Finland

Population: 5,175,783 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities

Background: Ruled by Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries and by Russia from 1809, Finland finally won its independence in 1917. During World War II, it was able to successfully defend its freedom and fend off invasions by the Soviet Union and Germany. In...

Currency: Euro (EUR, EUR (€0.67 = US$1))

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.