Finland Finland Population 5,961,076 SINless Population (est.) 13% Per Capita Income 30,000 Below Poverty Level 13% Megacorporate Affiliation 58% Education: Less than 12 years 17% GED 48% 4 year degree 24% Masters or higher 11% Major Language Finnish (94%) Currency Euro Capital Helsinki Finland: a beautiful country of a thousand lakes, sauna and primeval forests. Shortly after the Awakening, many of Finland's northern forests experienced an unusual upsurge in growth - not so much in area as in density and height. Official (and unofficial) attempts to investigate the cause of this phenomenon have been hampered by strong spirit activity and an upsurge in activism and resistance from Sami and Siida communities, who view these areas as sacred. The Finns were on edge during the Euro Wars, biting their nails just waiting for the sirens to go off and the Russian war machine to come trampling through. The war never came, but the Finns did everything they could to prepare for it. In addition to joining the Scandinavian Union, they also nationalized most of the significant Finnish companies to ensure an optimization of the resources Finland might need in a war - a move that stirred up much controversy. Since that time, Finland has developed into a prosperous country with low unemployment, good welfare benefits and stable secure communities. The Finns are conscientious, highly educated and somewhat less introverted than their western neighbors. They can be a bit hard on the bottle but are careful with drugs and BTLs. Finnish companies like Nokia and Ericsson spearheaded the cellular revolution, defining Finland as a leader in wireless communications. After the merger in 2019, Erika, under the firm hand of one Anders Malmsten, continued on this path, enjoying rapid growth with popular innovations and becoming a force to be reckoned with. By '48, Erika had acquired every other Finnish corp that was significant, growing enough to achieve AA status. Today, Erika's hold over the Finnish government is almost complete. It's extremely hard to get elected for parliament or office without selling your soul to them. And if you don't, Erika's web of informants and electronic surveillance will certainly dig up enough dirt to keep you in line.