The legal system originated during the period of
Swedish
rule, and portions of the Swedish General Code of 1734
were
extant in Finnish law even in the late 1980s. The
country's first
court of appeals was established at Turku in 1634. The
modern
division of the Finnish courts into two main
branches--general
courts, dealing with civil suits and criminal cases, and
administrative courts, regulating the actions of the
country's
bureaucracy--also dates from this time. This division was
formalized in 1918 when two sections of the Senate, the
body that
had governed Finland during the period of Russian rule,
became
the newly independent country's two highest courts. The
Senate
Department of Justice became the Supreme Court, and part
of the
Senate Finance Department was the basis of the Supreme
Administrative Court. The two court systems are entirely
separate, and they have no jurisdiction over one another.
The
establishment of the two courts was confirmed by the
Constitution
Act of 1919. Overseeing the system of justice are the
chancellor
of justice--the country's highest guardian of the law and
its
chief prosecutor--and the parliamentary ombudsman.
Although these
two officials have largely parallel functions and each is
required to submit an annual report of his activities to
parliament, the former is appointed for life by the
president and
is a member of the Council of State, whereas the latter is
chosen
for a four-year term by the Eduskunta. Both officials
receive
complaints from citizens about the conduct of civil
servants, and
on their own may investigate all public officials and may
order
prosecutors to proceed against them. The chancellor of
justice
supervises public prosecutors, and he also has the
unrestricted
right to investigate private persons. Both officials may
call on
either of the high courts for assistance.
The High Court of Impeachment may be convened for cases
dealing with illegal official acts by cabinet ministers,
judges
of the two supreme courts, or the chancellor of justice.
Members
of this court, used only three times since its formation
in 1922,
are the chief judges of the two supreme courts and the six
courts
of appeal, a professor of law from the University of
Helsinki,
and six representatives from the Eduskunta.
As in the other countries of Nordic Europe, there is no
constitutional court. Issues dealt with by a court of this
kind
elsewhere are handled by the Eduskunta's Constitutional
Committee
(see Legislature
, this ch.).
According to Article 5 of the Constitution Act, all
Finns are
equal before the law, and Article 13 of the same act
stipulates
that they may be tried only in a court of their own
jurisdiction.
No temporary courts are permitted. Legislation passed in
1973
provides for free legal assistance to those in need as
well as
for free court proceedings in a number of courts. Trials
in lower
courts are usually open to the public. Records of trials
in
higher courts are made public.
Judges are appointed for life, with retirement set at
age
seventy, and they may be removed only for serious cause.
With the
exception of some lay judges in circuit courts and in some
town
courts, all judges hold legal degrees from one of the
country's
three law schools. The judiciary in the late 1980s was a
rather
closed profession, and only judges for administrative
courts were
occasionally selected from outside its ranks.
Defendants have no obligation to employ an attorney for
their
defense in a Finnish court, and may represent themselves
or be
represented by another layman rather than by a lawyer.
Nevertheless, in most cases heard in general courts and in
many
argued in administrative courts, trained legal specialists
are
employed.
The general court system handles criminal cases and
civil
suits and has three levels: lower courts, courts of
appeal, and
the Supreme Court. There are two kinds of lower courts:
town
courts, numbering 30 in the entire country; and circuit
courts,
totaling 147 in 71 judicial districts. Town courts consist
of
three judges, all trained professionals except in some
small
towns. One of these judges is the chief judge chosen by
the
Supreme Court; the others are selected by local
authorities.
Decisions are made on a collegial basis. Circuit courts
consist
of a judge, chosen by the Supreme Court, and five to seven
lay
judges, i.e., persons without legal training, chosen by
local
authorities for a term of four years. Decisions on cases
in
courts of this type are made by the professional judge,
unless he
is overruled by the unanimous vote of the lay members of
the
court. Larger cities also have housing courts that deal
with rent
and accommodations.
Appeals from lower courts are addressed to the six
courts of
appeal located at Helsinki, Turku, Vaasa, Kouvola, Kuopio,
and
Rovaniemi. Most cases at these courts are heard by
professional
three-judge panels; more important cases are tried before
a
plenary session of judges if the chief judge so decides.
In cases
involving senior government officials, a court of appeals
may
serve as the court of first instance. Judges of the courts
of
appeal are appointed by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, located in Helsinki, consists of a
chief
justice, or a president, and twenty-one judges usually
working in
five-judge panels. It hears cases involving appeals of
decisions
of appellate courts where serious errors are alleged to
have
occurred, or where important precedents might be involved.
A
sentence from a court of appeals may go into effect
immediately,
despite an appeal to the Supreme Court, but it may be
postponed
while the case is pending if the Supreme Court so decides.
The
chief justice of the Supreme Court is appointed by the
nation's
president, and the other judges of that court are
appointed by
the president on the recommendation of the Supreme Court.
The administrative courts system consists of twelve
county
courts, one in each of the country's twelve provinces, and
the
Supreme Administrative Court, located in Helsinki. All
judges in
administrative courts are professionals, appointed in the
same
manner as judges who sit in general courts. Judges work in
threejudge panels at the provincial level and in five-judge
panels in
the Supreme Administrative Court. When appropriate, the
latter
meets in plenary sessions to hear especially important
cases.
Administrative courts deal with appeals against
administrative decisions by government agencies, although
in some
cases appeals are directed to higher administrative levels
within
the government. About 80 percent of the cases of the
county
courts involve appeals of government tax decisions; the
remainder
deal with questions relating to construction, welfare,
planning,
and local government. The Supreme Administrative Court
handles
appeals of county court and central government board
decisions
that affect, or are affected by, administrative law. About
50
percent of the cases heard in the Supreme Administrative
Court
involve questions about taxes.
Finland also has special courts to handle civil cases;
some
of these courts render judgments from which there is no
appeal.
The four land courts settle disputes about the division of
land,
and their decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Appeals
from the insurance court, which handles social insurance
cases,
also may be appealed to the Supreme Court. Cases that
involve
water use are dealt with in the three water courts, and
may be
appealed first to the water court of appeals and from
there to
the Supreme Court. If the case involves water permits,
appeals go
to the Supreme Administrative Court. Decisions of the
labor court
and the marketing court may not be appealed. The former
treats
disputes about collective bargaining agreements in either
the
public or the private sector. Its president and vice
president
are lawyers; its remaining members come from groups
representing
labor and management. The marketing court regulates
disagreements
about consumer protection and unfair competition.
|
Background | | Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the European Union since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
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Location | | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
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Area(sq km) | | total: 338,145 sq km land: 303,815 sq km water: 34,330 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 64 00 N, 26 00 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 2,654 km border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km
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Coastline(km) | | 1,250 km
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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
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
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Natural resources | | timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 93.44% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 640 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 110 cu km (2005)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 2.33 cu km/yr (14%/84%/3%) per capita: 444 cu m/yr (1999)
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Natural hazards | | NA
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Environment - current issues | | air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note | | long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
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Population | | 5,250,275 (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 16.4% (male 438,425/female 422,777) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 1,773,495/female 1,732,792) 65 years and over: 16.8% (male 357,811/female 524,975) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 42.1 years male: 40.5 years female: 43.7 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 0.098% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 10.38 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 10.07 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 63% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 3.47 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.78 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 78.97 years male: 75.48 years female: 82.61 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 1.73 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish
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Ethnic groups(%) | | Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami 0.1% (2006)
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Religions(%) | | Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
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Languages(%) | | Finnish 91.2% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3.3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2007)
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Country name | | conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland local short form: Suomi/Finland
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Government type | | republic
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Capital | | name: Helsinki geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 56 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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Administrative divisions | | 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Ahvenanmaan Laani (Aland), Etela-Suomen Laani (Southern Finland), Ita-Suomen Laani (Eastern Finland), Lansi-Suomen Laani (Western Finland), Lapin Laani (Lapland), Oulun Laani
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Constitution | | 1-Mar-00
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Legal system | | civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch | | chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June 2003); Deputy Prime Minister Jyrki KATAINEN (since 19 April 2007) cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2012); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament must approve the appointment; Prime Minister VANHANEN reelected 17 April 2007 election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti VANHANEN (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA (VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held 29 January 2006 - HALONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%; Matti VANHANEN reelected prime minister; election results 121-71 note: government coalition - Kesk, KOK, VIHR, and SFP
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Legislative branch | | unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 18 March 2007 (next to be held March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 23.1%, Kok 22.3%, SDP 21.4%, VAS 8.8%, VIHR 8.5%, KD 4.9%, SFP 4.5%, True Finns 4.1%, other 3.4%; seats by party - Kesk 51, Kok 50, SDP 45, VAS 17, VIHR 15, SFP 9, KD 7, True Finns 5, other 1
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Judicial branch | | Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)
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International organization participation | | ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Flag description | | white with a blue cross extending 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); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter
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Economy - overview | | 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; Finland's ratio of exports to GDP has risen from a quarter to 37% over the past 15 years. Finland excels in high-tech exports such as mobile phones. 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. Although Finland has been one of the best performing economies within the EU in recent years and its banks and financial markets have avoided the worst of global financial crisis, the world slowdown has hit export growth and domestic demand and will serve as a brake on economic growth in 2009 and 2010. The slowdown of construction, other investment, and exports will cause unemployment to rise. During 2009, unemployment will climb to over 8% of the labor force. Long-term challenges include the need to address a rapidly aging population and decreasing productivity that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $194 billion (2008 est.) $192.4 billion (2007 est.) $184.8 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $271.9 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 0.8% (2008 est.) 4.1% (2007 est.) 4.9% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $37,000 (2008 est.) $36,700 (2007 est.) $35,300 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 2.8% industry: 32.4% services: 64.9% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 2.703 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture and forestry 4.5%, industry 18.3%, construction 7.3%, commerce 16%, finance, insurance, and business services 14.5%, transport and communications 7%, public services 32.4% (2008)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 6.4% (2008 est.) 6.9% (2007 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 24.7% (2007)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 29.5 (2007) 25.6 (1991)
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 20.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $143.8 billion expenditures: $132.3 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 4.1% (2008 est.) 2.5% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $NA (31December 2008) $NA (31 December 2007) note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders
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Stock of quasi money | | $NA (31 December 2008) $NA (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $241.1 billion (31 December 2008) $225.4 billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA (31 December 2008) $369.2 billion (31 December 2007) $265.5 billion (31 December 2006)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 33.7% of GDP (2008 est.) 46.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish
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Industries | | metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 0.4% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | $5.518 billion (2008 est.) $10.12 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $96.62 billion (2008 est.) $90.2 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
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Exports - partners(%) | | Russia 11.6%, Sweden 10%, Germany 10%, US 6.4%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 5.1% (2008)
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Imports | | $87.51 billion (2008 est.) $78.22 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains
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Imports - partners(%) | | Russia 16.3%, Germany 15.7%, Sweden 13.6%, Netherlands 6.3%, China 5.1%, UK 4.2% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $8.346 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $8.385 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $339.5 billion (31 December 2008) $314.1 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $84.44 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $88.69 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $116 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $114.2 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | euro (EUR)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 1.65 million (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 6.83 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: modern system with excellent service domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive cellular network provide domestic needs international: country code - 358; submarine cables provide links to Estonia and Sweden; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
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Internet country code | | .fi; note - Aland Islands assigned .ax
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Internet users | | 4.383 million (2008)
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Airports | | 148 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | gas 694 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 78,141 km paved: 50,914 km (includes 700 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,227 km (2009)
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Ports and terminals | | Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Raahe, Rauma, Turku
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Military branches | | Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): Army, Navy (includes Coastal Defense Forces), Air Force (Suomen Ilmavoimat) (2007)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 18 years of age for male voluntary and compulsory - and female voluntary - national military and nonmilitary service; service obligation 6-12 months; mandatory retirement at age 60 (2008)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,169,910 females age 16-49: 1,121,187 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 962,479 females age 16-49: 920,297 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 33,784 female: 32,621 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Disputes - international | | various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 77.24 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 39% hydro: 18.7% nuclear: 30.4% other: 11.8% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 86.9 billion kWh (2008)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 3.335 billion kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 16.11 billion kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 9,789 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 215,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 133,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 347,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Economic aid - donor | | ODA, $1.023 billion (2007)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 0 bbl
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 4.735 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 2,400 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 17 years male: 17 years female: 18 years (2006)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 6.4% of GDP (2005)
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