Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 71 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Finn(s); adjective—Finnish
Ethnic divisions: Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar
Religion: 97% Evangelical Lutheran, 1.2% Eastern Orthodox, 1.8% other
Language: 93.5% Finnish, 6.3% Swedish (both official); small Lapp- and Russian- speaking minorities
Literacy: almost 100%
Labor force: 2,556,000; 33.1% services, 22.9% mining and manufacturing, 13.8% commerce, 10.3% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 7.2% construction, 7.1% transportation and communications (1989 est.)
Organized labor: 80% of labor force
Government
Long-form name: Republic of Finland
Type: republic
Capital: Helsinki
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (läänit, singular—lääni); Ahvenanmaa, Häme, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa
Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Soviet Union)
Constitution: 17 July 1919
Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of State (Valtioneuvosto)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Eduskunta)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Korkein Oikeus)
Leaders: Chief of State—President Mauno KOIVISTO (since 27 January 1982);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Harri HOLKERI (since 30 April 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Pertti PAASIO (since NA January 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Pertti Paasio; Center Party, Paavo Väyrynen; People's Democratic League (majority Communist front), Reijo Kakela; National Coalition (Conservative) Party, Ilkka Suominen; Liberal People's Party, Kyösti Lallukka; Swedish People's Party, Christoffer Taxell; Rural Party, leader NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held 31 January-1 February and 15 February 1988 (next to be held January 1994); results—Mauno Koivisto 48%, Paavo Väyrynen 20%, Harri Holkeri 18%;
Parliament—last held 15-16 March 1987 (next to be held March 1991); results—Social Democratic 24.3%, National Coalition (Conservative) 23.9%, Center-Liberal People's 18.6%, People's Democratic League 9.4%, Rural 6.3%, Swedish People's 5.3%, Democratic Alternative 4.3%, Green League 4.0%, Finnish Christian League 2.6%, Finnish Pensioners 1.2%, Constitutional Rightist 0.1%; seats—(200 total) Social Democratic 56, National Coalition (Conservative) 53, Center-Liberal People's 40, People's Democratic League 16, Swedish People's 13, Rural 9, Finnish Christian League 5; Democratic Alternative 4, Green League 4
Communists: 28,000 registered members; an additional 45,000 persons belong to People's Democratic League
Other political or pressure groups: Finnish Communist Party (majority Communist faction), Jarmo Wahlström; Finnish Communist Party-Unity (minority faction), Esko-Juhani Tennila; Democratic Alternative (minority Communist front), Kristiina Halkola; Finnish Christian League, Esko Almgren; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Green League, Heidi Hautala; Communist Workers Party, Timo Lahdenmaki
Member of: ADB, CCC, CEMA (special cooperation agreement), DAC, EC (free trade agreement), EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI; Chancery at 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington DC 20016; telephone (202) 363-2430; there are Finnish Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York, and Consulates in Chicago and Houston; US—Ambassador John G. WEINMANN; Embassy at Itainen Puistotie 14ASF-00140, Helsinki (mailing address is APO New York 09664); telephone [358](0) 171931
Flag: white with a blue cross that extends 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)
Economy
Overview: Finland has a highly industrialized,
largely free market economy, with
per capita output nearly three-fourths the
US figure. Its main economic force is the
manufacturing sector—principally the
wood, metals, and engineering industries.
Trade is important, with the export of
goods representing about 25% of GNP.
Except for timber and several minerals,
Finland depends on imported raw materials,
energy, and some components of
manufactured goods. Because of the climate,
agricultural development is limited to
maintaining self-sufficiency in basic
commodities. Economic prospects are generally
bright, the main shadow being the
increasing pressures on wages and prices.
GDP: $74.4 billion, per capita $15,000; real growth rate 4.6% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 3.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $28.3 billion; expenditures $28.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1988 est.)
Exports: $22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear; partners—EC 44.2% (UK 13.0%, FRG 10.8%), USSR 14.9%, Sweden 14.1%, US 5.8%
Imports: $22.0 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains; partners—EC 43.5% (FRG 16.9%, UK 6.8%), Sweden 13.3%, USSR 12.1%, US 6.3%
External debt: $5.3 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.3% (1989)
Electricity: 13,324,000 kW capacity; 49,330 million kWh produced, 9,940 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: metal manufacturing and ship-building, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper), copper refining, foodstuffs, textiles, clothing
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GNP (including forestry); livestock production, especially dairy cattle, predominates; forestry is an important export earner and a secondary occupation for the rural population; main crops—cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; 85% self-sufficient, but short of food and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $1.7 billion
Currency: markka (plural—markkaa); 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 penniä
Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1—4.0022 (January 1990), 4.2912
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