infant mortality rate | 3.38 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 213 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.55 (years) | 41 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.73 (children born/woman) | 166 |
| Health expenditures | 9.00 (% of GDP) | 43 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.10 (%) | 127 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 2,600 | 131 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 100 | 131 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 23.00 (%) | 77 |
| Education expenditures | 6.80 (% of GDP) | 24 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 18.90 (%) | 64 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 200,700,000,000 | 56 |
| GDP - real growth rate | -0.20 (%) | 186 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 37,000 | 37 |
| Labor force | 2,679,000 | 108 |
| Unemployment rate | 7.30 (%) | 81 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 26.80 | 127 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 20.00 (% of GDP) | 95 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 51.70 (% of GDP) | 14 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -1.80 (% of GDP) | 82 |
| Public debt | 53.50 (% of GDP) | 53 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.00 (%) | 79 |
| Central bank discount rate | 1.75 (%) | 117 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 2.68 (%) | 180 |
| Stock of narrow money | 117,000,000,000 | 31 |
| Stock of broad money | 183,400,000,000 | 44 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 257,800,000,000 | 38 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 118,200,000,000 | 40 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 1.50 (%) | 124 |
| Current account balance | -3,600,000,000 | 155 |
| Exports | 72,700,000,000 | 49 |
| Imports | 72,230,000,000 | 42 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 9,900,000,000 | 74 |
| Debt - external | 599,300,000,000 | 23 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 84,320,000,000 | 44 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 148,800,000,000 | 25 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 76,160,000,000 (kWh) | 40 |
| Electricity - consumption | 77,660,000,000 (kWh) | 37 |
| Electricity - exports | 5,218,000,000 (kWh) | 29 |
| Electricity - imports | 15,720,000,000 (kWh) | 11 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 16,320,000 (kW) | 44 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 52.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 153 |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 16.40 (% of total installed capacity) | 16 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 19.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 93 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 12.00 (% of total installed capacity) | 20 |
| Crude oil - imports | 215,700 (bbl/day) | 32 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 301,500 (bbl/day) | 46 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 204,800 (bbl/day) | 57 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 133,600 (bbl/day) | 40 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 103,100 (bbl/day) | 48 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 4,101,000,000 (cu m) | 66 |
| Natural gas - imports | 4,101,000,000 (cu m) | 36 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 54,400,000 (Mt) | 59 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 1,080,000 | 73 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,940,000 | 82 |
| Internet hosts | 4,763,000 | 22 |
| Internet users | 4,393,000 | 55 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 148 | 38 |
| Railways | 5,919 (km) | 31 |
| Roadways | 78,141 (km) | 59 |
| Waterways | 7,842 (km) | 18 |
| Merchant marine | 97 | 51 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 2.00 (% of GDP) | 68 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki This Bronze Age burial site features more than 30 granite burial cairns, providing a unique insight into the funerary practices and social and religious structures of northern Europe more than three millennia ago. ... | 1999 |
| Fortress of Suomenlinna Built in the second half of the 18th century by Sweden on a group of islands located at the entrance of Helsinki's harbour, this fortress is an especially interesting example of European military architecture of the time. ... | 1991 |
| High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago The Kvarken Archipelago (Finland) and the High Coast (Sweden) are situated in the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern extension of the Baltic Sea. The 5,600 islands of the Kvarken Archipelago feature unusual ridged washboard moraines, ‘De Geer moraines’, for ... | 2000 |
| Old Rauma Situated on the Gulf of Botnia, Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. Built around a Franciscan monastery, where the mid-15th-century Holy Cross Church still stands, it is an outstanding example of an old Nordic city constructed in wood. Al ... | 1991 |
| Petäjävesi Old Church Petäjävesi Old Church, in central Finland, was built of logs between 1763 and 1765. This Lutheran country church is a typical example of an architectural tradition that is unique to eastern Scandinavia. It combines the Renaissance conception of a cen ... | 1994 |
| Verla Groundwood and Board Mill The Verla groundwood and board mill and its associated residential area is an outstanding, remarkably well-preserved example of the small-scale rural industrial settlements associated with pulp, paper and board production that flourished in northern ... | 1996 |