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KOSHER DELIGHT - YOUR JEWISH ONLINE MAGAZINE!
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FINLAND |
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
ABOUT FINLAND:
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Background:
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Finland was a
province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the
19th centuries and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809.
It won its complete independence in 1917. During World War II, it
was able to successfully defend its freedom and resist invasions
by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the
subsequent half century, the Finns made a remarkable
transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern
industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western
Europe. As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only
Nordic state to join the euro system at its initiation in January
1999.
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Location:
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Northern Europe,
bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland,
between Sweden and Russia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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64 00 N, 26 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 338,145
sq km
land: 304,473 sq km
water: 33,672 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,681
km
border countries: Norway 727 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia
1,340 km |
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Coastline:
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1,250 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea:
12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf
boundary with Sweden |
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Climate:
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cold temperate;
potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating
influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than
60,000 lakes |
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Terrain:
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mostly low, flat to
rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m |
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Natural resources:
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timber, iron ore,
copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone |
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Land use:
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arable land:
6.54%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 93.44% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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640 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution from
manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water
pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat
loss threatens wildlife populations |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur
94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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long boundary with
Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European
continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal
plain
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Population:
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5,231,372 (July 2006
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
17.1% (male 455,420/female 438,719)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,766,674/female 1,724,858)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 337,257/female 508,444)
(2006 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 41.3
years
male: 39.7 years
female: 42.8 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.14% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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10.45 births/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.86 deaths/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.84 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.04
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 3.55
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
78.5 years
male: 74.99 years
female: 82.17 years (2006 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.73 children
born/woman (2006 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2003
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1,500 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (2003
est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish |
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Ethnic groups:
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Finn 93.4%, Swede
5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1% |
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Religions:
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Lutheran National
Church 84.2%, Greek Orthodox in Finland 1.1%, other Christian
1.1%, other 0.1%, none 13.5% (2003) |
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Languages:
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Finnish 92%
(official), Swedish 5.6% (official), other 2.4% (small Sami- and
Russian-speaking minorities) (2003) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
local short form: Suomi |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Helsinki |
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Administrative divisions:
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6 provinces (laanit,
singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani,
Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani |
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Independence:
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6 December 1917 (from
Russia) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 6
December (1917) |
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Constitution:
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1 March 2000 |
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Legal system:
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civil law system
based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court
to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state:
President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24
June 2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Eero HEINALUOMA (since 24
September 2005)
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by
the president, responsible to parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year
term; election last held 15 January 2006 (next to be held January
2012); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime
minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after
parliamentary elections and the parliament must approve the
appointment
election results: percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP)
46.3%, Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti Vanhanen (Kesk) 18.6%,
Heidi HAUTALA (VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and
NIINISTO was held 29 January 2006 - HOLONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%
note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament
or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a
proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%,
SDP 24.5%, Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats
by party - Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8,
other 4 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or
Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Center Party or Kesk
[Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green
League or VIHR [Tarja CRONBERG]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of
People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne
SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki
KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Eero HEINALUOMA];
Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM] |
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International organization participation:
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AfDB, Arctic Council,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU,
ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNTSO,
UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Pekka LINTU
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Marilyn WARE
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (9) 616250
FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800 |
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Flag description:
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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)
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Economy - overview:
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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; exports equal two-fifths of GDP. Finland excels in
high-tech exports, e.g., mobile phones. Except for timber and
several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials,
energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the
climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining
self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export
earner, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population.
Rapidly increasing integration with Western Europe - Finland was
one of the 12 countries joining the European Economic and Monetary
Union (EMU) - will dominate the economic picture over the next
several years. High unemployment remains a persistent problem. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$159.7 billion (2005
est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$187.5 billion (2005
est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.2% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$30,600 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
3.1%
industry: 30.4%
services: 66.5% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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2.61 million (2005
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture and
forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%, commerce 14%, finance,
insurance, and business services 10%, transport and communications
8%, public services 32% |
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Unemployment rate:
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7.9% (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%:
4.2%
highest 10%: 21.6% (1991) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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26.9 (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.2% (2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.4% of GDP (2005
est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$99.61 billion
expenditures: $97.14 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
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Public debt:
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42% of GDP (2005
est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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barley, wheat, sugar
beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish |
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Industries:
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metals and metal
products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments,
shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles,
clothing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3% (2005 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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79.61 billion kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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78.94 billion kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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7 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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11.9 billion kWh
(2003) |
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