FINLAND

Country's Name: Republic of Finland (Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland)
Year Founded: They declared their independance from Russia on December 6, 1917.
Population: by 2009, they estimate to inhabit 5,250,275 people (by July).
Primary Language: They speak (officially) Finnish and Swedish, but they have regional languages such as Sami and other Russian speaking minorities.
Ethnic Make-up: The ethnic groups that inhabit most of Finland are Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.6%, Russian 0.5%, Estonian 0.3%, Roma (Gypsy) 0.1%, Sami 0.1% (2006)
Political System: The Constiturion of Finland defines the political system. Finland is a representative democracy with a semi-presidential parlamentary system.
Year Entered the European Union: This country entered in the EU on January 1st, 1995.
Representative of the European Union (include party):
Type of Economy: 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.
Currency: They use the EURO as their currency
Current Exchange rate for American Currency: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6799 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
GDP: by 2008 was $201.2 billion in purchasing power parity; $282.2 billion in official exchange rate; and the real growth rate was of 1.5%
Percentage of Trade within the European Union: EXPORTS: Germany 10.9%, Sweden 10.7%, Russia 10.3%, US 6.4%, UK 5.8%, Netherlands 5.6% (2007). IMPORTS: Germany 15.8%, Russia 14%, Sweden 13.7%, Netherlands 6.8%, China 5.5%, UK 4.9% (2007).
Unemployment Rate: 6.4% estimated by 2008
Chief Exports: electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
Key Imports: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics, grains
Major Religions: Most Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland; a minority belong to the Finnish Orthodox Church; other protestant denominations and Roman Catholic Church are smaller as are the Muslim, Jewish and other non-Christian comminities.
Surrounding Countries: It is surrounded by Norway 727km, Sweden 614 km, and Russia 1,313 km.
Literacy Rate: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 100%; male: 100%; female: 100% (2000 est.).
One Interesting Fact: The World Economic Forum rank this country #1 in the world. Around 33% of residents have a tertiary degree, similar to Nordics and more than in most other OECD countries except Canada (44%), United States (38%) and Japan(37%).