Chapter 43
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 from the majority party by the president after parliamentary elections 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 21 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003) election results: percent of vote by party--Social Democratic Party 22.9%, Center Party 22.5%, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 21.0%, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 10.9%, Swedish People's Party 5.1%, Green Union 7.2%, Finnish Christian League 4.2%; seats by party--Social Democratic Party 51, Center Party 48, National Coalition (Conservative) Party 46, Leftist Alliance (Communist) 20, Swedish People's Party 11, Green Union 11, Finnish Christian League 10, other 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, judges appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: Alliance (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and
Political pressure groups and leaders: Finnish Communist
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, 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, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, 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 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Eric EDELMAN embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723
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 roughly that of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing--principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics 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. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe--Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the euro monetary system (EMU) on 1 January 1999--will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 1999 probably will slow, perhaps to 3%, a barrier to any substantial drop in unemployment.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$103.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 5.1% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$20,100 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 32% services: 63% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 2.533 million
Labor force--by occupation: public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15%, finance, insurance, and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%
Unemployment rate: 12% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $33 billion expenditures: $40 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries: metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
Industrial production growth rate: 7.4% (1995)
Electricity--production: 67.469 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 54.73% hydro: 17.35% nuclear: 27.9% other: 0.02% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 71.169 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 1.7 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 5.4 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish
Exports: $43 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, and pulp
Exports--partners: Germany 11%, UK 10%, Sweden 10%, US 7%, Russia 7%, France 4%, Japan (1997)
Imports: $30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, fodder grains
Imports--partners: Germany 15%, Sweden 12%, UK 8%, Russia 8%, US 7%, Japan 5% (1997)
Debt--external: $30 billion (December 1993)
Economic aid--donor: ODA, $388 million (1995)
Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia
Exchange rates: markkaa (FMk) per US$1--5.12 (January 1999), 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997), 4.5936 (1996), 4.3667 (1995), 5.2235 (1994); note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 5.93472 Markkaa per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 2.5 million (1995 est.)
Telephone system: modern system with excellent service domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net care for domestic needs 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: 120 (in addition, there are 431 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 1.92 million (1995 est.)
Transportation
Railways: total: 5,859 km broad gauge: 5,859 km 1.524-m gauge (2,073 km electrified; 480 km double- or more-track) (1996)
Highways: total: 77,796 km paved: 49,789 km (including 444 km of expressways) unpaved: 28,007 km (1997 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: 101 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,192,559 GRT/1,161,594 DWT ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 23, chemical tanker 6, oil tanker 11, passenger 1, railcar carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 38, short-sea passenger 12 (1998 est.)
Airports: 157 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 68 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 9 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 89 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 83 (1998 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: 1,274,654 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,050,944 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually: males: 34,336 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $1.8 billion (1999)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2% (1999)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
Illicit drugs: minor transshipment point for Latin American cocaine for the West European market
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@France ------
Introduction
Background: Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France lost many men, much wealth, its extensive empire, and its rank as a dominant nation-state. France has struggled since 1958--arguably with success--to construct a presidential democracy resistant to the severe instabilities inherent in the parliamentary democracy of early 20th century France. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the advent of the euro in January 1999.
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; avalanches
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, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography--note: largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
People
Population: 58,978,172 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 5,638,462; female 5,375,911) 15-64 years: 65% (male 19,302,121; female 19,235,235) 65 years and over: 16% (male 3,825,232; female 5,601,211) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.27% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 11.38 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.17 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 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 (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.63 years male: 74.76 years female: 82.71 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.61 children born/woman (1999 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.)
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
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 nominated by the National Assembly majority and 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 by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate--last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2001); 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 99, Centrist Union 52, Republicans and independents 47, PS 78, PCF 16, other 29; 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; Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel, three members appointed by the president, three members appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the Senate; Council of State or Conseil d'Etat
Political parties and leaders: Rally for the Republic or RPR
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
International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUA, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francois V. BUJON DE L'ESTANG chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Felix G. ROHATYN embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777 consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas
Economy
Economy--overview: One of the four West European trillion-dollar economies, France matches a growing services sector with a diversified industrial base and substantial agricultural resources. Industry generates one-quarter of GDP and more than 80% of export earnings. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of each sector, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off its holdings in France Telecom, in Air France, and in the insurance, banking, and defense industries. Meanwhile, large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. A major exporter of wheat and dairy products, France is practically self-sufficient in agriculture. The economy expanded by 3% in 1998, following a 2.3% gain in 1997. Persistently high unemployment still poses a major problem for the government. France has shied away from cutting exceptionally generous social welfare benefits or the enormous state bureaucracy, preferring to pare defense spending and raise taxes to keep the deficit down. The JOSPIN administration has pledged both to lower unemployment and trim spending, pinning its hopes for new jobs on economic growth and on legislation to gradually reduce the workweek from 39 to 35 hours by 2002. France joined 10 other EU members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.32 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$22,600 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 2.4% industry: 28.4% services: 69.2% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 24.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.7% (1998)
Labor force: 25.4 million
Labor force--by occupation: services 69%, industry 26%, agriculture 5% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 11.5% (1998)
Budget: revenues: $222 billion expenditures: $265 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (1998)
Electricity--production: 480.783 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 8.72% hydro: 12.92% nuclear: 78.25% other: 0.11% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 411.743 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 72.64 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 3.6 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Exports: $289 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing
Exports--partners: Germany 16%, UK 10%, Italy 9%, Spain 8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, US 6.5%, Netherlands 4.5%, Japan 2%, Russia 0.9% (1997)
Imports: $255 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products
Imports--partners: Germany 17%, Italy 10%, US 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 3%, China 2.5% (1997)
Debt--external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid--donor: ODA, $8.4 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 6.55957 French francs per euro; the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 35 million (1987 est.)