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Description Finland by rbd.me
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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.
WebCam
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Location
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Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
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Area - comparative
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slightly smaller than Montana
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Natural resources Finland
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timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
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Population Finland
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5,255,068 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions Finland
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Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
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Languages
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Finnish 91.2% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3.3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2007)
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Education Finland expenditures
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6.4% of GDP (2005)
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Government Finland type
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republic
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Independence
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6 December 1917 (from Russia)
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Finland Economy - overview
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$182.6 billion (2009 est.)
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Investment Finland
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41.4% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Industries Finland
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metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
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Airports Finland
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4.205 million (2009)
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