Finland (Finnish name: Suomi) is situated in northern Europe. It has a population of 5.2 million and a surface area of 338,000 square kilometres. The capital city is Helsinki and Helsinki metropolitan area has 956,800 residents.
After centuries under Swedish and Russian rule, Finland became independent in 1917 and joined the European Union in 1995. The country is an advanced industrial economy: metal, engineering and electronics industries account for 50% of export revenues, and the forest products industry for another 30%. Finland has one of the highest rates of Internet use in the world, and boasts more mobile than fixed network telephone subscriptions.
Forests cover three quarters of the country's surface area of 338 000 sq. km. Other outstanding features of Finland's scenery are some 190 000 lakes and approximately as many islands. The principal archipelago and the self-governing province of the Åland Islands lie off the south-west coast while the main lake district, centred on Lake Saimaa, is in the east.
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