Government

Finland is a republic under a constitution adopted in 1919. The president is elected for a six-year term by popular vote. Parliament consists of one house of 200 members, elected, by the proportional-representation system of voting, for four-year terms. The president may veto bills passed by parliament. A council of state, headed by a prime minister, is appointed by the president, with the approval of parliament. All citizens 18 and older may vote. Finland and Sweden in the 1860's were the first European countries to adopt woman suffrage.

Finland has 12 provinces, each with a governor appointed by the president. Within the provinces are communes, which have local self-government. The judicial system is headed by the Supreme Court, composed of a president and a number of justices, appointed by the president of the republic.