‘Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the EU since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland’s modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system – currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland opted to join NATO; it became the organization’s 31st member in April 2023’. (CIA)
Natural resources
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
Economy
‘Finland is a highly industrialized, export-based EU economy and euro user; high per capita GDP; major timber, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries; manageable public debts; rigid labour laws impose higher regulatory burdens’ (CIA)
Currency: Euro. Ease of doing business index: 20th
Officially the world’s happiest country this year… again
Short video about the extraordinary success of the Finns
Oxford University Professor Danny Dorling talks about Finland & his book ‘Fintopia’
How Finand ended homelessness
