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city
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Southern Finland
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Uusimaa
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Länsi-Uusimaa
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Tom Axberg
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Finnish , Swedish
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397th
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632
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1145
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115th
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2004
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9,905
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- 02
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865
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86
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(, or ''
Гангут '' in
Russian ), is a small
Bilingual port city on the south coast of
Finland , 130 km west of
Helsinki . Its current population is 9,905 (
2004-12-31 ), with nearly half (44,3 %) being
Finland-Swedish .
and
Church in Hanko. They were rebuilt after the war, having been destroyed by the Soviets.]]
The Hanko Peninsula, on which the city is located, is the southernmost tip of continental Finland. The soil is a sandy
Moraine , and vegetation consists mainly of
Pine and low
Shrubs . Hanko is known for its beautiful
Archipelago .
The city has a coastline of approximately 130 kilometers, of which 30 km are sandy beaches. There are also over 90 small islands and islets within the city limits.
The skyline of Hanko is dominated by the church and the water tower. Both of them received their current appearance after
World War II , as their predecessors were either damaged or destroyed by the
Soviet Army .
A number of
Ferries operate between Hanko and
Rostock in
Germany .
The ''Hangon Regatta'' has been a traditional fixture on the Finnish social scene, and is the major summer event in Hanko.
Sailing enthusiasts attend in order to compete, as well as mostly young people who have very little or no interest in sailing, and attend only in order to party and drink. The latter constitute the "Regatta tail", not appreciated by most of the town's residents, and which causes huge expenses for clean-up of the parks and streets.
Other traditional summer activities are the "Tennis Week", the "Sea Horse" riding competitions, and the "Summer Theatre" events.
Several sandy beaches and a multitude of leisure harbors attract tourists during the summer months.
The site was already known by sailors in the : "Pike's Gut") island.
Hanko has a long history of wars and battles. The
Battle Of Gangut between
Swedish and
Russian navies was fought in
1714 in the archipelago north of the peninsula. The battle was the first-ever victory of the
Russian regular fleet.
The
Fortification works on the Hanko Peninsula started already in the end of the
18th Century , when the Swedish constructed three separate forts on the outlying islands. The forts were later bombarded by the
Royal Navy during the
Crimean War and they were eventually blown up during the hostilities by their own defenders.
The city was founded in
1874 , soon after the
Hanko-Hyvinkää Railroad was inaugurated in 1872. The Imperial Charter for the city was granted by
Tsar Alexander II .
Hanko was the port of choice for
Emigrants leaving Finland for a new life in
North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A memorial statue, showing birds in flight, commemorates this.
In the late 1800s, while Finland was still a
Grand Duchy under
Russia , Hanko was a popular
Spa Resort for the
Russian Nobility . Some of the buildings from that period survive, notably the Hanko Casino (which is a
Gambling establishment, but a former banquet hall of the
Spa ). It is nowadays a restaurant.
Field Marshal
C. G. Mannerheim owned a
Café , "Neljän Tuulen Tupa" ("The House of the Four Winds") which still is very popular among tourists and residents alike.
The
Bengtskär Lighthouse is the highest one (52 meters) in the Nordic countries. It is situated to the south of Hanko. It was built in 1906 and it is the first lighthouse museum in Finland.
shot from the water tower shows the typical small town architecture, with mostly wooden buildings. Some of the archipelago is also visible.]]
Following the armistice of the Finnish
Winter War on
March 6 ,
1940 , Hanko was leased to the
Soviet Union as a military base for a period of 30 years. During the
Continuation War , Soviet troops were forced to evacuate Hanko in early December
1941 . The Soviet Union renounced the lease formally in the
Paris Peace Treaty of
1947 . As a curiosity, it can be noted that the short Russo-Finnish front across the base of the peninsula on the Finnish side was held in part by
Volunteer troops from Sweden.
The role of the Hanko naval base was replaced by
Porkkala in the armistice between Finland and the Soviet Union of
September 19 ,
1944 , released back to Finland in January 1956.
