6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani.
Population:
5,175,783 (July 2001 est.)
Currency:
markka (FIM); euro (EUR)
note
on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Finland at a fixed rate of 5.94573 markkaa per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002
Languages:
Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Elevation:
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
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
Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling more than one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2001 will be bolstered by strong private consumption, yet may be 1 or 2 points lower than in 2000, largely because of a weakening in export demand.
Industry:
metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
Ethnicgroups:
Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
Vaccination requirements:
No vaccination requirements for any international traveller.
