Economy overview: Finland is a country with a developed and free market economy, its GDP per capita is about the same as in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy. The key sector of the economy is industry, mainly woodworking and metalworking, mechanical engineering, production of telecommunications equipment and electronics. Trade is important, exports account for more than a third of GDP. With the exception of forests and some mineral resources, Finland depends on the import of raw materials, energy, and some components for the production of industrial goods. Due to the climate, agricultural activity is limited to meeting domestic needs for basic products. The timber industry, being an important source of export earnings, provides additional employment for the rural population. Rapidly growing integration with Western Europe (Finland was one of the 11 countries that joined the euro area on January 1, 1999) will shape the economic picture for the next few years. Economic growth in 2001 should be supported by strong private consumer demand, but will still be 1-2% lower than in 2000, mainly due to sluggish demand in export markets. See cheeroutdoor.com to know more about Finland Business. GDP: at purchasing power parity – $118.3 billion (2000 est.). Real GDP growth rate: 5.6% (2000 est.). GDP per capita: Purchasing Power Parity $22,900 (1999 est.) The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 3.5%; industry: 29%; service industry: 67.5% (1999). Proportion of the population below the poverty line: no data available. Percentage distribution of family income or consumption: per 10% of the poorest families: 4.2%; by the top 10% of families: 21.6% (1991). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 3.4% (2000 est.). Labor force: 2.6 million people (2000 est.). Employment structure: civil service 32%, industry 22%, trade 14%, finance, insurance and business services 10%, agriculture and forestry 8%, transport and communications 8%, construction 6%. Unemployment rate: 9.8% (2000 est.). Budget: revenues: $36.1 billion; expenditures: $31 billion, including capital investment – NA (2000 est.). Spheres of economy: production of metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper industry, copper refining, food, chemical and textile industries, clothing production. Growth in industrial production: 7.5% (2000). Electricity generation: 75.792 billion kWh (1999) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 41.88%; hydropower: 16.77%; nuclear fuel: 28.82%; T7tT – others: 12.53% (1999). Electricity consumption: 81.611 billion kWh (1999) Electricity export: 232 million kWh (1999). Electricity import: 11.356 billion kWh (1999) Agricultural products: cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish. Export: $44.4 billion (free on board, 000) Export articles: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; wood, paper, pulp. Export partners: EU 58% (Germany 13%, Sweden 10%, UK 9%, France 5%, Netherlands 5%), USA 8%, Russia, Japan (1999). Imports: $32.7 billion (free on board, 2000) Imports: foodstuffs, oil and oil products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, yarn and fabrics, grain. Import partners: EU 60% (Germany 15%, Sweden 11%, UK 7%), US 8%, Russia 7%, Japan 6% (1998). External debt: $30 billion (December 1993) Economic aid donor: official development support – $379 million (1997). Currency: Finnish Mark; Euro; note: on January 1, 1999, the EU introduced a common currency used by financial institutions in some countries; fixed exchange rate 5.94573 marks per euro; the euro in 2002 will replace the local currencies in the eurozone countries. Currency code: FIM; EUR. Exchange rate: EUR/USD – 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); FIM/USD – 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997), 4.5936 (1996). Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 2.861 million (1997). Mobile cellular telephones: 2,162,574 (1997). Telephone system: modern system provides excellent service; internal: cable, microwave radio relay and wide cellular network provide internal needs; international: 1 submarine cable, satellite earth stations – access to Intelsat via Swedish satellite station, 1 Inmarsat (Indian and Atlantic Ocean regions); note – Finland shares the Inmarsat ground station with other Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). Broadcast stations: AM – 2, FM – 186, shortwave – 1 (1998). Radio receivers: 7.7 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 130 (and 385 repeaters) (1995). Televisions: 3.2 million (1997) Internet country code: fi Internet service providers: 23 (2000). Number of users: 2.27 million (2000).
Transport
Transport Railways: total: 5,865 km; broad gauge: 5,865 km (1.524 m gauge) (2,192 km electrified; 480 km lines with two or more tracks) (1998). Roads: total: 77,796 km; paved: 49,789 km (including 444 km of expressways); unpaved: 28,042 km (1998 est.) Waterways: 6,675 km; note: including the Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km are suitable for use by large vessels. Pipelines: for natural gas – 580 km. Ports and harbours: Varkaus, Kokkola, Kotka, Lo-viisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Hamina, Helsinki. Merchant navy: total: 98 ships (displacement 1,000 tons or more) with a total displacement of 1,172,808 gross register tons / 1,138,175 long tons of gross tonnage; ships of various types: bulk carriers – 9, cargo ships – 23, chemical tankers – 5, passenger ships – 1, oil tankers – 11, railway wagon ships – 1, ferries for the transport of loaded vehicles – 37, coastal passenger ships – 11 (2000 est.). Airports: 159 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 69; over 3,047 m: 3; from 2438 to 3047 m: 26; from 1524 to 2437 m: 10; from 914 to 1523 m: 20; less than 914 m: 10 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 90; from 914 to 1523 m:6; less than 914 m: 84 (2000 est.).
Armed forces
Branches of the armed forces: army, navy, air force, border guards (including naval). Conscription age: 17 pet. Total Military Manpower: Male 15 to 49: 1,251,700 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: males aged 15 to 49: 1,033,188 (2001 est.). Number of persons reaching military age each year: male: 33,883 (2001 est.). Military spending in dollar terms: $1.8 billion (1998) Military spending as part of GDP: 2% (1998).
