Area: 338,145 sq km

Population: 5,238,460 (July 2007 est.)

Capital: Helsinki

Government: Republic

Ethnic groups: Finns 93.4%, Swedes 5.7%, Sami, Roma

Main languages: Finnish, Swedish (6%)

Religion: Christianity (Lutheran Church of Finland 84.2%)

Time: GMT+2

One of the Nordic countries in northern Europe, Finland shares land borders with Norway, Sweden and Russia, and has coastlines on the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland. Relatively little of the country is cultivated due to the severity of Finland's winter climate, and the landscape consists mainly of flat plains, low hills and around 188,000 inland lakes. There are nearly 100,000 islands located within these lakes, and 30,000 more offshore islands. Overall, about 10% of the country is under water, and nearly two-thirds is forested.

Finland is an advanced and affluent country with its economy built traditionally on timber and metal manufacturing industries, and now with equally important IT and telecommunications sectors. Finland's economic success has been underpinned by high levels of government investment in education, training and research, and it has a highly educated and skilled labour force. Finland has a fairly high level of unemployment, however, especially in rural areas.

The capital of Helsinki, spreading across several bays, peninsulas and islands in southern Finland, is a pleasant and clean low-rise city of around half a million inhabitants. It is expanding rapidly, largely due to an influx of immigrants in recent years, and now has quite a cosmopolitan feel. The city has a large number of attractive 19th century buildings, in architectural styles that reflect both Russian and Swedish influences, many green open spaces and numerous waterways. It also has a lively arts and entertainment scene, and its many open-air cafes and bustling market square are very popular in the summer months. However, the city is quieter during the severe winters when people opt to hibernate indoors. Finland's other main cities include the old capital of Turku, on the southwest coast, and Tampere which is located inland.

Until recently, Finland has experienced only low levels of immigration and it has a mainly homogenous population of Finns, with a significant Swedish minority. However, immigration has increased steeply in recent years, due to such factors as Finland joining the EU, the relaxation of refugee legislation, and the growing number of international firms based in Finland. Even so, Finland still has a low proportion of immigrants and very few living outside Helsinki and the other main cities.