GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and
Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
Geographic coordinates:
64 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 337,030 sq km
land: 305,470 sq km
water: 31,560 sq km
Area—comparative:
slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 2,628 km
border countries: Norway 729 km, Sweden 586 km, Russia
1,313 km
Coastline: 1,126
km (excludes islands and coastal indentations)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 6 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland—3
nm)
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m
Natural resources:
timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 76%
other: 16% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 640
sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
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
Environment—international
agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography—note:
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital
on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern
coastal plain
