Supreme executive power is held by the president,
assisted by
the Council of State. The president also has legislative
power
exercised in conjunction with the Eduskunta. As of 1988,
the
president is to be elected for a six-year term either
directly by
the Finnish people, or if an absolute majority is not
reached, by
a college of 301 electors selected in the same election.
Previously the president was elected indirectly by the
college of
electors.
As of 1988, there was no limit on the number of terms a
president might serve, but in the late 1980s legislation
was
being discussed that would permit no one to serve more
than two
consecutive terms. The president's only formal
qualification is
that he or she be a native-born citizen. Once elected, the
president must renounce all other offices, and, with the
aim of
being a nonpartisan head of state, must cease being a
member of
any political party. His election, separate from that for
the
Eduskunta, gives him a distinct mandate that theoretically
elevates him above routine politics. Another advantage of
his
long term in office is that it brings to Finnish political
life a
continuity that it has often lacked.
The president is not politically responsible to anyone.
He
can be removed from office only if the Eduskunta decides
by a
three-quarters majority that he is guilty of treason. He
would
then be tried by the Supreme Court
(see Legal System
, this
ch.).
The risks that such freedom from political responsibility
entails
are lessened because most of his executive decisions can
be
carried out only by means of the Council of State, and his
legislative powers are realized through the Eduskunta.
The president's power to dissolve parliament and to
call for
new elections gives him, in theory, considerable influence
over
parliament, but ultimately he must work with an Eduskunta
elected
by the people. If he cannot convince a majority of the
voters or
the members of the Eduskunta to support his policies, he
cannot
act. An indication of the importance of this central
element in
Finnish parliamentary practice is that the Eduskunta has
been
dissolved only once--in 1924--against its will. The other
half
dozen dissolutions were caused by the inability of the
government
to agree on a common course of action.
It is the president who decides what legislative
proposals
are sent to the Eduskunta, although in practice government
bills
are drafted by the Council of State and are sent to
parliament
after presidential approval. Failure to sign them within
three
months of their passage amounts to a suspensive veto on
the part
of the president, a veto which can be overridden by a
simple
majority of the Eduskunta after new parliamentary
elections. Both
the presidential veto and the Eduskunta override have been
rare
occurrences.
Another important presidential power involves the
formation
of new governments. The president has the formal power to
nominate ministers, but his choices are bound by what the
parties
seated in the Eduskunta will accept. His choices must
correspond
to the chamber's political composition. Within these
limits,
though, the president's force of character and political
will
influence the formation of a government. The president
also has
the right to dismiss ministers, either individual
ministers, or,
if he wishes, the entire cabinet. The president may issue
decrees
about details of public administration, as long as these
measures
are not contrary to laws passed by the Eduskunta. The
right to
change laws is a parliamentary prerogative, although an
emergency
law may grant the president this power in times of crisis,
as was
done in World War II.
The president nominates all senior civil servants, high
judges, provincial governors, diplomats, professors at the
University of Helsinki, high churchmen, and the chancellor
of
justice. In making these appointments, however, the
president
rarely departs from the names suggested to him by
appropriate
authorities. As commander in chief of the armed forces, a
position he may delegate during wartime, as was done in
World War
II, the president also nominates military officers.
The president has the power to grant pardons and
general
amnesties, but the latter require the approval of the
Eduskunta.
Individual immunity may also be granted by the president,
in
accordance with certain provisions of the law. Moreover,
the
granting and the revocation of citizenship require the
signature
of the head of state.
The Constitution Act gives the president the
responsibility
for directing foreign affairs, and his authority in this
area has
grown markedly since World War II. The occasion for the
decisive
shift of presidential activity from principally domestic
concerns
to foreign relations was the threat a changing world order
posed
for Finland's survival; the crucial roles, played by
President
Paasikivi in formulating a new foreign policy and by
President
Kekkonen in consolidating it, restructured the office they
held.
Their success increased the prestige and the strength of
the
presidency beyond the formal powers already prescribed by
the
Constitution and enhanced the president's role as head of
state.
By the late 1980s, however, a long period of stability
both
at home and abroad made the security and the direction
provided
by a strong and authoritative president seem less
essential for
the country's well-being, and there was serious discussion
about
limiting his power of intervention in the political
process.
Legislation was being prepared that would circumscribe his
right
to dissolve the Eduskunta and his role in the formation of
governments; in the latter case, he would be required to
take
greater cognizance of the wishes of leading politicians.
Other
reforms likely to be realized in the next decade included
curtailing the president's right to dismiss ministers,
arranging
for the direct election of the president, and limiting the
president to two consecutive terms in office. Mauno
Koivisto,
first elected president in 1982 and reelected in 1988,
supported
reducing the traditional powers of the presidency
(see The Presidential Election of 1982 and Koivisto's Presidency
, this
ch.). Observers held that these reforms would augment the
governing roles of the prime minister, the cabinet, and
the
legislature and that they would mean that Finnish
political
practices came to resemble more closely those of other
West
European parliamentary democracies.
|
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.
|
|
Location | | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
|
|
Area(sq km) | | total: 338,145 sq km
land: 303,815 sq km
water: 34,330 sq km
|
|
Geographic coordinates | | 64 00 N, 26 00 E
|
|
Land boundaries(km) | | total: 2,654 km
border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km
|
|
Coastline(km) | | 1,250 km
|
|
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
|
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
|
|
Natural resources | | timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
|
|
Land use(%) | | arable land: 6.54%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 93.44% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 640 sq km (2003)
|
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 110 cu km (2005)
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 2.33 cu km/yr (14%/84%/3%)
per capita: 444 cu m/yr (1999)
|
|
Natural hazards | | NA
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
Geography - note | | long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain
|
|
Population | | 5,250,275 (July 2009 est.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
Median age(years) | | total: 42.1 years
male: 40.5 years
female: 43.7 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 0.098% (2009 est.)
|
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 10.38 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 10.07 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 78.97 years
male: 75.48 years
female: 82.61 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 1.73 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
|
Nationality | | noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish
|
|
Ethnic groups(%) | | Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami 0.1% (2006)
|
|
Religions(%) | | Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
|
|
Languages(%) | | Finnish 91.2% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3.3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2007)
|
|
Country name | | conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
local short form: Suomi/Finland
|
|
Government type | | republic
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
Constitution | | 1-Mar-00
|
|
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
|
|
Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
Judicial branch | | Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
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.
|
|
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
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $271.9 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 0.8% (2008 est.)
4.1% (2007 est.)
4.9% (2006 est.)
|
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $37,000 (2008 est.)
$36,700 (2007 est.)
$35,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
|
GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 2.8%
industry: 32.4%
services: 64.9% (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor force | | 2.703 million (2008 est.)
|
|
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)
|
|
Unemployment rate(%) | | 6.4% (2008 est.)
6.9% (2007 est.)
|
|
Population below poverty line(%) | | NA%
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 24.7% (2007)
|
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 29.5 (2007)
25.6 (1991)
|
|
Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 20.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
|
Budget | | revenues: $143.8 billion
expenditures: $132.3 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 4.1% (2008 est.)
2.5% (2007 est.)
|
|
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
|
|
Stock of quasi money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$NA (31 December 2007)
|
|
Stock of domestic credit | | $241.1 billion (31 December 2008)
$225.4 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Market value of publicly traded shares | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$369.2 billion (31 December 2007)
$265.5 billion (31 December 2006)
|
|
Public debt(% of GDP) | | 33.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
46.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
|
|
Agriculture - products | | barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish
|
|
Industries | | metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
|
|
Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 0.4% (2008 est.)
|
|
Current account balance | | $5.518 billion (2008 est.)
$10.12 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports | | $96.62 billion (2008 est.)
$90.2 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities(%) | | electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
|
|
Exports - partners(%) | | Russia 11.6%, Sweden 10%, Germany 10%, US 6.4%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 5.1% (2008)
|
|
Imports | | $87.51 billion (2008 est.)
$78.22 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities(%) | | foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains
|
|
Imports - partners(%) | | Russia 16.3%, Germany 15.7%, Sweden 13.6%, Netherlands 6.3%, China 5.1%, UK 4.2% (2008)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $8.346 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$8.385 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Debt - external | | $339.5 billion (31 December 2008)
$314.1 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $84.44 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$88.69 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $116 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$114.2 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Exchange rates | | euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
|
|
Currency (code) | | euro (EUR)
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use | | 1.65 million (2008)
|
|
Telephones - mobile cellular | | 6.83 million (2008)
|
|
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)
|
|
Internet country code | | .fi; note - Aland Islands assigned .ax
|
|
Internet users | | 4.383 million (2008)
|
|
Airports | | 148 (2009)
|
|
Pipelines(km) | | gas 694 km (2008)
|
|
Roadways(km) | | total: 78,141 km
paved: 50,914 km (includes 700 km of expressways)
unpaved: 27,227 km (2009)
|
|
Ports and terminals | | Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Raahe, Rauma, Turku
|
|
Military branches | | Finnish Defense Forces (FDF): Army, Navy (includes Coastal Defense Forces), Air Force (Suomen Ilmavoimat) (2007)
|
|
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)
|
|
Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,169,910
females age 16-49: 1,121,187 (2008 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 962,479
females age 16-49: 920,297 (2009 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 33,784
female: 32,621 (2009 est.)
|
|
Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
|
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
|
|
Electricity - production(kWh) | | 77.24 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 39%
hydro: 18.7%
nuclear: 30.4%
other: 11.8% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 86.9 billion kWh (2008)
|
|
Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 3.335 billion kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 16.11 billion kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 9,789 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 215,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 133,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 347,400 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Economic aid - donor | | ODA, $1.023 billion (2007)
|
|
Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 0 bbl
|
|
Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 4.735 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 2,400 (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 100 (2003 est.)
|
|
Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 17 years
male: 17 years
female: 18 years (2006)
|
|
Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 6.4% of GDP (2005)
|
