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conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form:
Finland
local long form:
Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
local short form:
Suomi/Finland
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republic
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name: Helsinki
geographic coordinates:
60 10 N, 24 56 E
time difference:
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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20 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta [Finnish]; landskapen, singular - landskapet [Swedish]); Aland (Swedish), Ahvenanmaa (Finnish); Etela-Karjala (Finnish), Sodra Karelen (Swedish); Etela-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Sodra Osterbotten (Swedish); Etela-Savo (Finnish), Sodra Savolax (Swedish); Kanta-Hame (Finnish), Egentliga Tavastland (Swedish); Ita-Uusimaa (Finnish), Ostra Nyland (Swedish); Kainuu (Finnish), Kajanaland (Swedish); Keski-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Mellersta Osterbotten (Swedish); Keski-Suomi (Finnish), Mellersta Finland (Swedish); Kymenlaakso (Finnish), Kymmenedalen (Swedish); Lappi (Finnish), Lappland (Swedish); Paijat-Hame (Finnish), Paijanne-Tavastland (Swedish); Pirkanmaa (Finnish), Birkaland (Swedish); Osterbotten (Swedish), Pohjanmaa (Finnish); Pohjois-Karjala (Finnish), Norra Karelen (Swedish); Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Norra Osterbotten (Swedish); Pohjois-Savo (Finnish), Norra Savolax (Swedish); Satakunta (Finnish and Swedish); Uusimaa (Finnish), Nyland (Swedish); Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish), Egentliga Finland (Swedish)
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6 December 1917 (from Russia)
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Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
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1 March 2000
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civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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18 years of age; universal
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chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government:
Prime Minister Mari KIVINIEMI (since 22 June 2010; Deputy Prime Minister Jyrki KATAINEN (since 19 April 2007)
cabinet:
Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to parliament
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2012); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament must approve the appointment; Prime Minister VANHANEN reelected on 17 April 2007
election results:
percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 46.3%, Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 24.1%, Matti VANHANEN (Kesk) 18.6%, Heidi HAUTALA (VIHR) 3.5%; a runoff election between HALONEN and NIINISTO was held 29 January 2006 - HALONEN 51.8%, NIINISTO 48.2%; Matti VANHANEN reelected prime minister; election results 121-71
note:
government coalition - Kesk, KOK, VIHR, and SFP
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unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 18 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011)
election results:
percent of vote by party - Kesk 23.1%, Kok 22.3%, SDP 21.4%, VAS 8.8%, VIHR 8.5%, KD 4.9%, SFP 4.5%, True Finns 4.1%, other 3.4%; seats by party - Kesk 51, Kok 50, SDP 45, VAS 17, VIHR 15, SFP 9, KD 7, True Finns 5, other 1 (the constituency of Aland)
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general courts - deal with criminal and civil cases (include district courts, Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus, whose judges are appointed by the president); administrative courts
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Center Party or Kesk [Mari KIVINIEMI]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green Party or VIHR [Anni SINNEMAKI]; Left Alliance or VAS [Paavo ARHINMAKI] (composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative); National Coalition Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN] (conservative); Social Democratic Party or SDP [Jutta URPILAINEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Stefan WALLIN]; True Finns [Timo SOINI]
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ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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chief of mission: Ambassador Pekka LINTU
chancery:
3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 298-5800
FAX:
[1] (202) 298-6030
consulate(s) general:
Los Angeles, New York
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chief of mission: Ambassador Bruce J. ORECK
embassy:
Itainen Puistotie 14B, 00140 Helsinki
mailing address:
APO AE 09723
telephone:
[358] (9) 616250
FAX:
[358] (9) 6162 5800
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white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter
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