Finland

finland

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FINLAND

Finland (Finnish name Suomi), the sixth largest country in Europe, is situated in northern Europe between the 60th and 70th parallels of latitude. A quarter of its total area lies north of the Arctic Circle. One notable effect of Finland's northerly position on the globe is that the four seasons of the year are clearly distinct from one another.

The climate is marked by cold winters and warm summers. The highest daytime temperature in southern Finland during the summer occasionally rises to almost 30 degrees. During the winter months, particularly in January and February, temperatures of minus 20 Celsius are not uncommon. In the far north, beyond the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set for about 73 days, producing the white nights of summer. In the same region, during the winter period, the sun remains below the horizon for 51 days, creating the polar night known in Finnish as kaamos.

Finland's neighbouring countries are Sweden, Norway, and Russia, which have land borders with Finland, and Estonia across the Gulf of Finland. Forests cover 75% of the country and some 190,000 lakes cover around 10%. There are, interestingly, about the same number of islands. The principal archipelago and the self-governing province of the Aland Islands lie off the south-west coast while the main lake district, centred on Lake Saimaa, is in the east.

As a member of the European Union since 1995, Finland is part of an influential body in world politics. Its population is 5.3 million with a low population density of 15.5 persons per square kilometre. The capital Helsinki has 561,000 residents.

The industrial structure of Finnish exports has changed dramatically over the past few decades. The wood and paper industry accounted for well over half of exports less than thirty years ago. Now the paper industry is only one of three major export sectors, the other two being electronics and metal and engineering. Electronics is the most spectacular success story in Finnish exports. Its remarkable growth in the 1990s was mainly based on mobile phones and other telecommunication equipment.

As for the country's general prosperity, the net wealth of Finnish households is at the average level for member states of the European Union. The head of state is the President of the Republic who is elected for a period of six years and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. The President is chosen by direct popular vote, with a run-off between the two leading candidates if no candidate wins an overall majority in the first round of voting.

There has been complete freedom of worship in Finland since 1923. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is the country's biggest denomination while a fraction of Finns belong to the Finnish Orthodox Church. Both denominations are designated as state religions. Finnish people have a high standard of education.

All children receive compulsory basic education between the ages of 7 and 16.

Behind the impressive numbers is a well-balanced and dynamic society, which is the perfect basis for highly-favourable business environment for local and non-Finnish companies and organisations alike. Today, foreign-owned companies account for more than 20% of corporate turnover in Finland, and their number is constantly growing.

Finland map

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