Finland Country Profile & Guide Business & Tourist Travel Information
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Finland Country Profile
Finland Population The population of Finland is 5.3 million. The Capital is Helsinki with a population of .56 million with a similar number of people live in the surrounding areas. Languages In Finland The official national language is Finnish which is spoken by 93.5% of the population. 5.8 % of the population speak Swedish. There are also a few minorities who speak Russian dialects. Religion in Finland 89% of the population are Lutheran and 1% Orthodox. Political Structure In Finland The Finnish have a Parliamentary System. There six main political parties each polling between 10 and 25% of the vote. Finland Currency The official currency in Finland is the euro Finland Currency Regulations Visitors entering or leaving Finland with cash in any currency which exceeds 10,000€, must declare it to customs officials.
Finland Geographic Notes
Finland in the fifth largest country in Europe with a quarter of its land within the Arctic Circle. Though much of the land is mountainous it has the largest number of lakes in the world.
Finland Economic History
Post WW2 Finland economy was dependent on Agriculture. During the 1980s it economy expanded though Russia remained it largest trading partner. Finland's economy was severely impeded by the collapse of Communism and between 1991 & 1993 unemployment rose from 5% to 20% whilst GDP fell by 10%.
In 1995 it became a member of the EU, but still maintained it policy of non alignment to any military power. In 1999 and 2006 Finland held the EU Presidency. Finland is committed to promoting a mature economic relationship with Russia especially in sensitive areas such as energy and dealing with holistically with issues such as energy, the environment and climate change with the support of its Scandinavian neighbours.
In the last decade it has recognised the need to strengthen its economy in more diverse areas such as research and development by having a more versatile and flexible workforce. This has resulted in it becoming a leading exporter of technological products such as mobile phones to Western Europe and beyond. Many analysts cite Finland as one of the greatest success stories in economic reforms on mainland Europe.
Finland Present Economy & Business Stats
GDP: US$ 198 billion (2005) (=€157bn, source: Bank of Finland)
GDP per capita: US$ 31,208 (2005)
Annual growth: 2,9% (2005)
Inflation: 1.7% (June 2006)
Major Industries: Metals. engineering equipment, telecommunications also timber and paper products.
Major trading partners: EU (Germany, Sweden, UK), Russia, USA
Travelling In Finland
Road Travel In Finland
Roads in Finland are well maintained and the traffic very light but in the winter months weather conditions can be very severe. Consequently icy road are common place day and night.
Between December 1st and March 31st cars must be fitted with winter snow tyre. These tyres can be studded or not. However, Finland can suffer from severe weather in November and April and visitors travelling at these times are advised to fit the winter tyres at these times.
Motorists travelling in Finland during the winter are advised to check the weather forecast and road conditions before setting out. They are also advised to carry mobile phones for use in an emergency along with emergency supplies of food and warm drinks especially if they are going on a long journey.
In Finland there is zero tolerance of drink driving. Drivers must drive if they have more than 50 milligrams of Alcohol per 100 millimetres of blood. Anyone found guilty of driving whilst over the sentence receives a prison sentence.
Rail Travel
Rail travel in Finland is dependable, comfortable and a preferred mode of transports for many people especially in winter. Rail services are rarely blighted by the weather. See the rail page for links.
Air Travel
Finland has good Air services both internally to The Baltic and other Scandinavian cities.
Vaccination Consideration
Annually, mainly in the Åland Islands Finland presents about 30-40 cases of tick-borne encephalitis, . Consult your doctor about possible iImmunisation
Emergency Medical Care
Finland has a reciprocal arrangement with the UK emergency medical treatment - more info. The quality of treatment is excellent but in remote areas delivery may be slow.
