Geography of Finland. State structure and politics

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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

state educational institution

higher professional education

"KUBAN STATE UNIVERSITY"

Faculty of Geography

COURSE WORK

"Economic and geographical characteristics of Finland"

Completed:

4th year student

Kunitsa S.V.

Krasnodar 2015

Introduction

Finland is a unitary state in northern Europe with one partial autonomy (Aland Islands), a significant part of its territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle (25%). On land it borders on Sweden, Norway and Russia, the sea border with Estonia runs along the Gulf of Finland, with Sweden - in some places of the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea. Nearly 81,000 islands (more than 100 m² in size) are located in the coastal zone. The capital of the state is Helsinki with a population of almost 600 thousand people (as of the end of 2011). The country occupies 338 thousand square meters. km and 64th place in terms of the size of the territory. The form of government is a mixed republic. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish. According to the Statistics Centre, the population of Finland on 31 December 2013 was 5,450,614. Legislative power in the country belongs to the president and the Eduskunta, the country's parliament, and executive power, to the president and the State Council. All these power structures are located in the capital. The Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox Churches have the status of state churches. As of 2012, 76.4% of the population belonged to the Lutheran church, 1% to the Orthodox, 1.4% to other religions, and 19.2% of the inhabitants do not belong to any religion.

The object of research is the economy of Finland. The goal is to study the main indicators of the Finnish economy.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

Study of the economic and geographical position;

Studying the infrastructure of Finland;

Consideration of the main indicators of the development of the territory and problems related to exports and imports.

1. Economic and geographical position of Finland

finland transport export

1.1 Geographical position of Finland

Finland borders on Estonia, Russia, Sweden and Norway. Relations with the latter two remain stable, with Finland trading especially actively with Sweden. With Russia, after the collapse of the USSR, trade relations have changed significantly. The share of exports has decreased significantly. But, nevertheless, the share of exports to Russia still remains significant. Developed hi-tech, first place in the world in paper production, low inflation, growing investment interest, part of the euro area. The weaknesses of the country's economy are the severe recession of 1991-93, a rapidly aging population, early retirement, large debts, high unemployment, an undeveloped domestic market, being on the periphery of Europe.

The territory of Finland is divided into regions, regions into cities and communes (due to mergers, their number is decreasing almost every year - in 2013 there were 336, and in 2014 - 342), large cities into urban parts. The regions are governed by regional government agencies. The representative bodies of cities are city dumas, elected by the population, the executive bodies of cities are city boards, headed by burgomasters.

The country is divided into three main geographical regions:

Coastal lowlands - they stretch along the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, along the coasts of which there are thousands of rocky islands; the main archipelagos are the Aland Islands and the Turku archipelago. On the southwestern coast, a strongly dissected coast develops into the largest archipelago in Finland - the Archipelago Sea - unique in the whole world, thanks to the inimitable multitude of islands of various sizes;

The Lake District is an inland plateau south of the center of the country with dense forests and a large number of lakes, swamps and marshes;

The northern upper reaches, most of which are located beyond the Arctic Circle. They differ in rather poor soils. Rocky mountains and small hills are also characteristic of Lapland. In the same place, in the western part of Lapland, is the highest point in Finland (1324 meters above sea level), it is located on the slope of the Halti hill. Contrary to popular belief, this point is not the top of the hill (the peak of Halti has a height of 1365 m and is located in Norway). Previously, in reference books, the value of 1328 m was indicated as the highest point in Finland; later it was determined that the Halti slope, which has such a height, is also located on the territory of Norway, while the highest point on the Finnish slope is at an altitude of 1324 m.

The climate of Finland is temperate, transitional from maritime to continental, and in the north - continental. Despite its northerly position, Finland is warmed by the Atlantic. Winters are moderately cold. Precipitation falls throughout the year. The snow thickness in December in the north of the country is about 40 cm, to the south it decreases to 10 cm. In the very north of the country, the sun does not set for 73 days, resulting in white nights, and in winter the sun does not rise there for 51 days. Forests (mainly coniferous) occupy 61% of the territory.

Mountain tundra extends in the north.

Leading industries: mechanical engineering (production of equipment for the woodworking and pulp and paper industries), pulp and paper and woodworking industries (production of lumber, paper, cardboard, plywood and furniture), ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy.

The chemical (plastics, fertilizers, paints, synthetic fibers), textile, clothing and food industries are also developed. In the structure of the economy, industry occupies 27%, trade - 12%, the rest of the industries are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Structure of the Finnish economy

1.2 History and background of the current state and development

The rise of the Finnish economy began in the 70s thanks to trade agreements concluded in 1973 with the EU and CMEA. However, in the mid-1970s, rising oil prices led to a decline in production and rising unemployment. The strongest economic growth occurred in the 1980s, when taxes on individuals and companies were reduced and Finland opened its markets to foreign investment.

In the early 1990s, Finland experienced a deep crisis: in 1991, GDP fell by 7%, while industrial production fell by 9% in the same year, and private investment in fixed assets by 23%. In the construction industry in Finland, unemployment peaked at 36% in 1994.

In the second half of the 1990s, the rapid growth of the economy began. For seven years, until 2000, annual GDP growth averaged about 5%. Moreover, its main driving force was domestic demand and, above all, the private sector. Home prices in the country were rising due to low interest rates and rising household incomes, combined with continued strong demand for residential property in major cities. In addition, the volume of retail trade and imports of durable goods increased rapidly.

The prosperity of modern Finland is due to its rich natural resources. Dense forests provide raw materials for the furniture and paper industries, which account for one third of the country's exports. To ensure that wood resources are not depleted, cut forest areas are constantly replanted. Finland makes good use of its huge water resources - hydroelectric power plants generate about a quarter of the country's energy. One of the main branches of the national economy of the country is sea fishing.

Dairy and meat animal husbandry predominates in agriculture, while forage grasses and cereal crops (primarily oats and barley) dominate in crop production. Main seaports: Helsinki, Turku, Kotka. Ferry service with Sweden, Estonia, Poland, Germany. The monetary unit is the Finnish mark. In 2002, the brand was replaced by the euro. Finland is a developed industrial-agrarian country with a modern industry, intensive agriculture and forestry.

Finland, later than other countries of Northern Europe, embarked on the path of capitalist industrial development, which for a long time was held back by a number of reasons: the comparative severity of natural conditions, low population density, political dependence first on Sweden, then on Russia, and a lack of national capital.

The development of capitalism in Finland and the industrialization of the country are to a large extent connected with the main natural resource - the forest. When in the second half of the last century the demand for wood in Western European markets began to grow rapidly, Finnish wood, following Norwegian and Swedish, found wide application as a building material and raw material for paper production. On the shores of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, sawmills and timber harbors sprang up. Revenues from the timber trade fit into the construction of pulp mills and paper mills.

A characteristic bright pronounced feature of the Finnish economy is a high degree of centralization and concentration of capital and production. Three dozen largest concerns, private, state and mixed, concentrate about half of the workforce in their enterprises, produce more than half of industrial products, and provide up to 3/4 of Finland's exports.

1.3 Characteristics of natural conditions, resources

The surface of Finland is gradually rising, which is associated not only with secular movements of the earth's crust, but also with the disappearance of glaciers. At the beginning of the post-glacial period, the rise reached 10 m per century, and at present it varies from 30 cm in the Helsinki region to 90 cm on the northern coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. The sea is gradually receding, and the land area is expanding. According to modern estimates, in this way the territory of Finland increases by 1000 square meters in a century. km. This generous gift of nature does not always bring benefits, since it is necessary to move the moorings of ships and other port facilities closer to the sea and deepen the fairways.

According to the climate classification of W. Köppen, Finland belongs to the zone of snows and forests with wet and cold winters, where the average temperature of the coldest month is from -4 ° in the Åland Islands to -14 ° in northern Lapland and the warmest month of July in the south of the country is 17 ° - 18°, in the center 16°, and in the north 14° - 15°.

The combination of cold winters and warm summers is a distinctive feature of the Finnish climate. The average annual temperature in Helsinki is plus 5.3°. In Northern Finland, the maximum temperature during the day can sometimes reach +30°C. In winter, especially in January and February, the temperature often drops to -20°. The amount of precipitation is 400-700 mm per year.

Despite the fact that Finland is located in the north of Europe, the climate is not very severe due to the influence of the Baltic Sea. The average temperature in July in the south of the country is about +17°C. The average temperature in February is -9°C. Snow cover lasts four to five months in the south, and more than seven months in Lapland. Accordingly, in the south, the snow melts already in early April, and in the north - only in the second half of May. The total amount of precipitation in the southern regions of Finland reaches 600-700 mm per year, and beyond the Arctic Circle - 400-450 mm. The country's west coast generally receives less rainfall than the inland lake regions. The wettest month is August, but another maximum of precipitation is expressed in the southwest at the beginning of autumn, and in the north - at the beginning of summer. The least amount of precipitation falls in spring.

In Finland, various meteorological observations and measurements are carried out at approximately five hundred meteorological stations. At most stations, readings are taken two or three times a day, and at thirty synoptic stations, regularly every three hours; at aeronautical meteorological stations existing at the most important airfields - even more often. At meteorological stations, they receive information on all the most important elements of the weather - precipitation, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity and winds. To obtain weather forecasts in three points of the country, radio sounding of the atmosphere is regularly carried out in order to fix temperature, pressure, humidity and winds at different heights.

1.4 Population structure in Finland

The population of Finland at the end of 2014 was 5,450,614 people. For 93% of the population, the native language is Finnish, for 6.5% - Swedish. Finns make up a compact majority of the population in almost the entire territory of the country. Only in the Åland Islands and in some coastal areas of Pohyanma and Usima do the Swedes predominate. The oldest inhabitants of the country, the Sami, live in some northern and northwestern areas. By religion, Lutherans predominate, about 2% of believers belong to the Orthodox Church. The number of atheists is growing. The age structure of the Finnish population has large regional differences. There are more pensioners and fewer people of working age in rural areas than in cities. Many emigration-dominated communities, especially on the islands, have a very skewed picture of the loss of a young working-age population.

The average population density of the country is 17 people per 1 sq. km. km, but its distribution is uneven. More than 4/5 of the total population lives in the southern regions; here its density reaches from 50 to 85 people per 1 sq. km. km. In the central and eastern regions, it decreases to 13 people per 1 sq. km. km, and in the vast territories of the north - up to 1-2 people. Only 10% of the country's population lives north of the 65th parallel. The average life expectancy in Finland is 80 years. Life expectancy in the past and predicted are displayed in Table 1.

With the growth of new large settlements along with the old, sparsely located cities, the boundaries between town and countryside have become less clear. City functions began to be performed by many industrial centers and railway junctions, which did not always have city rights, and sometimes did not want to acquire them. The point was that the transformation of the village into a city entailed additional duties and taxes for its inhabitants. Therefore, starting from 1959, a third type of community was formed - an urban-type settlement, which occupied an intermediate position between urban and rural communities.

Table 1 Social indicator of the Finnish population

In 1977, 25 such settlements were transformed into cities. In addition, at the beginning of the 20th century, so-called densely populated communities still existed in Finland. They were separated from the rural communities and had some rights, although they did not have full independence, the inhabitants, for example, paid taxes to the rural communities of which they were part, which led to their abolition. Speaking about the urban population of Finland, they usually mean the total population of cities and urban-type settlements. They lived in 1900 - 12% in 1920 - 16.1%, in 1940 - 26.8%, in 1960 - 38.4%, in 1976 - 59% and in 1979 - 59.8% of the total population of the country.

The classification of types of rural settlement is based both on the placement of estate buildings and agricultural land. As independent types are distinguished: riverine, lakeside, ozovy and vara. Among them, the first two are characteristic of the lowlands, and the latter - of the highlands. Riverside settlement is everywhere, except for the Lake District, the most common type of rural settlement. The reason for its occurrence should be considered the presence of fertile clay soils in the river valleys. In addition, there were favorable conditions for water supply. From time immemorial, rivers have served as important transport arteries. However, the clay bottoms of the valleys were easily swamped. Therefore, vast agricultural areas, for example, in Etelya-Pohyanma, could only be developed after land reclamation. In the floodplains, since they are flooded during the spring flood, people settled and preferred to build houses on moraine hills along the edges of land masses, where clay plains turn into wooded moraine landscapes. At the same time, settlement was also carried out along the banks of the rivers, above the floodplain terraces, which also ensured a good supply of water. These factors explain the grouping of settlements in rows stretched along the banks of rivers or along the edges of moraine landscapes.

Lakeside settlement is also widespread in Finland. Lakeside settlement has the same advantages as riverside settlement. Inland waters served the primitive population as excellent transport arteries, both in summer and in winter. In addition, they were important fishing grounds. For the distribution of the rural population, the uplift of the land in historical times was of decisive importance, especially in the northern parts of large lakes, where, as a result, fertile areas composed of clay were drained.

Ozes (linearly elongated, narrow ramparts up to several tens of meters high, from 100–200 m to 1–2 km wide and up to several tens, rarely hundreds of kilometers long (with small breaks)) and the areas adjacent to them have also long been used as places suitable for fields and settlements. In the lower parts of the slopes of the eskers there were groundwater outlets, and around the eskers there were easily cultivated land masses on fertile boulderless rocks. Settlement on the lakes was also facilitated by the fact that important roads were laid along these ridges from ancient times. Many parish centers in Finland arose on the site of the Oz settlements. Often settlements were also located at the intersection of esker ridges and lakes, which created additional advantages.

Wara-type settlement is predominant in the eastern part of Finland. From there it spreads to the Suomenselk dividing ridge and south of it, along the Salpausselkä ridges over the hills up to the heights of Tamel. The placement and grouping of farmsteads in a Vara-type settlement reflects the nature of the relief. The number of buildings placed there depends on the size of the hills, and their shapes determine the cumulus or row placement of estates. Depending on the nature of the soil, the settlement can be located on the top or on the slope of the vara. Since only on a few large vars there were opportunities for compact forms of settlement, dispersed forms of settlement are much more common.

2. Analysis of the main economic indicators

2.1 Industry

Energy supply is one of the most difficult economic problems in Finland. Before the Second World War, 3/4 of the country's energy needs were covered by its own resources. The basis of the fuel and energy balance was wood, which accounted for more than 3/5 of the total energy consumption, hydropower accounted for 1/8, and 1/4 of the energy consumption was covered by the import of mineral solid and liquid fuels, which have no own resources in the country. Now only 1/5 of the energy consumed in the country is covered by its own resources. The rest of the fuel comes from abroad. 13-14 million tons of oil and oil products are imported annually, about 4 million tons of coal and coke, and about 1 billion cubic meters. m. of natural gas. The main supplier of solid and liquid fuels to Finland is Russia. Natural gas also comes from Russia through a pipeline across the Karelian Isthmus. The electricity industry in Finland has long used mainly hydropower resources.

Mechanical engineering has turned into an industry whose products are second in value to Finnish exports after timber and paper production. In mechanical engineering, shipbuilding and the manufacture of equipment for the woodworking and pulp and paper industries stand out first of all.

Shipbuilding is represented in Finland by the two largest companies owned by Norwegian owners - Kvaerner Masyards (shipyards in the cities of Helsinki and Turku, as well as a cabin module plant in Piikkio) and Oker Finnyards (two shipyards in Rauma and the Finyards electronics"). Ship repair is carried out by the only surviving in the face of fierce competition, the Turku Repair Yard. Since 1994, not a single ship for Russian customers has been built at Finnish shipyards. Today, Finnish shipbuilding specializes mainly in the construction of cruise ships and passenger ferries of high comfort, although it retains the manpower and technology needed to build icebreakers, gas tankers, etc. The share of exports is more than 70% of the production volume.

The metal industry (includes mechanical engineering, metalworking and metallurgy) is the backbone of Finnish industry. The main sales markets for Finnish metal products are the EU countries, whose share is approximately 55%. About 25% of exports go to the markets of North America and the Far East. The markets of Sweden and Germany - 12% each, the USA - 9%, Great Britain - 5%, France and Italy - 4% each, China, Russia, Estonia - 3.5% each. Finnish metallurgical enterprises - the Rautaruukki and Outokumpu concerns with their subsidiaries - specialize in the production of stainless steel, cold-rolled products, galvanized sheets, copper and complex copper products, zinc. For a number of commodity items, they are among the European and world leaders.

Quite large iron ore deposits have been discovered at the bottom of the coastal part of the Baltic Sea near the Aland Islands. In general, iron ore reserves are estimated at 200-300 million tons. Ferrous metallurgy enterprises smelt about 2 million tons of pig iron, 2.5 million tons of steel and produce 2 million tons of finished steel. Non-ferrous metals are the main mineral wealth of the country. Copper reserves are about 1 million tons. In the east of the Lake Plateau, zinc, cobalt, sulfur, iron, silver, and gold are also found. Nickel is extracted from the ore along with copper. Zinc reserves are estimated at 2 million tons. In the extraction of copper and zinc, Finland occupies one of the leading places in foreign Europe. In the north of the country, one of the world's largest chromium deposits is being developed, containing up to 30 million tons of metal. Chrome ore after its processing is exported.

The timber and paper industry has a rich raw material base - extensive taiga forests. Finland is one of the world's largest producers of lumber, paper pulp, and plywood. Sawmills annually produce up to 8 million cubic meters. m. sawn and planed boards. It is the third largest exporter of sawn timber after Russia and Canada. Finland is one of the world leaders in the production of high-tech forestry equipment. More than 60% of it is exported, which brings in over 22% of Finland's export earnings. The main sales markets for Finnish wood processing equipment are the USA, Canada, Sweden, Western Europe and Southeast Asia. Finnish technologies for pulping, washing, pulp bleaching, paper and board production, and the production of by-products of pulp production are constantly being improved in order to reduce the harmful impact of these industries on the environment. The timber and paper industry is the second most important branch of the Finnish industry. Up to 70% of manufactured products are exported to 140 countries of the world. Finland accounts for 5% of world forest industry products, 10% of forest products exports, 15% of paper and cardboard trade, and 25% of paper exports. A whole industrial complex has formed around the timber and paper industry - a cluster that includes both the production of pulp, paper, cardboard and woodworking products, as well as service and auxiliary industries, namely logging, wood chemistry, production of machinery and equipment, consulting and research and development, logistics, marketing, energy, as well as consumers - packaging production, printing, wholesale, construction. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that one in five Finns directly or indirectly derive their livelihood from the timber and paper industry.

The industry leaders are three concerns: Stura Enso, UPM-Kymmene, and Metsäliitto. The products of the companies are in many respects similar - they are the leading European and world manufacturers of high-grade office and printing paper, packaging cardboard. The main trump card is high quality, competitive prices and a wide range. The largest sawmills are organizationally part of these concerns, but they have a subordinate position in relation to pulp and paper mills, which to a certain extent hinders the development of their own competitive advantages.

The branches of transport engineering cover a number of firms involved in the production of certain types of automotive equipment and rolling stock, ensuring the operation and repair of civil aircraft, the production of components and the assembly of military aircraft. With the participation of the Swedish concerns "Volvo" and "SAAB-Scania" an automobile industry was created, which annually admits up to 30 thousand cars and about 2 thousand trucks and buses. Most of the units and parts come from Sweden.

The great need of pulp and paper production for chemicals, especially chlorine and caustic soda, contributes to the development of the chemical industry. At the same time, waste from the timber and paper industry serves as a raw material base for wood chemistry and fertilizer production. The growth of oil refining contributes to the formation of petrochemical industries, including the production of synthetic resins and plastics. The commodity nomenclature of the chemical and petrochemical industry consists of the following groups: chemicals - 35%, fertilizers and pesticides - 13%, dyes, varnishes and various coatings - 8%, plastic products - 17%, rubber products, cosmetics, aromatic products, detergents and other goods - about 23%. The share of foreign deliveries is about 9% of the total volume of Finnish exports. The Kemira concern is especially active in Russia, having launched the production of chemicals for industrial water treatment in St. Petersburg.

The textile industry is one of the oldest industrial branches of the country, the development of which was connected with the capacious Russian market. Porcelain tableware and artistic ceramics from the Arabiya factory in Helsinki became widely known in many sectors of the world.

The geographical position of the country, close to the peninsular, in combination with the abundance of deep bays, contributes to the development of maritime transport. 4/5 of import and about 9/10 of export cargo goes by sea. Compared with the neighboring Scandinavian countries, the merchant fleet is small - its tonnage is slightly more than 2 million tons. Among the numerous ports on the coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, Helsinki, which receives the most import cargo, and Kotka, which sends the most export cargo, are distinguished by the size of the cargo turnover. . The port of Turku is notable for the intensive development of auto-ferry traffic with Sweden. Among the inland waterways developed in the southeastern lake part of the country, the Saimaa Canal stands out, connecting the system of lakes of the same name with the Gulf of Finland and passing partly through the territory of Russia. Within the country, goods are transported mainly by road and rail. The railway network, which is 6 thousand km, belongs to the state.

The most dynamic sector is the electronics and electrical industry, which largely determines the growth of production and exports of the country as a whole. In 2001-2002, due to the low world market conditions, the total volume of production in them fell somewhat, but the development prospects were assessed as positive. The flagship of the Finnish industry - the Nokia concern - was the world leader in the production of mobile phones and cellular communication equipment, breaking away from its main competitors. Nokia's share in the Finnish electronics industry accounted for about 30% of all manufactured products. The share of Nokia in the production of GNP was 4.5% and it accounted for 30% of the total Finnish exports and more than 70% of the exports of the country's electronics industry. In 2011-2012, Nokia began to actively cooperate with the American giant Microsoft, essentially refusing to support its own operating system for Symbian mobile devices and switching to the Windows Phone platform. In autumn 2013, Nokia announced the sale of its mobile business to Microsoft for 5.44 billion euros.

About 25% of exports of products of the Finnish electronics and electrical industry go to Germany, Sweden and the UK, about 5% each to Italy, China, the USA, France and Estonia, about 4% to the Netherlands, approximately 2.5% each to Switzerland , Denmark, Russia, Austria and Turkey.

The food industry, which is part of a single chain of agricultural processing and food production, remains the third largest industrial production in Finland after the metalworking and forestry industries. For the production of food products, enterprises use up to 80% of domestic raw materials, which averages 60% of the cost of finished products. In recent years, there has been a concentration of production in the food industry. Thus, 70% of products are produced by 20 large associations, which contributes to increasing the efficiency of production and the competitiveness of products. The largest Finnish food companies - the companies Karl Fazer, HK Ruokatalo, Atria, Valio, Raisio and others - have also established themselves on the Russian market. The most important Finnish export commodities are cheese, margarine products. The investments of the Finnish food industry in our country are small. They themselves explain this by difficulties in finding reliable suppliers of high-quality raw materials. So far, the most prominent investor in Russia remains Karl Fazer, whose enterprises control about a third of the St. Petersburg bakery market.

Agriculture and forestry in Finland, having a developed industry, occupies a leading position in agricultural production, has a unique experience in agriculture in the northern latitudes, based on the use of progressive scientific developments in the field of selection, crop rotation, and agrochemistry.

Other branches of agriculture are represented by cattle breeding, greenhouse production, fur farming, fish farming, fishing and reindeer husbandry.

In 2013 negotiations with the European Commission on agricultural subsidies, Finland did not push for an extension of payments intended for farmers in Southern Finland as compensation for difficult climatic conditions. Due to the refusal of this type of subsidy, Finland by 2020 may lose over 10 million euros. Instead of the previous subsidies, Finnish farmers will receive subsidies that depend on production volumes.

In 2014, due to the introduction of counter-sanctions by Russia, the country suffered significant losses due to a decrease in the export of agricultural products, in connection with which, at a meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the EU countries, it was decided to pay compensation to the Finnish dairy sector.

Finnish livestock breeders of reindeer are paid state compensation in case of damage caused to their livestock by large predators - wolves and lynxes. The annual estimate of compensation included in the state budget is 4 million euros.

2.2 Agriculture in Finland

Agriculture fully meets the country's needs for dairy and meat products, and mainly for food and fodder grains. This industry in Finland is characterized by the predominance of small and medium-sized land ownership, a pronounced specialization in dairy farming and a close relationship with forestry. Finland is a country of small and medium-sized farms. Small and medium-sized farms, which make up 9/10 of all farms, have 3/4 of the arable land. There is a systematic ruin of small farmers, as a result, the total number of farms is reduced from year to year. The vast majority of small and medium-sized farms support their existence by selling timber from their forest plots, the size of which is several times larger than the size of arable land. On average across the country, each farm has only 11 hectares of arable land and at the same time more than 50 hectares of productive forests. The proceeds from the timber sold provide on average more than a quarter of the income of farmers, and in many small farms - up to half of all cash income. In vast areas of Central and Northern Finland, forestry is the main source of subsistence for the peasants, and agriculture is only an additional one.

Approximately 4/5 of all Finnish agricultural income comes from animal husbandry, and income from the sale of milk accounts for 3/5 of the income from animal husbandry.

2.3 Transport

The transport system in Finland is very smart and efficient. Modern well-maintained roads form its basis. The best way to travel around the cities is by bus. Helsinki also has a small subway. In order to independently travel around the country, you can rent a car. You can also come here with your own car. But taxis in Finland are expensive. A feature of the country's transport system is inland navigation. It is possible to cross the whole country on a comfortable tourist boat, on a boat or on a boat. The system of locks and canals allows you to enjoy the local beauties, see big cities and small cozy farms, as well as territories completely untouched by civilization.

The condition of the roadbed and the system is exemplary, the asphalt is laid according to European technologies in several layers with a shock-absorbing cushion. There are many highways and motorways equipped with interchanges, places to rest and information boards. Along with the highways laid between the cities, a network of dirt roads maintained all year round is developed everywhere. Bicycle lanes are provided in large cities. Car rental is common. Companies providing such services can be found in all major cities and major airports. In Finland, you can also rent a "motorhome". Outside built-up areas, the dipped beam must be turned on regardless of the time of day for all cars. The use of seat belts is mandatory. In most car parks, parking time is limited. There are meters and machines to control and pay for parking.

A dense network of bus routes connects almost all settlements, serves as the basis for intracity transport and connects the country with Russia, Norway and Sweden. Almost every city has a bus station. And if a railway is laid through this city, then the bus station will always be located in the immediate vicinity of the railway station. A distinctive feature of intercity buses is punctuality. Moreover, by bus you can even make such a long route as from Helsinki to Oulu (about 9 hours) or from Turku to Rovaniemi (about 15 hours). More than 300 express buses run daily from Helsinki, taking you to the most remote and isolated parts of the country. In Lapland, the bus is the main means of communication. On regular buses, as well as on other modes of transport, there are preferential tickets and a system of discounts. The schedule of long-distance lines is drawn up in such a way as to ensure maximum coordination of bus transportation with rail, sea and air transport.

There are 20 foreign airlines operating in Finland. The Finnish airline is Finnair (formerly Aero). Finnair operates flights across the country, including to Helsinki, Kuopio, Turku, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Ivalo and Tampere. Cheap air carriers flying from Finland are popular - the so-called low-costers or air discounters (aviadiscounter). One such company is Blue1, the second largest airline in Finland. Blue1 operates on domestic routes within Finland, as well as flights to Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. There is also one private airline Finncomm Airlines operating in Finland, which provides joint air transportation with Finnair.

There are 28 airports in Finland, the largest of which is Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL), the country's main international airport, located in Vantaa, near Helsinki. 25 airports are operated by Finavia. Other international airports: Turku (TKU), Tampere-Pirkkala (TMP) and Rovaniemi (RVN). Tampere-Pirkkala Airport can be reached from Tampere by bus "Tokee". You can get from Helsinki by the airport shuttle (shuttle-bus) of the Ryanair airline, by regular bus from the Kamppi bus station or by train. There is also a Mobus bus from Helsinki to Tampere.

The Department of Maritime Navigation, subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, is responsible for water transport. It is in charge of the maintenance of the fairway, mapping of marine areas, winter navigation, management of maritime navigation and ensuring its safety.

3. Problems and prospects for the development of Finland

3.1 Export and import

Foreign trade is one of the components that have a decisive impact on the economic development of the country. The turnover of Finland's foreign trade in goods and services, according to preliminary data, amounted to 81.8% of the state's GDP, reaching 158.2 billion euros in 2014. The Finnish economy in 2014 operated in a more complex macroeconomic environment. The weakening influence of factors caused by the economic crisis in the eurozone continued to be felt, which had a negative impact on the dynamics of foreign trade and a slowdown in economic growth. At the end of 2014, the turnover of goods and services as a whole decreased by 0.6% compared to the level of the previous year, while there was a decline in trade in both goods and services.

Finnish exports of commercial products in 2014 compared with 2013 in value terms decreased by 1.7% and amounted to 55.9 billion euros. In the reporting year, the dynamics of significant Finnish export items, as in previous years, was multidirectional, but the largest commodity items still showed a negative trend. The most significant impact on exports was the reduction in the export of engineering products. Here, the decline reached 1,615 million euros (by 9.7%). The reason for this was a decrease in the value of exports of telecommunications equipment by 2.5 times (by 979 million euros), vehicles by 12.1% (by 265 million euros), machinery and equipment for certain industries - by 9% (by 363 million euros).

As in 2013, there was a decrease in the value of exports for such commodity items as "finished goods by types of raw materials" - by 460 million euros (-2.7% compared to 2013), due to a decrease in the supply of pig iron, steel and non-ferrous metals.

Finnish exports of chemical products decreased by 1.3%, mainly due to a decrease in the supply of inorganic chemicals and pharmaceutical products.

In the reporting year, exports of fuel and non-fuel "raw material" commodity groups demonstrated positive dynamics. The supply of oil and oil products continued to increase by 627 million euros (+ 10.3% compared to the previous year). Commodities excluding fuel exports increased by 12.3% (€525 million), driven by higher exports of raw hides, timber and pulp.

The group "various finished products" recorded an increase of 123 million euros (+3.6%).

Imports of goods in value terms in 2014 amounted to 58.2 billion euros, which is 2.3% lower than in 2013.

The difficult economic situation in Europe continues to affect the volumes of both industrial and consumer demand in Finland, so deliveries of most important product groups of Finnish imports showed a negative trend. In particular, imports of engineering products, mainly telecommunications, industrial and electrical equipment, decreased by 803 million euros (5.0%). By 153 million euros (2.2%), supplies of chemical products decreased by 464 million euros (9.6%) - imports of non-fuel raw materials. At the same time, imports of foodstuffs increased by 118 million euros (3.4%), imports of mineral fuels increased by 345 million euros (2.7%).

Export and import deliveries as a percentage by country are shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 2 Finnish imports, structure by country

Figure 3 Finland's exports, structure by country

The structure of Finnish exports continued to change in accordance with the trend that emerged in 2011. The basis of exports, in accordance with the classification of goods of the SITC, are machinery and equipment, “finished goods by type of raw materials” and chemical products. At the end of 2014, “finished goods by raw materials” retained their leading positions in Finnish exports with a share of 29.3%. In this group, paper and cardboard (13.0%), cast iron and steel (6.9%), non-ferrous metals (3.7%) should be singled out as the main commodity items.

According to the results of the reporting year, machines and equipment continue to hold the second place. The share of this commodity group again decreased and amounted to 26.8% at the end of 2014. The leader of the group under consideration are machines for individual industries. The share of this subgroup was 6.7% in the total export volume of Finland. Electrical equipment ranked second in the analyzed group of goods with a share of 5.3% in exports.

The share of mineral fuels, also exported by Finland, accounts for 12.3% in value terms, of which 12.0% is oil and oil products.

Such subgroups of machinery and equipment exported by Finland as vehicles, equipment for basic industries, power machines and equipment accounted for 3.4%, 5.1% and 3.9% respectively. The share of telecommunications equipment at the end of 2014 was extremely insignificant and amounted to only 1.2%, having decreased by more than 10 times compared to the level of 2010.

In the structure of Finland's imports, machinery, equipment and vehicles again had the largest share in 2014 - 26.3%. Road vehicles and electric vehicles formed the basis of this product group with a share of 5.9% and 5.0%, respectively. In addition, this product group includes equipment for the main industries (4.2%), telecommunications equipment (2.7%), machines for certain industries (2.4%), office equipment (2.4%).

Due to Finland's dependence on external energy supplies, mineral fuel imports continued to grow in the reporting year, reaching a share of 22.9%. The main influence on the dynamics of energy imports is provided by supplies of oil and oil products, as well as natural gas. The share of oil and oil products in 2014 was 18.8%. The share of natural gas is 2.0%.

The share of ore and metal waste in 2014 decreased compared to previous years, amounting to 4.4%.

Various finished goods and chemical products in imports account for 9.5% and 11.7%, respectively. Chemical products are represented mainly by medical and pharmaceutical products (3.1%), organic chemical compounds (2.2%), molded plastics (1.7%).

Europe traditionally remains the main market for Finnish goods, as well as the main supplier of marketable products to Finland. Compared to the previous year, the role of the EU in the geographic structure of Finnish exports has grown, which is reflected in an increase in its share by 1.6%. The shares of the EU and Eurozone countries in imports to Finland in 2014 amounted to 55.6% and 33.8%, respectively. At the end of 2014, Finland has a negative foreign trade balance both with the EU as a whole and with the countries of the Eurozone. Imports from the European Union exceeded exports by 2044 million euros, while the negative balance with the eurozone amounted to 2261 million euros.

Russia retains the status of Finland's largest trading partner. Russia's share in Finland's trade turnover at the end of the reporting period amounted to 13.9%, with the indicators of Germany and Sweden equal to 11.2% and 11.5%, respectively. The share of Russia in Finnish exports in 2013 was 9.6%. The share of Finnish goods delivered to Germany and Sweden is 9.7% and 11.6%, respectively. The share of Russian goods delivered to Finland is more significant. Their share was 18.1%, while the figures for Germany and Sweden were 12.6% and 11.4%, respectively.

The Netherlands (6.0% of trade turnover), China (5.6%), USA (4.8%), Great Britain (4.2%) remained major trading partners in 2014. At the end of 2014, there is a decrease in the share of trade denominated in euros for all three of Finland's main trading partners. Compared to 2013, among the main trading partners of Finland, China, the USA, the Netherlands, and Norway managed to increase their share.

Compared to the previous year, Finnish exports of services increased by 2.9% to EUR 22,603 million. Imports of services, on the contrary, decreased by 9.1% and amounted to 21,548 million euros.

The foreign trade turnover of services thus amounted to 44,151 million euros, which is 2.8% less than in 2013. At the same time, according to experts, the real values of trade in services may differ significantly, since the issues of statistical accounting of trade services are extremely complex and have not yet been fully resolved. It can be assumed that a number of services are actually not taken into account, while accounting for the rest is associated with significant methodological and statistical difficulties.

Conclusion

The Finnish economy is highly developed. For Finland, regional economic policy is extremely important due to its peripheral position in the North of Europe, long distances, the lowest population density in the EU, harsh climate, and limited natural resources. The challenges of our time associated with globalization and the rapid aging of the population put forward new challenges for regional policy. Achieving national goals of strengthening international competitiveness and improving the welfare of the country in modern conditions is impossible without improving the efficiency of regional development management so that each region of Finland is able to fully utilize its economic potential. Therefore, Finland's regional economy focuses not only on the development of the poorest areas, but also on improving the economic behavior of each region and is thus a key element of the government's economic and social strategy. New frameworks for regional development are also created by the processes of globalization. Companies solve the problem of cost optimization through further internationalization of activities. Less productive labour-intensive production flows from Finland to other countries where labor is cheaper. This creates additional problems for the regions, taking into account the fact that Finland is not very attractive for foreign capital in terms of investment. Under these conditions, reliance on innovation and know-how becomes an important factor in realizing the competitive advantages of both the country and the regions. At the same time, the four most developed provinces: Uusimaa, Varsinais-Suomi, Pirkanmaa and Pohjois-Pohjanmaa account for more than 80% of Finnish R&D spending.

Finnish researchers believe that the country's success may be based on a more inclusive and diverse regional structure than suggested by the ideas of centralization prevailing in business circles or the one-sided development of large cities supported by a number of politicians. A multipolar regional structure can become one of the pillars of competitiveness, ensuring the efficiency of the Finnish economy and balanced social and economic development. Medium-sized cities and their environs have good conditions, both for the development of high-tech activities and for the population, and should be the main object of regional policy.

List of sources used

1. Atlas of the World. Geographic Survey - 2009

2. Burlutskaya L.A., Galperina G.A., Zykgena O.V., Ivanova N.V. All capitals of the world. - M.: Veche, 2009

3. Dralin A.I., Mikhneva S.G. International economic relations. - Penza: Information and Publishing Center of PSU, 2008

4. Lipetskaya A.S. World economy. - M.: Lampada, 2009

5. Lomakin V.K. World economy; Unity-Dana - Moscow, 2012

6. Small encyclopedia of countries. Torcing. - M.: 2010

7. Mashbits Ya.G. Fundamentals of regional studies. - M.: Enlightenment, 2007

8. Oparina M.V. Economical geography. - M.: Stimulus, 2009

9. Countries of the world. Modern handbook. - M .: LLC "House of the Slavic Book", 2012

10. Countries of the world. Encyclopedia. - M.: CJSC "ROSMEN-PRESS", 2011

11. http://www.around.spb.ru

12. http://www.be5.biz

13. http://finland.fi

14. http://fintrip.ru

15. http://www.infofin.ru

16. http://www.norse.ru

17. http://www.russian.fi

18. http://ru.wikipedia.org

19. http://www.ved.gov.ru

20. http://www.webeconomy.ru

Hosted on Allbest.ru

...

Republic of Finland

Finland(self-name - Suomi) - a state in the north of Europe. It borders on land in the north with Norway, in the northeast and east - with Russia, in the northwest - with Sweden. It is separated from Germany and Poland by the Baltic Sea. Beyond the Gulf of Finland lie Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Not a single, even the most remote point of the state, is located further from the sea than 300 km. Almost a quarter of Finland's territory lies above the Arctic Circle.

The name of the country comes from the Swedish Finland - "country of the Finns".

Capital

Helsinki.

Square

Population

5200 thousand people h

Administrative division

Finland is divided into 12 provinces (provinces) and 450 self-governing communes (kunta), the Åland Islands have the status of autonomy.

Form of government

Parliamentary republic.

head of state

President elected for a term of 6 years.

supreme legislative body

Unicameral parliament with a term of office of 4 years.

Supreme executive body

State Council.

Big cities

Tampere, Espoo, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio, Pori.

Official language

Finnish, Swedish.

Religion

87% adherents of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Ethnic composition

93% - Finns, 6.5% - Swedes.

Currency

Euro = 100 cents.

Climate

Despite the fact that Finland is a northern country, its climate is much milder than that of its continental eastern neighbors, due to the influence of warm sea currents. In the south, winters are quite mild with frequent thaws, and summers are warm. In the north, winters are longer and snowier, summers are cool. The average temperature in the south of Finland is from -10 to -15°С in winter, from +15 to +20°С in summer. In the north of Finland (in Lapland), the climate is more severe: in winter up to -30 °С, in summer up to + 15°С. During the summer solstice in southern Finland, the sun shines 19 hours a day, and does not set beyond the 70th parallel for 73 days. White nights are in Lapland: in Utsioki from May 17 to July 27, in Ivalo from May 22 to July 21, in Rovaniemi from June 6 to July 7, in Kusamo from June 12 to June 30. Precipitation falls 400-700 mm per year.

Flora

Finnish nature is beautiful and varied. There are many forests covering the lowlands and hills. Spruces grow in wetter areas, and pines grow in drier areas. In the southwest, along with coniferous trees, oak, linden, elm, ash, and maple live. To the north, taiga forests turn into mountain forest-tundra and tundra, where heather and azalea bloom in spring, and in autumn a large number of wild berries appear - blueberries, cloudberries and lingonberries.

Fauna

Few large forest animals have survived, only in the east there are bears, polar foxes, wolves and lynxes. There are wild reindeer in Lapland. Elk, squirrel, fox, hare, otter and muskrat also live in the forests. There are more than 250 species of birds: hazel grouse, partridge, black grouse and others. The rivers and lakes of Finland are rich in fish. Salmon, whitefish, zander, pike, perch are found here. Of the sea fish, the most common is Baltic herring.

Rivers and lakes

The rivers are full of water and rapids. The main ones are Kemi-Yoki, Kyumi-Yoki, Kokemäen-Yoki. There are over 60,000 small lakes on the territory of Finland, most of which are located in the central part - the Lake District.

Attractions

In Helsinki - the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, the Senate - all of the 19th century, the Russian Church; in Tampere - a cathedral of the 20th century, the Sea Fortress of Suomen-linna. Lahti is a recognized center for winter sports.

Useful information for tourists

Regular store hours are from 10.00 to 18.00 on weekdays and from 10.00 to 15.00 on Saturday. In big cities, many large department stores are open until 20.00 on weekdays.
Finland drives on the right. Bus service operates on about 90% of Finnish roads. Express buses provide reliable and fast connections between densely populated areas of the country.

Finland (Fin. Suomi, Swede. Finland; officially the Republic of Finland, Fin. Suomen tasavalta, Swede. Republiken Finland) is a state in northern Europe, a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement. Independent since December 6, 1917. It borders Russia in the east, Sweden in the northwest, and Norway in the north. In the south and west, the shores of the country are washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and its gulfs - the Finnish and Bothnian. The capital is Helsinki.

Finland is located in the North of Europe, the length from south to north is 1157 km, from east to west - 542 km. Territory - 338.1 thousand sq. km. It borders with Russia, Norway and Sweden. Almost a quarter of its territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle. In the southwest and west, the territory of Finland is washed by the Baltic Sea and its Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia for 1100 km. The shores of the Gulf of Bothnia are low, flat, mostly clayey and sandy, in many areas with dunes. In the northern part, they are slightly indented by small open bays. There are few islands off the coast. In the middle and southern parts, the indentation is great, in the coastal zone there are many islands - skerries.

Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe. The largest archipelago in Europe, including the Alland Islands, which are an autonomous region within Finland. These islands consist of more than 6.5 thousand islands, islets and rocks. The territory of Finland annually increases by 7 square kilometers. This is due to the last ice age, when a glacier about three thousand meters thick pressed on the earth. After the ice melted about 10,000 years ago, a gradual rise of the soil began.

General physical and geographical structure of the region

Finland is located in the north of Europe, a significant part of its territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle (25%). It borders on land with Sweden (the border is 586 km), Norway (the border is 716 km) and Russia (the border is 1265 km), the maritime border with Estonia runs along the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea. The length of the outer coastline (excluding sinuosity) is 1,100 km. The length of the coastline (excluding islands) is 46,000 km. Nearly 81,000 islands (more than 100 m in size) are located in the coastal zone.

The country is divided into three main geographical regions:

coastal lowlands - they stretch along the shores of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, along the coasts of which there are thousands of rocky islands; the main archipelagos are the Aland Islands and the Turku archipelago. On the southwestern coast, a heavily dissected coast develops into the largest archipelago in Finland - the Archipelago Sea - unique in the whole world, thanks to the inimitable multitude of islands of various sizes.

· internal system of lakes (region of lakes) - an internal plateau south of the center of the country with dense forests and a large number of lakes, swamps and swamps.

Northern upper reaches, most of which are located beyond the Arctic Circle. They differ in rather poor soils. Rocky mountains and small hills are also characteristic of Lapland. In the same place, in the western part of Lapland, is the highest point in Finland - Halti fjeld (1328 meters above sea level).

Finland located in the North of Europe, between 70° and 59° north latitude and 20° and 31° east longitude. It is the seventh largest country in Europe. The territory of the country occupies about 338 thousand square kilometers, where 32 thousand are occupied by water bodies, and the remaining 306 thousand are land. About a quarter of it is located above the Arctic Circle. The maximum length of the country's territory, from south to north - 1157 kilometers, width - 540 kilometers.

Finland borders in the east with Russia, in the northwest with Sweden and in the north with Norway. The southwest and west of the country is washed by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland and Bothnia of this sea. The maritime borders of the country stretch for 1110 kilometers. The coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia is flat, sandy, in places clayey, in many of its sections there are dunes. It is divided into numerous bays and rich in unique skerries.

The highest point in Finland is 1328 meters above sea level. This is Mount Haltiatunturi, which is located on the very edge of the north-west of Finland, in Lapland, on the border with Norway.

But in general, the land of the country is predominantly hills and plains. The heights of the hills, as a rule, do not exceed three hundred meters, and the plains are completely covered with lakes and swamps.

During its formation, the territory of the country was covered with a powerful ice shell, which smoothed out the hills, and after the melting of the glaciers about ten thousand years ago, the depressions that were under them filled with water, forming lakes and swamps. And, despite the fact that the land is rising, thereby increasing the territory of Finland by almost seven kilometers a year, a lot of depressions have still remained flooded with water. No wonder Finland is called the "country of thousands of lakes" - there are about 75 thousand of them here. The most famous of them are Lake Saimaa in the southeast of the country, Lake Päijänne in the south, Lake Oulujärvi, which is located in the central part of Finland, and Lake Nasijärvi in its southwest. Lake Saimaa is the fourth largest lake in Europe. Its total area is about 4400 square kilometers.

There are, of course, rivers here, not long, but full-flowing, with many rapids and waterfalls. The longest of them is Kemijoki, which is 512 kilometers long. The country has 179,584 islands and about 5,100 rapids. Only the autonomous region of Finland - the Åland Islands, includes more than 6.5 thousand islands, islets and rocks.

The northern region of the country - Lapland covers an area of about 100,000 square kilometers, consisting of hills, forests and a few rocky mountains.

The nature of Finland is diverse. In the forests, which occupy 87% of its territory, there is a very rich wildlife - these are wolves, and wolverines, and elks, and deer, and foxes, and bears, and ermines, and squirrels, and about 350 species of birds. In the rivers, lakes and the Baltic Sea, there are many fish of all varieties.

Municipal educational institution Ocherskaya secondary school No. 1

subject: GEOGRAPHY

theme: FINLAND

Completed by a student of 11 "b" class

Zelenin Ivan

Ocher, 2009

Introduction
Economic and geographical position (EGP):

Natural resources:

mineral

Agro-climatic

Population:

Number and natural increase

Gender and age composition

Population density
Level of urbanization

industry

Agriculture

transport

a bit of history...

Introduction

The name of the country in Russian and many languages comes from the Swedish word Finland("country of the Finns"). The Finnish name of the country is Suomi. For the first time, it is recorded on the pages of Russian chronicles in the form of Sum (from the beginning of the 12th century). Initially, this was the name of the territory of present-day southwestern Finland (coastal areas), called Varsinais Suomi (real Finland). The word itself is also of Germanic origin, going back to the Old Swedish word with the meaning of detachment, group, gathering. There are other versions of the origin of this name:

Some believe that the word Suomi comes from the Finnish word suomu (“scales”), because the ancient inhabitants sewed themselves clothes from fish skin

According to another theory, the word Suomi was originally a proper name. Indeed, the name Suomi was worn by a certain Danish nobleman who made peace with Charlemagne. The name of the nobleman was preserved in the papers of the king.

According to another version, the word Suomi- of Estonian origin. It is assumed that the once existing area by name Sooma(est. sooo- "swamp", maa- "Earth"; Literally: "land of swamps"). Settlers from this area transferred the name of their homeland to southwestern Finland, which also became known as Suomi.

Economic and geographical position

Finland is a state in northern Europe. The capital is Helsinki. Borders Sweden in the northwest

(586 km), Norway in the north (716 km) and Russia in the east (1265 km), the maritime border with Estonia runs along the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea. In the south and west of the coast of Finland

washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea, its gulfs - Finnish and Bothnian. Length

coastline (excluding sinuosity) 1100 km. The area of Finland is 339 thousand km 2, it ranks 64th in the world in terms of area (about 1/4 of the area is located beyond the Arctic Circle). About 1/10 of the territory

Finland - inland waters, mainly lakes.

The country is divided into three main geographical regions:

Coastal lowlands - they stretch along the shores of the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, along the coasts of which there are thousands of rocky islands; the main archipelagos are the Aland Islands and the Turku archipelago. In the south - west coast, a strongly dissected coast develops into the largest archipelago in Finland - the Archipelago Sea - a unique place in the whole world, thanks to the unique multitude of islands of various sizes.

The inland lake system (Lake region) is an internal plateau south of the center of the country with dense forests and a large number of lakes, marshes and marshes.

The northern upper reaches, most of which are located beyond the Arctic Circle. Differs in rather poor soils. Rocky mountains and small hills are also characteristic of Lapland. In the same place, in the western part of Lapland, is the highest point in Finland - Halti fjeld (1328 meters above sea level)

Most of Finland is lowland, but in the northeast some mountains reach heights of over 1000 meters. Finland sits on an ancient granite bedrock that was formed during the ice age, traces of which are visible, for example, in the complex system of lakes and archipelagos and in the huge boulders found throughout the country.

Natural resources

Mineral resources: Finland has significant mineral resources. In 1974, 934,000 tons of iron ore (concentrates and pellets), 38,000 tons of copper, and 92,000 tons of zinc were mined. In addition, nickel, chromites, cobalt, vanadium, lead, pyrites, graphite, feldspar, and asbestos are mined in Finland. The energy problem is one of the most acute in Finland; the country does not have mineral fuel, other energy resources are limited. Its own fuel needs are covered by imports. Crude oil is mainly imported, as well as oil products; production of petroleum products in Finland in

1974 was St. 8.3 million tons

Water resources: Often referred to as the "land of a thousand lakes", Finland has about 190,000 lakes covering 9% of its area. Usually lakes abound with numerous bays, peninsulas and islands, interconnected by channels and form branched lake systems. Small lakes with average depths of 5-20 m predominate. However, within the Lake Plateau, located in central Finland, there are quite large and deep reservoirs. Thus, the depth of Lake Payanne reaches 93 m. The largest lake in the country is Saimaa, located in the southeast of the country. To the north of the Lake Plateau is a large lake Oulujärvi , and in the north of Lapland - a large lake Inari. The number of rivers in Finland reaches 2,000. They abound in rapids and waterfalls. Most of the rivers have a short length, and connect the lakes with each other or flow from the lakes into the sea. The largest rivers - Kemijoki, Oulujoki and Tornionjoki - flow in the north. The Kemijoki River has the most extensive network of tributaries. There are also 36 channels with 48 gateways in the country. The canals are mostly small and connect the country's rivers and lakes, sometimes bypassing waterfalls. The most important is the Saimaa Canal, which partially passes through the Leningrad Region and connects Lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland.

Forest resources: If you move from the south of Finland to the north, the landscapes of the sea coast with a huge number of small islands and rocks will give way to dense coniferous mostly pine forests that cover the center of the country. Further north are the almost treeless hills of Lapland. 2/3 of the forests are privately owned, and with joint-stock companies - 3/4.

Annual felling is about 50-55 million m 3 . In forestry together with timber rafting

65 thousand people are employed, except for the peasants who make up the main contingent

employed in this industry.

Agro-climatic resources: The climate is temperate, transitional from maritime to continental, and continental in the north. Despite its northerly position, Finland is experiencing the warming effect of the Atlantic. During the year, the country is dominated by westerly winds with frequent cyclones. The average temperatures of all seasons are much higher than in more eastern regions at the same latitudes. Winters are cold. Precipitation throughout the year. The average temperature in February in the south of the country is -6 °C, in Lapland -14 °C. In July, respectively, +17 in the south and up to +14 in the north.

Population

Number and natural increase:

The population of Finland in 2009 was 5,340,093 people, of which 47% are men and 53% are women.

The annual population growth averages 0.098%. On average, 105 boys are born in Finland for every 100 girls;

Age composition:

0-14 years old: 16.4% (males 438,425/females 422,777);

15-64 years old: 66.8% (males 1,773,495/females 1,732,792);

65 years and older: 16.8% (male 357,811/female 524,975);

Peoples:

The national composition of the population of Finland is relatively homogeneous, 91%

the inhabitants are Finns. Swedes live in the southern and western Baltic regions (about 390 thousand people, 1973, estimate), in the north of the country - about 3 thousand Saami (Lapps). The official languages are Finnish and Swedish.

Population density:

The average population density is 16 people. per 1 km2, 9/10 of the total population lives in the southern half of the country.

Urbanization:

The level of urbanization in Finland is quite high, which leads to the growth of old cities and urban-type settlements, to the formation of new cities, to the fouling of large cities with satellite cities. The urban population in 1974 was 58.1% (32.3% in 1950).

Industry

The vast majority of industrial output is produced by about 15% of industrial enterprises (with 100 or more employees), which employ about 70% of all industrial personnel. In 1975, 609,000 people were employed in industry. (against 364.5 thousand people in 1959). Substantial shifts took place in the structure of industry in the postwar years (see Table 2). In terms of product value, the group of branches of the metalworking industry acquired the same importance as the timber and paper industry, which occupied a dominant position until World War II and still retained first place in exports (43% of all exports in 1976). This happened due to the modernization and expansion, and in some cases the construction of new machine-building enterprises, which was caused both by the increased consumption of metal products, machinery and equipment in Finland itself, and by the fulfillment of reparation deliveries, and subsequently orders from the USSR and other socialist countries.

Industry structure
Industries	Number of employees, thousand people	Gross output value, million Finnish marks


Including
Mining
Metallurgical. .
Metalworking and machine building
Woodworking..
Paper
Food. .
Ceramic, glass, building materials
Chemical
Leather and footwear
Textile and garment
Printing..
Electricity, water and gas supply

Extractive industry and energy.

The energy problem is one of the most acute in Finland; the country does not have mineral fuel, other energy resources are limited. Its own fuel needs are covered by imports. On the structure of the fuel and energy balance, see Table. 3. Mainly crude oil is imported, as well as oil products; the production of petroleum products in Finland in 1974 amounted to St. 8.3 million tons . The hydropower potential of St. 20 billion kW. h , of which 11 billion kW have been mastered. h (1973). The main sources are in the North, where in the post-war years cascades of hydroelectric power stations were built on the rivers: Oulujoki and Kemijoki. The total capacity of power plants in 1974 was 6.79 million kW. , including the capacity of HPP 2.32 million kW. . In the total electricity production, the share of HPP St. 40%, the largest HPPs - "Iatra" (capacity 156 MW.) , Oulujoki (110 MW) , Pyhäkoski (110 MW) . A nuclear power plant is under construction at Lovisa (with the technical assistance of the Soviet Union, the 1st power unit was launched in 1977). Part of the electricity (3.6 billion kW. h in 1974) is imported, including from the USSR. Since 1974, natural gas has been supplied from the USSR to Finland via a pipeline.

Manufacturing industry

The group of metal industries includes metallurgy, metalworking and mechanical engineering, including the electrical industry, the production of means of transport (and ship repair). The main place in this group belongs to transport and general mechanical engineering, electrical engineering. The metallurgical industry increased significantly in the 1960s and 70s. due to the expansion of the raw material base and the commissioning of new enterprises, the largest of them are the Rautarukki state metallurgical plant (in Rakh and Hyamenlinna) and factories operating mainly on scrap in the cities of Imatra, Turku, Kover-hare. In non-ferrous metallurgy, the smelting of electrolytic copper and zinc is developed (factories in the city of Kokkola).

Finland produces a wide range of machinery and industrial equipment; For the production and export of machinery and equipment for the pulp and paper industry, F. occupies a prominent place in the world (7% of the production of all capitalist countries and 10% of exports). Main production centers: Lahti, Vasa, Karhula, Rauma, Tampere. Machine-building industries are developed, specializing in the production of handling equipment (freight elevators, cranes, etc.), agricultural machines, machines for the forestry industry, for road and construction work.

Electrical industry

specializes mainly in the production of power equipment (generators, transformers, electric motors, etc.) and the manufacture of cables, the production of telephones, manual and automatic telephone exchanges, radios, televisions, and much more; the main center is Helsinki, as well as Turku, Salo, Porvo. Developed shipbuilding; there are 9 shipyards, the largest - in Turku, Helsinki, Rauma; build mainly special vessels, including the world's largest diesel icebreakers, platforms with drilling rigs for offshore oil production, ferries, sea. and lake tugs, pass. and cargo ships.

Wooden shipbuilding (sailboats, schooners, boats, motor boats) has been preserved. A large number of ships are built on foreign orders.

Automotive(mainly from imported parts, the assembly of passenger cars of the Swedish-Finnish company Saab-Valmet; production of trucks and buses) and tractor building; centers - Helsinki, Hämenlinna, Tampere, Jyväskylä.

Timber industry has a diversified structure and includes woodworking (including sawmilling, production of furniture, standard houses and building parts) and pulp and paper industry (including the production of wood pulp, sulfite and sulphate pulp, paper, cardboard). Finland has less than 1% of the world's timber resources (0.6%), but it is in the first rank of capitalist countries producing and exporting timber products. The woodworking and pulp and paper industries account for more than 1/4 of the value of the country's gross industrial output, and the products of these industries account for almost 1/5 of the value of Finnish exports. Large sawmills. factories are located mainly in the lower reaches of raftable rivers. There is a production of plywood, chipboard, matches, etc.; the furniture industry is developed (the main center is the city of Lahti); production of houses, baths, barracks, etc., ch. district of wooden housing construction - lake district (Varkaus, Joensu), gg. Rauma, Turku, Kemi.

Pulp and paper industry gives the largest amount of export timber products. The main place is occupied by the production of paper pulp, mainly pulp (5% of world production and 7% of exports) and paper - newsprint (respectively 6% and 11%), writing and printing (4% and 22%). This industry works partly (about 30%) on waste from sawmills and woodworking enterprises. This is related to its placement. The main regions are the South-East (Kyumi-Joki river valley) and the coast of the Bothnian Hall. The most important timber industry and export centers are the cities. Kotka, Kemi and Pori.

Chemical industry is developing at a rapid pace, far outstripping the average annual growth rate of the industry as a whole. St. 2 I 3 chemical production falls on oil refining, St. 1/3 - for plastic products, fertilizers - nitrogen and phosphate, paints and synthetic fibers, 1/5 - for household chemicals. The production of sulfuric acid, which is used in the pulp and paper industry, is important. Chemical industry centers - Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Oulu; oil refining - gg. Porvo and Nantali. Light and food industry b. h. focused on the domestic market. Textile, clothing, leather and footwear, glass and porcelain industries are developed; production of building materials. Main text, center - Tampere. Food processing enterprises, in particular those producing butter and cheese, are located throughout the country, but especially in the Southwest.

Agriculture

Finland is one of the northernmost countries with developed agriculture. Its peculiarity is its connection with forestry. The main direction of agriculture is animal husbandry, mainly dairy, it gives 75% of the value of agricultural products. Agriculture uses 8.1% of the country's territory - 2.7 million hectares (1973), of which almost all land is cultivated. On sown areas, collection of agricultural crops, livestock and livestock products. The vast majority of peasant farms are small. Out of 266,000 farms (1973), 176,000 had less than 5 hectares of arable land. Since farms with more than 10 hectares are practically viable. arable land, income from the exploitation of forests (an average of 35 hectares per farm) and additional earnings on the side are of great importance for peasants. Only 5% of households use hired labor. Farms that have less than 10 ha of arable land each make up 77.4% of farms and occupy about 45% of arable land; farms with 10-20 ha arable lands make up about 17% of all farms and have 32% of arable land; large farms (over 20 hectares of arable land each) - St. 5% of all farms, they concentrate 23% of arable land. The process of ruining small farms and the concentration of land among large owners is proceeding at an increasing pace. In the period 1969-74, 39 thousand peasant farms went bankrupt, mainly those whose arable land did not exceed 10 hectares . In the southern and central regions, along with animal husbandry, grain farming is of great importance. Marketing and processing of agricultural products are heavily monopolized. Forage crops predominate in the sown areas - oats, barley, seeded grasses. Agriculture is highly mechanized (175,000 tractors and 34,000 combines in 1974), which means that grain yields (wheat 29.4 c/ha , rye 18.3 q/ha in 1975) and the milk yield of cows (3974 kg per cow per year in 1974). In the northern regions - reindeer breeding.

Transport

The transport system in Finland is considered to be well thought out. Roads in Finland are managed by the Road Administration (Fin. Tiehallinto) is an agency subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Finnish railway network is operated by the state-owned Ratahallintokeskus, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Domestic and international air travel in Finland is operated by about twenty airlines, including two Finnish ones: Finnair (formerly Aero), a Finnish state-owned airline, and Finncomm Airlines, a privately-owned airline that operates airshare services with Finnair. There are 28 airports in the country, the largest of which is Helsinki-Vantaa located in Vantaa. 25 airports are operated by Finavia. The Merenkulkulaitos Department, subordinate to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, is responsible for water transport. The length of railways is about 6,000 km (1976), they account for 2.8% of passenger traffic and 26.4% of freight traffic. The length of highways is about 40 thousand km. The main seaports are Helsinki, Turku, Kotka, Hamina, oil ports are Schildvik and Nantali. Thanks to icebreakers, sea navigation is all year round.

A bit of history...

According to archaeological research, the first settlements in Finland appeared at the end of the ice age, that is, around 8500 BC. e.. the inhabitants of Finland were hunters and gatherers who used stone tools. The first pottery appeared in the 3rd millennium BC. e., when settlers from the East brought the culture of comb pottery. The arrival of the battle ax culture on the southern coast of Finland in the 32nd century BC. e. coincided with the birth of agriculture. Despite this, hunting and fishing still remained an important part of the life of the settlers, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

By the end of the Viking Age, Swedish merchants and kings extended their influence to the entire Baltic region. For several centuries Finland was ruled by Protestant Sweden. But as a result of the Russo-Swedish War, Finland in 1809 became part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland, while maintaining broad autonomy. However, the unpopular Russification process prepared the Finns for independence.

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