ary age annually:
males: 9,326 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $34 million (1997)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.6% (1997)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

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@Finland
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Introduction

Background: Long ruled by foreign powers, including Sweden and
the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, Finland finally declared
independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland fought the USSR
twice and then the Germans toward the end of the war. In the
following half-century, the Finns made a remarkable transformation
from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial
economy. Per capita income has risen to the West European level;
Finland is a member of the European Union and is the only Nordic
state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999.

Geography

Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of
Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 64 00 N, 26 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total: 337,030 sq km
land: 305,470 sq km
water: 31,560 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries:
total: 2,628 km
border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km

Coastline: 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 6 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland--3 nm)

Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively
mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current,
Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with
lakes and low hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m

Natural resources: timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver

Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 76%
other: 16% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 640 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment--current issues: air pollution from manufacturing and
power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from
industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat los