Compare Finland (2005) - Sao Tome and Principe (2002)

Compare Finland (2005) z Sao Tome and Principe (2002)

	Finland (2005)	Sao Tome and Principe (2002)

Administrative divisions	6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani	2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995
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: 47.7% (male 41,159; female 40,125) 15-64 years: 48.3% (male 39,701; female 42,586) 65 years and over: 4% (male 3,115; female 3,686) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish	cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish
Airports	148 (2004 est.)	2 (2001)
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 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 69 (2004 est.)	-
Area	total: 338,145 sq km land: 304,473 sq km water: 33,672 sq km	total: 1,001 sq km land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Montana	more than five 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.	Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. Although independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The first free elections were held in 1991.
Birth rate	10.5 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	42.3 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $96.43 billion expenditures: $91.95 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)	revenues: $58 million expenditures: $114 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million
Capital	Helsinki	Sao Tome
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	tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Coastline	1,250 km	209 km
Constitution	1 March 2000	approved March 1990; effective 10 September 1990
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Finland conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi	conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe
Currency	-	dobra (STD)
Death rate	9.79 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	7.32 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$30 billion (December 1993)	$253.8 million (2000) (2000)
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	the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands
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	Sao Tome and Principe does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA, located at 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022, telephone [1] (212) 317-0580
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	-	$200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program
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.	This small poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence 26 years ago. However, cocoa production has substantially declined because of drought and mismanagement. The resulting shortage of cocoa for export has created a persistent balance-of-payments problem. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has been unable to service its external debt and has had to depend on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. Sao Tome's success in implementing structural reforms has been rewarded by international donors, who have pledged increased assistance in 2001. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is also optimistic that substantial petroleum discoveries are forthcoming in its territorial waters in the oil-rich waters of the Gulf of Guinea. Corruption scandals continue to weaken the economy.
Electricity - consumption	78.58 billion kWh (2002)	15.81 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	1.5 billion kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	13.5 billion kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	71.59 billion kWh (2002)	17 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 41% hydro: 59% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 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	deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion
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	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1%	mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 0.81 (2004), 0.89 (2003), 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000)	dobras per US dollar - 9,009.1 (December 2001), 8,842.1 (2001), 7,978.2 (2000), 7,119.0 (1999), 6,883.2 (1998), 4,552.5 (1997)
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: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Maria das NEVES (since 7 October 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held NA July 2006); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA%
Exports	101,000 bbl/day (2001)	$4.1 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities	machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999)	cocoa 90%, copra, coffee, palm oil
Exports - partners	Sweden 11.1%, Germany 10.7%, Russia 8.9%, UK 7%, US 6.4%, Netherlands 5.1% (2004)	Portugal 33.3%, Netherlands 8.3%, Spain 8.3% (1999)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
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)	three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $189 million (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3.3% industry: 30.2% services: 66.5% (2004 est.)	agriculture: 25% industry: 10% services: 65% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $29,000 (2004 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3% (2004 est.)	4% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	64 00 N, 26 00 E	1 00 N, 7 00 E
Geography - note	long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain	the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous
Highways	total: 78,197 km paved: 50,539 km (including 794 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,658 km (2004)	total: 320 km paved: 218 km unpaved: 102 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	318,300 bbl/day (2001)	$40 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains (1999)	machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products
Imports - partners	Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.3%, Russia 12.8%, Netherlands 6.3%, Denmark 5.2%, UK 4.6%, France 4.3% (2004)	Portugal 43%, France 15.7%, UK 13.7% (1999)
Independence	6 December 1917 (from Russia)	12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
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	light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber
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.)	47.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	0.7% (2004 est.)	7% (2001 est.)
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	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2002)
Irrigated land	640 sq km (1998 est.)	100 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)
Labor force	2.66 million (2004 est.)	NA
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%	population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing note: shortages of skilled workers
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: 2% permanent crops: 41% other: 57% (1998 est.)
Languages	Finnish 92% (official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2003)	Portuguese (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	based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for Change Democratic Movement 39.4%, Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats by party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change Democratic Movement 23, Ue-Kedadji coalition 8
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 78.35 years male: 74.82 years female: 82.02 years (2005 est.)	total population: 65.93 years male: 64.47 years female: 67.45 years (2002 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: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.)
Location	Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia	Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon
Map references	Europe	Africa
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	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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)	total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 169,991 GRT/245,996 DWT ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 23, chemical tanker 1, container 3, livestock carrier 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 1, Kenya 1, Portugal 1, Syria 1, Turkey 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Finnish Defense Forces: Army, Navy (includes Coastal Defense Forces), Air Force (2003)	Army, Navy, Security Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$1.8 billion (FY98/99)	$400,000 (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2% (FY98/99)	0.8% (FY01)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 35,524 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 18,727 (2002 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 6 December (1917)	Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Nationality	noun: Finn(s) adjective: Finnish	noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean
Natural hazards	NA	NA
Natural resources	timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone	fish, hydropower
Net migration rate	0.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-3.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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]	Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement [leader NA]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition [leader NA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	NA
Population	5,223,442 (July 2005 est.)	170,372 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	0.16% (2005 est.)	3.18% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Hamina, Hanko, Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Pori, Porvou, Raahe, Rauma, Turku	Santo Antonio, Sao Tome
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
Radios	-	38,000 (1997)
Railways	total: 5,851 km broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2004)	0 km
Religions	Lutheran National Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003)	Christian 80% (Roman Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Seventh-Day Adventist)
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: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 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: adequate facilities domestic: minimal system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	2.548 million (2003)	4,600 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular	4.7 million (2003)	6,942 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999)	2 (2002)
Terrain	mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills	volcanic, mountainous
Total fertility rate	1.73 children born/woman (2005 est.)	5.95 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	8.9% (2004 est.)	NA%
Waterways	7,842 km note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2004)	none

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