Finland is three times the size of Ohio. It is heavily forested and contains thousands of lakes, numerous rivers, and extensive areas of marshland. Except for a small highland region in the extreme northwest, the country is a lowland less than 600 ft (180 m) above sea level. Off the southwest coast are the Swedish-populated Åland Islands (581 sq mi; 1,505 sq km), which have had an autonomous status since 1921.
Country lead by President: Tarja Halonen (2000)
Prime Minister: Matti Vanhanen (2003)
Population
5,231,372 (growth rate: 0.1%); birth rate: 10.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 3.5/1000; life expectancy: 78.5; density per sq mi: 44
Land Area
117,942 sq mi (305,470 sq km); total area: 130,558 sq mi (338,145 sq km)
Monetary unit
Euro (formerly markka) Language
Finnish 92%, Swedish 6% (both official); small Sami- (Lapp) and Russian-speaking minorities
Ethnicity Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Sami (Lapp) 0.1%, Roma 0.2%, Estonian 0.2%
Religion Evangelical Lutheran 84%, Greek Orthodox 1%, other Christian 1%, none 14%
Transportation Railways: total: 5,851 km (2004). Highways: total: 78,197 km; paved: 50,539 km (including 794 km of expressways); unpaved: 27,658 km (2004). Waterways: 7,842 km note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2004). Ports and harbors: Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvou, Raahe, Rauma, Turku. Airports: 148 (2004 est.).
