Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/80.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 12.5 KB | 413 lines

@node Geography (Finland)
@section Geography (Finland)

@display

Location:
  Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Russia
Map references:
  Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  337,030 km2
 land area:
  305,470 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
  total 2,628 km, Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km
Coastline:
  1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  6 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 m depth or to depth of exploitation
 exclusive fishing zone:
  12 nm
 territorial sea:
  4 nm
International disputes:
  none
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
Terrain:
  mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Natural resources:
  timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Land use:
 arable land:
  8%
 permanent crops:   0%
 meadows and pastures:
  0%
 forest and woodland:
  76%
 other:
  16%
Irrigated land:
  620 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  permanently wet ground covers about 30% of land; population concentrated on
  small southwestern coastal plain
Note:
  long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on
  European continent



@end display

@node People (Finland)
@section People (Finland)

@display

Population:
  5,050,942 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.37% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  12.61 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  9.91 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  75.65 years
 male:
  71.85 years
 female:
  79.62 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.79 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Finn(s)
 adjective:
  Finnish
Ethnic divisions:
  Finn, Swede, Lapp, Gypsy, Tatar
Religions:
  Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%
Languages:
  Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and
  Russian-speaking minorities
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
 total population:   100%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  2.533 million
 by occupation:
  public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15.0%, finance, insurance,
  and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and
  communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%



@end display

@node Government (Finland)
@section Government (Finland)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Finland
 conventional short form:
  Finland
 local long form:
  Suomen Tasavalta
 local short form:
  Suomi
Digraph:
  FI
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Helsinki
Administrative divisions:
  12 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, 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)
Political parties and leaders:
 government coalition:
  Center Party, Esko AHO; National Coalition (conservative) Party, Perti
  SALOLAINEN; Swedish People's Party, (Johan) Ole NORRBACK; Finnish Christian
  League, Toimi KANKAANNIEMI
 other parties:
  Social Democratic Party, Antero KEKKONEN, Acting Chairman; Leftist Alliance
  (Communist) People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative, Claes
  ANDERSON; Green League, Pekka SAURI; Rural Party, Tina MAKELA; Liberal
  People's Party, Kalle MAATTA
Other political or pressure groups:   Finnish Communist Party-Unity, Yrjo HAKANEN; Constitutional
Rightist Party;
  Finnish Pensioners Party; Communist Workers Party, Timo LAHDENMAKI
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 President:
  last held 31 January - 1 February and 15 February 1988 (next to be held
  January 1994); results - Mauno KOIVISTO 48%, Paavo VAYRYNEN 20%, Harri
  HOLKERI 18%
 Parliament:
  last held 17 March 1991 (next to be held March 1995); results - Center Party
  24.8%, Social Democratic Party 22.1%, National Coalition (Conservative)
  Party 19.3%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.1%, Green League 6.8%, Swedish
  People's Party 5.5%, Rural 4.8%, Finnish Christian League 3.1%, Liberal
  People's Party 0.8%; seats - (200 total) Center Party 55, Social Democratic
  Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 40, Leftist Alliance
  (Communist) 19, Swedish People's Party 12, Green League 10, Finnish
  Christian League 8, Rural 7, Liberal People's Party 1



@end display

@node Government (Finland 2. usage)
@section Government (Finland 2. usage)

@display

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 Esko AHO (since 26 April 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Ilkka
  KANERVA (since 26 April 1991)
Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM
  (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA (associate), FAO, G-9,
  GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NAM (guest),
  NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO,
  UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTSO,
  UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Jukka VALTASAARI
 chancery:
  3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
 telephone:
  [phone]
 FAX:
  [phone]
 consulates general:
  Los Angeles and New York
 consulates:   Chicago and Houston
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador John H. KELLY
 embassy:
  Itainen Puistotie 14A, SF-00140, Helsinki
 mailing address:
  APO AE 09723
 telephone:
  [358] (0) 171931
 FAX:
  [358] (0) 174681
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)



@end display

@node Economy (Finland)
@section Economy (Finland)

@display

Overview:
  Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free market economy, with per
  capita output two-thirds of the US figure. Its key economic sector is
  manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries.
  Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% 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. The economy, which experienced an
  average of 4.9% annual growth between 1987 and 1989, sank into deep
  recession in 1991 as growth contracted by 6.5%. The recession - which
  continued in 1992 with growth contracting by 3.5% - has been caused by
  economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the
  barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union under which Soviet
  oil and gas had been exchanged for Finnish manufactured goods. The Finnish
  Government has proposed efforts to increase industrial competitiveness and
  efficiency by an increase in exports to Western markets, cuts in public
  expenditures, partial privatization of state enterprises, and changes in
  monetary policy. In June 1991 Helsinki had tied the markka to the EC's
  European Currency Unit (ECU) to promote stability. Ongoing speculation
  resulting from a lack of confidence in the government's policies forced
  Helsinki to devalue the markka by about 12% in November 1991 and to
  indefinitely break the link in September 1992. By boosting the
  competitiveness of Finnish exports, these measures presumably have kept the
  economic downturn from being even more severe. Unemployment probably will
  remain a serious problem during the next few years - monthly figures in
  early 1993 are approaching 20% - with the majority of Finnish firms facing a
  weak domestic market and the troubled German and Swedish export markets.
  Declining revenues, increased transfer payments, and extensive funding to
  bail out the banking system are expected to push the central government's
  budget deficit to nearly 13% in 1993. Helsinki continues to harmonize its
  economic policies with those of the EC during Finland's current EC
  membership bid.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $79.4 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  -3.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $15,900 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.1% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
  13.1% (1992)
Budget:
  revenues $26.8 billion; expenditures $40.6 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
  $24.0 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
 commodities:
  timber, paper and pulp, ships, machinery, clothing and footwear
 partners:
  EC 53.2% (Germany 15.6%, UK 10.7%), EFTA 19.5% (Sweden 12.8%), US 5.9%,
  Japan 1.3%, Russia 2.8% (1992)
Imports:
  $21.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport
  equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder
  grains



@end display

@node Economy (Finland 2. usage)
@section Economy (Finland 2. usage)

@display

 partners:
  EC 47.2% (Germany 16.9%, UK 8.7%), EFTA 19.0% (Sweden 11.7%), US 6.1%, Japan
  5.5%, Russia 7.1% (1992)
External debt:
  $25 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
  13,500,000 kW capacity; 55,300 million kWh produced, 11,050 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  metal products, shipbuilding, forestry and wood processing (pulp, paper),
  copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
Agriculture:
  accounts for 5% of GDP (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 foodgrains
  and fodder grains; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons
Economic aid:
  donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.7 billion
Currency:
  1 markkaa (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Exchange rates:
  markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 5.4193 (January 1993), 4.4794 (1992), 4.0440
  (1991), 3.8235 (1990), 4.2912 (1989), 4.1828 (1988)
Fiscal year:   calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Finland)
@section Communications (Finland)

@display

Railroads:
  5,924 km total; Finnish State Railways (VR) operate a total of 5,863 km
  1.524-meter gauge, of which 480 km are multiple track and 1,445 km are
  electrified
Highways:
  about 103,000 km total, including 35,000 km paved (bituminous, concrete,
  bituminous-treated surface) and 38,000 km unpaved (stabilized gravel,
  gravel, earth); additional 30,000 km of private (state-subsidized) roads
Inland waterways:
  6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers
Pipelines:
  natural gas 580 km
Ports:
  Helsinki, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku
Merchant marine:
  87 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 935,260 GRT/973,995 DWT; includes 3
  passenger, 11 short-sea passenger, 17 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 26
  roll-on/roll-off, 14 oil tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 7 bulk
Airports:
 total:
  160
 usable:
  157
 with permanent-surface runways:
  66
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  25
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  22
Telecommunications:
  good service from cable and microwave radio relay network; 3,140,000
  telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 105 FM, 235 TV; 1 submarine cable;
  INTELSAT satellite transmission service via Swedish earth station and a
  receive-only INTELSAT earth station near Helsinki



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Finland)
@section Defense Forces (Finland)

@display

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,323,381; fit for military service 1,091,613; reach
  military age (17) annually 33,828 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $1.93 billion, about 2% of GDP (1992)



@end display