FINLAND
_Finland.jpg)
|
| (See reference map V) |
LAND
336,700 km2; 8% arable, 58% forested, 34% other
Land boundaries: 2,534 km
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 4 nm; fishing 12 nm; Aland Islands, 3 nm
Coastline: 1,126 km (approx.) excludes islands and coastal indentations
PEOPLE
Population: 4,816,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.4%
Nationality: noun—Finn(s); adjective—Finnish
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous white population, small Lappish minority
Religion: 93% Evangelical Lutheran, 1% Greek Orthodox, 1% other, 5% no affiliation
Language: Finnish 92%, Swedish 7%; small Lapp-and Russian-speaking minorities
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 2.1 million; 11.7% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 26.1% mining and manufacturing, 7.0% construction, 14.3% commerce, 7.8% transportation and communications, 5.6% banking and finance, 25.5% services; 4.6% unemployed (1979 average)
Organized labor: 60% of labor force
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Finland
Type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Political subdivisions: 12 provinces; 443 communes, 78 towns
Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; constitution adopted 1919; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; legal education at Universities of Helsinki and Turku; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December
Branches: legislative authority rests jointly with President and parliament (Eduskunta); executive power vested in President and exercised through coalition Cabinet responsible to parliament; Supreme Court, four superior courts, 193 lower courts
Government leaders: President Mauno KOIVISTO; Prime Minister Kalevi SORSA
Suffrage: universal, 18 years and over; not compulsory
Elections: parliamentary, every four years (last in 1979); presidential, every six years (President Koivisto elected to six-year term in January 1982)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic, Kalevi Sorsa; Center, Paavo Vayrynen; Peoples Democratic League (Communist front), Kalevi Kivisto; Conservative, lllka Suominen; Liberal, Jaakko Itala; Swedish Peoples Party, Par Stenback; Rural, Pekka Vennamo; Finnish People's Unity Party, Anssi Keski-Vahala; Finnish Communist Party, Aarne Saarinen; Finnish Christian League, Raino Westerholm; Constitutional Right, Georg Ehrnrooth
Voting strength (1979 parliamentary election): 23.9% Social Democratic, 21.6% Conservative, 17.8% Peoples Democratic League, 17.4% Center, 4.8% Christian League, 4.6% Finnish Rural Party, 4.6% Swedish Peoples, 3.7% Liberal Peoples, 1.2% Constitutional Peoples, 0.3% Finnish Peoples Unity Party, 0.1% Socialist Workers Party
Communists: 43,000; an additional 65,000 persons belong to Peoples Democratic League; a further number of sympathizers, as indicated by 517,198 votes cast for Peoples Democratic League in 1979 elections
Member of: ADB, CEMA (special cooperation agreement), DAC, EC (free trade agreement), EFTA (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IFAD,IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
ECONOMY
GNP: $40.3 billion (1980), $8,476 per capita; 57% consumption, 24% investment, 19% government; 3% net exports of goods and services; 1978 growth rate 7.2% (constant prices)
Agriculture: animal husbandry, especially dairying, predominates; forestry important secondary occupation for rural population; main crops — cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient; shortages—food and fodder grains; caloric intake 2,940 calories per day per capita (1970-71)
Major industries: include metal manufacturing and ship-building, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining
