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Compare Finland (2005) - British Virgin Islands (2008)

Compare Finland (2005) z British Virgin Islands (2008)

 Finland (2005)British Virgin Islands (2008)
 FinlandBritish Virgin Islands
Administrative divisions 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 0-14 years: 17.3% (male 460,977/female 443,859)


15-64 years: 66.8% (male 1,764,874/female 1,723,385)


65 years and over: 15.9% (male 328,952/female 501,395) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337)


15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 148 (2004 est.) 3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 75


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 27


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 73


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 69 (2004 est.)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Area total: 338,145 sq km


land: 304,473 sq km


water: 33,672 sq km
total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Montana about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Background Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, the Finns 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. First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate 10.5 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $96.43 billion


expenditures: $91.95 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $204.7 million


expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
Capital Helsinki name: Road Town


geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 1,250 km 80 km
Constitution 1 March 2000 13 June 2007
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Finland


conventional short form: Finland


local long form: Suomen Tasavalta


local short form: Suomi
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Death rate 9.79 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $30 billion (December 1993) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Earle I. MACK


embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki


mailing address: APO AE 09723


telephone: [358] (9) 616250


FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka Robert VALTASAARI


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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands none
Economic aid - donor ODA, $379 million (2001) -
Economic aid - recipient - $NA
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 exports equaling two-fifths of GDP. Finland excels in high-tech exports, e.g., mobile phones. 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. Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2003 was held back by the global slowdown but picked up in 2004. High unemployment remains a persistent problem. The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption 78.58 billion kWh (2002) 41.85 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 1.5 billion kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 13.5 billion kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 71.59 billion kWh (2002) 45 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
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 limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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: none of the selected agreements
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Ethnic groups Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1% black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed)
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.81 (2004), 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000) the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June 2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Eero HEINALUOMA (since 24 September 2005)


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 16 January 2000 and 6 February 2000 (next to be held February 2006); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament must approve the appointment


election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4%


note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)


head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
Exports 101,000 bbl/day (2001) 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999) rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners Sweden 11.1%, Germany 10.7%, Russia 8.9%, UK 7%, US 6.4%, Netherlands 5.1% (2004) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
Flag description white with a blue cross extending 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) blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.3%


industry: 30.2%


services: 66.5% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $29,000 (2004 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3% (2004 est.) 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 64 00 N, 26 00 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Highways total: 78,197 km


paved: 50,539 km (including 794 km of expressways)


unpaved: 27,658 km (2004)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4.2%


highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports 318,300 bbl/day (2001) 604.3 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains (1999) building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.3%, Russia 12.8%, Netherlands 6.3%, Denmark 5.2%, UK 4.6%, France 4.3% (2004) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006)
Independence 6 December 1917 (from Russia) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2004 est.) NA%
Industries metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate total: 3.57 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.7% (2004 est.) 2% (2005)
International organization participation AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land 640 sq km (1998 est.) NA
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force 2.66 million (2004 est.) 12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications 8%, public services 32% agriculture: 0.6%


industry: 40%


services: 59.4% (2005)
Land boundaries total: 2,681 km


border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 7.19%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 92.78% (2001)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2005)
Languages Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003) English (official)
Legal system civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations English law
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 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%, Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party - Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, others 4
unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 78.35 years


male: 74.82 years


female: 82.02 years (2005 est.)
total population: 76.86 years


male: 75.71 years


female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 100% (2000 est.)


male: 100%


female: 100%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Europe Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation


exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,152,175 GRT/1,053,906 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 27, chemical tanker 6, container 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 20, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 25


foreign-owned: 2 (Norway 1, United States 1)


registered in other countries: 42 (2005)
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Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches Finnish Defense Forces: Army, Navy (includes Coastal Defense Forces), Air Force (2003) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $1.8 billion (FY98/99) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2% (FY98/99) -
National holiday Independence Day, 6 December (1917) Territory Day, 1 July (1956)
Nationality noun: Finn(s)


adjective: Finnish
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards NA hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone NEGL
Net migration rate 0.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 694 km (2004) -
Political parties and leaders Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM] Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population 5,223,442 (July 2005 est.) 23,552 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA%
Population growth rate 0.16% (2005 est.) 1.923% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvou, Raahe, Rauma, Turku -
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways total: 5,851 km


broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2004)
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Religions Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003) Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991)
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: 0.66 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female


total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern system with excellent service


domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive cellular network provide domestic needs


international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland Estonia Connection); 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)
general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use 2.548 million (2003) 11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 4.7 million (2003) 8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999) 1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997)
Terrain mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 1.73 children born/woman (2005 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 8.9% (2004 est.) 3.6% (1997)
Waterways 7,842 km


note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2004)
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