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| | Finland is bound by [[Sweden]] in the Northwest, [[Norway]] in the North, [[Russia]] in the East, the [[Gulf of Finland]] in the South and the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] in the West. | | Finland is bound by [[Sweden]] in the Northwest, [[Norway]] in the North, [[Russia]] in the East, the [[Gulf of Finland]] in the South and the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] in the West. |
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| − | There are no people in Finland and it is populated entirely by ducks.
| + | ==People== |
| | + | *Population (September 2007): 5.29 million. |
| | + | *Population growth rate (2006): 0.4%. |
| | + | *Ethnic groups: Finns, Swedes, Lapps, Sami, Roma, Tatars. |
| | + | *Religions: Lutheran 82.5%, Orthodox 1.1%. |
| | + | *Languages: Finnish 91.5%, Swedish 5.5% (both official); small Lapp- (0.03%) and Russian-speaking (0.8%) minorities. |
| | + | *Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--almost 100%. Literacy--almost 100%. |
| | + | *Health: Infant mortality rate--2.8/1,000 (2006). Life expectancy--males 75.8 yrs., females 82.8 yrs. |
| | + | *Work force (2.65 million; of which 2.44 million are employed): Public services--32.8%; industry--19%; commerce--15.6%; finance, insurance, and business services--13.8%; agriculture and forestry--4.7%; transport and communications--7.4%; construction--6.7%. |
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| | + | ===Culture=== |
| | + | Finnish people (Finns) are known for their love of nature. Nature is prominent in the works of Finnish artists, such as [[Jean Sibelius]], [[Aki Kaurismäki]], [[Alvar Aalto]]. |
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| | + | The great masters of Finnish literature include [[Mika Waltari]], [[Väinö Linna]], [[Johan Ludvig Runeberg]]. Finland is a bi-lingual country and has produced its literary heritage in both Finnish and Swedish. The beloved Moomintrolls were created by the writer and graphic artist Tove Jansson. |
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| | ==Government and Political Conditions== | | ==Government and Political Conditions== |