Finland - Republic of Finland - Country Profile - Suomi - Republiken Finland - Northern Europe
Flag of Finland
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 the subsequent half century, the  Finns have made a remarkable transformation from a farm/forest economy to a diversified  modern industrial economy; per capita income is now on par with Western Europe.  As a member of the European Union, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the  euro system at its initiation in January 1999.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)
border countries: Norway , Sweden , Russia , maritime border with Estonia