The quality of both air and water is good and has even improved in the last few decades. Despite the strong economic growth, environmental emissions produced by industry have in many respects diminished. While the world's forest resources have continued to dwindle, wood reserves in Finland have grown even in the 1990s. Finland's welfare is based on open and modern market economy, which brings to bear its Nordic sense of social responsibility. Women participate in the working life in great numbers and in other respects, too, equal opportunities between women and men are well advanced.
Democracy has a long history in Finland.
Both regional and income differences, for example, have been relatively minor. Today, a visitor to Finland may wonder at several things, most probably at Finns' great excitement over modern technology. At the moment, Finland, and Helsinki, are in the midst of a real technological boom. The breakthrough of the most recent information and communication technology has advanced here faster, and further, than in most other countries. Finns' enthusiasm for technology has been explained by our remote location and long distances.