Finland Passport

The Republic of Finland (Suomen Tasavalta).

【 Area 】 338000 square kilometers.

Population: 5.614 million (May 2024). Finnish people account for about 84.9%, Swedish people account for about 5.1%, and the rest are Sami people. Finnish and Swedish are both official languages. 63.6% of residents believe in the Lutheran faith.

Helsinki, the capital, has a population of 678000 as of May 2024. The average temperature in summer is 17.1 ℃, and the average temperature in winter is -1.8 ℃.

Head of State: President Alexander Stubb, inaugurated on March 1, 2024.

【 Important Festival 】 December 6th (Independence Day and National Day)

[Currency Name] Euro

【 Overview 】 Located in northern Europe. It borders Sweden, Norway, and Russia, with the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. The coastline is 1100 kilometers long. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south. The inland water area accounts for 10% of the country's total area, with about 179000 islands and 188000 lakes, earning it the nickname of "the country of a thousand lakes". One third of the country's land is located within the Arctic Circle. It belongs to temperate oceanic climate. The average temperature is -14 ℃ to 3 ℃ in winter and 13 ℃ to 17 ℃ in summer, with an average annual rainfall of 600 millimeters.

About 9000 years ago during the end of the Ice Age, the ancestors of the Finnish people migrated from the south and southeast to this place. It began to be under the jurisdiction of Sweden in the second half of the 12th century and officially became a part of it in the mid-14th century. After the Russo Swedish War in 1809, it became a Grand Duchy of Russia. Independence was achieved on December 6, 1917, and a republic was established in 1919. After the Finnish Soviet War (known as the "Winter War" in Finland) from 1939 to 1940, Finland was forced to sign the Finnish Soviet Treaty, which ceded territory to the Soviet Union. From 1941 to 1944, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union and Finland participated in the war against the Soviet Union (known as the "Continuation War"). In February 1947, Finland, as a defeated country, signed the Paris Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union and other countries. In April 1948, the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance was signed with the Soviet Union. Joined the United Nations in 1955. Joined the European Union in 1995. Joined the European Economic and Monetary Union (Eurozone) in 1999, it is the only member state of the Eurozone in Northern Europe and officially introduced the Euro in January 2002. Joined the Schengen Agreement in 2001. Formally join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in April 2023.

The Constitution was promulgated and came into effect on July 17, 1919. The Constitution stipulates that the legislative power of the state is jointly exercised by the Parliament and the President of the Republic; The President is the head of state and has the real power to appoint the government, manage foreign affairs, and command the three armed forces. He is elected every six years. In 1999, the Finnish parliament passed a new constitution, which was renamed from the Government Organization Act to the Constitution. The new constitution strengthens the role of parliament and government in the political life of the country, and reduces some of the powers of the president.

The unicameral system is the highest legislative body in the country. Composed of 200 legislators directly elected by voters, with a term of 4 years. The main functions are to legislate, supervise the government, and oversee finances. Jussi Halla aho, Speaker of the Finnish Party, will take office in June 2023.

In April 2023, Finland held parliamentary elections, and the National United Party replaced the Social Democratic Party as the largest party in parliament, with party chairman Petteri Orpo leading the formation of a government. In June of the same year, a coalition government composed of the National Union Party, the Finnish Party, the Swedish People's Party, and the Christian Democratic Party was officially sworn in, with Olpo as Prime Minister and Elina Valtonen (female, National Union Party) as Foreign Minister.

Government website: http://www.valtioneuvosto.fi

Parliament website: http://www.eduskunta.fi

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: https://www.um.fi/

Finland implements a two-tier administrative system, namely administrative districts and municipalities. There are 18 administrative regions and the autonomous region of Å land Island, with 309 municipalities.

The highest judicial organs are the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court. The Supreme Court is composed of a president and 18 judges, responsible for adjudicating civil and criminal cases. The Supreme Administrative Court is composed of a president and 22 judges, responsible for adjudicating administrative cases of government agencies and provincial, municipal (county) institutions. The prosecuting authorities are procuratorates at all levels. There is also a national legal inspector who has the authority to attend cabinet meetings and supervise whether the decisions of the President, Cabinet, and various government departments comply with constitutional provisions. The presidents, judges, and procurators of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court are all appointed by the President.

A multi-party system. The main political parties are:

(1) The National Coalition Party: The ruling party. Established in 1918. Mainly representing the interests of the business community, with the basic goal of safeguarding national independence, safeguarding the political and economic interests of the nation, and pursuing the development of economic and spiritual life. There are currently about 27000 party members and 48 current members of parliament. Chairman Petri Olpo.

(2) Finns Party: The ruling party. Established in 1995. Advocate for safeguarding the interests of small farmers, urban residents, and small and medium-sized enterprises, and encourage innovative economy. Adhere to a nationalist and Eurosceptic stance towards the outside world. There are currently 15000 party members and 46 current members of parliament. President Riika Purra (female).

(3) The Swedish People's Party: The ruling party. Established in 1906. Composed of Swedish people from Finland. Advocate for maintaining the social status and rights of Swedish residents. There are currently about 26000 party members and 10 current members of parliament. Chairman Anders Adlercreutz.

(4) The Finnish Christian Democratic Party: The ruling party. Established in 1958. Based on Christian doctrine, advocating the implementation of a market economy that is responsible for society and ecology, emphasizing environmental protection and sustainable development, and demanding the guarantee of equal and efficient social welfare. Advocating for the establishment of an open and secure Europe and the development of common defense. There are currently about 8400 party members and 5 current members of parliament. Chairperson Sari Essayah (female).

(5) The Finnish Social Democratic Party: opposition party. Established in 1899. Internally advocating political and economic democracy, achieving full employment and fair distribution, ensuring social welfare, and developing social democracy; Advocating disarmament and achieving international peace. There are currently about 40000 party members and 43 current members of parliament. Chairman Antti Lindeman.

(6) Centre Party of Finland: opposition party. Established in 1906. With the goal of establishing an equal and just society, we oppose political and economic power monopolies internally, advocate for the protection of the status of agriculture and forestry in the national economy, and safeguard the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises and agricultural producers; Advocating for an active peaceful foreign policy and valuing relations with countries in the Nordic and Bohai regions. There are currently 77000 party members and 23 current members of parliament. Chairman Antti Kaikkonen.

(7) The Green League: The opposition party. Established in 1988. Advocate for environmental protection, support Finland's peaceful foreign policy, and actively participate in peace and environmental protection activities. There are currently 7800 party members and 13 current members of parliament. Chairperson Sofia Virta (female).

(8) The Finnish Left Alliance: an opposition party. Established in 1990. Advocate for the government to expand investment, stimulate economic development, ensure social welfare, and develop renewable energy. Externally advocating active participation in UN peacekeeping operations and strengthening national defense construction. There are currently 11000 party members and 11 current members of parliament. Chairman Li Andersson (female).

(9) Movement Now: The opposition party. Established in 2018, officially registered as a political party in November 2019. There are currently 8000 party members. Pay attention to issues such as the protection of the Barents Sea and corporate social security. There is one current member of parliament. Chairman Harry Harkimo.

Alexander Stubb: President. Born in 1968. Doctor of Philosophy. Elected as a member of the European Parliament in 2004 and as a member of the Finnish Parliament in 2011. Appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in April 2008. In June 2011, he was appointed as the Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade. Served as the Chairman of the National United Party from 2014 to 2016. Served as Prime Minister from June 2014 to May 2015. Served as Minister of Finance from May 2015 to June 2016. Served as Vice President of the European Investment Bank from 2017 to 2020. From 2020 to 2024, served as Professor and Dean of the School of Transnational Governance at the European University College. President in March 2024.

Petri Olpo: Prime Minister. Born in 1969. Master of Political Science. Elected as a member of parliament in 2007. Appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in June 2014. Appointed as Minister of the Interior in May 2015. Since 2016, he has served as the Chairman of the National United Party. From June 2016 to June 2019, he served as the Minister of Finance, and since 2017, he has also served as the Vice Premier. Appointed as Prime Minister in June 2023.

[Economy] Joined the Eurozone in 1999 and officially introduced the Euro in 2002. In recent years, the overall stable development of the economy has led the world in areas such as ecological protection, information and communication, clean technology, new energy, and machinery manufacturing. Ranked eleventh in the 2023 Global Competitiveness Rankings by the International School of Management in Lausanne.

The main economic indicators for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 277.6 billion euros

Per capita GDP: 49600 euros

Economic growth rate:- 1％

Inflation rate: 6.2%

Unemployment rate: 7.2%

【 Resources 】 The forest coverage rate is about 76%, about 22.41 million hectares, with an average of 4.2 hectares per person, and a timber reserve of 2.5 billion cubic meters. Copper is the main mineral resource, with small amounts of iron, nickel, vanadium, cobalt, etc. Peat resources are abundant, with proven reserves of approximately 69 billion cubic meters. We attach great importance to the development and utilization of nuclear energy, with one-third of electricity production and one-quarter of consumption coming from nuclear energy.

Industry experienced rapid development in the 1990s, transitioning from labor-intensive and capital intensive to technology intensive. The wood processing, papermaking, and forestry machinery manufacturing industries based on forests are the economic pillars and have a world leading level. The forest industry accounts for 5% of the world's total production, making it the second largest exporter of paper and cardboard (25% of the world's exports) and the fourth largest exporter of pulp.

Forestry is developed, and there is surplus self-sufficiency in agricultural and livestock products. The close integration of agriculture and forestry means that almost all farmers manage a certain amount of forest land. The cultivated land is about 2.298 million hectares, and the labor force engaged in agriculture and forestry is 99000, accounting for about 4% of the total labor force.

The service industry includes commerce, tourism, finance, communication, and public services. The information industry is developed, and it is one of the countries with the highest proportion of internet access and per capita mobile phone ownership. The main tourist destinations include Helsinki, Turku, Eastern Lake District, Northern Rabi Region, and Å land Island.

The transportation industry is well-developed, mainly consisting of railways and highways. Important ports include Helsinki, Turku, Kotka, and Poli. International airports include Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere.

In 2023, the total foreign trade volume was approximately 173.8 billion euros, including imports of 114.9 billion euros, a decrease of 7.1%, exports of 113.7 billion euros, a decrease of 1.7%, and a trade deficit of 1.2 billion euros. Imported goods mainly include metals, crude oil, etc; The main export commodities include metals, paper and cardboard, chemical products, etc. Main trading partners: Germany, Sweden, China, United States, etc.

The main destinations for Finnish direct investment are Sweden and other EU countries, while foreign direct investment in Finland mainly comes from countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Denmark. As of the end of 2022, Finland has invested 130.4 billion euros in foreign direct investment and attracted 77.8 billion euros in foreign investment.

The total budget for foreign aid in 2024 is approximately 1.21 billion euros, accounting for 0.42% of the national income. The total amount of humanitarian aid from January to November 2023 is approximately 113 million euros. The main recipient countries are Afghanistan, Nepal, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Myanmar, Palestine, etc.

Nokia Group was founded in 1865 and initially engaged in the paper, chemical, and rubber industries. In the 1960s, it entered the telecommunications market and in the 1990s, it mainly produced mobile and fixed telecommunications network equipment and mobile phones, developing rapidly. In September 2013, Nokia sold its mobile phone business to Microsoft and focused on network research and development, devices, and services. In January 2016, Nokia completed the acquisition of Alcatel Lucent, becoming the world's second-largest supplier of mobile communication network equipment.

UPM Kymmene is one of the world's largest producers of paper and paper products, with a century old history. It has 930000 hectares of forest in Finland and an average annual consumption of 240000 cubic meters of forest timber. We mainly produce paper pulp, cardboard, and packaging film, and have increased our development and production of bioenergy in recent years.

Kone Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of elevators and escalators, a pioneer in developing environmentally friendly and energy-saving products, and a global leader in gearless elevators and non machine room elevators. In 1996, it officially entered China and invested 58 million US dollars to establish Tongli Elevator Co., Ltd. in Kunshan, Jiangsu. Our business in China includes the sales, installation, maintenance, and renovation of elevators and escalators. Undertook influential projects such as the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the Bird's Nest, and the expansion of Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.

Fortum Engineering Limited is one of the major energy companies in Europe, consisting of companies such as NESTE Engineering and IVO Limited. The business scope includes oil and gas, electricity and thermal energy, engineering construction, operation and maintenance, and almost all energy fields are involved in the business. In 2001, invested in the establishment of Liaohe Futeng Thermal Power Co., Ltd. in China.

The President is the supreme commander of the military. The National Defense Commission is the highest advisory body. The Prime Minister is responsible for leading national defense activities related to civil affairs. The Commander in Chief of the National Defense Forces is responsible for military defense activities. The current Commander in Chief, Janne Jaakkola, will take office in April 2024. Implement a universal compulsory military service system, with a service period of 6 to 12 months. Standing armed forces of 24000 people.

Education is well-developed. Starting from the autumn of 2021, compulsory education will be extended to the age of 18. There are currently 3142 schools of various types, with over 1.87 million students enrolled (including adult education and various extracurricular schools). Famous higher education institutions include the University of Helsinki, Aalto University, Tampere University, etc. The per capita borrowing volume and per capita publishing volume both rank among the top in the world.

There are about 250 types of newspapers in China. The main newspapers include Helsinki News, Evening News, Morning News, Turku News, etc.

There are five news agencies, the largest of which is the Finnish News Agency, abbreviated as Fincon, established in 1915. It is semi official in nature and has business connections with major news agencies around the world. There are 15 foreign news agencies in Finland.

Finnish Broadcasting Corporation (YLE): Established in 1926, it became state-owned in 1934. Broadcast in Finnish, Swedish, English, German, and French to the outside world. Television officially began broadcasting in 1958.