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Information about Finland
Area : 338,145 sq km (130,559 sq miles).
Population : 5.2 million (UN, 2002).
Population Density : 15.37 per sq km.
Capital : Helsinki. Population: 560,000 (FCO).
Government : Republic. Head of State: President Tarja Halonen since 2000.
Finland is situated in the far north of Europe, bordered to the west by Sweden and the Gulf of Bothnia, to the north by Norway, to the east by the Russian Federation and to the south by the Gulf of Finland. There are about 30,000 islands off the Finnish coast, mainly in the south and southwest, and inland lakes containing a further 98,000 islands. The Saimaa lake area is the largest inland water system in Europe. Of the total land area, 10 per cent is under water, and 65 per cent is forest; Finland is situated almost entirely in the northern coniferous zone. In the south and southwest, the forest is mainly pine, fir and birch. In Lapland, in the far north, trees become more sparse and are mainly dwarf birch. Eight per cent of the land is cultivated.
Language : There are two official languages: Finnish, spoken by 93.4 per cent of the population, and Swedish, spoken by 5.9 per cent of the population. There are small Lapp and Russian speaking minorities. English is taught as the first foreign language.
Religion : 86 per cent Evangelical Lutheran, one per cent Finnish Orthodox; there are also Baptists, Methodists, Free Church, Roman Catholic, Jews and Muslims.
Time : GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Social Conventions : Shaking hands is customary. It is customary for the guest to refrain from drinking until the host or hostess toasts their health with a 'kippis' or a 'skol'. Casual dress is acceptable. Finns appear sometimes to be rather reserved and visitors should not feel alarmed if there is a lack of small talk during the first half hour or so. Shoes are usually removed when entering someone's home.
Electricity : 220 (230) volts AC, 50Hz. Continental two-pin plugs are standard.
Finland Airports