Finland

FINLAND

Information about travelling to Finland

Finland is located in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Facts about Finland
Population5,244,749 (July 2008 est.
CapitalHelsinki
Time zoneUTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begin
Location Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

General info about Finland
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.
Languages spoken
Finnish 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006)
Ethnic division
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami 0.1% (2006)
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
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
Resources
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
Economy
Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy with per capita output roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Trade is important; exports equal nearly two-fifths of GDP. Finland excels in high-tech exports, e.g., mobile phones. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. Although Finland has been one of the best performing economies within the EU in recent years and its banks and financial markets have avoided the worst of global financial crisis, the world slowdown has hit export growth and domestic demand and will serve as a brake on economic growth in 2009 and 2010. Unemployment has dropped sharply in recent years, but is likely to drift upwards. Long-term challenges include the need to address a rapidly aging population and decreasing productivity that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth.
Environment
air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Cities in Finland

aanekoski     espoo     eura     eurajoki     forssa     hameenlinna     hamina     hanko     harjavalta     haukipudas     heinola     helsinki     hollola     huittinen     hyvinkaa     iisalmi     ilmajoki     imatra     jamsa     janakkala     jarvenpaa     joensuu     joutseno     jyvaskyla     kaarina     kajaani     kangasala     kankaanpaa     kauhajoki     kemi     kemijarvi     kempele     kerava     keuruu     kirkkonummi     kokemaki     kokkola     kotka     kouvola     kristiinankaupunki     kuopio     kurikka     kuusamo     kuusankoski     lahti     lappeenranta     lapua     laukaa     lempaala     lieksa     lieto     lohja     loviisa     maarianhamina     mantsala     mikkeli     muhos     mustasaari     naantali     nakkila     nastola     nivala     nokia     noormarkku     nurmijarvi     orimattila     oulainen     oulu     parainen     pietarsaari     pirkkala     pori     porvoo     raahe     raisio     rauma     riihimaki     rovaniemi     sakyla     salo     savonlinna     seinajoki     siilinjarvi     sipoo     tammisaari     tampere     tornio     turku     tuusula     ulvila     uusikaupunki     vaasa     valkeakoski     valkeala     vammala     varkaus     vihti     ylivieska     ylojarvi    

National airlines
Finnairairline website
Englishairline website


Airports in Finland
EnontekioENF
Helsinki-VantaaHEL
Helsinki-MalmiHEM
HyvinkaaHYV
IvaloIVL
JoensuuJOE
JyvaskylaJYV
KajaaniKAJ
KuusamoKAO
KauhavaKAU
HalliKEV
KauhajokiKHJ
KiteeKTQ
KittilaKTT
KuopioKUO
LappeenrantaLPP
MariehamnMHQ
MikkeliMIK
OuluOUL
PoriPOR
RovaniemiRVN
IlmajokiSJY
SodankylaSOT
SavonlinnaSVL
TurkuTKU
Tampere-PirkkalaTMP
UttiUTI
VaasaVAA
VarkausVRK
YlivieskaYLI


Beer in Finland (0.33l)
Espoo~ 2.4 EUR
Espoo~ 2.4 EUR
ESPOO~ 2.4 EUR
Helsinki~ 3 EUR
Helsinki~ 3 EUR
Inkoo~ 2.4 EUR
Joensuu~ 2.3 EUR
Kajaani~ 2.7 EUR
Kallio~ 1.8 EUR
Karkkila~ 2.2 EUR
Kauttua~ 2.1 EUR
Kirkkonummi~ 2.4 EUR
Kittila~ 3.2 EUR
Klaukkala~ 3 EUR
Kokkola~ 2.3 EUR
Kotka~ 2.1 EUR
Kouvola~ 2.4 EUR
Kuopio~ 2 EUR
Kuopio~ 2 EUR
Kuusamo~ 2.7 EUR
Lahti~ 2.3 EUR
Lappeenranta~ 2.3 EUR
Lieto~ 1.8 EUR
Lohja~ 2.7 EUR
Mikkeli~ 2.2 EUR
Naantali~ 2.7 EUR
Oulu~ 2.7 EUR
Oulu~ 2.7 EUR
Pori~ 2.4 EUR
Raahe~ 3 EUR
Raisio~ 2.2 EUR
Rauma~ 2.4 EUR
Ristiina~ 2.3 EUR
Rovaniemi~ 2.5 EUR
Salo~ 2.4 EUR
Sipoo~ 2.4 EUR
Tampere~ 2.3 EUR
Tampere~ 2.3 EUR
Turku~ 2.4 EUR
Turku~ 2.4 EUR
Vaasa~ 2.5 EUR
Vaasa~ 2.5 EUR
Vantaa~ 3.1 EUR
Vantaa~ 3.1 EUR
Viitasaari~ 2.7 EUR

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