Information AboutHelsinki |
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fullname=Helsingin kaupunki Helsingfors stad| coatofarms=| status=city| map=| province=Southern Finland| region=Uusimaa| district=Helsinki| citymanager=Jussi Pajunen| languages= Finnish , Swedish | arearank=342nd| area=185.32| arealand=184.47| poprank=1st| popdate=January 1 2006| pop=559,046| popchange=- 0.1| popdensity=3,032.1| urbanisation=99.9| unemployment=8.9| website=http://www.hel.fi/ }} Helsinki (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable in () or '''Helsset''' in Sámi , also called '''"Stadi"''' in Local Slang , is the Capital of Finland . It is located in the southern part of Finland on the shore of the Gulf Of Finland , at . The population of Helsinki is about 560,000. Helsinki forms a Conurbation with three other cities, Espoo , Vantaa and Kauniainen , which are together called the capital area. This area has about 975,000 citizens. The Greater Helsinki area contains many more municipalities and has a total population of 1,232,741 (2004). Etymology ''Helsingfors'' is the original name of the modern city of Helsinki, and is still the official Swedish name for the city, even if the Finnish name, ''Helsinki'', has been dominant also 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. The name of ''Helsinge'' is thought to come, according to Folklore , from the Swedish dwellers who came from the Swedish province of Hälsingland . History See Also: History of Helsinki Founded in 1550 as a rival to the Hanseatic city of and annexed Finland as the autonomous Grand Duchy Of Finland in 1809, that Helsinki began to truly change. To help reduce the Swedish influence, Tsar Alexander I Of Russia had the capital moved from Turku (also ''Åbo'') to Helsingfors. The Academy Of Åbo , the only university in the country, was also relocated to Helsingfors in 1827, eventually becoming the University Of Helsinki . This 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 a 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 . As elsewhere, technological advancements such as railroads and Industrialization were a key factor behind the growth. Although much of the first half of the 20th century was a violent period for Helsinki, it continued to steadily develop. Modern postwar 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. Services 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. Higher level education is given in eight universities (see the section "Universities" below) and four polytechnics. Institutions of higher education = Universitites ''Main article: Universities In Finland ''
= Polytechnics Traffic See Also: Public transport in Helsinki In Helsinki, Public Transport is mostly managed by Helsinki City Transport . The diverse Public Transport System consists of Tram s, '' VR Lähiliikenne '' Commuter Train s, the Helsinki Metro and Bus lines. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council manages traffic to the surrounding municipalities of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. Today, Helsinki is the only city in Finland to have trams or metro trains. There used to be two other cities in Finland with tram traffic: Turku and Viipuri (Vyborg). However, Turku abandoned trams in 1972 and Viipuri (at that time part of the Soviet Union ) abandoned them in 1957 . The metro line, opened in 1982 , was the first, and so far the only, metro line in all of Finland. For the first 16 years of its existence, the line was Topologically only one straight line, but in 1998 a fork was added at Itäkeskus Metro Station , dividing the remainder of the line into two branches with three stations each. The Metro is an especially important method of transportation for commuters in the growing suburbs of Eastern Helsinki, and there are also plans to further expand the system to Espoo (see '' Länsimetro ''), but lack of agreement over financing has caused delays to the project. If the plans for automation in the system are approved, the Helsinki Metro will operate without drivers in 2010. Air traffic is handled from the international Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and Malmi Airport . Ferry connections to Tallinn and Stockholm are serviced by various companies, including Silja Line , Viking Line , SeaWind Line , Linda Line , Nordic Jet Line and Tallink (see Ruotsinlaiva ). Finnlines passenger-freight ferries to Travemünde , Germany are also available. Copterline provides fast helicopter flights to Tallinn. Other services The largest hospitals of Finland are located in Helsinki, for example HYKS and many private hospitals. Also Police and Fire Departments serve citizens. Politics See Also: Politics of Helsinki Geography See Also: Geography of Helsinki Helsinki spreads around a number of bays and peninsulas and over a number of islands. Some of the most important islands 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 . Architecture Carl Ludvig Engel (1778-1840) designed several Neo-classical buildings in Helsinki. He was kept in Helsinki by a unique assignment, as he was elected to plan a new centrum all on his own, which later on was also referred to as ''The White City Of The North''. 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 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. L. Engel's death. (Fin. ''Helsingin tuomiokirkko'', Swe. ''Helsingfors domkyrka''). The cathedral is often seen as one of the most prominent symbols for the city of Helsinki.]] 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. Helsinki's Art Nouveau style is also featured in large residential areas such as Katajanokka and Ullanlinna. The master of the Finnish Art Nouveau was Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950), whose architectural masterpiece was the Helsinki central railway station. Helsinki also features several buildings by the world-renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), attributed as one of the pioneers in functionalism. 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. Culture Helsinki can also be considered Finland's culture-capital. Helsinki's two main museums are the Ateneum and the Kiasma , the latter displaying contemporary art, while the former being well-known for its classical art exhibitions. Helsinki's main musical venues are the or the Helsingin Jäähalli . Helsinki also has a big Fair Centre . Helsinki is also known for its active ICT And Digital Cultures Scene In Greater Helsinki . Some widely renowned bands originate from Helsinki, including HIM , The Rasmus , The 69 Eyes and Stratovarius . Events
Tourism ''See also: Tourism In Finland '', '' List Of Sites In Helsinki '' Helsinki is small and intimate; lively but not bustling. Its size makes it easy to walk around and Café s, Market s, and 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. 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, the Suomenlinna sea-fortress built in the 18th Century to defend the city and the Seurasaari Island with its parks and open-air museum, the former being a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Locals often spend sunny days at the Hietaniemi Beach (often simply called ''Hietsu''), Helsinki's main beach in the district of Töölö. 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 Aleksanterikatu's Christmas street (''Joulukatu''). During very cold periods it is very common for Helsinkians to go for walks on the frozen sea, although much caution must be taken. Air travel to Helsinki is via the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport . Helsinki also has popular Ferry links with Stockholm , Sweden and Tallinn , Estonia . Silja , Viking and Tallink are the biggest ferry operators. Image:Suomenlinna.jpg| Suomenlinna Sea Fortress Image:Tower of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.jpg| Helsinki Olympic Stadium Tower, offers a good view over Helsinki. Image:Finnish National Theatre.jpg| Finnish National Theatre Image:Helsinki Railway Station 20050604.jpg| Helsinki Central Railway Station Image:Suurkirkko Helsinki maaliskuu 2002 IMG 0629.JPG|Port of Helsinki and the Helsinki Cathedral Image:Uspensiki by SamSegar.jpg|The Uspenski Orthodox cathedral Image:Eingang Felsenkirche Helsinki.jpg|Entrance of Temppelinaukio Church that is built underground. Image:Esplanadin puisto.jpg|The Esplanadi Park in central Helsinki Image:Stockmann department store in Helsinki at dawn in December 2004.jpg| Stockmann department store along the Aleksanterinkatu 's Christmas street. Notable natives
Olympics Helsinki was the host of the 1952 Summer Olympics . Trivia The Asteroid 1495 Helsinki was named after the city by its discoverer, the Finnish Astronomer Yrjö Väisälä . Although Helsinki is the capital of the entire state of Finland, and the central municipality of the Uusimaa region, it is not the capital of the province of Southern Finland. That honour belongs to Hämeenlinna . Helsinki is one of the very few multiple-century-old Finnish cities not to have a Castle . The island fortress of Suomenlinna is often thought of serving as a surrogate castle, even though it is two centuries younger than Helsinki. There are no streets named ''Vapaudenkatu'' (Freedom Street) or ''Itsenäisyydenkatu'' (Independence Street) anywhere in Helsinki. Most other major Finnish cities have at least one of them. Helsinki is the only city in Finland that has deployed trams or underground trains, called metro in Helsinki, for public transportation. The name "Helsinki" is often written as "Hell-sinki" in the Heavy Metal community. See also External links
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