Finland - History, Geography and nature, Administrative divisions, Demographics, Government and politics, Industry, economy and globalisation

Official name Republic of Finland, Finn Suomen Tasavalta, Swed Republiken Finland

Local name Suomi (Finnish) Timezone GMT +2 Area 338 145 km²/130 524 sq mi population total (2002e) 5 201 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1917 Capital Helsinki Languages Finnish and Swedish (official), also Saame (Lappish) Ethnic groups Finnish (94%), Swedish, Lappish, Russian minorities Religions Lutheran (90%), Finnish/Greek Orthodox Physical features Low-lying, glaciated plateau, average height 150 m/500 ft; highest peak Haltiatunturi, 1328 m/4357 ft, on NW border; over 60 000 shallow lakes in SE, providing a system of inland navigation; over a third of the country located N of the Arctic Circle; Archipelago of Saaristomeri (SW), with over 17 000 islands; including Åland Is (Ahvenanmaa) (SW); forest covers 65% of the country, water covers 10%. Climate Extreme, N of the Arctic Circle: average annual temperatures -30°C (Jan), 27°C (Jul); half annual precipitation falls as snow; sun does not go down beyond the horizon for over 70 days during summer; average temperatures -6°C (Jan), 17°C (Jul) at Helsinki; average annual rainfall 618 mm/24 in. Currency 1 euro (EUR) = 100 cents (previous to 2002, 1 Markka (FIM) = 100 penni) Economy Traditional focus on forestry, farming; rapid economic growth since 1950s; metals, clothing, chemicals; copper, iron-ore mining; wide use of hydroelectric power. GDP (2002e) $133·8 bn, per capita $25 800 Human Development Index (2002) 0·930 History Ruled by Sweden from 1157 until ceded to Russia in 1809; Grand Duchy of the Russian Czar, 19th-c; independent republic, 1917; parliamentary system created, 1928; invaded by Soviets, 1939–40 (Winter War); lost territory to USSR, including Petsamo and Porkkala peninsula, 1944; signed a friendship treaty with Soviet Union in 1948 (renewed 1955, 1970, 1983), undertaking to resist any attack made on the Soviet Union launched through Finnish territory; Harri Holkeri became Finland's first post-war conservative Prime Minister, 1987; governed by a single-chamber House of Representatives and President assisted by a Council of State. Joined the European Union, 1995.

Suomen tasavalta Republiken Finland Republic of Finland
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: none (the words vapaa, vankka, vakaa, i.e., "free, tough, stable," were suggested as addition to the coat of arms, but were dropped)
Anthem: Maamme (Finnish) / Vårt land (Swedish) (English: Our Land)
Capital (largest city)	Helsinki 60°10′N 24°56′E
Official language	Finnish, Swedish
Government	Parliamentary democracy 1
- President	Tarja Halonen
- Prime Minister	Matti Vanhanen
Independence	From Bolshevist Russia
- Declared	December 6, 1917
- Recognised	January 3, 1918
Accession to EU	January 1, 1995
Area
- Total	338,145 km² (65th) 130,558 sq mi
- Water (%)	9.4
Population
- 2006 estimate	5,274,820 (October 2006) (112th)
- 2000 census	5,181,115
- Density	16/km² (190th) 40/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$163 billion (52nd)
- Per capita	$31,208 (13th)
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$193.491 billion (32nd)
- Per capita	$37,504 (11th)
HDI  (2004)	0.947 (high) (11th)
Currency	Euro (€)2 (EUR)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD	.fi 3
Calling code	+358
1 Semi-presidential system 2 Prior to 1999: Finnish markka. 3 The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

The Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomi, Suomen tasavalta, Swedish: Republiken Finland (help·info)), is one of the Nordic countries. Finland is bounded by the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west.

Finland has a population of over five million people spread over more than 330,000 km² (127,000 sq. mi) making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.

Finland is ranked 11th on the 2006 United Nations Human Development Index.

Along with Estonian, Hungarian and Maltese, Finnish is one of the few official languages of the European Union that is not of Indo-European origin.

History

Prehistory (8500 BCE– )

According to archaeological evidence, the area now comprising Finland was first settled around 8500 BCE during the Stone Age as the ice shield of the last ice age receded.

Finland Portal

The Bronze Age (1500–500 BCE) and Iron Age (500 BCE–1200 CE) were characterised by extensive contacts with Scandinavia, northern Russia and the Baltic region.

The Swedish reign (1154–1809)

The beginning of Finland's nearly 700-year association with the Kingdom of Sweden is traditionally connected with the year 1154 and the hypothesised introduction of Christianity by Sweden's King Erik.

The earlier Finland – i.e. The Finnish areas ceded to Russia in 1721 and 1743 (excluding Ingria) were called "Old Finland."

Finland as a Grand Duchy of Russia (1809–1917)

See also: Finland's language strife and Russification of Finland

On March 29, 1809, after being conquered by the armies of Russian Emperor Alexander I, Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Empire until the end of 1917.

In 1906, Universal suffrage was adopted in the Grand Duchy of Finland.

The independent republic, Civil War (1917–1918)

On December 6, 1917, shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Finland declared its independence.

The inter-war era (1918–1939)

Despite the Declaration of Independence calling Finland a Republic after the Civil War, the parliament, cleared of its Social Democrat members, voted with a narrow majority to establish the Kingdom of Finland.

The Finnish–Russian border was agreed upon in the Treaty of Tartu in 1920, largely following the historic border but granting Pechenga (Finnish: Petsamo) and its Barents Sea harbour to Finland.

Finland in World War II (1939–1945)

During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union twice: in the Winter War of 1939–1940 and in the Continuation War of 1941–1944 in accordance with Operation Barbarossa in which Germany invaded the Soviet Union. This was followed by the Lapland War of 1944–1945, when Finland forced the Germans out of northern Finland.

Treaties signed in 1947 and 1948 with the Soviet Union included obligations, restraints, and reparations on Finland vis-à-vis the Soviet Union as well as further Finnish territorial concessions (cf. Finland ceded most of Finnish Karelia, Salla, and Petsamo, which amounted to 10% of its land area, 20% of industrial capacity and 400,000 evacuees. Establishing trade with the Western powers, such as Great Britain, and the reparations to the Soviet Union caused Finland to transform itself from a primarily agrarian economy to an industrialised one. Even after reparations were fulfilled, Finland continued to trade with the Soviet Union in the framework of bilateral trade.

The post-war era and modern history

After the Second World War, neutral Finland lay in the grey zone between the western countries and the Soviet Union. However, Finland maintained a democratic government and a market economy unlike most other countries bordering the Soviet Union.

The post-war era was a period of rapid economic growth and increasing wealth and stability for Finland. Finland joined the European Union in 1995, where it is an advocate of federalism contrary to the other Nordic countries that are predominantly supportive of confederalism.

The first modern democracy

The Parliament of Finland is celebrating its centenary in 2006 and 2007.

A hundred years ago, Finland was an autonomous part of the Russian Empire. In another approach, Finnish suo means "fen," which is one of the characteristic biotypes of Finland;

Geography and nature

See also: List of cities and towns in Finland, List of lakes in Finland, and List of national parks of Finland

Finland is a country of thousands of lakes and islands; Finland is one of the few countries in the world that is still growing.

Climate

The climate in Southern Finland is a northern temperate climate.

A quarter of Finland's territory lies above the Arctic Circle, and as a consequence the midnight sun can be experienced — for more and more days, the further up north one comes.

Administrative divisions

Municipalities and regions

Legally, Finland has two levels of democratic government: the state, and 432 municipalities.

Rank	Municipality	Population	Land Area	Density
1.	Helsinki	564,643	184.47	3,060.89
2.	Espoo	234,520	312	751.66
3.	Tampere	206,171	523.4	393.9
4.	Vantaa	189,694	240.84	787.63
5.	Turku	175,508	243.4	721.06
6.	Oulu	129,960	369.43	351.78
7.	Lahti	98,721	134.95	731.53
8.	Kuopio	91,087	1,127.4	80.79
9.	Jyväskylä	84,916	105.9	801.85
10.	Pori	76,195	503.17	151.42
11.	Lappeenranta	59,121	758	77.99
12.	Rovaniemi	58,072	7,600.73	7.64
13.	Joensuu	57,851	1,173.4	49.30
14.	Vaasa	57,664	183	315.10
15.	Kotka	54,680	272	201.02

Subdivisions and provinces

The state organization is divided into 6 administrative provinces (lääni, pl. Since then, the six provinces have been – referring to the picture on the right:

Southern Finland Western Finland Eastern Finland Oulu Lapland Åland

These provinces are merely administrative divisions. According to international treaties and Finnish laws, the regional government for Åland handles some matters which belong to the province authority in Mainland Finland.

Another kind of provinces are those echoing the pattern of colonization of Finland. Dialects, folklore, customs, and people's feeling of affiliation are associated with these historical provinces of Finland, although the re-settlement of 420,000 Karelians during World War II and urbanisation in the latter half of the 20th century have made differences less pronounced.

Demographics

Finland numbers 5.2 million inhabitants and has an average population density of 17 inhabitants per square kilometre. Finland's population has always been concentrated in the southern parts of the country, which is even more pronounced after the 20th century urbanisation.

After the Winter War (1939) (and confirmed by the outcome of the Continuation War) 12% of Finland's population had to be re-settled. War reparations, unemployment, and uncertainty regarding Finland's chances to remain sovereign and independent of the Soviet Union contributed to considerable emigration, abating first in the 1970s.

Since the late 1990s, Finland has received refugees and immigrants at a rate comparable with the other Nordic countries, although the total ethnic-minority population remains far lower in Finland than the rest.

Language

See also: Finnish alphabet, Finnish grammar, Finnish phonology, and Spoken Finnish

Most Finns (92%) speak Finnish as their mother tongue, while the largest minority language is Swedish (5.5%). There are three Sami languages that are spoken in Finland: Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami.

Swedish has an official language status in Finland, and the right of other minority groups (in particular Sami people) to cherish their culture and language is protected by law.

Indigenous peoples

The Sami are an indigenous people living in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia.

Religion

See also: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Finnish Orthodox Church, and Islam in Finland

Most people are secular in their views, and religion plays no significant part in everyday life in Finland. Most Finns (83.1%) are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, with a minority of 1.1% belonging to the Finnish Orthodox Church (see Eastern Orthodox Church).

Education

See also: List of universities in Finland

The Finnish education system is a comparatively egalitarian Nordic system, with no tuition fees for full-time students. The World Economic Forum ranks Finland's tertiary education #1 in the world.

Health

After having one of the highest death rates from heart disease in the world in the 1970s, improvements in the Finnish diet and exercise have paid off. Finland is now one of the fittest countries in the world.

Finland has a public healthcare system.

Government and politics

Finland has a semi-presidential system with Parliamentarism.

The 200-member unicameral Parliament of Finland is called the Eduskunta (Finnish) or Riksdag (Swedish).

The judicial system of Finland is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with responsibility for litigation between the individuals and the administrative organs of the state and the communities.

The constitution of Finland and its place in the judicial system are unusual in that there is no constitutional court and the supreme court does not have an explicit right to declare a law unconstitutional.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Finland freed itself from the last restrictions imposed on it by the Paris peace treaties of 1947.

Finland deepened her participation in the European integration by joining the European Union with Sweden and Austria in 1995.

According to Transparency International, Finland has had the lowest level of corruption in all the countries studied in their survey for the last several years.

Presidents of Finland

Name	Born–Died	In office
Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg	1865–1952	1919–1925
Lauri Kristian Relander	1883–1942	1925–1931
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud	1861–1944	1931–1937
Kyösti Kallio	1873–1940	1937–1940
Risto Heikki Ryti	1889–1956	1940–1944
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim	1867–1951	1944–1946
Juho Kusti Paasikivi	1870–1956	1946–1956
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen	1900–1986	1956–1982
Mauno Henrik Koivisto	1923–	1982–1994
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari	1937–	1994–2000
Tarja Kaarina Halonen	1943–	2000–

Parliament

The Finnish Parliament consists of one chamber with 200 members.

After the parliamentary elections on March 16, 2003, the seats were divided among eight parties as follows:

Party	Seats	% of votes
The Centre Party	55	24.7
The Social Democratic Party	53	24.5
The National Coalition Party	40	18.6
The Left Wing Alliance	19	9.9
The Green League	14	8.0
The Swedish People's Party	8	4.6
The Christian Democrats	7	5.3
The True Finns	3	1.6
Others (province of Åland representative)	1	2.8

The next Finnish parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on March 18, 2007.

Energy policy

See also: Nuclear power in Finland

The Ministry of Trade and Industry is responsible for the Government's energy policy.

Until the 1960s, Finnish energy policy relied on the electricity produced by hydropower stations and extensive decentralized use of wood for energy.

Finland started planning the introduction of nuclear power in the '50s. Energy policy became a burning issue in Finland when industry applied for permission to build a new nuclear power unit, Finland's fifth.

About one fifth of all the energy consumed in Finland is still wood-based.

Foreign relations

Finland's foreign policy is based on the membership of the European Union with its customs union, military non-alliance, and neutrality.

Defence Forces

See also: List of Finnish wars

The Finnish Defence Forces is a cadre army of 16,500, of which 8,700 professional soldiers (officers), with a standard readiness strength of 34,700 people in uniform (27,300 army, 3,000 navy, and 4,400 air force).

The military branches are:

Finnish Army Finnish Navy Finnish Air Force

The Border Guard is under the Ministry of the Interior but can be incorporated into the Defence Forces when required by defence readiness.

Industry, economy and globalisation

See also: List of Finnish companies and Helsinki Stock Exchange

In the past, Finnish trade relationships and politics were by large determined by avoidance of provoking first the feudally ruled Imperial Russia and then the totalitarian Soviet Union. Despite the hindrance caused by an influential neighbouring country, Finland eventually became one of the most globalised nations in the world.

For decades now, Finland has had a highly industrialised, largely free-market economy with a per capita output equal to that of other western economies such as for example Sweden, UK, France and Germany.

In 1991, Finland fell into a deep recession caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union.

Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on January 1, 1999. (See also: Finnish euro coins)

Finland has been declared the most competitive country in the world for three consecutive years 2003–2005 (four times in the last five years) by the World Economic Forum.

Public transport

See also: Highways in Finland and Public transport in Helsinki

The transport system of Finland is developed.

Music

Much of the music of Finland is influenced by Karelian traditional tunes and lyrics, as comprised in the Kalevala. Karelian culture is perceived as the purest expression of the Finnic myths and beliefs, less influenced by Germanic influence, in contrast to Finland's position between the East and the West.

Modern Finnish popular music includes a renowned death metal scene, in common with other Nordic countries, as well as a number of prominent rock bands, jazz musicians and hip hop performers.

Most recently, the Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band Lordi won the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with a record 292 points, giving Finland its first ever victory.

Media and communications

See also: Communications in Finland, List of newspapers in Finland, and List of Finnish television stations

In Finland there are 200 newspapers;

Finland is one of the most advanced information societies in the world.

By 2007, Finland is to receive one of the world's first wireless broadband Internet covering the entire country.

Cuisine

Finnish cuisine is a mixture of European, Scandinavian (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) and Russian elements;

Public holidays

See also: Flag days in Finland

All official holidays in Finland are established by acts of Parliament.

Sports

See also: Finnish national men's ice hockey team

Sport is considered a national pastime in Finland and many Finnish people regularly visit different sporting events. The most popular sport in Finland is ice hockey and the Finnish ice hockey team is considered one of the best in the world. Football and Finnish baseball are also very popular and Finland is the home for Kimi Räikkönen and Mika Häkkinen who are both well-known in Formula 1. Historically, Finland has produced the worlds best rally drivers with ex-world champion drivers Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola, Tommi Mäkinen and Marcus Grönholm among others all hailing from Finland.

Miscellaneous cultural concepts

List of Finns Suuret suomalaiset – List of 100 Greatest Finns Characteristics of Finnishness: Finnish Maiden – symbolising Finland Kalevala – The national epic of Finland Kantele – a musical instrument Mämmi – traditional Easter food Kalakukko – traditional Savonian food Karelian pasties – traditional pasties from the region of Karelia Historical Finnish paganism Joulupukki – Santa Claus Jean Sibelius and his symphonic poem Finlandia Sauna and Finnish sauna (also 'Saturday Sauna') Sisu – perseverance Perkele – swear word (see Finnish profanity) Talkoot – community work Makkara and sinappi – sausage and mustard Mustamakkara – black sausage Salmiakki – salty liquorice Sahti – traditional beer Koskenkorva – Finnish vodka Reilu meininki – fair dealing Flying Finn – a nickname given to notable Finnish sportsmen

Facts and figures

Finland is home to the world's leading cellular phone company, Nokia. According to the World Audit study, Finland is the least corrupt and most democratic country in the world.

International rankings

Organization	Survey	Year	Ranking
A.T. Kearney / Foreign Policy	Globalization Index	2004 2005	Rank 5 out of 62 countries Rank 10 out of 62 countries
Heritage Foundation / The Wall Street Journal	Index of Economic Freedom	2006	Rank 12 out of 157 countries
IMD International	World Competitiveness Yearbook	2004 2006	Rank 8 out of 60 economies (countries and regions) Rank 10 out of 61 economies
NationMaster	Technological Achievement	2001	Rank 1 out of 68 countries
OECD	Programme for International Student Assessment	2003	Rank 1 out of 41 countries in mathematics
Reporters Without Borders	World Press Freedom Ranking	2002 2003 2004 2005 2006	Rank 1 out of 139 countries (tied with Iceland, Netherlands and Norway) Rank 1 out of 166 countries (tied with Iceland, Netherlands and Norway) Rank 1 out of 167 countries (tied with Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland) Rank 1 out of 167 countries (tied with Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland) Rank 1 out of 168 countries (tied with Iceland, Ireland and Netherlands)
Save the Children	State of the World’s Mothers	2004 2005	Rank 2 out of 119 countries (tied with Denmark) Rank 3 out of 109 countries
Transparency International	Corruption Perceptions Index	1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006	Rank 2 out of 85 countries Rank 2 out of 99 countries Rank 1 out of 91 countries Rank 1 out of 102 countries Rank 1 out of 133 countries Rank 1 out of 146 countries Rank 2 out of 158 countries (tied with New Zealand) Rank 1 out of 163 countries (tied with Iceland and New Zealand)
UNDP	Human Development Index	2005	Rank 13 out of 177 countries
World Economic Forum	Global Competitiveness Report	2005–2006 2006–2007	Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking – Rank 1 out of 117 countries Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking – Rank 2 out of 125 countries
WorldAudit.org	World Democracy Audit	2006	Rank 1 out of 150 countries

Neighbouring countries

Further reading

Deborah Swallow – Culture Shock! Trotter – A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 (ISBN 1565122496) Eino Jutikkala, Kauko Pirinen – A History of Finland (ISBN 0880292601) Chris Mann – Hitler's Arctic War: The German Campaigns in Norway, Finland, and the USSR 1940-1945 (ISBN 0312311001) Insight Guide: Finland (ISBN 9814120391) Matti Klinge – Let Us Be Finns: Essays on History (ISBN 9511111809) Lonely Planet: Finland (ISBN 1740597915) Fred Singleton – A Short History of Finland (ISBN 0521647010) Allen F. Chew – The White Death: The Epic of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War (ISBN 0870131672) Eloise Engle and Lauri Paananen – The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland 1939-1940 (ISBN 0811724336) Jean-Jacques Subrenat - Listen, there's music from the forest (ISBN 952-92-0564-3)