Finland

F

Transportation

A system of canals, connecting Finland’s lakes with one another and with the Gulf of Finland, provides cheap and efficient transport for the forest industry; about 6,600 km (about 4,100 mi) of inland waterways are navigable. Railroad lines have a combined length of 5,732 km (3,562 mi), owned and operated by the state. Finland has about 78,216 km (48,601 mi) of roads, 61 percent of them paved. Finnair, Finland’s biggest carrier and national airline, provides domestic and international flights.

G

Communications

The government controls domestic telegraph services and operates the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yleisradio) which broadcasts most of the radio and television programs of Finland. Two privately owned television stations offer programming that is available to most Finnish households.

Finland is home to one of the world’s most advanced telecommunications sectors. Finland’s dense network of telephone lines is entirely digital. In 1998 Finland became the first nation in the world in which mobile cellular telephone subscriptions outnumbered fixed-line telephone connections. Newspapers are privately owned and reflect a broad spectrum of opinion. Daily newspapers number about 55.

V

Government

Finland is a democratic republic. It has a parliamentary form of government that divides executive power between the president and the prime minister. Finland is governed under a constitution adopted on March 1, 2000. The previous constitution was adopted on July 17, 1919, shortly after Finland’s declaration of independence from Russia. All citizens who have reached 18 years of age can vote.

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A

Executive

The president of Finland, who is elected to a six-year term by direct popular vote, is the head of state. Under the 1919 constitution, the president was responsible for national security and foreign affairs and also appointed the Council of State (cabinet) and the prime minister; the prime minister and cabinet were responsible for domestic policy making. The present constitution, adopted in March 2000, reduced the power of the president and gave more authority to the prime minister and cabinet. Today, the parliament elects the prime minister, who is then officially appointed by the president. The prime minister nominates cabinet members for appointment.

The new constitution also requires the president to work more closely with the prime minister and cabinet on foreign policy issues. The prime minister’s responsibility for Finland’s relations with the European Union (EU) is a significant example of this.

B

Legislature

The Finnish parliament is a unicameral body known as the Eduskunta (Riksdag in Swedish). Its 200 members are popularly elected on a proportional basis for a term of up to four years. Members of the Eduskunta may initiate legislation, override presidential vetoes, or bring about the resignation of the cabinet and prime minister. The president may dissolve the Eduskunta and call for new elections at the request of the prime minister.

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