Finland
Country Guide

Explore Finland

Finland with its capital Helsinki is located in Europe (Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea). It covers some 338,146 square kilometers (slightly more than two times the size of Georgia) with 5,518,370 citizens. Finnish and Swedish are the languages commonly used by the people in Finland. Norway, Russia and Sweden are bordering countries.

Finland is in Northern Europe and has borders with Russia to the east, Norway to the north, and Sweden to the west. Not much is known about Finland's early history, with archaeologists still debating when and where a tribe of Finno-Ugric speakers cropped up. Roman historian Tacitus mentions a tribe primitive and savage Fenni in 100 AD and even the Vikings chose not to settle, trading and plundering along the coasts. Buffeted by its neighbors for centuries and absorbing influences from west, east and south, Finnish culture as a distinct identity was only born in the 19th century: we are not Swedes, and we do not wish to become Russian, so let us be Finns.

Popular Destinations in Finland

Administrative regions of Finland

• Etela-Pohjanmaa
• Etelae-Karjala
• Kainuu
• Kanta-Haeme
• Keski-Pohjanmaa
• Keski-Suomi
• Kymenlaakso
• Lapland
• Paijanne-Tavastland
• Pirkanmaa
• Pohjanmaa
• Pohjois-Karjala
• Pohjois-Pohjanmaa
• Pohjois-Savo
• Satakunta
• Southern Savonia
• Southwest Finland
• Uusimaa

About the country

The landscape is mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills. The average density of population is about 16 per km². The climate 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 threats by nature are severe winters in the north.

To reach someone Finland dial +358 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".fi". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, F). The sign for the locally used currency Euro is EUR.

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 gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the EU since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 66)	338,145	sq km
Land (World Rank: 70)	303,815	sq km
Water (World Rank: 18)	34,330	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 202)	0.10	%
Comparative	slightly more than two times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Montana
Coastline
1250
Landborder
2563
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 151)	1,328	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 202)	7.50	%
Arable (World Rank: 131)	7.40	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 202)	0.10	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 110)	690	sq km
Map reference
Europe
Environment
Issues	- agricultural chemicals - air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain - habitat loss threatens wildlife populations - water pollution from industrial wastes
Agreement party	- 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 Treaty - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol - Antarctic-Marine Living Resources - 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
Hazzards	severe winters in the north
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
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

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 117)	5,518,370
Deathrate (World Rank: 40)	1.00	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 181)	1.07	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 163)	0.36	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 34)	0.29	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 158)	1.75	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 27)	40.90
Female (World Rank: 22)	44.30
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 127)	463,432
0 14 female (World Rank: 126)	443,384
15 24 male (World Rank: 125)	321,609
15 24 female (World Rank: 125)	307,458
25 54 male (World Rank: 120)	1,064,430
25 54 female (World Rank: 120)	1,020,280
55 64 male (World Rank: 82)	360,821
55 64 female (World Rank: 83)	372,794
65 x male (World Rank: 65)	506,342
65 x female (World Rank: 63)	657,819
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 217)	0.25	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 31)	81	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 26)	84	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 37)	78	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 40)	3.01
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 46)	4.53
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 53)	97.60	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 80)	22.20	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 25)	100.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 41)	65,170,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 36)	79,070,000,000	kWh
Export (World Rank: 41)	3,159,000,000	kWh
Import (World Rank: 8)	22,110,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 161)	44.50	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 93)	17.30	%
Source renew (World Rank: 24)	23.50	%
Crude oil
Imports (World Rank: 29)	220,400	bbl / day
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 40)	303,600	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 54)	200,700	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 34)	167,200	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 45)	147,600	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 96)	8,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 73)	3,243,000,000	m³
Import (World Rank: 71)	0	m³
Carbon footprint
43000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 18)	7	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 87)	1	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 29)	10	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 81)	-2	% of GDP
National symbol
lion
National colours
white
Adjective
Finnish
Noun
Finn(s)
Background
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 gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the EU since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
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); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 62)	231,900,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 140)	1.90	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 38)	42,300	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 155)	2.70	%
Source industry (World Rank: 101)	27.10	%
Source service (World Rank: 63)	70.20	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 110)	2,685,000
Products
Industries	- chemicals - clothing - electronics - foodstuffs - machinery - metal products - metals - paper - pulp - scientific instruments - shipbuilding - textiles
Agriculture	- barley - dairy cattle - fish - potatoes - sugar beets - wheat
Exports	- basic metals - chemicals - electrical - machinery - optical equipment - paper - pulp - timber - transport equipment
Imports	- chemicals - computers - electronic industry products - fabrics - foodstuffs - grains - iron - machinery - petroleum - petroleum products - steel - textile yarn - transport equipment

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 96)	457,300
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 141)	8.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 47)	134.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 77)	4,822,130
Population (World Rank: 30)	87.70	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 30)	74.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 49)	74.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 32)	5,923
Road
Total length (World Rank: 16)	454,000
Water
Total length (World Rank: 18)	8,000

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