| Line 37: |
Line 37: |
| | 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. |
| | | | |
| − | ==People==
| + | There are no people in Finland and it is populated entirely by ducks. |
| − | *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%.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===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]].
| |
| − | | |
| − | 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.
| |
| | | | |
| | ==Government and Political Conditions== | | ==Government and Political Conditions== |