Name:  Suomen Tasavalta / Republiken Finland [ Fi / Sw ]

Telephone country code:   358

Area:  338,127 km² / 130,125 sq mi

Terrain:  mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and
          low hills; fjells and some mountains in the extreme northwest

Highest mountain:  Haltiatunturi (1,328 m).

Natural resources:  timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver

Land boundaries:  Russia, Sweden, Norway

Population:  5,147,000 [year-end 1997]

Population density:  15.1 persons per km²

Distribution:  65% in urban, 35% in rural municipalities. [1996]

Life expectancy:  women 80, men 72. [1992]

Infant mortality:  6 per 1,000 live births. [1992]

Capital:  Helsinki/Helsingfors (pop. 532,053), metropolitan area ca 1 mill.

Other major towns:  Tampere/Tammerfors (186,026),
                    Turku/Åbo (166,929)
                    Espoo/Esbo (196,260)[a suburb to Helsinki]
                    Vantaa/Vanda (168,778) [a suburb to Helsinki]
                    Oulu/Uleåborg (111,556)  [year-end, 1996]
                    (note: many places in Finland have
                    two names, Finnish and Swedish)

Flag:  a blue Nordic cross on white background.

Type:  Republic

Head of state:  President Martti Ahtisaari

Languages:  Finnish (92.7 %),
            Swedish (5.7 %) (both official),
            small Sámi and Romani minorities.

Currency:  markka (Finnish mark, FIM).
           for the current exchange rate,
           see the URL <http://www.dna.lth.se/cgi-bin/kurt/rates>


Climate:  cold temperate. Gulf stream warms up parts of the country,
          Lapland is sub-arctic. Average temp. in Helsinki:
           -9°C - -4°C in Feb., 12°C - 22°C in July.

Religion:  Evangelic-Lutheran (84%),
           Greek Orthodox (1%) (both churches are official state-churches)

Exports:  paper, metal, machinery, ships, timber, textiles, chemicals, electron
ics, furniture