Tunisia (2002) | Finland (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan) | 6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 1,412,625; female 1,320,729)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,234,770; female 3,233,149) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 303,093; female 311,278) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.7% (male 468,077; female 450,785)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 1,753,760; female 1,719,253) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 312,883; female 486,027) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds | barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish |
Airports | 30 (2001) | 150 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 74
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: 12 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2002) |
total: 76
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 72 (2002) |
Area | total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km |
total: 337,030 sq km
land: 305,470 sq km water: 31,560 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Georgia | slightly smaller than Montana |
Background | Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse rising pressure for a more open political society. | 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 finally 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. |
Birth rate | 16.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 10.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $5.7 billion
expenditures: $6.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (2001 est.) |
revenues: $36.1 billion
expenditures: $31 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | Tunis | Helsinki |
Climate | temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south | cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes |
Coastline | 1,148 km | 1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations) |
Constitution | 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988 | 1 March 2000 |
Country name | conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis |
conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland local long form: Suomen Tasavalta local short form: Suomi |
Currency | Tunisian dinar (TND) | euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries |
Death rate | 5 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 9.82 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $11.5 billion (2001 est.) | $30 billion (December 1993) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Rust M. DEMING
embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 782-566 FAX: [216] 71 789-719 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Bonnie McELVEEN-HUNTER
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: [358] (9) 616250 FAX: [358] (9) 174681 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 |
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 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $379 million (2001) |
Economic aid - recipient | $933.2 million (1995) | - |
Economy - overview | Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth averaged 5.4% in the past five years, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth, although tourism revenues have slowed since 11 September 2001 and may take a year or more to fully recover. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord between the EU and a Mediterranean country. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future. | 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 almost one-third of GDP. 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 11 countries joining the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will dominate the economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2003 was held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2004 provided the world economy suffers no further blows. |
Electricity - consumption | 9.562 billion kWh (2000) | 76.18 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 19 million kWh (2000) | 1.81 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 2 million kWh (2000) | 11.77 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 10.3 billion kWh (2000) | 71.2 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 39%
hydro: 18.7% nuclear: 30.4% other: 11.8% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m |
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Halti 1,328 m |
Environment - current issues | toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1% | Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Sami 0.11%, Roma 0.12%, Tatar 0.02% |
Exchange rates | Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.44 (January 2002), 1.3753 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997) | euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100% |
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 Antti KALLIOMAKI (since 17 April 2003); note - former Prime Minister Anneli JAATTEENMAKI resigned 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 NA February 2006); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed from the majority party by the president after parliamentary elections 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 |
Exports | $6.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | 101,000 bbl/day (2001) |
Exports - commodities | textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons | machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp (1999) |
Exports - partners | France 28%, Italy 21%, Germany 14%, Belgium 6%, Libya (2000) | Germany 11.8%, UK 9.6%, US 9%, Sweden 8.5%, Russia 6.6%, Netherlands 4.6%, France 4.5% (2002) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam | 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) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $64.5 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $133.8 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 13%
industry: 33% services: 54% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 4%
industry: 34% services: 62% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $25,800 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2001 est.) | 1.6% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 34 00 N, 9 00 E | 64 00 N, 26 00 E |
Geography - note | strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration | long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain |
Highways | total: 23,100 km
paved: 18,226 km unpaved: 4,874 km (1996) |
total: 77,943 km
paved: 50,305 km (including 750 km of expressways) unpaved: 27,688 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 32% (1995) (1995) |
lowest 10%: 4.2%
highest 10%: 21.6% (1991) |
Imports | $8.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | 318,300 bbl/day (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food | foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains (1999) |
Imports - partners | France 30%, Italy 21%, Germany 11%, Spain 4%, Belgium (2000) | Germany 14.5%, Sweden 10.9%, Russia 9.9%, UK 5.7%, France 4.3%, Denmark 4.2% (2002) |
Independence | 20 March 1956 (from France) | 6 December 1917 (from Russia) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5.2% (2001 est.) | 5% (2002 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages | metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing |
Infant mortality rate | 27.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 3.73 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.7% (2001 est.) | 1.9% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, 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, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 3 (2002) |
Irrigated land | 3,800 sq km (1998 est.) | 640 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation | Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) |
Labor force | 2.69 million
note: shortage of skilled labor |
2.6 million (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) | public services 32%, industry 22%, commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%, agriculture and forestry 8%, transport and communications 8%, construction 6% |
Land boundaries | total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km |
total: 2,628 km
border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia 1,313 km |
Land use | arable land: 18.67%
permanent crops: 12.87% other: 68.46% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 6.98%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 93.01% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) | Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities |
Legal system | based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session | civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats, increasing the number of seats they hold from 19 in the last election to 34 now |
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 NA 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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.16 years
male: 72.56 years female: 75.89 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 77.92 years
male: 74.28 years female: 81.68 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.7% male: 78.6% female: 54.6% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 12 NM (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 NM) |
Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 150,710 GRT/162,616 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,181,687 GRT/1,185,653 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 24, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 32, short-sea passenger 9 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1, Sweden 1 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard | Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Sea Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $356 million (FY99) | $1.8 billion (FY98/99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.5% (FY99) | 2% (FY98/99) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 2,806,881 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 1,230,934 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,597,565 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 1,016,693 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 20 years of age (2002 est.) | 18 years of age (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 105,146 (2002 est.) | males: 31,926 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 20 March (1956) | Independence Day, 6 December (1917) |
Nationality | noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian |
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish |
Natural hazards | NA | NA |
Natural resources | petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt | timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver |
Net migration rate | -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km | gas 694 km (2003) |
Political parties and leaders | Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI] | Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Bjarne KALLIS]; Green League or VIHR [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Left Alliance or VAS (Communist) composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Ville ITALA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed | - |
Population | 9,815,644 (July 2002 est.) | 5,190,785 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 6% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.12% (2002 est.) | 0.14% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis | Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | 2.06 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total: 2,168 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,687 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (three rails) (2001) |
total: 5,850 km
broad gauge: 5,850 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2002) |
Religions | Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% | Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches |
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net provide domestic needs international: 1 submarine cable; 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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 654,000 (1997) | 2,847,900 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 50,000 (1998) | 3,728,600 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995) | 120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999) |
Terrain | mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara | mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills |
Total fertility rate | 1.94 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.7 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 15.6% (2000 est.) | 8.5% (2002 est.) |
Waterways | none | 6,675 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal; 3,700 km suitable for large ships |