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The Republic of Finland is a Nordic country, bound by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the southeast and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west, bordering Sweden, Norway and Russia.

History

Main article: History of Finland

Finland's nearly 700-year association with the Kingdom of Sweden began in 1154 with the introduction of Christianity by Sweden's King Eric. Swedish became the dominant language, although Finnish recovered its predominance after a 19th century resurgence of Finnish nationalism following the publication of Finland's national epic, the Kalevala.

In 1809, Finland was conquered by the armies of Czar Alexander I and thereafter remained an autonomous grand duchy connected with the Russian Empire until the end of 1917. On December 6, 1917, shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Finland declared its independence. In 1918, the country experienced a brief but bitter Finnish Civil War that coloured domestic politics for many years. During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union twice: in the Winter War of 1939-1940 and again in the Continuation War of 1941-1944. This was followed by the Lapland war of 1944-1945, when Finland fought against Nazi Germany as the Germans withdrew their forces from northern Finland.

Treaties signed in 1947 and 1948 with the Soviet Union included obligations and restraints on Finland vis-a-vis the Soviet Union as well as territorial concessions by Finland; following its dissolution in 1991, Finland was free to follow its own course and joined the European Union in 1995.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Finland

Finland has a primarily parliamentary system, although the president also has some notable powers. Most executive power lies in the cabinet (Council of State) headed by the prime minister chosen by the parliament. The Council of State is made up of the prime minister and ministers for the various departments of the central government as well as an ex-officio member, the Chancellor of Justice.

Constitutionally, the 200-member, unicameral parliament (the Eduskunta) is the supreme authority in Finland. It may alter the constitution, bring about the resignation of the Council of State, and override presidential vetoes; its acts are not subject to judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the Council of State, or one of the Eduskunta members, who are elected on the basis of proportional representation for a four-year term.

The judicial system is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and special courts with responsibility for litigation between the public and the administrative organs of the state. Finnish law is codified and its court system consists of local courts, regional appellate courts, and a Supreme Court.

Provinces

Main article: Provinces of Finland

Finland consists of 6 provinces (läänit, singular - lääni), following a 1997 redesign that reduced their number from 12:

• Aland Islands (Åland/Ahvenanmaa)
• Eastern Finland (Itä-Suomen Lääni)
• Lapland (Lappi/Sápmi)
• Oulu (Oulun Lääni)
• Southern Finland (Etelä-Suomen Lääni)
• Western Finland (Länsi-Suomen Lääni)

The province of the Aland Islands enjoys a high degree of autonomy.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Finland

Finland is a country of thousands of lakes and islands; 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands to be precise. The Finnish landscape is mostly flat with few hills and its highest point, the Haltitunturi at 1,328 m, is found in the extreme north of Lapland. Beside the many lakes the landscape is dominated by extensive boreal forests and little arable land. The greater part of the islands are found in southwest, part of the archipelago of the Aland Islands, and along the southern coast in the Gulf of Finland.

The climate is a northern temperate clime, characterised by cold, occasionally severe winters and relatively warm summers. A quarter of Finland's territory lies above the Arctic Circle, and as a consequence the sun does not set for 73 days during summer, and does not rise for up to 51 days during winter.

See also: Cities of Finland

Economy

Main article: Economy of Finland

Finland has a highly industrialised, 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, with exports equaling almost one-third of GDP. 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. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on January 1, 1999 - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2001 was held back by the global slowdown and will likely be anemic again in 2002.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Finland

There are two official languages in Finland: Finnish, spoken by 93% of Finns, and Swedish, spoken by the Finland-Swedes, who comprise 6% of the population. To the north, in Lapland, are found the Sami, numbering less than 7,000, who like the Finns speak a Finno-Ugric language (Saami). Other small national minorities include Russians, Jews, Roma and Tatars.

Most Finns (89%) are members of the Evangelical Lutheran church, with a minority of 1% belonging to the Orthodox church. The remainder consist of relatively small groups of Roman Catholics, Protestants and muslims or is unaffiliated.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Finland

• List of famous Finnish people
• Kalevala
• Kantele
• Sauna

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Finland
• Transportation in Finland
• Military of Finland
• Foreign relations of Finland
• Tourism in Finland

International rankings

• worldwide press freedom index Rank 1 out of 139 countries (4 way tie)

External Links

• Virtual Finland - Main portal to Finland
• Government.fi - Official governmental site
• Eduskunta.fi - Official parliamentary site
• Presidentti - Official presidential site

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