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Finland: Finland Geography Profile 2012

2012/03/12

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Finland Geography Profile 2012

Land
Finland is a low-lying country that was covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age. On retreating, the glaciers left the country flat to hilly and studded with lakes. The land rises from a coastal plain in the south and southwest to a rolling plateau, with elevations from 300 to 600 feet (90 to 180 m) in the south-central section. Uplands of more than 600 feet (180 m) in elevation extend northward to Finnish Lapland, the northernmost part of the country. Here rise small arctic mountains, called fells. The highest point is Mount Haltia, on the Norwegian border, which reaches 4,344 feet (1,324 m).
Thousands of islands, most of them small, dot the 690-mile (1,110-km) coast. The largest is land, the principal island of the land Islands, which lie off the southwest coast.

Water
On the plateau in south-central Finland are many of the country's 60,000 lakes, including most of its large ones. Among the largest are Saimaa, Paijanne, Nasi, Keitele, Kalla, and Pielinen. Other large lakes include Oulu Lake, in central Finland, and Lake Inari, in Lapland. Among the rivers are the Vuoksi, Kymi, and Kokemaen, draining much of the plateau; the Oulu, draining Oulu Lake; and the Kemi, draining much of the north.
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 comparative: 

slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries Total: 

2,654 km

Land boundaries Note: 

Climate: 

Climate
Finland has a subpolar type of climate, which increases in severity toward the north. In the south the climate is tempered by the sea. Winters are long and cold—average February temperatures vary from about 5° F. (-15° C.) in the north to 20° F. (-7° C.) in the south. Summers are short and cool—July temperatures average about 55° F. (13° C.) in the north and 63° F. (17° C.) in the south.
Finland's annual precipitation varies from 20 to 25 inches (510 to 630 mm). Snow cover lasts from about 90 days in land to 250 days above the Arctic Circle.
Daylight hours are extremely long in summer and short in winter. Above the Arctic Circle there are more than 50 days of uninterrupted winter night and more than 70 days of continuous summer daylight. This part of Finland is within the region often called the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Terrain: 

mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Natural resources: 

timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone

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

Geography note: 

long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain