Helsinki

Sister cities

• Oslo
• Sofia
• Tallinn
• Reykjavík
• Stockholm
• Copenhagen
• Prague
• Beijing
• Nuuk
• Berlin
• Tórshavn
• Eindhoven

History

After the end of the Ice Age and the retreat of the ice sheet, the first settlers arrived in the Helsinki area around 5000 BC. Their presence has been documented by archaeologists in Vantaa, Pitäjänmäki and Kaarela. Permanent settlements did not appear until the beginning of the 1st millennium AD, during the Iron Age, when the area was inhabited by the Tavastians. They used the area for fishing and hunting, but due to the lack of archaeological finds it is difficult to say how extensive their settlements were. Pollen analysis has shown that there were agricultural settlements in the area in the 10th century, and surviving historical records from the 14th century describe Tavastian settlements in the area. Christianity does not gain a significant foothold in Finland before the 11th century. After that, a number of crosses and other objects related to Christianity can be found in archaeological material. According to the traditional view, the Kingdom of Sweden made three crusades to Finland, thanks to which the region was incorporated into both Christianity and the Swedish Empire. Recent research has shown that these expeditions, to the extent that there were even three of them, were not the crusades that had been imagined. Later, the conquest of Finland was justified in terms of "civilisation" and "christianisation", and the myth of the Crusades was developed. It is more likely that it was a multidimensional combination of economic, cultural and political power ambitions. The early settlements were raided by Vikings until 1008, and the Battle at Herdaler was a battle between the Norse Viking leader Olav Haraldsson (later King Olaf II of Norway, also known as Saint Olaf) and local Finns at Herdaler (now Ingå), not far from Helsinga, around 1007–1008. The Saga of Olaf…

Geography

Known as the "Daughter of the Baltic" or the "Pearl of the Baltic", Helsinki is located at the tip of a peninsula and on 315 islands. Outside the city centre, much of Helsinki consists of post-war suburbs separated by patches of forest. A narrow, long Helsinki Central Park, which stretches from the city centre to Helsinki's northern border, is an important recreational area for residents. Helsinki has approximately 12,000 boat berths and more than 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres; 58 sq mi) of fishing waters off its coast. About 60 species of fish are found in this area, and recreational fishing is popular. Helsinki's main islands include Seurasaari, Lauttasaari and Korkeasaari – the latter is home to Finland's largest zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo. The former military islands of Vallisaari and Isosaari are now open to the public, but Santahamina is still in military use. The most historic and remarkable island is the fortress of Suomenlinna (Sveaborg), which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The island of Pihlajasaari is a popular summer resort, comparable to Fire Island in New York City. Helsinki has 80 nature reserves with a combined area of 1,480.46 hectares (3,658 acres). Nature reserves account for 4.6% of the city's land area. Helsinki also has nature reserves on land owned by the city in other municipalities, including Espoo, Sipoo, Hanko and Ingå. The city's first nature reserve, Tiiraluoto of Lauttasaari, was established in 1948. Helsinki's official plant is the Norway maple and its official animal is the red squirrel. The Helsinki capital region (, ) comprises four municipalities: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. The Helsinki urban area is considered to be the only metropolis in Finland. It has a population of about million, and is the most…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  24,139
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  21,723
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  18,840
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  14,800
• Mew Gull

  Larus canus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  12,636
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  12,324
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10,855
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,730

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2011-03-19
  Finland