City of Helsinki Helsingin kaupunki - Helsingfors stad
Coat of arms
Nickname: Stadi, Hesa
Location of Helsinki in Finland
Coordinates: 60°10′15″N 24°56′15″E / 60.17083, 24.9375
Country	Finland
Province	Southern Finland
Region	Uusimaa
Sub-region	Helsinki
Charter	1550
Capital city	1812
Government
- Mayor	Jussi Pajunen
Area
- City	187. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The state of Finland consists of 6 provinces ( Finnish: läänit, Swedish: län) The Province of Southern Finland is a province of Finland. It borders the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. Finland is divided into 20 regions ( maakunta in Finnish, landskap in Swedish) This article is about the contemporary region of Finland For other uses of Uusimaa see Uusimaa (disambiguation Uusimaa, or Nyland In 2005 Finland is divided into 77 sub-regions ( seutukunta in Finnish, ekonomisk region in Swedish) A charter is the grant of authority or rights stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Jussi Ilmari Pajunen (b May 9, 1954 in Helsinki is a Finnish politician of the National Coalition Party. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 1 km² (72. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 2 sq mi)
- Land	186. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 4 km² (72 sq mi)
- Water	0. 7 km² (0. 3 sq mi)
- Urban	765. 6 km² (295. 6 sq mi)
- Metro	3,822. 2 km² (1,475. 8 sq mi)
Population (2006)
- City	569,892
- Density	3,060/km² (7,925. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 4/sq mi)
- Urban	1 021 851
- Urban Density	1,330/km² (3,444. 7/sq mi)
- Metro	1 293 262
- Metro Density	339/km² (878/sq mi)
- Demonym	Helsinkiläinen (Finnish), Helsingforsare (Swedish), Stadilainen (slang)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Official languages	Finnish, Swedish
Website: www.hel.fi

Helsinki (in Finnish; listen (help·info)), or Helsingfors (in Swedish; listen (help·info)) is the capital and largest city of Finland. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+3 is used in the following locations Moscow Time Eastern European Summer Time West Asian Summer Time The two official languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of Dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It is in the southern part of Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, by the Baltic Sea. The Gulf of Finland ( Finnish: Suomenlahti, Russian: Финский залив, Finskiy zaliv, Swedish: Finska viken The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The population of the city of Helsinki is 569,892 (31 March 2008)^[1], making it the most populous municipality in Finland by a wide margin. ||-||}The municipalities ( kunta in Finnish, kommun in Swedish) represent the local level of administration in Finland and Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Foreign-born population stands at around 10%.

Helsinki, along with the neighbouring cities of Vantaa, Espoo, and Kauniainen, constitutes what is known as the capital region, with over 1,000,000 inhabitants. Geography Location Vantaa encompasses 243 km² of which 190 km² is water Espoo (ˈespoː Esbo ( in Swedish) is the second largest city of Finland, with a population of approximately 240000 History Around 10000 years ago after the Ice Age, only a few islets were visible in the Yoldia Sea, heights that today form the highest peaks of the area that The Greater Helsinki area contains 24 municipalities and has a population of over 1,300,000. Greater Helsinki (Suur-Helsinki Swedish: Storhelsingfors) Capital Region ( Pääkaupunkiseutu, Huvudstadsregionen) Helsinki ^[1] The Greater Helsinki accounts for a quarter of population, 29% of jobs and a third of GDP.

Helsinki is Finland's capital for business, education, research, culture, and government. Greater Helsinki has eight universities, six technology parks and the largest technology campus in the Nordic countries. ^[2] Some 70% of foreign companies operating in Finland have settled in Helsinki region. ^[2] The immigration of rural residents has made it one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Europe.

Finland's main international airline hub, Helsinki-Vantaa airport is 40 minutes from the city center, with direct flights around the world. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Vantaa, Finland, is the main Airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland The busy Helsinki-Tallinn route takes 1. Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names 5 hour by sea and 18 minutes by helicopter. Two other big cities in Finland, Tampere and Turku, can be reached in 1. Tampere ( ˈtɑmpɛrɛ Swedish: Tammerfors or) is a city in southern Finland located between two lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi Turku, in Swedish Åbo ( pronounced,) is a city and the original capital of Finland on the southwest coast of Finland at the 5 - 2 hours by train^[3] and 2 - 2. 5 hours by car.

Names and etymology

The Swedish name Helsingfors ([hɛlsiŋ'fɔʂ]) is the original name of the city of Helsinki, and is still the official Swedish name for the city. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the The Finnish name, Helsinki (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable: ['helsiŋki]), has been dominant in other languages for decades. The Swedish name Helsingfors comes from the name of the surrounding parish, Helsinge (source for Finnish Helsinki) and the rapids (in Swedish: fors), which flowed through the original town. It is often thought that the name Helsinge was given by the Swedish immigrants who came from the Swedish province of Hälsingland [3]. is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. It borders to Gästrikland, Dalarna, Härjedalen, Medelpad

In Helsinki slang the town is also called Stadi (from the Swedish word stad, meaning city) and Hesa in colloquial Finnish. Helsinki slang or slangi is a local variation of the Finnish language mainly used in the capital Helsinki. Helsset is the North Sami name of Helsinki. Northern or North Sami ( Davvisápmi, formerly Davvisámi or Davvisaami; improperly Lappish or Lapp) is the most widely

History

Main article: History of Helsinki

Central Helsinki in 1820 before rebuilding. Helsinki was founded by Swedish King Gustav Vasa in 1550 as the town of Helsingfors. Drawing by Carl Ludvig Engel. Carl Ludvig Engel, or Johann Karl Ludwig Engel (1778-1840 was a German Architect known for his neoclassical (empire style

Founded in 1550 as a rival to the Hanseatic city of Reval (today: Tallinn) by King Gustav I of Sweden, the town of Helsinki struggled in its infancy. Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson (Colloquial 15th century Upplandic Gösta Jerksson) and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September The fledgling settlement was plagued by poverty, wars, and diseases. For a long time it remained a small coastal town, overshadowed by the more thriving trade centers in the Baltic region. The construction of the Sveaborg (In Finnish Viapori, today also Suomenlinna) naval fortress helped improve its status, but it was not until Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War and annexed Finland as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809 that Helsinki began to develop into a major city. Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori, ( Finnish) or Sveaborg ( Swedish) is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands today within Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and Russia from February 1808 to September 1809 The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor

In order to reduce Swedish influence in Finland, Czar Alexander I of Russia moved the capital from Turku, which had close ties to Sweden, to Helsinki. Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of Turku, in Swedish Åbo ( pronounced,) is a city and the original capital of Finland on the southwest coast of Finland at the The Royal Academy of Turku, back then the only university in the country, was relocated to Helsinki in 1827 and eventually became the modern University of Helsinki. The Royal Academy of Turku/Åbo (Regia Academia Aboensis Turun akatemia Åbo Kungliga Akademi was the name of the University of Helsinki until 1809 when it was The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded The move consolidated the city's new role, and the following decades saw unprecedented growth and development for the city, creating the prerequisites for the birth of the modern world class capital in the 20th century. This transformation is highly apparent in the downtown core, which was rebuilt in neoclassical style to resemble St. Petersburg. Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River As elsewhere, technological advancements such as railroads and industrialization were a key factor behind the growth. is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one

In the 1918 Finnish Civil War, Helsinki fell to the Red Guard on January 28th, the first day of the war. The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national and social turmoil caused by World War I (1914&ndash1918 in Europe The Red side gained contol of the whole of southern Finland after minor hostilities. The Senate was relocated to Vaasa, although some senators and officials remained in hiding in the capital. The Senate of Finland combined the functions of Cabinet and Supreme court in the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1816 to 1917 and in the independent Republic Vaasa ( Swedish: Vasa) is a city on the west coast of Finland. After the tide of war turned against the Red forces, German troops fighting on the side of the Finnish White Guard recaptured Helsinki in April 1918. Unlike Tampere, Helsinki suffered relatively little damage in the war. Tampere ( ˈtɑmpɛrɛ Swedish: Tammerfors or) is a city in southern Finland located between two lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi After the White victory many former Red soldiers and collaborators were confined in prison camps across the country. The largest camp, having approximately 13,300 prisoners, was located on the former naval fortress island of Suomenlinna in Helsinki. Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori, ( Finnish) or Sveaborg ( Swedish) is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands today within Although the civil war left a considerable scar on the society, the standard of living in the country and the city began to improve in the following decade. Renowned architects such as Eliel Saarinen created utopistic plans for Helsinki, but they were never realized to full extent. Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen ( August 20, 1873, Rantasalmi, Finland &ndash July 1, 1950, Bloomfield Hills Michigan

In the aerial bombings of the Winter War (1939-40) and the Continuation War (1941-44) Helsinki was attacked by Soviet bombers. The Winter War (Talvisota Советско-финляндская война - official Зимняя война - unofficial Vinterkriget began when the The Continuation War (Jatkosota Fortsättningskriget Советско-финская война ( 25 June 1941 &ndash 19 September 1944) The capital of Finland Helsinki was bombed several times during World War II. The most intense air raids took place in the spring of 1944, when over two thousand Soviet planes dropped some 16,000 bombs in and around the city. However, due to successful air defense the city was spared from the large-scale destruction that many other cities in Europe under bombings of similar scale suffered. Only a small number of bombs hit populated areas.

Despite the tumultous first half of the 20th century, Helsinki continued to develop steadily. The rapid urbanization of the 1970s, which occurred relatively late in the European context, tripled the population in the metropolitan area, making the Helsinki metropolitan area one of the fastest growing urban centers in the European Union in the 1990s. Greater Helsinki (Suur-Helsinki Swedish: Storhelsingfors) Capital Region ( Pääkaupunkiseutu, Huvudstadsregionen) Helsinki The relatively sparse population density of Helsinki and its peculiar structure have often been attributed to the lateness of the urbanisation. Thus today the Helsinki metropolitan area is the second most sparsely populated EU-capital after Brussels. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is ^[4]

Economy

Kamppi Center is a shopping and transportation complex in the Kamppi district in the centre of Helsinki. Kamppi Center (Kampin keskus Kampens centrum is a complex in the Kamppi district in the centre of Helsinki.

The Helsinki metropolitan area generates approximately one third of the Finnish GDP. GDP per capita is roughly 1. 5 times the national average, making Helsinki one of the wealthiest capitals in Europe. In 2004, the local economy grew by 3. 2%.

Since the 1950s, the economy has become largely service-based, although industries such as shipbuilding continue to employ a substantial number of people. Large service-based employers include the public sector and the information technology sector. Helsinki has many staffing agencies. An employment agency is a Company that matches workers to open jobs The first employment agency in the United States was opened by Fred Winslow who opened Engineering

The metropolitan area is the location of choice for the headquarters of large Finnish companies as well as the regional headquarters of international companies. Metropolitan area has the best availability of highly skilled employees, good infrastructure, and business ecosystem.

Helsinki has rich neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods all over the municipality. Poor neighborhoods especially in eastern areas are famous for crime and other ills. Some have preferred Espoo, which is considered better managed economy. Espoo (ˈespoː Esbo ( in Swedish) is the second largest city of Finland, with a population of approximately 240000 Helsinki is also losing companies to Espoo. Improving the economy of Helsinki and cooperation between the municipalities of Helsinki conurbation area are seen as major future challenges for the economic development of the region.

Helsinki's population growth has been flat in recent years, while Espoo and surrounding areas grow clearly faster. Migration rate to Greater Helsinki is around 5000 persons per year. The fastest growing area is countryside belt between Inkoo, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi and Pornainen, though absolute numbers were in hundreds between 2000-2004. History The oldest literal mark of Vihti is from the 15th century. Between 2000-2004, net migration in Helsinki was negative at -330 residents. 20-30 years old make around 19 percent of the population in Helsinki compared to 14 percent in Finland.

The water is supplied by Päijänne Water Tunnel, the world's longest continuous rock tunnel, and the quality has been enough even for bottled tap water sales to Saudi Arabia. The Päijänne Water Tunnel ( Päijännetunneli) is the world's longest continuous rock Tunnel located in the Southern Finland The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi

Jobs

Metropolitan employment rate stands at around 60% and employment growth has been good. Around 20% works in manufacturing and construction, compared to 10% in London and 30% in Milan. In private-sector services the distribution is typical. 34. 5 works in trade, 17% in transport, 8% in hotels and restaurants, 5. 7 in financial services, and 34. 5% in other market services.

Metropolitan gross value-added per capita is 200% of the mean of 27 European metropolitan. It equals to Stockholm or Paris. The gross value-added annual growth has been around 4%. ^[5]

83 of the 100 largest companies are headquartered in Greater Helsinki. Two thirds of the 200 highest-paid executives live in Greater Helsinki and 84 in Helsinki. The average income of the top 50 earners was 1. 65 million euro. ^[6]

Housing

In 2004, there were 311,617 dwellings and 92,5 occupancy rate. ^[7] 85. 7% of dwellings were blocks of flats. Around 25% of dwellings were 1 room, 55% 2-3 rooms and 20% over 4 rooms. Home ownership was 40% in Helsinki and 60% in Finland. An owner-occupier is a person who lives in a House that he or she owns There are state subsidies in the form of ARAVA housing and interest rates subsidies. The privileges of Soviet-era dwellers have caused some anger. Public also reduce private sector supply. The average space per person is 33,5 square meters. In 2005, the average housing cost in Helsinki was 2,000 euro per square meter. The average monthly rent was around 13 euro per square meter. 2,546 new dwellings were built in 2005.

Helsinki opposes high-rise developments (buildings over 12 floors). Centre Party and SDP are most opposed political parties to high rises. The Centre Party (in Finnish: Suomen Keskusta, Kesk, in Swedish: Centern i Finland, C) is a centrist The Social Democratic Party of Finland (in Finnish: Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue, SDP) is one of the most influential political parties SDP has traditionally nominated zoning bureaucrats. Old voters are most opposed and young voters are most supportive. ^[8]

Some "scenaries" are protected by Museum Agency bureaucrats and new developments are restricted. Sometimes they cause controversy. Critics see many protected buildings as ugly concrete blocks indifferent from others. Critics question whether farm fields not different from others need to be protected at the cost of high housing prices. There are several smaller controversies. A golf course operates next to the center at far below market land rent. Santahamina is a military-occupied island just a few kilometers from the center. Santahamina ( Sandhamn in Swedish) is an island and neighbourhood of Eastern Helsinki, Finland. Because of ideological reasons, Helsinki uses taxpayer money to locate unemployed housing and drug users clinics even in the expensive city center, despite far cheaper alternatives. On the other hand, the Centre Party decentralization programs - that move state offices to the Centre Party's rural constituencies - have angered state employees.

Demographics

The population of Helsinki is predominantly Finnish with a sizable Swedish speaking minority (6. 2%) ^[9]. Additionally, 5. 9% of the population are foreign citizens.

The city has Finland's largest immigrant population in both absolute and relative terms. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term There are people from over 130 nationalities residents in Helsinki. Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty The largest groups, in terms of smaller minorities, are from Russia, Estonia, Sweden but also from Somalia, Serbia, China, Iraq and Germany. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Services

Main building of the University of Helsinki. The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded

Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences is the largest business polytechnic in Finland.

Education

Helsinki has 190 comprehensive schools, 41 upper secondary schools and 15 vocational institutes. Half of the 41 upper secondary schools are private or state-owned, the other half municipal. Higher level education is given in eight universities (see the section "Universities" below) and four polytechnics.

Institutions of higher education

Universities

Main article: Universities in Finland

• University of Helsinki
• Helsinki University of Technology (located in neighbouring Espoo)
• Helsinki School of Economics
• Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration
• Academy of Fine Arts
• Sibelius Academy
• Theatre Academy
• University of Art and Design Helsinki
• National Defence College

Polytechnics

• Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia
• Helsinki Polytechnic Arcada
• Helsinki Business Polytechnic (Helia)

Personal transport

TietoEnator buildings line Kehä I in Pohjois-Haaga. Institutions of higher education are designated universities by Finnish legislation most importantly the University Act ( Yliopistolaki, 645/1997 The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded Helsinki University of Technology ( TKK) ( Finnish: Teknillinen korkeakoulu; Swedish: Tekniska högskolan) is the premier technical Espoo (ˈespoː Esbo ( in Swedish) is the second largest city of Finland, with a population of approximately 240000 Helsinki School of Economics ( HSE, Finnish: Helsingin kauppakorkeakoulu) is the premier Business University in Finland The Academy of Fine Arts (Finnish Kuvataideakatemia) in Helsinki, Finland provides the highest university-level theoretical and practical training in the The Sibelius Academy ( Finnish Sibelius-Akatemia; Swedish Sibelius-Akademin) is a university level Music school which operates in The Theatre Academy is a Finnish university located in Helsinki. University of Art and Design Helsinki ( Taideteollinen korkeakoulu in Finnish) is the largest Art university in the Nordic countries Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia (Helsingin ammattikorkeakoulu Stadia is a multidisciplinary institution of higher education one of the biggest and the most attractive Polytechnic Former Helsinki Business Polytechnic, now renamed as Haaga-Helia University Of Applied Sciences ( Helia) is Finland's largest business Polytechnic TietoEnator is an international software development company based in Finland. Kehä I ( Ring I) is the busiest highway in Finland, carrying up to 113000 vehicles per day

Helsinki has several ring roads: Kehä I, Kehä II, and Kehä III. Kehä I ( Ring I) is the busiest highway in Finland, carrying up to 113000 vehicles per day Kehä II ( Swedish: Ring II) is a Highway in Espoo, Finland. Running North - South, it currently connects Kehä III ( Ring III) is an important highway in southern Finland. From central city to east and west, there are Itäväylä and Länsiväylä. Länsiväylä ( Västerleden in Swedish) is a Motorway in the Greater Helsinki area of Finland, mainly at the Helsinki conurbation There is a proposal to build a Stockholm-like tunnel under the central Helsinki to hide cars from streets. Central Helsinki has popular underground parking facilities.

Helsinki has some 390 cars per 1000 inhabitants. ^[10] This is less than in cities of similar density, for instance, Brussel's 483 per 1000 and Stockholm's 401, and Oslo's 413. ^[11][12]

Standard car rental agencies operate in Helsinki. A car rental, rent-a-car or car hire agency is a company that rents Automobiles for short periods of time (ranging from a few hours to a few weeks One advertisement-based offers a car for 5 euro per day. Car sharing agencies have been established recently. This article deals with the use of shared cars for Public transport purposes

Rail transport and buses

Main article: Public transport in Helsinki

The Helsinki Metro with its characteristic bright orange trains is the world's northernmost subway. Public transport in Helsinki consists of Bus, Tram, metro, Train, and Ferry services The Helsinki Metro ( Helsingin metro in Finnish; Helsingfors metro in Swedish) is the metro system in Helsinki,

Public transportation is generally a hotly debated subject in the local politics of Helsinki. In Helsinki, public transportation is mostly managed under Helsinki City Transport, the city's transportation authority. Helsinki City Transport or HKL ( Finnish: The diverse public transport system consists of trams, light commuter rail, the subway, bus lines and two ferry lines. Public transport in Helsinki consists of Bus, Tram, metro, Train, and Ferry services The Helsinki tram network forms part of the Helsinki public transport system managed by Helsinki City Transport in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki commuter rail is the commuter rail system serving Greater Helsinki, Finland. The Helsinki Metro ( Helsingin metro in Finnish; Helsingfors metro in Swedish) is the metro system in Helsinki, See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council manages traffic to the surrounding municipalities of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council ( Pääkaupunkiseudun yhteistyövaltuuskunta, or YTV, in Finnish Huvudstadsregionens samarbetsdelegation in Swedish Espoo (ˈespoː Esbo ( in Swedish) is the second largest city of Finland, with a population of approximately 240000 Geography Location Vantaa encompasses 243 km² of which 190 km² is water History Around 10000 years ago after the Ice Age, only a few islets were visible in the Yoldia Sea, heights that today form the highest peaks of the area that

Today, Helsinki is the only city in Finland to have trams or subway trains. There used to be two other cities in Finland with trams: Turku and Viipuri (Vyborg, now in Russia), but both have since abandoned trams. Turku, in Swedish Åbo ( pronounced,) is a city and the original capital of Finland on the southwest coast of Finland at the Vyborg (Вы́борг Viipuri Viborg Wiborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of The Helsinki Metro, opened in the year 1982, is so far the only subway system in Finland. The Helsinki Metro ( Helsingin metro in Finnish; Helsingfors metro in Swedish) is the metro system in Helsinki, In 2006, the construction of the long debated extension of the subway system west into Espoo was approved, and serious debate about an eastern extension into Sipoo has taken place. The Western Metro ( Länsimetro, Västmetron) will be an extension of the Helsinki Metro system from central Helsinki, Finland, to Espoo (ˈespoː Esbo ( in Swedish) is the second largest city of Finland, with a population of approximately 240000 Twin towns Aurskog-Høland, Norway Frederikssund, Denmark Kumla, Sweden ^[13]

Aviation

Malmi airport, one of the oldest in the world and Finland's main small aviation airport. Helsinki-Malmi Airport (Helsinki-Malmin lentoasema Helsingfors-Malm flygplats is an Airport in the city of Helsinki, Finland, located in the

Air traffic is handled primarily from the international Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, located approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of Helsinki's downtown area, in the neighbouring city of Vantaa. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Vantaa, Finland, is the main Airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland The airport provides scheduled non-stop flights to many important cities in Europe, Asia and North America. Helsinki's second airport, Malmi Airport, is mainly used for general and private aviation. Helsinki-Malmi Airport (Helsinki-Malmin lentoasema Helsingfors-Malm flygplats is an Airport in the city of Helsinki, Finland, located in the

Sea transport

Ferry connections to Tallinn and Stockholm are serviced by various companies. Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Finnlines passenger-freight ferries to Travemünde, Germany are also available, while Tallink began service to Rostock, Germany in 2007. Finnlines Oy is a Finnish Shipping company that operates freight throughout Northern Europe as well as passenger services in the Travemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of river Trave in Lübeck Bay. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Rostock (ˈʁɔstɔk from Polabian Roz toc, literally "to flow apart" is the largest City in the north German state Copterline has provided fast (18 min. Copterline Limited is Finland 's largest Helicopter Airline. In 2004 the company ferried over 75000 passengers ) helicopter flights to Tallinn.

Other services

The largest hospitals of Finland are located in Helsinki, for example HYKS and many private hospitals. Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH in Finnish, Helsingin yliopistollinen keskussairaala or HYKS, in Swedish, Helsingfors universitets Also police and fire departments serve citizens. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force

Politics

Main article: Politics of Helsinki

Helsinki has eighty-five members in its city council. City Council Like in all Finnish municipalities, the city council in Helsinki is the main decision-making organ in local politics dealing with issues such as City The three largest parties are National Coalition (25), Social Democrats (21) and Greens (17). The National Coalition Party (in Finnish Kansallinen Kokoomus, Kok The Social Democratic Party of Finland (in Finnish: Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue, SDP) is one of the most influential political parties This article refers to the political party for the university environmental performance table see The People & Planet Green League The Green League (in

Geography

Suomenlinna has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori, ( Finnish) or Sveaborg ( Swedish) is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands today within United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

Helsinki seen from Spot Satellite

Main article: Geography of Helsinki

Helsinki spreads around a number of bays and peninsulas and over a number of islands. Helsinki has a total area of 686 km² (2648 mi²) 186 km² (71 The inner city area occupies a southern peninsula, which is rarely referred to by its actual name Vironniemi. Population density in certain parts of Helsinki's inner city area is very high, reaching 16,494 inhabitants per square kilometer (42,719/sq mi) in the district of Kallio, but as a whole Helsinki's population density of 3,050 inhabitants per square kilometer (7,899/sq mi) ranks it as quite sparsely populated in comparison to other European capital cities. Kallio ( Berghäll in Swedish) is a District and a neighbourhood in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, located on the eastern Much of Helsinki outside the inner city area consists of postwar suburbs separated from each other by patches of forests. A narrow, ten kilometer (6. 2 mi) long Helsinki Central Park that stretches from the inner city to the northern border of Helsinki is an important recreational area for the residents. Central Park ( Helsingin keskuspuisto in Finnish, Helsingfors centralpark in Swedish) is a park in Helsinki, Finland.

Some notable islands in Helsinki include Seurasaari, Lauttasaari and Korkeasaari – which is also the country's biggest zoo – as well as the fortress island of Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) and the military island of Santahamina. Seurasaari ( Swedish Fölisön) is an Island and a district in Helsinki, Finland. Lauttasaari ( Drumsö in Swedish) is an island and neighbourhood of Western Helsinki (Helsingfors in Swedish about 3 kilometres west of Korkeasaari (Swedish Högholmen) is an Island in Helsinki, Finland where the country's biggest Zoo is situated Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori, ( Finnish) or Sveaborg ( Swedish) is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands today within Santahamina ( Sandhamn in Swedish) is an island and neighbourhood of Eastern Helsinki, Finland.

Climate

The Climate in Helsinki.

The city has a temperate continental climate. Owing to the mitigating influence of the Baltic sea and Gulf stream, temperatures in winter are much higher than the northern location might suggest, with the average in January and February around -6 °C. Temperatures below -20 °C occur normally only for a week or two in a year. However, because of the latitude, days lasts less than six hours in the winter solstice, and the very cloudy weather accentuates the darkness. Conversely, Helsinki enjoys long days in summer, eighteen hours at the summer solstice. The temperature June through August is around 18-25 °C.

Climate in 2007 in Helsinki city center (summer temperatures are not very hot and winter temperatures not very cold because of its location near the sea):

Architecture

The view across summertime Kaisaniemenlahti.

The Helsinki Cathedral is probably the most prominent building and symbol of the city. Helsinki Cathedral (in Finnish Helsingin tuomiokirkko or Suurkirkko, in Swedish Helsingfors domkyrka or Storkyrkan

Parliament of Finland on the right, and new supplemental offices on the left. The Eduskunta (in Finnish) or the Riksdag (in Swedish) is the Parliament of Finland.

Carl Ludvig Engel (1778-1840) designed several neo-classical buildings in Helsinki. Carl Ludvig Engel, or Johann Karl Ludwig Engel (1778-1840 was a German Architect known for his neoclassical (empire style Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century both as a reaction against the Rococo He was kept in Helsinki by a unique assignment, as he was elected to plan a new city centre all on his own. The city became shallow and wide at the time when most buildings had only two or three floors. The central point of Engel's city plan is the Senate Square, surrounded by the Government's Palace, the main building of the University, and the enormous Cathedral, which was finished in 1852, twelve years after C. The Senate Square (in Finnish Senaatintori, in Swedish Senatstorget) presents Carl Ludvig Engel 's architecture as a unique allegory Helsinki Cathedral (in Finnish Helsingin tuomiokirkko or Suurkirkko, in Swedish Helsingfors domkyrka or Storkyrkan L. Engel's death. Engels' neo-classical plan of the city centre has later given Helsinki the epithet The White City Of The North. An epithet (from Greek ἐπίθετον - epitheton, neut of ἐπίθετος - epithetos, "attributed added" is a

Helsinki is, however, perhaps even more famous for its numerous Art Nouveau (Jugend in Finnish) buildings, designed in the early 1900s and strongly influenced by the Kalevala, which is a very popular theme in the national romantic art of that era. Art Nouveau ( nu vo anglicised /ˈɑːt nuːvəu/ ( French for 'new art' also known as Jugendstil ( German for 'youth style' is an international Art Nouveau ( nu vo anglicised /ˈɑːt nuːvəu/ ( French for 'new art' also known as Jugendstil ( German for 'youth style' is an international The Kalevala is a book and epic poem which the Finn Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish and Karelian Folklore in the nineteenth Helsinki's Art Nouveau style is also featured in large residential areas such as Katajanokka and Ullanlinna. Katajanokka ( Skatudden) is a neighbourhood of Helsinki, Finland, with around 4000 inhabitants in 2005 The master of the Finnish Art Nouveau was Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950), whose architectural masterpiece was the Helsinki central railway station. Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen ( August 20, 1873, Rantasalmi, Finland &ndash July 1, 1950, Bloomfield Hills Michigan

Helsinki also features several buildings by the world-renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), attributed as one of the pioneers in functionalism. Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto ( February 3, 1898 — May 11, 1976) was a Finnish Architect and Designer, sometimes Many of Aalto's works are either loved or hated. Aalto's buildings, such as the headquarters of the paper company Enso and the concert and congress house Finlandia Hall, have sparked much debate amongst Helsinki's inhabitants. Finlandia Hall is a Concert hall with a Congress wing in Helsinki, Finland, by Töölönlahti bay

In addition to Aalto's work, there is a body of other noteworthy functionalist architecture in Helsinki, such as the Olympic Stadium, the Tennis Palace, the Rowing Stadium, the Swimming Stadium, the Velodrome, the Glass Palace, the Exhibition Hall (now Töölö Sports Hall) and Helsinki-Malmi Airport. The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, (in Finnish and Swedish: Olympiastadion) located in the Töölö district about 2 km from the center of the Tennispalatsi ( Finnish) or Tennispalatset in Swedish (lit Tennis Palace) is a cultural and recreational center in Kamppi, Lasipalatsi ( Finnish) or Glaspalatset in Swedish (meaning literally "the Glass palace" is a functionalist office building designed Helsinki-Malmi Airport (Helsinki-Malmin lentoasema Helsingfors-Malm flygplats is an Airport in the city of Helsinki, Finland, located in the The sports venues were built to serve the 1940 Helsinki Olympic Games (canceled due to the Second World War), but eventually got to fulfill their purpose in the 1952 Olympic Games. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland Many of them are listed by DoCoMoMo as significant examples of modern architecture. Docomomo International (sometimes written as DoCoMoMo) is a non-profit organization whose full title is International Working Party for Documentation and Conservation of The Olympic Stadium and Helsinki-Malmi Airport are in addition catalogued by the National Board of Antiquities as cultural-historical environments of national significance. The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, (in Finnish and Swedish: Olympiastadion) located in the Töölö district about 2 km from the center of the Helsinki-Malmi Airport (Helsinki-Malmin lentoasema Helsingfors-Malm flygplats is an Airport in the city of Helsinki, Finland, located in the

During the 1960s and 1970s many aesthetically and historically important houses were swiftly demolished to make room for the rapidly expanding city and instead houses presenting more values of functionalism were built. This has later been widely regarded as a bad move and has led to a strong protectionism of old buildings in Helsinki. The plans made during the era of rapid growth expected Helsinki to have well over one million inhabitants at the turn of the millennium. Much due to the strong protectionism of today there are still many areas left with distinctive old wooden houses, such as Käpylä, Kumpula, Toukola and Puu-Vallila. Käpylä (Kottby is a neighbourhood of Helsinki with 7600 inhabitants Kumpula (Gumtäkt is a verdant neighbourhood in Helsinki, bordered by Eastern Pasila to the west Vallila to the south Käpylä and Koskela Toukola (Swedish Majstad) is an area of Helsinki, around 4 km north of the town centre at the port of Vanhankaupunginlahti.

As a historical footnote, Helsinki's neoclassical buildings were often used as a backdrop for scenes set to take place in the Soviet Union in many Cold War era Hollywood movies. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Some of the more notable ones are The Kremlin Letter (1970), Reds (1981) and Gorky Park (1983). The Kremlin Letter is a 1970 American Espionage film, released by 20th Century-Fox. Reds is a 1981 film starring Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton. It centers on the life of John Reed, the Communist, journalist Gorky Park, the 1983 movie based on the novel Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith, was directed by Michael Apted from Because some of the streetscapes were reminiscent of Leningrad's and Moscow's old buildings, they were used in the production - much to some residents' dismay. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of At the same time the government secretly briefed its white-collar workers to make producing these, often clearly Soviet-negative, films in Helsinki as hard as possible due to diplomatic pressure from Moscow. ^[14]

Culture

Kiasma is a contemporary art museum located at the heart of Helsinki. Kiasma (built 1993 – 1998) is a Contemporary art Museum located along Mannerheimintie in Helsinki, Finland

The biggest historical museum in Helsinki is the National Museum of Finland, which displays a vast historical collection from prehistoric times to the 21st century. The National Museum of Finland presents Finnish History from the Stone Age to the present day through objects and Cultural history. The museum building itself, a national romantic style neo-medieval castle, is a tourist attraction. Other major historical museum is the Helsinki City Museum, which introduces visitors to Helsinki's 500 year history. The University of Helsinki also has many significant museums, including the University Museum and the Natural History Museum. The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded

The Finnish National Gallery consists on three museums: Ateneum Art Museum for classical Finnish art, Sinebrychoff Art Museum for classical European art, and Kiasma Art Museum for modern art. For similarly named entities see Athenaeum The Ateneum is a major museum in Finland. Kiasma (built 1993 – 1998) is a Contemporary art Museum located along Mannerheimintie in Helsinki, Finland The old Ateneum, a neo-renaissance palace from 19th century, is one of the city's major historical buildings, whereas the highly modern Kiasma is probably the most debated building in Helsinki.

Helsinki has three major theatres: The Finnish National Theatre, the Helsinki City Theatre, and the Finland Swedish Svenska Teatern. The Finnish National Theatre (Suomen Kansallisteatteri founded in 1872 in the city of Pori, is located in central Helsinki on the northern side of the Helsinki The Swedish Theatre ( Swedish: Svenska Teatern, Finnish: Ruotsalainen Teatteri) is a Swedish-speaking Theatre in Helsinki The city's main musical venues are the Finnish National Opera and the Finlandia concert-hall. Finnish National Opera (Finnish Kansallisooppera) in Helsinki is the leading opera company in Finland. Finlandia Hall is a Concert hall with a Congress wing in Helsinki, Finland, by Töölönlahti bay Bigger concerts and events are usually held at one of the city's two big ice hockey arenas: the Hartwall Areena or the Helsingin Jäähalli. Hartwall Areena (often called Helsinki Areena, Helsingin Areena or Helsingforsarenan ('The Helsinki Arena' by the Finnish press is a large Helsinki has Finland's largest fair centre. The Helsinki Fair Centre ( Finnish: Helsingin Messukeskus, Swedish: Helsingfors Mässcentrum) is the biggest and most famous fair centre

Helsinki is considered as one of the main hubs of popular music in Northern Europe, many widely renowned and acclaimed bands have originated in Helsinki, including Norther, Ensiferum, HIM, The Rasmus, The 69 Eyes, Hanoi Rocks, Apocalyptica and Stratovarius. Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland Norther is a Melodic death metal band from Espoo and Helsinki, Finland whose style incorporates elements of heavy metal and Power Ensiferum (Latin ensĭfĕrum (neuter adjective meaning "sword bearing" is a heavy metal HIM is a rock band from Finland formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo, guitarist Mikko Lindström, The Rasmus is a Finnish rock band that formed in 1994 in Helsinki while the band members were still in high school The 69 Eyes are a Finnish rock band They are signed to EMI / Virgin Records Finland Hanoi Rocks are a Finnish Glam punk band formed in 1979 whose most successful period came in the early 1980s Stratovarius is a Finnish Power metal band that formed in 1983

Events

• The Helsinki Festival is an annual arts and culture festival, which takes place every August (including the Night of the Arts). The Night of the arts (in Finnish: Taiteiden yö) is an annual event held in several major cities in Finland, in late August
• Valon Voimat "Forces of Light" is an annual winter arts festival.
• Vappu "Vappu" is an annual carnival for students and workers. Walpurgis Night is a traditional religious holiday (celebrated by Pagans Roman Catholics and Satanists ref> About the Church of Satan alike celebrated

Helsinki hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, the first ever Eurovision Song Contest arranged in Finland.

Sports

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium was the center of activities during the 1952 Summer Olympics. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the OAKA Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on the Belgrade (Београд Beograd is the Capital and largest city of Serbia. The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, (in Finnish and Swedish: Olympiastadion) located in the Töölö district about 2 km from the center of the The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland

Main article: Sport in Helsinki

Helsinki has a long tradition of sports, the city gained much of its initial international recognition during the 1952 Summer Olympics, and the city has since then been very open to arranging sporting events. Helsinki has a long tradition of sports, the city gained much of its initial international recognition during the 1952 Summer Olympics, and the city The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland Helsinki hosts fairly successful local teams in both of the most popular team-sports in Finland, football and ice hockey. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The latter being a sport of passion for many Helsinkians, who usually take a stance for either of the local clubs HIFK, Jokerit or HJK Helsinki . HIFK ( Helsingfors IFK or Helsingin IFK, originally Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors) is a sports association from Helsinki, Finland Jokerit ( English: Jokers) is an Ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (or HJK) internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club based in the capital Helsinki The strong culture of ice hockey has led to Helsinki becoming the birthplace of many legendary National Hockey League stars such as Teemu Selänne, Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America Teemu Ilmari Selänne (ˈteːmu ˈilmɑri ˈselænːe (born July 3, 1970) is a Finnish professional Ice hockey right winger who currently Jari Pekka Kurri (born May 18 1960 in Helsinki, Finland is a retired Finnish professional Ice hockey right winger Esa Tikkanen (born January 25, 1965 in Helsinki, Finland) is a retired Finnish professional Ice hockey forward Helsinki also houses HJK, Finland's largest and most successful football club. Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (or HJK) internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club based in the capital Helsinki

Tourism

See also: Tourism in Finland and List of sites in Helsinki

Hietaniemi beach, commonly called Hietsu. Finland attracted over 4 million Tourists in 2005, with most coming from Sweden. This is a list of popular Tourism sights in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The Hietaniemi beach (colloquially Hietsu) is a popular Sand beach in central Helsinki.

The Temppeliaukio church is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city; half a million people visit it annually. Temppeliaukio Church (Temppeliaukion Kirkko in Finnish is a Lutheran church in the Töölö neighborhood of Helsinki.

Helsinki is relatively small and intimate but lively and bustling. The nearby islands are its summer delights.

Because Helsinki is located on the coast of the Baltic Sea and has many kilometres of coastline, most of its central districts are near the seaside. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Helsinki is a very maritime city and is popularly called the daughter of the Baltic.

Helsinki's coastal position makes it ideal to experience in the summertime from one of the many sightseeing ferries leaving from the port of Helsinki. Many of Helsinki's main attractions are also related to the sea, including the Suomenlinna naval fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and the Seurasaari Island with its parks and open-air museum. Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori, ( Finnish) or Sveaborg ( Swedish) is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands today within United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Seurasaari ( Swedish Fölisön) is an Island and a district in Helsinki, Finland. Locals often spend sunny days at the Hietaniemi beach (often simply called Hietsu), Helsinki's main beach in the district of Töölö. The Hietaniemi beach (colloquially Hietsu) is a popular Sand beach in central Helsinki.

In the winter-time Helsinki's northern position makes it dark for most of the day, thus making it a cosy town with much interesting lighting, such as the classic Aleksanterinkatu's Christmas street (Joulukatu). Aleksanterinkatu ( Swedish Alexandersgatan) is a street in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. During the coldest months of the winter it is very common for Helsinkians to go for walks on the frozen sea, although much caution must be taken. There are also many places for ice swimming along the coast, some with saunas. Ice swimming is swimming in a body of Water with a frozen crust of Ice, which requires cutting a hole in the ice

Air travel to Helsinki is via the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, situated in the neighbouring town of Vantaa, a town part of Greater Helsinki. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Vantaa, Finland, is the main Airport of the Helsinki metropolitan region and the whole of Finland Greater Helsinki (Suur-Helsinki Swedish: Storhelsingfors) Capital Region ( Pääkaupunkiseutu, Huvudstadsregionen) Helsinki Helsinki also has popular cruiseferry links with Stockholm, Sweden and hydrofoil and catamaran links to Tallinn, Estonia. A cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a Cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. A hydrofoil is a Boat with wing-like foils mounted on struts below the hull. A catamaran (From Tamil 'kattumaram' is a type of Multihulled Boat or Ship consisting of two hulls or vakas joined by some Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Silja, Viking and Tallink are the biggest ferry operators. Silja Line ( Tallink Silja Oy) is a Finnish ferry company owned by the Estonian Ferry operator Tallink. Viking Line is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands Tallink is an Estonian Shipping company currently operating cruiseferries and Ropax ships from Estonia to Finland, Estonia to

Helsinki is also the home of the Linnanmäki amusement park, which features five rollercoasters and many other rides, including the world's first Intamin ZacSpin rollercoaster, set to open April 2007. Linnanmäki ( Borgbacken in Swedish, colloquially Lintsi, literal translation Castle's Hill) is an Amusement park in Helsinki Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland.

Notable natives

For a more thorough list see the Wikipedia category People from Helsinki. Baron (Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, also known as A E Nordenskioeld (November 18 1832 Helsinki, Finland &mdash August 12 1901 Dalby Skåne Helene Schjerfbeck ( 10 July 1862 – 28 January 1946) was a Finnish painter. Artturi Ilmari Virtanen ( pronounced) ( January 15, 1895 &ndash November 11, 1973) was a Finnish chemist and recipient This is a list of Nobel Prize Laureates awarded for their outstanding contributions to Humanitarian causes for Peace, work in Literature Ragnar Arthur Granit ( October 30, 1900, Vantaa, Finland &ndash March 12, 1991, Stockholm, Sweden Mika Toimi Waltari ( ( September 19, 1908 – August 26, 1979) was a Finnish Historical novelist, best known for his Tove Marika Jansson ( August 9, 1914 – June 27, 2001) was a Finnish Novelist, painter, Illustrator The Moomins ( Swedish: Mumin, Finnish: Muumi) are the central characters in a series of Books and a Comic strip by Finnish Georg Henrik von Wright (pronounced roughly fon vrikt, IPA hɛnrik fɔn-vrikt ( June 14, 1916 &ndash June 16, 2003) was Tarja Kaarina Halonen ( pronounced) (born 24 December 1943 is the current President of Finland. Esa-Pekka Salonen ( (born June 30 1958 is a prominent Finnish orchestral conductor and Composer. Jari Pekka Kurri (born May 18 1960 in Helsinki, Finland is a retired Finnish professional Ice hockey right winger Linus Benedict Torvalds ( ˈtuːrvalds born December 28 1969 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish software engineer Linux is an operating system kernel used by a family of Unix-like Operating systems These are popularly termed Linux operating systems and

Helsinki panorama from Hotel Torni, a building notorious for having been used by the Allied(Soviet) Control Commission in Helsinki after WWII. Hotel Torni (Hotel Tower is a historical Hotel located in Helsinki, Finland and part of the Sokos Hotel hotel chain Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allied Powers were in control of the defeated Axis countries Torni, which means Tower in Finnish, is one of the highest buildings in the Helsinki cityscape. A cityscape is the urban equivalent of a Landscape. Townscape is roughly synonymous with cityscape though it of course implies the same difference in urban

Gallery

Kustaanmiekka strait through Suomenlinna Sea Fortress in middle of may. Suomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori, ( Finnish) or Sveaborg ( Swedish) is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands today within	Helsinki Olympic Stadium Tower, offers a good view over Helsinki. The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, (in Finnish and Swedish: Olympiastadion) located in the Töölö district about 2 km from the center of the	Wall of Parliament House	Helsinki Central railway station. Helsinki Central railway station (Helsingin rautatieasema Helsingfors järnvägsstation is a widely recognised landmark in central Helsinki, Finland, and the
Rooftops of the southern inner city districts.	Finnish National Theatre. The Finnish National Theatre (Suomen Kansallisteatteri founded in 1872 in the city of Pori, is located in central Helsinki on the northern side of the Helsinki	Port of Helsinki and the Helsinki Cathedral in march. Helsinki Cathedral (in Finnish Helsingin tuomiokirkko or Suurkirkko, in Swedish Helsingfors domkyrka or Storkyrkan	The Uspenski Orthodox cathedral. Uspenski Cathedral ( Finnish: Uspenskin katedraali, Swedish: Uspenskij-katedralen, Russian: Успенский собор is an
Altar of Temppeliaukio Church that is built underground.	The Esplanadi Park in central Helsinki in early june. Esplanadi ( Esplanaden) is the collective name for two parallel Streets and a Park between them located in the centre of Helsinki, the capital	The Senaatintori square on a winter morning in december.	Stockmann department store along the Aleksanterinkatu's Christmas street. Stockmann ( is a Finnish listed company which was established in 1862 and is engaged in the retail trade Aleksanterinkatu ( Swedish Alexandersgatan) is a street in the centre of Helsinki, Finland.
Helsinki market square in winter. The Market Square ( Kauppatori in Finnish, Salutorget in Swedish) is a central square in Helsinki, Finland, and one of the	The National Museum of Finland is located in Helsinki. The National Museum of Finland presents Finnish History from the Stone Age to the present day through objects and Cultural history.	The Pohjoisranta at night.

See also

• Automated Vacuum Collection (AVAC)
• Declaration of Helsinki
• Helsinki Accords
• Subdivisions of Helsinki

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Finnish Population Registry Center, October 31, 2007 — population by municipalities
2. ^ ^{a b} Helsinki region in brief
3. ^ VR Passenger Service
4. ^ 1 January 2007, Hufvudstadsbladet - Helsingfors en metropol om hundra år. The Automated Vacuum Collection (AVAC system also called "pneumatic refuse collection" transports waste at high speeds through underground tunnels to a building where This article is about the set of medical ethics principles regarding human experimentation The Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the Helsinki Final Act, Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration, was The city of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, can be divided into various different sorts of subdivisions. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Hufvudstadsbladet (abbr Hbl) is the highest-circulation Swedish-language newspaper in Finland. Citing Professors Ache (metropolitan planning, Helsinki University of Technology) and Vaatovaara (University of Helsinki), and statistics from The European Economic Research Consortium
5. ^ The Regional Economy of Helsinki from a European Perspective
6. ^ Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition - Metro
7. ^ http://www.ytv.fi/NR/rdonlyres/2D47F54D-B3F0-4F5C-BE2E-F7004395C54E/0/Asuntoraportti_eng_netti.pdf Greater Helsinki Area Housing Report 2006
8. ^ Pääkaupunkiseutulaiset torjuvat tornitalot - HS.fi - Kaupunki
9. ^ Brief Facts about Helsinki
10. ^ This is Helsinki, by City of Helsinki
11. ^ [1]
12. ^ [2]
13. ^ www.lansimetro.fi - an information portal dedicated to the "länsimetro" subway expansion in the Helsinki capital region. Helsinki University of Technology ( TKK) ( Finnish: Teknillinen korkeakoulu; Swedish: Tekniska högskolan) is the premier technical The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded The Western Metro ( Länsimetro, Västmetron) will be an extension of the Helsinki Metro system from central Helsinki, Finland, to
14. ^ Finnish Department of Foreign Affairs, memo 56 (labelled highly confidential in 1982)PDF (1. 37 MiB)

External links

	Municipalities of Uusimaa
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	Uusimaa Region | Southern Finland | Finland