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Finland

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Finland, called Suomi in Finnish, is the seventh largest European country with an area of 338,000 square kilometres and a population of 5.3 million. The population density is just 17 per sq. km. Finns and Swedes account for 92% and 6% of Finland's population, respectively. The other ethnic groups are Russians, Saami and Tatars. The predominant religion is Lutheranism, with Russian Orthodox accounting for just over 1% of the Finnish population.

Finland is a unitarian state comprising six administrative provinces.

Capital: Helsinki with a population of 568,500.

Government: Finland is a parliamentary republic with a strong institute of presidential power.

The autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland was part of the Russian Empire with broad rights in 1809-1917, but proclaimed independence on December 6, 1917.

The President, elected for a term of six years by universal suffrage with the possibility of reelection, is the top executive. Tarja Halonen, a member of the Social Democratic Party since 1971, became the first female President in March 2000 and was reelected for a second term in January 2006.

The President is the head of state and is responsible for foreign policy (which excludes affairs related to the European Union) in cooperation with the cabinet. Other powers include Commander-in-Chief, decree, and appointive powers.

The 200-member unicameral Parliament exercises the supreme legislative authority in Finland and elects the Prime Minister. Parliamentary elections are held every four years. After the parliamentary elections on March 18, 2007, the seats were divided among eight parties as follows:

Source:

Finland - Wikipedia

The Speaker of Parliament is currently Sauli Niinistö from the National Coalition Party.

The Cabinet (the Finnish Council of State) exercises most executive powers. It is headed by the Prime Minister of Finland and includes other ministers and the Chancellor of Justice. Parliament majority decides its composition and a vote of no confidence can be used to modify it. The current prime minister is Matti Vanhanen (Centre Party), reelected in April 2007.

The current Council of State comprises 19 ministers in charge of 12 ministries. Some ministries have two ministers that use the same staff while overseeing different but related, issues. For instance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is run by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.

The Cabinet comprises eight representatives from the Centre Party, eight representatives from the National Coalition Party, as well as two representatives from the Swedish People's Party and the Green League, respectively. Eleven Cabinet members are women.

In April 2008, Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party) became Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Finland is an industrial state with advanced information technology (IT), education and social-security standards. The per-capita GDP is $31,000, placing Finland 15th in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Finland, a net capital exporter, has an advanced system of innovation and one of the world's most competitive economies.

The service sector, the industry, agriculture and forestry sectors account for over 60%, 28% and 4% of the GDP, respectively. Finnish industry is dominated by engineering, instrument-engineering and metal-working sectors accounting for 50% of the industrial output, and timber and paper manufacturing (18%). Finland primarily manufactures telecommunications equipment, paper, cardboard, equipment for the pulp-and-paper industry, lifters, specialised steel and non-ferrous metals.

Finland is a member of the UN and most universal international organisations and is also a human-rights champion. Finland which joined the European Union in 1995 actively advocates EU unity, equal rights for its members, dialogue with third countries, including Russia, and the one country - one vote principle. In 2008, Finland presided over the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Finland's foreign and security policy hinges on non-involvement in military alliances. At the same time, Helsinki does not rule out the possibility of joining NATO. An active public discussion on Finland's long-term relations with NATO is now being conducted. Helsinki also prioritises active cooperation under NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). The Finnish Defence Forces, based on universal conscription, are fully compatible with NATO technical and organisational standards. Finland prioritises bilateral ties with neighbouring Nordic countries, the three Baltic states and Russia.

Good-neighbourly Russian-Finnish relations are marked by comprehensive political contacts, a high level of political cooperation and encompassing inter-regional and border cooperation. On December 30, 1991, Finland recognised Russia's status as a legal successor to the former Soviet Union. A Russian-Finnish treaty on basic relations, signed in January 1992, was automatically extended for another five years in 2007. Over 80 inter-state and inter-governmental documents regulate virtually all spheres of Russian-Finnish cooperation.

Stable traditions of top-level and high-level political dialogue have developed over the last decade. President Tarja Halonen has repeatedly visited Russia, paying an official visit here in June 2000. In July 2008, President Halonen negotiated with President Dmitry Medvedev during the fifth World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples in Khanty-Mansiisk. On April 20-21, 2009, President Medvedev paid a state visit to Finland.

President Vladimir Putin visited Finland in September 2001 and July 2005, respectively. In October 2006, President Putin attended an informal Russia-EU summit in Lahti. In November 2006, President Putin paid a working visit to Finland and took part in the Russia-EU summit in Helsinki.

The heads of government usually meet twice a year in Russia and Finland, respectively. In November 2008, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Russian and Finnish Foreign Ministers also meet on a regular basis. Sergei Lavrov and his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb, the current OSCE Chairman, met six times last year.

Russia is Finland's main trade partner, followed by Germany. The 2008 Russian-Finnish trade turnover topped $22 billion, with Russia posting a foreign-trade surplus. Russia primarily exports raw materials and energy carriers to Finland (88% of the grand total), while ready-made products, machinery and equipment account for 11.5% and 1.5% of Russian exports, respectively.

Russia primarily imports Finnish machinery, equipment and transport systems (over 50% of the grand total), while raw materials, chemicals and foodstuffs account for 22%, 13% and 4%, respectively.

The Finland-Russia Society, established in October 1944, has about 20,000 individual members.

Finland implements a purposeful policy to promote culture and the arts. All major cultural centres are financed by the state. Municipal authorities also receive state-budget subsidies for holding various cultural events. The most important cultural events include the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Russia's State Academic Bolshoi Theatre took part in the 2007 Savonlinna Opera Festival.

The state also promotes physical fitness and sports. Allocations are use to facilitate a healthy lifestyle, while professional sports are mostly financed by sponsors.

There are 49 higher educational establishments, including 20 universities, in Finland. All universities are self-governed, state-owned and are subordinate to the Ministry of Education. All education, except private education, is free of charge.

Finland is among countries actively implementing a state science-and-technology policy. R&D expenses account for over 3.3% of the Finnish GDP. The country actively promotes innovation. Technology parks operating at leading universities and research agencies effectively utilise the creative potential of under-graduate and post-graduate students. They unite research agencies with production and service companies and make it possible to introduce R&D results in production in a timely manner.