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FINLAND
Map of FINLAND
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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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Area:
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total: 338,145 sq km
land: 304,473 sq km
water: 33,672 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: 2,681 km
border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 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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Population:
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5,244,749 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.6% (male 443,738/female 427,875)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 1,773,232/female 1,731,808)
65 years and over: 16.6% (male 349,826/female 518,270) (2008 est.) |
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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 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006) |
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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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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
local short form: Suomi/Finland |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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name: Helsinki
geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 56 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
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Administrative divisions:
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6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani (Southern Finland), Ita-Suomen Laani (Eastern Finland), Lansi-Suomen Laani (Western Finland), Lappi (Lapland), Oulun Laani |
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Independence:
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6 December 1917 (from Russia) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Source: http://cia.gov
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