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. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland's modern welfare state are a high standard of education, equality promotion, and national social security system; currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy.
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
20 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta [Finnish]; landskapen, singular - landskapet [Swedish]); Ahvenanmaa (Finnish), Aland (Swedish); Birkaland (Finnish), Pirkanmaa (Swedish); Egentliga Finland (Finnish), Varsinais-Suomi (Swedish); Egentliga Tavastland (Finnish), Kanta-Hame (Swedish); Kajanaland (Finnish), Kainuu (Swedish); Kymmenedalen (Finnish), Kymenlaakso (Swedish); Lappland (Finnish), Lappi (Swedish); Mellersta Finland (Finnish), Keski-Suomi (Swedish); Mellersta Osterbotten (Finnish), Keski-Pohjanmaa (Swedish); Norra Karelen (Finnish), Pohjois-Karjala (Swedish); Norra Osterbotten (Finnish), Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Swedish); Norra Savolax (Finnish), Pohjois-Savo (Swedish); Nyland (Finnish), Uusimaa (Swedish); Ostra Nyland (Finnish), Ita-Uusimaa (Swedish); Paijanne-Tavastland (Finnish), Paijat-Hame (Swedish); Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Osterbotten (Swedish); Satakunta (Finnish), Satakunta (Swedish); Sodra Karelen (Finnish), Etela-Karjala (Swedish); Sodra Osterbotten (Finnish), Etela-Pohjanmaa (Swedish); Sodra Savolax (Finnish), Etela-Savo (Swedish)
Independence
6 December 1917 (from Russia)
National Holiday
Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Constitution
1 March 2000
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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 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 on 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 elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
Elections:last held on 18 March 2007 (next to be held in 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 (the constituency of Aland)
Judicial branch
general courts - deal with criminal and civil cases (include district courts, Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, whose judges are appointed by the president); administrative courts
Political Parties and Leaders
Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green Party or VIHR [Anni SINNEMAKI]; Left Alliance or VAS [Paavo ARHINMAKI] (composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative); National Coalition Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN] (conservative); Social Democratic Party or SDP [Jutta URPILAINEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Stefan WALLIN]; True Finns [Timo SOINI]
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission:Ambassador Pekka LINTU
Chancery:3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone:[1] (202) 298-5800
FAX:[1] (202) 298-6030
Consulate(s) general:Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission:Ambassador Bruce J. ORECK
Embassy:Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
Mailing address:APO AE 09723
Telephone:[358] (9) 616250
FAX:[358] (9) 6162 5800
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
