Country Profile: Finland - About the Country of Finland

Basic Information About Finland:

Population: 5.3 million
Area: 338,145 sq km (130,559 sq mi)
Capital: Helsinki
Language: Finnish & Swedish
Currency: Euro
Main exports: Electronics, machines
GNI per capital: 38,000 in US$
International phone code: +358

Politics in Finland:

Finland uses the semi-presidential system (parliamentarism). Finland's law system uses a High Court of Impeachment for criminal charges against high-ranking officials. The parliament consists of conservatives, the center party, and democrats, all with equal shares. Transparency International found in a recent study that Finland has the lowest level of corruption in all countries part of the study. Finland is the world's least corrupt and most democratic country in the 2006 study by World Audit.

Chief of state: President Tarja Halonen
Prime Minister: Matti Vanhanen

Climate in Finland:

Finland's weather varies greatly, and many Scandinavia visitors love the difference between summer and winter here - especially in the north of Finland. Natural phenomena are very common in this country. Read more about the weather in Finland!

Transportation in Finland:

The largest airport in Finland is Helsinki-Vantaa in Finland's capital Helsinki. This airport is often your first stop in Finland. The most common type of cross-country transportation is driving in Finland, and you'll be glad to hear that Finland has no toll roads. Other popular types of transportation in Finland are rail and boat. Helsinki is connected by water to Sweden and Denmark and there are countless ferries and boat tours available. Also check out the driving tips for Finland.

The Finnish Media:

Finland loves to read. Helsingin Sanomat is the most popular newspaper amongst 200 papers, and then there are almost 3,000 different Finnish magazines. 2 out of 3 Finns are online regularly. There are several TV stations, and you can often get an English TV channel in hotels.