Finland is a Nordic country with borders to Sweden, Norway and Russia. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area, and with a population of 5.4 million people, is also the most sparsely populated in the European Union.
Finland is covered with lakes and forests and is famed for its natural beauty. The White Nights is a time of the year in the far north when the sun does not set for ten weeks of the summer, and equally doesn’t rise for about eight weeks during winter.
In 1917, Finland became an independent country. However, this was only truly compounded in 1991 when Finland applied for membership to the EU after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and was finally able to emerge from that shadow. Previously, Finland was part of Sweden for seven centuries; as a result, 6% of the population is still Swedish speaking.
Economy
Finland has been a member of the EU since 1995, and a member of the euro zone since its inception in 1999. It remains the only Nordic state to have adopted the euro.
Foreign trade is extremely important to Finland’s economy, with exports accounting for approximately 33% of GDP. The country has developed a modern, competitive economy, and has become a world leader in telecommunications equipment. Main exports include telecoms equipment and engineering products, paper, pulp and lumber, glassware, stainless steel and ceramics. The largest trade flows are with Germany, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.
Although Finland’s banks and financial markets avoided the worst of the global financial crisis, export demand declined substantially and Finland experienced one of the deepest contractions in the euro zone. However, exports and domestic trade recovered in 2010 and boosted economic growth.
Finland’s welfare state is committed to a high standard of education and equality promotion.
The unemployment rate was 8.4% in 2010.
Industries
Finland’s per capita output is equal to that of other economies such as France, Germany, Belgium and the UK. The services sector accounts for approximately 66% of the economy, with manufacturing and refining at 31%. The main industries in Finland’s economy are electronics, machinery, forestry and chemicals.
Finland’s wide expanse of forests is key to the economy, as one of the world’s leading wood producers and suppliers. Primarily an agricultural nation until 1945, Finland has created major firms in telecommunications (Nokia), electronics, metalworking, metrology and climate measurement systems. The shipbuilding industry is important to Finland, and the world's biggest cruise ships are built in Finnish shipyards.
Tourism
Finland contains 35 national parks from its southern shores to the almost-Arctic climate of Lapland. Indeed, Lapland is so far north that the Aurora Borealis – Northern Lights – is frequently seen in winter. Furthermore, cruises play an important role in the tourism industry as they travel passengers around the Baltic Sea, stopping at popular destinations such as Tallinn and Stockholm.
Population
As of 2008 average purchasing power-adjusted income levels are similar to those of Italy, Sweden, Germany and France. Around 92% have a mobile phone and 83.5% (2009) have Internet connection at home.
The share of foreign citizens in Finland is 2.5%, among the lowest in the European Union. Most of these are from Russia, Estonia and Sweden.
Finland has gone to great efforts to ensure women’s rights. The Equality Law that went into effect in 1987 committed the country to achieving full equality for women. In 1906, Finland was the first nation in the world to give full suffrage to women.
Education
Higher education is free and living expenses are to a large extent financed by the government through student benefits. There are 20 universities and 30 polytechnics in the country and the World Economic Forum ranks Finland’s tertiary sector education as the second best in the world. Finland is similar to the other Nordic countries in the sense that approximately a third of the residents have a degree, which is only beaten by Canada (44%), the USA (38%) and Japan (37%).
More than 30% of graduates obtained science-related qualifications. Finnish researchers are leading researchers into such fields as forestry, the environment, low-temperature physics, neurology, biotechnology, genetics and communications.
Transport
The main hub for international travel is the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, which flies over 13 million passenger each year. Airlines such as Finnair, Blue1 and Finncomm fly domestically and take advantage of Finland’s location as a convenient transit point between Western Europe and the Far East.
The rail network is regularly maintained despite Finland’s low population density. An international high-speed route between Helsinki and St Petersburg has been running since December 2010. The ‘Allegro’ trains complete the journey in three and a half hours.
Finland’s ports are a popular stop for international cargo, thanks to both their location and low port logistics prices. Furthermore, passenger ferries travel to Estonia and Sweden, and the Helsinki-Tallinn route is a often extremely busy.
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Situated on the shore of the Baltic Sea in southern Finland, Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. With a population of nearly 600,000, Helsinki is by far the most populated municipality in Finland and the world’s northernmost urban area. Altogether, approximately one in four Finns live in the Greater Helsinki area.
Espoo
Turku was once the capital of Finland and its most populous city until 1850. It is a medieval city on the southwest coast of Finland, and remains an important business and cultural centre.
Tampere is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries and the third most populated city in Finland.
Situated by picturesque surrounding lakes, hills and forests, Jyväskylä is the capital of central Finland.
Oulu is situated in northern Finland and is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world.
