FINLAND



Anneli Jaatteenmaki
Prime Minister

Finland

(pronounced "AH-nee-lee YAH-teen-mah-kee")

"Such support from the people requires us to work for the people and make everyday life for the Finns better."

The Republic of Finland lies in northern Europe, bordering on Norway to the far north, Sweden to the west, and Russia to the east. In area, Finland covers 338,145 sq km (130,559 sq mi); its western shores extend approximately 1,164 km (710 mi) along the Baltic Sea.

The population was estimated at 5,183,545 in 2002. Despite a history of language antagonism, both Finnish and Swedish are official languages. Approximately 94% of the people are Finnish-speakers, and the remaining 6% principally Swedish-speakers. There is a small population of several thousand nomadic Saami (Lapps) in the far north.

Timber, paper, and other forestry-related products are major exports, but the metal, machine tool, and especially electronics industries are leading employers. Industry, construction, and transportation employ about one-third of the labor force, while agriculture, forestry, and fishing employ about 8%, and public and private services account for about 56% of total employment. Although Finland has significant mineral resources, its design and high technology sectors were more important as of 2003. As of 2000, the Finnish currency is the euro . The per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US $26,200 in 2002.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Anneli Jaatteenmaki was born on 11 February 1955 in Lapua, Finland, a rural farming community. She is the daughter of Oiva Jaakoppi Jaatteenmaki, a farmer, and Anna Irja Latvala, a housewife. She has been married since 1994 to Jorma Melleri, the head of the news service in Finland. Jaatteenmaki, a lawyer, lives in the capital, Helsinki. She completed her law degree in 1980 and has been a senior lawyer since then.

ADDRESS

Office of the Prime Minister
Snellmaninkatu 1-A,
FIN-00170
Helsinki, Finland
Web Site: http://www.vnk.fi/vn/liston/vnk.lsp

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: