FACT SHEET: FINLAND 1993

Area

338,000 sq km (Great Britain 244,000 sq km, Germany 357,000 sq km, Italy 301,000 sq km) of which 10 % is water, 69 % forest, 8 % cultivated land and 13% other. Of the total area 61% is privately owned and 29 % State-owned; 7.5 % belongs to private corporations, 2 % to municipalities and 0.5 % to the church.

Temperature

The mean annual temperature in Helsinki is +5,3 ~C and in Oulu +2,0 ĄC. In 1992 the maximum temperature in Helsinki was +27,8 ĄC (August) and in Utsjoki+30,0ĄC(June);the minimum temperature in Helsinki was -19,0 ĄC (January) and in Ivalo -29,6 ĄC (November).

Population

Finland has 5 million inhabitants (Sweden 8.6, Denmark 5.1, Norway 4.2 in 1991 ).The population density is 16 inhabitants per sq km. Of the total population, 38 % live in rural areas and 62 % in towns or urban areas.

Religion

The State churches are the Evangelical Lutheran and the Finnish Orthodox. 88 % of Finns belong to the Lutheran Church and 2 % to other denominations. The Orthodox Church has about 53,000 members.

Language

The official languages are Finnish and Swedish. Swedish is spoken by 6 % of the population, most of them living along the southern and western coasts,andintheAlandlslands.Manyplaceshave both Finnish and Swedish names. As a rule road signs are in both languages.

History

According to the latest theory Finns have been living in what is now Finland since 3000 B.C.

1155: The first crusade to Finland from Sweden; F inland becomes part of the Kingdom of Sweden.
1809: Sweden surrenders Finland to Russia; the Cza r makes Finland an autonomous Grand Duchy.
1917: Finland declares itself independent on December 6. The new State is first recognized by Soviet Russia, France, Germany and Sweden.
1919: Present Constitution adopted; Finland becomes a republic.

Government

The President of the Republic is elected for a period of six years. The present President, Martti Ahtisaari, was elected in February 1994. The President may only be elected for two consecutive terms.

The President is elected by secret ballot with universal and equal suffrage. If no candidate achieves an outright majority in the first round of voting, a second round is held between the two candidates who got the most votes in the first.

The Government must enjoy the confidence of Parliament. Parliament consists of 200 members, elected by universal suffrage every four years. The seat distribution according to the results of the 1991 General Election is as follows: Seats % of votes Social Democratic Party 48 (-8) 22.1 (-2.0) National Coalition Party 40 (-13) 19.3 (-3.8) Centre Party 55 (+15) 24.8 (+7.2) Left-Wing Alliance 19 (-1) 10.1 (-3.5) Swedish People's Party 12 (-1) 5.5 (+0.2) Finnish Rural Party 7 (-2) 4.8 (-1.5) Finnish Christian League 8 (+3) 3.0 (+0.4) Greens 10 (+6) 6.8 (+2.8) Liberal Party 1 (+1) 0.8 (-0.2) Others 0 2.8

(The figures in brackets express the change compared with the pre-election situation).

Foreign policy

Finland is a Nordic country unequivocally committed to the values of freedom, democracy and human rights. Finland is not a member in military alliances and maintains an independent defence.

As one of the EFTA countries Finland has long participated in the European integration process. Finland applied for membership in the European Community in 1992. Accession negotiations on membership were started in February 1993.

Finland is a member of the Nordic Council. Nordic cooperation covers a wide range of social, cultural and technical questions between all five Scandinavian countries.

Finland joined the United Nations in 1955. Since the 1950's Finland has taken part in a great number of UN peacekeeping operations.

Press

Finland has 256 newspapers which are published 1-7 times a week. Of these, 15 are in Swedish. The total circulation of all the newspapers is 3,894 298. The eight largest papers and their circulation (1992) are as follows: Helsingin Sanomat 7 times/week 483,052 Ilta-Sanomat 6 " 209,098 Aamulehti 7 " 140,236 Turun Sanomat 7 " 127,850 Maaseudun Tulevaisuus 3 " 116,833 Iltalehti 6 " 116,036 Kaleva 7 " 97,149 Savon Sanomat 7 " 83,061

The largest newspaper in Swedish is Hufvudstadsbladet, circulation 63,649.

Education

All children receive basic education at comprehensive schools between the ages of 7 and 16. Further education is voluntary, either in three-year courses at upper secondary schools or 2 to 5-year courses at vocational schools.

There are 20 universities or institutes of higher education, with a total student population of 1 18,700 (1992).

Currency

The currency unit is the MARKKA (mark, mk, FIM). The Bank of Finland decided on 8th September, 1992, to let the markka temporarily float. The selling rates for various currencies in April 1993 were:

FIM FIM FIM

GBP 8,87 DKK 0,94 FRF 1,07

USD 5,84 CHF 3,94 JPY 0,0511

SEK 0,77 DEM 3,64 BEF 0,1769

NOK 0,85 ITL 0,00369 ESB 0,0511

Membership in International (Economic) Organizations

Finland became a member of various international organizations as follows: BIS 1930, IMF 1948, IBRD 1948, GATT 1950, UN 1955, IFC 1956, IAEA 1958, IDA 1960, EFTA (associate member) 1961, ADB 1966,OECD 1969, IDB 1977, IFAD 1977, AfDB 1983, EFTA (full member) 1985, CE 1989, EBRD 1991 ,IEA 1992.

Finland has applied for membership in the European Communities in 1992.

Economy

GDP(in purchasers 'values 1991 prel.) FIM 503,645 million (US$ 124,265). GDi per capita (1991 prel.) US$ 24,784 (US$ ave rage exchange rate). The GDP was divided by sector as follows: (1991 prel.) government services 20.5 % private services 19.4 % manufacturing 19.3 % trade, restaurants, hotels 10.8 % construction 8.6 % transport and communications 8.5 % banking and insurance 4.6 % agriculture and fishing 3.0 % electricity, gas and water 2.6 % forestry 2.4 % mining and quarrying 0.3 %

Agriculture

Cultivated land area (1991) 2,524 thousand hectares. Number of farms 126,084 of which 106,843 with over five hectares (1991). Self-sufficiency: bread cereals 86%, milk products 128%, eggs 1 25%, pork 108%, beef 114%.

Industry

Gross value of industrial production FIM 320,660 million (1990). Number of workers 318,873, salaried employees 144,681. Volume index of industrial production 1990: 114.0, 1991: 103.9 (prel.) (1985 = 100).

Forest resources

In 1990 the growing stock comprised 1,880 million cubic metres (solid volume with bark), of which 45 % was pine and 37 % spruce, the remaining 18 % being broad-leafed trees, chiefly birch. Annual growth was 79 million cubic metres.

Forest ownership as a percentage of forest area (1991): private 55.8%, State and municipalities 32.3 %, companies 7.6 % and other 4.2 %.

Foreign trade

Finland's most important trading partners are Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Japan.