Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total area:
337,030 sq km
Land boundaries:
total 2,628 km, Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia
1,313 km
Coastline:
1,126 km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)
Maritime claims:
International disputes:
none
Climate:
cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild
because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current,
Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and
low hills
Natural resources:
timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Land use:
Irrigated land:
620 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment: current issues:
air pollution from manufacturing and power plants
contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial
wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens
wildlife populations
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note:
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national
capital on European continent; population concentrated on
small southwestern coastal plain
land area:
305,470 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Montana
contiguous zone:
6 nm
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone:
12 nm
territorial sea:
4 nm
arable land:
8%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
76%
other:
16%