Introduction
The capital and largest city of Finland is Helsinki. It is also the country's main seaport and industrial city. Helsinki is often called the “white city of the north” because many of its buildings are constructed of light-colored granite. Helsinki is located on a piece of land that juts into the Gulf of Finland. The gulf is an arm of the Baltic Sea. The city is bordered by fine natural harbors. Helsinki is the northernmost capital in continental Europe.
Places of interest
Helsinki has a number of impressive public buildings designed by the German-born architect C.L. Engel. They were built in the first half of the 19th century. The buildings are in the neoclassic style—that is, they were influenced by the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. These buildings include the state council building, the main building of Helsinki University, and the Lutheran cathedral, known as the Great Church. All these structures surround the broad expanse of Senate Square. The Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral is located nearby. It is a reminder of a period of Russian rule over Finland.
Examples of modern Finnish architecture include the city theater, as well as a concert building designed by architect Alvar Aalto. The Helsinki Stadium was built for the 1952 Olympic Games. Architect Eliel Saarinen designed the city's railway station in 1914.
Culture
Helsinki has theaters, an opera company, dance companies, and several symphony orchestras. An annual Helsinki festival features world-famous orchestras and artists and a program of rich variety. Helsinki University is the second largest university in Scandinavia. It was founded in 1640. Finnish designs in glass, porcelain, and textiles are internationally famous. The large Arabia porcelain factory has been producing fine pottery for more than 125 years.
Economy
Helsinki's economy depends on its excellent harbors and on good railway and road connections to the interior of Finland. The port of Helsinki handles a significant portion Finland's imports. The city's main industries include food and metal processing, printing, textiles and clothing, electronics, ship building, and telecommunications. Helsinki's information technology and biotechnology industries have grown quickly.
History
King Gustav Vasa of Sweden founded Helsinki in 1550. It was originally located at the mouth of the Vantaa River, at a point about 3 miles (5 kilometers) north of its present-day location. It was moved to the present location in 1640 in order to obtain more open access to the sea.
The town suffered from a plague in 1710 and burned to the ground in 1713. Russian attacks held up its redevelopment. In 1748 a fortress called Suomenlinna was built on a group of small islands outside the harbor. The fortress made the settlement more secure.
When Russia invaded Finland in 1808, Helsinki was once again burned down. Finland became part of Russia in 1809. The Russian czar Alexander I moved the capital of Finland to Helsinki in 1812.
The center of Helsinki was completely reconstructed. Once Helsinki became the capital of Finland, its population increased rapidly. The city had 4,000 people in 1810. The population rose to 60,000 by 1890.
In 1917 Finland declared its independence from Russia. A brief but bloody war followed in Helsinki. Conditions soon became more stable. The parliament in Helsinki elected Finland's first president in 1919. Helsinki developed into an important center of trade, industry, and culture in the following years. Population (2000 estimate), city, 551,123; metropolitan area, 945,725.
