Finland

Finland Geography

Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Geographic coordinates
64 00 N, 26 00 E

Area
total: 338,145 sq km
land: 304,473 sq km
water: 33,672 sq km

Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries
total: 2,690 km
border countries: Norway 736 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

Coastline
1,250 km

Maritime claims
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

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

Terrain
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Halti 1,328 m

Natural resources
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone

Land use
arable land: 7.19%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 92.78% (2001)

Irrigated land
640 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards
NA

Environment - current issues
air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, 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: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain



- Info Provided by the CIA World Factbook -