d prime minister; election results 121-71
note: government coalition - Kesk, KOK, VIHR, and SFP

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected
by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 March 2007 (next to be held March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 23.1%, Kok 22.3%,
SDP 21.4%, VAS 8.8%, VIHR 8.5%, KD 4.9%, SFP 4.5%, True Finns 4.1%,
other 3.4%; seats by party - Kesk 51, Kok 50, SDP 45, VAS 17, VIHR
15, SFP 9, KD 7, True Finns 5, other 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:

Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD
[Paivi RASANEN]; Green Party or VIHR [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left Alliance
or VAS [Martti KORHONEN] (composed of People's Democratic League and
Democratic Alternative); National Coalition (conservative) Party or
Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eero
HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Stefan WALLIN]; True
Finns [Timo SOINI]

International organization participation:

ADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Arctic
Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU,
ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen
Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP,
UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara BARRETT
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (9) 616250
FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800

Flag description:

white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the
vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style
of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy
Finland

Economy - overview:

Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy
with per