Finland

Country	Republic of Finland
Capital	Helsinki
Independence	6 December 1917 (from Russia)
National holiday	Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Population	5,262,930 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Finn(s)
Religions	Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
Languages	Finnish (official) 91.2%, Swedish (official) 5.5%, other (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) 3.3% (2007)
Literacy	Age 15 and over can read and write Total population: 100% Male: 100% Female: 100% (2000 est.)
Location	Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Geographic coordinates	64 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references	Europe
Area	Total: 338,145 sq km Land: 303,815 sq km Water: 34,330 sq km
Area - comparative	Slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries	Total: 2,654 km Border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,313 km
Coastline	1,250 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm) contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate	cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Terrain	mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m
Natural resources	timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
Exports - commodities	Electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
Exports - commodities	Electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
Land use	arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.02% other: 93.44% (2005)
Irrigated land	770 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	110 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 2.33 cu km/yr (14%/84%/3%) per capita: 444 cu m/yr (1999)
Natural hazards	NA
Environment - current issues	air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
Environment - international agreements	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain