official), Swedish 5.5% (official), other 3% (small
Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities) (2006)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 17 years
male: 17 years
female: 18 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

6.4% of GDP (2005)

Government
Finland

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen tasavalta/Republiken Finland
local short form: Suomi/Finland

Government type:

republic

Capital:

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

Administrative divisions:

6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani
(Southern Finland), Ita-Suomen Laani (Eastern Finland), Lansi-Suomen
Laani (Western Finland), Lappi (Lapland), Oulun Laani

Independence:

6 December 1917 (from Russia)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Constitution:

1 March 2000

Legal system:

civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the
Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June
2003); Deputy Prime Minister Jyrki KATAINEN (since 19 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
president, responsible to parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 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 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
reelecte