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| Independence Year : 1917 Population : 5171300 Life Expectancy : 77.4 Capital : 3236 GNP : 121914.00 GNP Old : 119833.00 Local Name : Suomi Government Form : Republic Location : Northern Europe Terrain : Low but hilly, more than 70% forested, with more than 60 000 lakes Climate : Northern temperate Ethnic Group : Finns, Swedes, Lapps, Sami, Roma, Tatars. Religions : Lutheran 89%, Orthodox 1%. Official Website :www.president.fi/ | 
Genral Information - Finland
Background
Ruled by Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and by Russia from 1809, Finland finally won its independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and fend off invasions by the Soviet Union and Germany. In the subsequent half century, the Finns have made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January 1999. (Source: CIA - The World Factbook) |
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