Finland is one of the most northerly of populated countries. To the east and southeast, it is bordered by the Soviet Union, to the west by Sweden, and to the north by Norway.

Although Finland lies as far north as Alaska, the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream to the southwest makes the summers quite pleasant. However, the summer is short. Snow blankets the ground and ice tops the lakes for many months of the year. While it is 70 degrees Fahrenheit [20° C.] in the summer and daylight is almost 24 hours long, during the winter the temperature may drop to 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit [-40° C.], and for a few months, the sun can hardly be seen. Icebreakers with reinforced hulls must plow through frozen water to keep sea traffic moving year-round. Since forests of pine, spruce, and birch cover most of the land, the paper industry flourishes from the raw materials provided by these trees. The country is quite flat, and even the highest peaks of the mountains in Lapland reach only some 4,300 feet [1,300 m].

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Capital: Helsinki

Official Languages: Finnish and Swedish

Major Religion: Evangelical Lutheran

Population: 4,954,000

Branch Office: Vantaa