Introduction
Background
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 gained complete independence in 1917. Finland joined the EU in 1995 and NATO in April 2023.
Geography
Area
total : 338,145 sq km
land: 303,815 sq km
water: 34,330 sq km
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
Natural resources
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
People and Society
Population
total: 5,626,414
Ethnic groups
Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Estonian, Romani, Sami
Languages
Finnish (official) 85.9%, Swedish (official) 5.2%, Russian 1.7%, other 7.2% (2022 est.)
Religions
Lutheran 66.6%, Greek Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.7%, none 30.6% (2022 est.)
Population growth rate
0.2% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Helsinki
Executive branch
chief of state: President Alexander STUBB (since 1 March 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister Petteri ORPO (since 20 June 2023)
Legislative branch
summary: unicameral Parliament (200 seats)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mikko Tapani HAUTALA (since 17 September 2020)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas HICKEY (since 11 May 2022)
Economy
Economic overview
high-income, export-based EU and eurozone economy; major timber, metals, engineering, telecom, and electronics industries; emerging from recession triggered by inflation, weak consumer and export demand, and lower private investment; labor market reform plan to address structural rigidities
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$321.126 billion (2023 est.)
$324.486 billion (2022 est.)
$320.209 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$57,500 (2023 est.)
$58,400 (2022 est.)
$57,800 (2021 est.)
Exports
$122.953 billion (2023 est.)
$127.706 billion (2022 est.)
$116.762 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
Germany 11%, US 10%, Sweden 10%, Netherlands 7%, China 5% (2022)
Exports - commodities
paper, refined petroleum, steel, wood pulp, wood (2022)
Imports
$124.221 billion (2023 est.)
$134.575 billion (2022 est.)
$116.72 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
Sweden 15%, Germany 14%, China 8%, Norway 7%, Netherlands 6% (2022)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, cars, garments, electricity (2022)
Page last updated: Thursday, September 05, 2024
