Finland

Overview

Finland runs 1,445 km from Hanko in the south to its northernmost point at Nuorgam, and a quarter of the country's territory lies within the Arctic Circle. Though one of the most sparsely populated countries in the European Union and a relative late-comer to industrialisation, Finland has seen rapid economic development since the 1950s and now regularly features at the top of comparison tables of national performance, coming first in the 2010 Newsweek survey based on health, economic dynamism, political environment and quality of life, as well as the 2009 Legatum Prosperity ranking.

The sea plays a key role in the economy, with most international cargo entering or leaving Finland though its ports, including the country's largest container terminal Vuosaari Harbour to the east of the capital Helsinki, which was completed in 2008. The Helsinki-Tallinn route is one of the busiest passenger sea-routes in the world.   

In September 2010, the GAC Group acquired leading Finnish ship agency John Nurminen Navis Oy, part of the John Nurminen Group founded in 1886, to form GAC-Nurminen Navis Oy. The company covers ship calls at all major Finnish commercial sea ports though its offices at Helsinki (head office), Porvoo, Kotka, Turku, Naantali and Rauma, and its comprehensive network of sub-agencies.