Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%, Orthodox Church 1.1%, other Christian 1.1%, other 0.1%, none 15.1% (2006)
indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Languages
Finnish 91.5% (official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006)
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Exports
electrical and optical equipment, machinery, transport equipment, paper and pulp, chemicals, basic metals; timber
diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
External Debt
$577,000,000,000 $
$483,900,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6799 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 438.77 (2008 est.), 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.000%
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
4
0
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
338,145 km sq
622,984 km sq
Coastline
1,250 km
0 km
Climate
cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
