User:Elina Rantala/Finland
Draft version of the article 'Finland'
| Republic of Finland | |
|---|---|
| National anthem | Maamme |
| Capital | Helsinki |
| Official language | Finnish, Swedish |
| Government type | Republic |
| President | Tarja Halonen |
| Prime Minister | Matti Vanhanen |
| Area | 338,145 km² 130,558 mi² |
| Population | 5,238,460 (113th) (2007 estimate) |
| Population density | 17/km² (192nd) |
| HDI | 0.947 (high) (11th) (2004) |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) Summer:EEST (UTC+3) |
| Country codes | Internet TLD : fi Calling code : +358 |
The Republic of Finland (Suomen Tasavalta in Finnish and Republiken Finland in Swedish) is a country in North-East Europe. It is neighbored by Russia in the east, Sweden in the west and Norway in the north. In the south, the coast extends to the Baltic Sea. Finland has been an independent state since 1917, and a member of the European Union since 1995.
Politics
Finland is a republic, and has a unicameral parliament. The president is elected for a six-year post, with one possible re-election. While the role of the president is mostly symbolic, the acting president has duties such as representing the country abroad and accepting all new legislation. The parliament, or Eduskunta, has 200 seats for members that are chosen in a general election every four years. The parliament usually consists of 2-3 coalition parties and a few opposition parties. At the moment, the coalition is formed by the center, moderate, Swedish and green parties.
Local Government
Finland is divided into six provinces (lääni), which all have their own local government. These governments work as the local subdivisions of the parliament in matters such as education, rescue and police operations, traffic, social services, and health care. Åland, a demilitarized archipelago in the Baltic Sea, is an exception among the provinces with a high level of autonomy.
Each municipality also has its own council, elected every 4 years.
Education
All children must enroll in a primary school in the year they turn seven. What usually follows is six years of primary school, and then three years of lower secondary school. This completes the obligatory schooling. After these nine years, there are two main routes to higher education: the vocational and the academic system. Vocational schools prepare the student for a specific profession and include work experience as part of the curriculum. The academic route prepares the student for studies at a university or polytechnic college. It is also possible to combine a vocational degree with the national matriculation diploma.
The vast majority of schools in Finland are state-owned and free for the students. There is a national curriculum to be followed, and nation-wide testing of students.
Economy
Finland is a developed country whose main products are manufactured wood and metals as well as telecommunications and engineering products. The trade sector is extensive due to Finland's limited agricultural possibilities and dependence on foreign energy. The prevalence of forests has enabled the timber industry to quickly develop, and wood products are among the more important exports.
Finland has been using the Eurozone currency, Euro, since 2002. Income-wise the country ranks high among the countries of the world, with a GDP of $33,000 per capita, ranked 21st (2006 estimate). The beginning of the 21st century has been marked with modest but consistent growth in the economy (around 5% in 2006), while inflation has stayed moderate (2,4% in April 2007).