Chapter 41

Telephone system: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center domestic: NA international: access to important cable link between US and Canada and NZ and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 1, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 0

Televisions: 12,000 (1992 est.)

@Fiji:Transportation

Railways: total : 597 km; note - belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation narrow gauge: 597 km 0.610-m gauge (1995)

Highways: total: 3,370 km paved: 1,655 km unpaved : 1,715 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 203 km; 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges

Ports and harbors: Labasa, Lautoka, Levuka, Savusavu, Suva

Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,800 GRT/18,034 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 2, oil tanker 1, passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1996 est.)

Airports: 21 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 18 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m : 1 under 914 m: 15 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF; includes army, navy, and a small air wing)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 210,048 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males : 115,766 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 8,986 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $32 million (1997)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5% (1997)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________

FINLAND

@Finland: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 : 0% 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 loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified : Air Pollution-Sulphur 94

Geography - note: long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

@Finland:People

Population: 5,137,269 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years : 19% (male 493,427; female 473,166) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,729,996; female 1,694,111) 65 years and over: 14% (male 280,231; female 466,338) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.26% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 11.75 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.62 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.97 years male: 73.41 years female: 80.68 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish

Ethnic groups: Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Lapp 0.11%, Gypsy 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Greek Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%

Languages: Finnish 93.5% (official), Swedish 6.3% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA%

@Finland:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form : Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi

Data code: FI

Government type: republic

National capital: Helsinki

Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Ahvenanmaa, Hame, Keski-Suomi, Kuopio, Kymi, Lappi, Mikkeli, Oulu, Pohjois-Karjala, Turku ja Pori, Uusimaa, Vaasa

Independence: 6 December 1917 (from Russia)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Constitution: 17 July 1919

Legal system: civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Martti AHTISAARI (since 1 March 1994) head of government : Prime Minister Paavo LIPPONEN (since 13 April 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sauli NIINISTO (since 13 April 1995) cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 31 January-6 February 1994 (next to be held NA January 2000); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president election results: Martti AHTISAARI elected president; percent of vote - Martti AHTISAARI 54%, Elisabeth REHN 46%

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 19 March 1995 (next to be held NA March 1999) election results : percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Party 28.3%, Center Party 19.9%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 17.9%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 11.2%, Swedish People's Party 5.1%, Green League 6.5%, Ecology Party 0.3%, Rural 1.3%, Finnish Christian League 3.0%, Liberal People's Party 0.6%, Young Finns 2.8%; seats by party - Social Democratic Party 63, Center Party 44, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 39, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 22, Swedish People's Party 11, Green League 9, Ecology Party 1, Rural 1, Finnish Christian League 7, Young Finns 2, Aaland Islands 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, judges appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: government coalition : Social Democratic Party [Paavo LIPPONEN]; National Coalition (conservative) Party [Sauli NIINISTO]; Leftist Alliance (Communist) People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Claes ANDERSSON]; Swedish People's Party [(Johan) Ole NORRBACK]; Green League [Pekka HAAVISTO] other : Center Party [Esko AHO]; Finnish Christian League [Toimi KANKAANNIEMI]; Rural Party [Raimo VISTBACKA]; Liberal People's Party [Tuulikki UKKOLA]; Greens Ecological Party or EPV; Young Finns [Risto PENTTILA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Finnish Communist Party-Unity [Yrjo HAKANEN]; Constitutional Rightist Party; Finnish Pensioners Party; Communist Workers Party [Timo LAHDENMAKI]

International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC (observer), NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Jaakko Tapani LAAJAVA chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Derek N. SHEARER embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 171931 FAX : [358] (9) 174681

Flag description: white with a blue cross that extends 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

Economy - overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy, with per capita output equaling that of the UK, France and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing - principally the wood, metals, and engineering industries. Trade is important, with the export of goods representing about 30% of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population. The economy has come back from the recession of 1990-92, which had been caused by economic overheating, depressed foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between Finland and the former Soviet Union under which Soviet oil and gas had been exchanged for Finnish manufactured goods. The Finns voted in an October 1994 referendum to enter the EU, and Finland officially joined the Union on 1 January 1995. Attempts to cut the unacceptably high rate of unemployment and increasing integration with Western Europe will dominate the economic picture over the next few years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $97.1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,000 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 7% industry: 37% services: 56% (1994)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 0.7% (1996)

Labor force: total: 2.533 million by occupation: public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15.0%, finance, insurance, and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%

Unemployment rate: 16.6% (1996)

Budget: revenues: $25.9 billion expenditures: $35 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Industries: metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (1995)

Electricity - capacity: 14.14 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 60.5 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 12,373 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; annual fish catch about 160,000 metric tons

Exports: total value: $29.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: paper and pulp, machinery, chemicals, metals, timber partners: EU 46.5% (Germany 13.4%, UK 10.3%), Sweden 11%, US 7.2%, Japan 2.1%, FSU 8.6% (1994)

Imports: total value : $23.2 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains partners : EU 44% (Germany 15%, UK 8.3%), Sweden 10.4%, US 7.6%, Japan 6.5%, FSU 10.3 (1994)

Debt - external: $30 billion (December 1993)

Economic aid: donor : ODA, $355 million (1993)

Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia

Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 4.7765 (January 1997), 4.5936 (1996), 4.3667 (1995), 5.2235 (1994), 5.7123 (1993), 4.4794 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Finland:Communications

Telephones: 2.5 million (1995 est.)

Telephone system: good service from cable and microwave radio relay network domestic: cable and microwave radio relay international : 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 105, shortwave 0

Radios: 4.98 million (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 235

Televisions: 1.92 million (1995 est.)

@Finland:Transportation

Railways: total: 5,895 km broad gauge: 5,895 km 1.524-m gauge (1,993 km electrified; 480 km double- or more-track) (1995)

Highways: total: 77,722 km paved: 48,965 km (including 394 km of expressways) unpaved: 28,757 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable for steamers

Pipelines: natural gas 580 km

Ports and harbors: Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus

Merchant marine: total : 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,066,918 GRT/1,091,309 DWT ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 22, chemical tanker 5, oil tanker 12, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 31, short-sea passenger 12, vehicle carrier 1 (1996 est.)

Airports: 156 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 151 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m : 91 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea Guard)

Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49 : 1,298,576 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 1,068,503 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 32,985 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.9 billion (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.6% (1995)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for Latin American cocaine for the West European market ______________________________________________________________________

FRANCE

@France:Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 547,030 sq km land : 545,630 sq km water: 1,400 sq km note: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Colorado

Land boundaries: total: 2,892.4 km border countries: Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km

Coastline: 3,427 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone : 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean) territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean

Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash

Land use: arable land: 33% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures : 20% forests and woodland: 27% other : 18% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 16,300 sq km (1995 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding

Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Desertification

Geography - note: largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

@France:People

Population: 58,609,285 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 5,712,739; female 5,449,139) 15-64 years : 65% (male 19,178,683; female 19,126,672) 65 years and over: 16% (male 3,687,216; female 5,454,836) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.35% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 11.98 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.08 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.38 years male: 74.44 years female: 82.53 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French

Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%

Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1980 est.)

@France:Government

Country name: conventional long form: French Republic conventional short form: France local long form : Republique Francaise local short form: France

Data code: FR

Government type: republic

National capital: Paris

Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)

Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993

Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May 2002); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN 47.36%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held September 1998); National Assembly - last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA May 2002) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 94, UDF 127, PS 75, PCF 15, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, Ecologists 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various left 9, various right 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation, judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary

Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR [Alain JUPPE, president]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of PR, FD, RAD, PPDF) [Francois LEOTARD]; Republican Party or PR [Francois LEOTARD]; Democratic Force or FD [Francois BAYROU]; Socialist Party or PS [Lionel JOSPIN]; Radical Party or RRRS [Andre ROSSINOT, Aymeri de MONTESQUIEU]; Communist Party or PCF [Robert HUE]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; The Greens [Dominique VOYNET]; Generation Ecology or GE [Brice LALONDE]; Citizens Movement or MDC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; National Center of Independents and Peasants or CNIP [Jean-Antoine GIANSILY]; Radical Socialist Party or PRS; Movement for France or LDI-MPF

Political pressure groups and leaders: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, about 800,000 members (est.); independent labor union or Force Ouvriere, 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union or Confederation Generale des Cadres, 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais) or CNPF or Patronat