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The Capital of Finland is Helsinki. Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe bordering Sweden, Norway, and Russia. Moreover, it has a population of 5.6 million. Finnish is the main language, spoken by nearly 85% of the population, while Swedish is also an official language. However, there are more languages, like English spoken by most Finnish people. Additionally, the landscape is dominated by boreal forests and dotted with over 180,000 lakes. This article will cover everything about the Capital of Finland, Helsinki.
Table of Contents
Overview of Helsinki
Since Helsinki is the Capital of Finland, it is the most populous city in the nation. The rest of the information is mentioned in the table below.
| Helsinki Overview | |
| Feature | Description |
| Location | Southern Finland, on the Gulf of Finland |
| Population | City: 629,512 |
| Urban Area: 1.21 million | |
| Metro Area: 1.4+ million | |
| Status | Capital & Largest Finnish City |
| Significance | Major political, educational, financial, cultural & research center |
| Metro Area | World’s northernmost with 1+ million people |
| Connection | Close historical ties to Tallinn, Stockholm & Saint Petersburg |
Demography and Geography of Helsinki
Helsinki is nicknamed “Daughter of the Baltic” or “Pearl of the Baltic”, and sits on a peninsula and 315 islands.
- The city center is on a southern peninsula rarely called by its real name, Vironniemi, but rather Helsinginniemi (“Cape of Helsinki”).
- Moreover, downtown areas are densely populated, reaching over 16,000 people per square kilometer.
- Outside the center, Helsinki consists of post-war suburbs with patches of forest in between.
- A 10-kilometer-long Helsinki Central Park stretches from the center to the north border, hence providing recreation for residents.
- Additionally, the city boasts over 11,000 boat moorings and vast marine fishing waters with over 60 fish species.
As we already mentioned, Helsinki is Finland’s most populous city with over 674,500 residents, making it the third most populous in the Nordics.
- The Helsinki region is the largest urban area in Finland, with over 1.5 million inhabitants.
- Interestingly, Helsinki has 12% of Finland’s population and has a higher percentage of residents with foreign backgrounds (19.9%) compared to the national average.
- Despite this, the foreign background population is lower than in other major Finnish cities like Espoo or Vantaa.
- Women make up a larger proportion of Helsinki’s population (53%) compared to the national average (51%).
- Helsinki holds the title of the most densely populated Finnish city with 3,147 people per square kilometer.
- However, life expectancy in Helsinki is slightly lower than the national average for both men and women.
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Economy of Helsinki
Helsinki is a metro area that generates 1/3 of Finland’s GDP. One of the possible explanations for the same is that it is the Capital of Finland.
- Helsinki’s GDP per capita is 1.3x the national average.
- Moreover, the economy profits from IT, public sectors & shipping.
- Metro area’s value added per capita is 2x the European Union (EU) average.
- 83 of Finland’s top 100 companies are headquartered in the Helsinki metro.
- 2/3 of Finland’s top 200 earners live in the Helsinki metro area.
- Additionally, Helsinki tap water is of excellent quality.
- It has the world’s longest continuous rock tunnel which is 120km.
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Culture of Helsinki
Helsinki is a cultural hub bordered by the sea that adds to the beauty of the city. There is more to the beauty of the Capital of Finland.
| Culture of Helsinki | |
| Aspect | Details |
| Cultural Homogeneity | Integrates influences from Russia, Scandinavia, and continental Europe, particularly in arts, music, architecture, and sciences, adapting them into a distinct Finnish form. |
| Language | Language is preserved and adapted with new terminology distinct from neighboring languages. |
| Regional Groups | Savolainen Karjalainen Hämäläinen Pohjalainen |
| Daily Life Customs | Retreats to summerhouse Midsummer bonfires Birch decorations Birch whisks in saunas Traditional foods like mämmi at Easter Special dishes at Christmas. |
| Holidays | Christmas with the Spruce Tree tradition Christmas sauna baths New Year’s Eve with tin-melting traditions Midsummer (Juhannus) festivities with bonfires Vappu combines Walpurgis Night and May Day celebrations |
| Sauna Tradition | Central cultural practice with historical and ritual significance, used for bathing, healing, and social activities. |
| Literature and Arts | Kalevala as Finland’s national epic Seven Brothers Mika Waltari and Väinö Linna Opera Music Theatre Akseli Gallen-Kallela Alvar Aalto Finnish design in glass, porcelain, textiles |
Facts About Helsinki
Thus, with the Facts about Helsinki, we come to the end of the article.
- Among the five major Nordic capitals, Helsinki has the chilliest average winter temperatures.
- Embrace the Finnish love for saunas when you visit this place! They are readily available in hotels, leisure centers, and even some office buildings.
- Forget your assumptions about Helsinki’s size – it is roughly the same as Oslo.
- A quick ferry ride across the Gulf of Finland connects Helsinki to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, fostering strong links between the two cities.
FAQs
It is famous for its sea-facing landscape, diverse architecture, world-famous design, and Nordic cuisine.
The full name of Finland is the Republic of Finland.
Finland has its own official language. Moreover, English is not their official language, you’ll find many Finns speak English well.
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This is everything about the Capital of Finland. For more such content, visit our general knowledge page.