Forests provide Finland with a significant economic resource. Two thirds of the forestland is privately owned by farmers, and forest products normally provide more than one third of an average farm income. Lumbering is an important part-time activity for farmers in southern Finland and is also a major commercial activity. The nation is a major supplier of wood and paper products to Western European nations. Zinc, copper, nickel, gold, and silver are other important metallic minerals.
Granite is quarried for the building industry.
Manufacturing, based largely upon the processing of forest products and using hydroelectric power for energy, has grown rapidly. This trend has drawn more people to the cities for employment and the urban population has grown to three fifths of the population. Forest products were Finland's most important earner of foreign exchange throughout the 1980s. Metalworking, however, surpassed woodworking in both value added and employment. Glass, porcelain, and earthenware are important craft industries.