Helsinki

Helsinki Helsinki – Helsingfors
—  Ceety  —
Helsingin kaupunki Helsingfors stad
Frae top-left: Helsinki Cathedral, Suomenlinna, Senate Square, Aurinkolahti beach, Ceety Haw
Coat o airms
Eik-name(s): Stadi, Hesa
Helsinki Location o Helsinki in Finland
Coordinates: 60°10′15″N 024°56′15″E
Kintra	Finland
Region	Uusimaa
Sub-region	Helsinki
Chairter	1550
Caipital ceety	1812
Govrenment
- Mayor	Jussi Pajunen
Aurie(2011-01-01)
- Ceety	715.49 km2 (276.3 sq mi)
- Laund	213.75 km2 (82.5 sq mi)
- Watter	501.74 km2 (193.7 sq mi)
- Urban	770.26 km2 (297.4 sq mi)
- Metro	2,970.18 km2 (1,146.8 sq mi)
Aurie rank	170t lairgest in Finland
Indwallers (2012-09-30)
- Ceety	602,200
- Rank	Lairgest in Finland
- Densitie	0/km2 (0/sq mi)
- Urban	1,071,530
- Urban  densitie	1,391.13/km2 (3,603/sq mi)
- Metro	1,354,540
- Metro  densitie	456.05/km2 (1,181.2/sq mi)
Population bi native leid
- Finnish	84.3% (official)
- Swadish	6.1% (official)
- Ithers	9.6%
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Simmer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Municipal tax rate	18.5%
Wabsteid	www.hel.fi

Helsinki (Swadish:Helsingfors) is the caipital an lairgest ceety in Finland. It is in the soothren pairt o Finland, in the region o Uusimaa/Nyland, on the shore o the Guwf o Finland, bi the Baltic Sea. The population o the ceety o Helsinki is 602,200 (30 September 2012), makin it the maist muckle municipality in Finland bi a wide margin. Helsinki is locatit some 400 km (250 mi) east o Stockholm, Swaden, 300 km (190 mi) wast o Saunt Petersburg, Roushie an 80 km (50 mi) north o Tallinn, Estonie. Helsinki haes close connections wi these three ceeties.

The municipality o Helsinki forms the hert o the Helsinki metropolitan aurie an Greater Helsinki aurie. Ower ane million fowk live in the Helsinki metropolitan aurie, which includes the ceety o Helsinki an three ither ceeties. Twa o these ceeties, Espoo an Vantaa, immediately border Helsinki tae the wast an north. Kauniainen, the third ceety, is an enclave athin the ceety o Espoo. The Helsinki metropolitan aurie is the northrenmaist urban aurie on Earth wi a population o ower 1 million fowk, an the ceety is the northmaist caipital o a EU memmer state. Aathegither 1.3 million fowk live in the Greater Helsinki aurie, which includes the aforementioned ceeties an 9 suburban satellite touns. Approximately 1 in 4 Finns live in the Greater Helsinki aurie.

Helsinki is Finland's major poleetical, educational, financial, cultural an research center. Helsinki is an aa an important regional ceety on the Baltic Sea an northren Europe. Approximately 70% o foreign companies operatin in Finland hae settled in the Helsinki region.

History

Main airticle: History o Helsinki

Early history

Central Helsinki in 1820 afore rebiggin. Drawin bi Carl Ludvig Engel.

Helsinki wis established as a tradin toun bi Keeng Gustav I o Swaden in 1550 as the toun o Helsingfors, which he intendit tae be a rival tae the Hanseatic ceety o Reval (today: Tallinn). Little came o the plans as Helsinki remained a tiny toun plagued bi poverty, wars, an diseases. The plague o 1710 killed the greater pairt o the inhabitants o Helsinki. The construction o the naval fortress Sveaborg (In Finnish Viapori, the day an aa Suomenlinna) in the 18t century helped improve Helsinki's status, but it wis no till Roushie defeatit Swaden in the Finnish War an annexed Finland as the autonomous Grand Duchy o Finland in 1809 that the toun began tae develop intae a substantial ceety.

Czar Alexander I o Roushie moved the Finnish caipital frae Turku tae Helsinki tae reduce Swadish influence in Finland. The Ryal Academy o Turku, back then the kintra's anerlie university, wis relocatit tae Helsinki in 1827 an eventually became the modren University o Helsinki. The move consolidatit the ceety's new role an helped set it on the path o continuous growth. This transformation is heichlie apparent in the dountoun core, which wis rebuilt in neoclassical style tae resemble Saunt Petersburg. As elsewhaur, technological advancements such as railroads an industrialization wur key factors ahint the ceety's growth.

Twintiet century

Despite the tumultuousness o Finnish history durin the first hauf o the 20t century, Helsinki continued its steady development. A landmark event wis the XV Olympiad (1952 Olympic Games) held in Helsinki. Finland's rapid urbanization in the 1970s, occurrin late relative tae the rest o Europe, tripled the population in the metropolitan aurie, an the Helsinki Metro subway seestem wis built. The relatively sparse population density o Helsinki an its peculiar structure hae aften been attributit tae the lateness o its growth.

Name

The Swadish name Helsingfors ([hɛlsiŋˈfɔrs] or [hɛlsiŋˈfɔʂ]) is the oreeginal offeecial name o the ceety o Helsinki (in the vera beginnin, spelled Hellssingeforss). The Finnish leid form o the name probably oreeginates frae Helsinga an similar names uised for the river that is currently kent as the Vantaa River as documentit awready in the 14t century. Helsinki (pronoonced wi the stress on the first syllab: Finnish pronunciation: [ˈhelsiŋki]), is uised tae refer tae the ceety in aw leids except Swadish, Norse an Dens. Helsingfors comes frae the name o the surroondin parish, Helsinge (source for Finnish Helsinki) an the rapids (Swadish: fors‎), which flowed through the oreeginal veelage. The name Helsinge mey hae oreeginatit wi medieval Swadish settlers who came frae Hälsingland in Swaden. Ithers hae proposed that the name derives frae the Swadish wird hals (neck), referrin tae the nairaest pairt o the river, i.e. the rapids.

In Helsinki slang the ceety is kent as Stadi (frae the Swadish wird stad, meanin "ceety"). Elsewhaur in Finland, in colloquial Finnish its nickname is Hesa. Helsset is the Northern Sami name o Helsinki.

Geografie

Pairts o Helsinki an Espoo seen frae SPOT

Suomenlinna haes been a UNESCO Warld Heritage Steid syne 1991.

Main airticle: Geografie o Helsinki

Helsinki is spread athort a nummer o bays an peninsulaes an ower a nummer o islands. The inner ceety aurie occupees a southern peninsulae, which is rarely referred tae bi its actual name Vironniemi. Population densitie in certain pairts o Helsinki's inner ceety aurie is vera heich, reachin 16,494 inhabitants per square kilometre (42,720 /sq mi) in the destrict o Kallio, but as a whole Helsinki's population densitie o 3,050 per square kilometre (7,900 /sq mi) ranks it as quite spairsely populatit in comparison tae ither European caipital ceeties. Hintle o Helsinki ootside the inner ceety aurie consists o postwar suburbs separatit frae each ither bi patches o forest. A narrae, ten-kilometre-lang (6 mi) Helsinki Central Pairk that stretches frae the inner ceety tae the northren border o Helsinki is an important recreational aurie for residents.

Major islands in Helsinki include Seurasaari, Lauttasaari an Korkeasaari – the lattermaist bein the steid o the kintra's biggest zoo. Ither significant islands are the fortress island o Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) an the militar island o Santahamina. Pihlajasaari island is a favourite simmer spot for gay men an naturists, vera hintle comparable tae Fire Island aff New York Ceety.

Climate

Helsinki haes a hemiboreal humid continental climate. Awin tae the mitigatin influence o the Easter Seas an Guwf Stream, temperaturs in winter are hintle heichher than the far northren location micht suggest, wi the average in Januar an Februar aroond −5 °C (23 °F). Temperaturs belaw −20 °C (−4 °F) occur normally a week or twa in a year. Housomeivver, acause o the latitude, days last less than sax oors aroond the winter solstice wi really law sun rays, an the vera cloudy wather at this time o year accentuates the darkness. Conversely, Helsinki enjoys lang days in simmer, close tae nineteen oors aroond the simmer solstice. The average maximum temperatur frae Juin tae August is aroond 19 tae 28 °C (66 tae 70 °F). Due tae the marine effect, especially in the simmer daily temperaturs are ceuler an nicht temperaturs are heicher than further awa in the mainland. As near as in Vantaa, the climate is surprisinly hintle mair continental, wi wairmer simmers an caulder winters. The heichest temperatur iver recordit at ceety centre wis 34.1 °C (93.4 °F) on 28 Julie 2010 an the lawest wis −34.3 °C (−30 °F) on 10 Januar 1987.

Climate data for Helsinki (Kaisaniemi)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record heich °C (°F)	8.5 (47.3)	11.8 (53.2)	17.1 (62.8)	21.9 (71.4)	29.6 (85.3)	32.0 (89.6)	34.0 (93.2)	31.2 (88.2)	26.2 (79.2)	19.4 (66.9)	11.6 (52.9)	10.0 (50.0)	17.1 (62.8)
Average heich °C (°F)	−1.3 (29.7)	−1.9 (28.6)	1.6 (34.9)	7.6 (45.7)	14.4 (57.9)	18.5 (65.3)	21.5 (70.7)	19.8 (67.6)	14.6 (58.3)	9.0 (48.2)	3.7 (38.7)	0.5 (32.9)	9.0 (48.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−3.9 (25.0)	−4.7 (23.5)	−1.3 (29.7)	3.9 (39.0)	10.2 (50.4)	14.6 (58.3)	17.8 (64.0)	16.3 (61.3)	11.5 (52.7)	6.6 (43.9)	1.6 (34.9)	−2 (28.4)	5.9 (42.6)
Average laich °C (°F)	−6.5 (20.3)	−7.4 (18.7)	−4.1 (24.6)	0.8 (33.4)	6.3 (43.3)	10.9 (51.6)	14.2 (57.6)	13.1 (55.6)	8.7 (47.7)	4.3 (39.7)	−0.6 (30.9)	−4.5 (23.9)	2.9 (37.2)
Record laich °C (°F)	−34.3	−31.5	−24.5	−16.3 (2.7)	−4.8 (23.4)	0.7 (33.3)	5.4 (41.7)	2.8 (37.0)	−4.5 (23.9)	−11.6 (11.1)	−18.6	−29.5	−34.3
Precipitation mm (inches)	52 (2.05)	36 (1.42)	38 (1.5)	32 (1.26)	37 (1.46)	57 (2.24)	63 (2.48)	80 (3.15)	56 (2.2)	76 (2.99)	70 (2.76)	58 (2.28)	655 (25.79)
Snawfall cm (inches)	20 (7.9)	24 (9.4)	15 (5.9)	0.4 (0.16)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3 (1.2)	10 (3.9)	72 (28.3)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	38	70	138	194	284	297	291	238	150	93	36	29	1,858
Source: Climatological statistics for the normal period 1981–2010

Climate data for Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (Helsinki Airport)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record heich °C (°F)	8.2 (46.8)	10.0 (50.0)	17.5 (63.5)	23.6 (74.5)	28.8 (83.8)	31.4 (88.5)	34.0 (93.2)	31.5 (88.7)	25.3 (77.5)	18.2 (64.8)	10.5 (50.9)	9.6 (49.3)	34.0 (93.2)
Average heich °C (°F)	−2.4 (27.7)	−2.7 (27.1)	1.5 (34.7)	8.7 (47.7)	15.8 (60.4)	19.6 (67.3)	22.5 (72.5)	20.5 (68.9)	14.8 (58.6)	8.6 (47.5)	2.6 (36.7)	−0.7 (30.7)	9.1 (48.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−5 (23.0)	−5.7 (21.7)	−1.9 (28.6)	4.1 (39.4)	10.4 (50.7)	14.6 (58.3)	17.7 (63.9)	15.8 (60.4)	10.7 (51.3)	5.6 (42.1)	0.4 (32.7)	−3.2 (26.2)	5.3 (41.5)
Average laich °C (°F)	−8.1 (17.4)	−8.9 (16.0)	−5.4 (22.3)	−0.2 (31.6)	4.8 (40.6)	9.5 (49.1)	12.6 (54.7)	11.3 (52.3)	6.9 (44.4)	2.7 (36.9)	−2.1 (28.2)	−6 (21.2)	1.4 (34.5)
Record laich °C (°F)	−35.9	−30.2	−27.2	−12.1 (10.2)	−5.4 (22.3)	−0.5 (31.1)	4.0 (39.2)	2.0 (35.6)	−7.3 (18.9)	−14.5 (5.9)	−19.9	−29.5	—
Precipitation mm (inches)	54 (2.13)	37 (1.46)	37 (1.46)	32 (1.26)	39 (1.54)	61 (2.4)	66 (2.6)	79 (3.11)	64 (2.52)	82 (3.23)	73 (2.87)	58 (2.28)	682 (26.85)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	38	74	131	196	275	266	291	219	143	84	37	26	1,780
Source: Climatological statistics for the normal period 1981–2010 Sun and record temperatures 1981-2011 only

Ceetyscape

Aleksanterinkatu in Central Helsinki

Aleksi in Central Helsinki

The view athort simmertime Eläintarhanlahti

The Helsinki Cathedral is probably the maist prominent biggin an seembol o the ceety.

Pairlament o Finland on the richt, an new supplemental offices on the left

Carl Ludvig Engel (1778–1840) wis appointit tae design a new ceety centre aw on his awn. He designed several neoclassical biggins in Helsinki. The focal point o Engel's ceety plan is the Senate Square. It is surroondit bi the Govrenment Palace (tae the east), the main biggin o Helsinki University (tae the west), an (tae the north) the enormous Cathedral, which wis feenished in 1852, twal years efter C. L. Engel's daith. Subsequently, Engel's neoclassical plan stimulatit the epithet, The White Ceety O The North. Helsinki is, housomeivver, perhaps even mair famous for its numerous Art Nouveau (Jugend in Finnish) influencit biggins o the romantic naitionalism, designed in the early 1900s an strangly influencit bi the Kalevala, which is a vera popular theme in the naitional romantic airt o that era. Helsinki's Art Nouveau style is featured in lairge residential auries such as Katajanokka an Ullanlinna an aw. The maister o the Finnish Art Nouveau wis Eliel Saarinen (1873–1950), whose airchitectural maisterpiece wis the Helsinki central railwey station.

Helsinki featurs several biggings bi the warld-renouned Finnish airchitect Alvar Aalto (1898–1976) an aw, recognisit as ane o the pioneers o airchitectural functionalism. Housomeivver, some o his woirks, such as the heidquairters o the paper company Stora Enso an the concert venue, Finlandia Hall, hae been subject tae dividit opinions frae the ceetizens.

Renouned functionalist biggins in Helsinki bi ither airchitects include the Olympic Stadium, the Tennis Palace, the Rowing Stadium, the Swimming Stadium, the Velodrome, the Glass Palace, the Exhibition Hall (nou Töölö Sports Hall) an Helsinki-Malmi Airport. The sports venues wur built tae serve the 1940 Helsinki Olympic Gemmes; the gemmes wur initially cancelled due tae the Seicont Warld War, but the venues eventually got tae fulfill their purpose in the 1952 Olympic Games. Mony o thaim are leetit bi DoCoMoMo as significant examples o modren airchitectur.

As a historical fuitnote, Helsinki's neoclassical biggins wur aften uised as a backdrop for scenes set tae tak place in the Soviet Union in mony Cauld War era Hollywood movies, whan filmin in the USSR wis no possible. Some o the mair notable anes are The Kremlin Letter (1970), Reds (1981) an Gorky Park (1983). Acause some streetscapes wur reminiscent o Leningrad's an Moscow's auld biggins, they wur uised in movie productions—much tae some residents' dismay an aw. At the same time the govrenment secretly instructit Finnish offeecials no tae extend assistance tae such film projects.

Demografics

Helsinki haes a heicher proportion o weemen (53.4%) than elsewhaur in Finland (51.1%). Helsinki's current population densitie o 2,739.36 fowk per square kilometre is bi far the heichest in Finland. Life expectancy for baith genders is slichtly belaw the naitional averages: 75.1 years for men as compared tae 75.7 years, 81.7 years for weemen as compared tae 82.5 years.

Helsinki haes experienced strang growth syne the 1810s, when it replacit Turku as the caipital o the Grand Duchy o Finland, which later became the sovereign Republic o Finland. The ceety continued tae show strang growt frae that time onwards, wi the exception durin the Finnish Ceevil War period. Frae the end o Warld War II up till the 1970s there wis a massive exodus o fowk frae the kintraside tae the ceeties o Finland, in pairticular Helsinki. Atween 1944 an 1969 the population o the ceety nearly doubled frae 275,000.

In the 1960s, the population growth o Helsinki proper began tae ebb mainly due tae lack o hoosin. Mony residents began tae muive tae neebourin Espoo an Vantaa, whare population growt haes syne soared. Espoo's population increased ninefauld in saxty years, frae 22,874 fowk in 1950 tae 244,353 in 2009. Neebourin Vantaa haes seen even mair dramatic chynge in the same time span: frae 14,976 in 1950 tae 197,663 in 2009, a thirteenfauld increase. These dramatic increases pushed the municipalities o greater Helsinki intae mair intense cooperation in such auries as public transportation an waste management. The increasin scarcity o hoosin an the heicher costs o livin in the Helsinki metropolitan aurie hae pushed mony daily commuters tae fynd hoosin in umwhile vera rural auries, an even further, tae such ceeties as Lohja (50 kilometres or 30 miles northwast frae the ceety centre), Hämeenlinna an Lahti (baith 100 kilometres or 60 miles frae Helsinki, an Porvoo (50 kilometres tae the east).

Leid

Finnish an Swadish are the offeecial leids o the municipality o Helsinki. The majority, or 84.3% o the population, speak Finnish as their native language. A minority, at 6.1%, speak Finland Swadish. Those who speak a native leid ither than Finnish or Swadish staund at aroond 9.6% o the population.

Finnish speakers surpassed Swadish speakers in 1890 tae become the majority o the ceety's population. At the time, Helsinki's population wis 61,530.

Immigration

Foreign citizens make up 5.2% (29,200) o the population, while foreign born mak up 7.9% (44,400). O the resident foreigners 33% are EU naitionals. In 2008, 55,245 residents spak a native leid ither than Finnish, Swadish or Sami. The lairgest group o residents wi a non-Finnish backgrund come frae Estonie (5,900), Roushie (5,633), Somalie (2,400), Cheenae (1,150) an Thailand (680). Hauf o the immigrant population in Finland lives in greater Helsinki, an ane third in the ceety o Helsinki. 44% o the African population in Finland lives in Helsinki. In 2001, oot o aw the EU-15 caipitals, anerlie Lisbon haed a smawer share o immigrants in their population. There are some challenges tae integration, as the immigrant unemployment rate on average is 2.5 times heicher than native Finns.

Economy

The Helsinki metropolitan aurie generates approximately ane third o Finland's GDP. GDP per caipita is roughly 1.3 times the naitional average.

The metropolitan aurie's gross value addit per caipita is 200% o the mean o 27 European metropolitan auries, equallin those o Stockholm or Paris. The gross value addit annual growth haes been aroond 4%.

83 o the 100 lairgest Finnish companies are heidquartered in Greater Helsinki. Twa-thirds o the 200 heichest-paid Finnish executives live in Greater Helsinki an 42% in Helsinki. The average income o the top 50 earners wis 1.65 million euro.

The tap water is o excellent quality an it is suppleed bi 120 km (75 mi) lang Päijänne Water Tunnel, ane o the warld's langest continuous rock tunnels. Bottled Helsinki tap water is even sauld tae kintras such as Saudi Arabie.

Cultur

Kiasma is a contemporary airt museum locatit at the hert o Helsinki.

The biggest historical museum in Helsinki is the Naitional Museum o Finland, which displays a vast historical collection frae prehistoric times tae the 21st century. The museum biggin itsel, a naitional romantic style neomedieval castle, is a tourist attraction. Ither major historical museum is the Helsinki Ceety Museum, which introduces visitors tae Helsinki's 500 year history. The University o Helsinki an' a' haes mony significant museums, includin the University Museum an the Natural History Museum.

The Finnish Naitional Gallery consists o three museums: Ateneum Airt Museum for classical Finnish airt, Sinebrychoff Airt Museum for classical European airt, an Kiasma Airt Museum for modren airt. The auld Ateneum, a neo-Renaissance palace frae the 19t century, is ane o the ceety's major historical biggins. Aw three museum biggins are state-awned through Senate Properties.

Helsinki haes three major theatres: The Finnish Naitional Theatre, the Helsinki Ceety Theatre, an the Finland Swadish Svenska Teatern. The ceety's main muisical venues are the Finnish Naitional Opera an the Finlandia concert-hall. Bigger concerts an events are uisually held at ane o the ceety's twa big ice hockey arenas: the Hartwall Areena or the Helsinki Ice Hall. Helsinki haes Finland's largest fairgrunds.

Mony widely renouned an acclaimed baunds hae oreeginatit in Helsinki, includin Hanoi Rocks, HIM, Stratovarius, The 69 Eyes, Norther, Wintersun, Finntroll, Ensiferum, The Rasmus an Apocalyptica.

Airt

• The Helsinki Festival is an annual airts an cultur festival, which takes place ivery August (includin the Nicht o the Airts).
• Valon Voimat "Forces o Licht" is an annual winter airts festival.
• Vappu "Vappu" is an annual carnival for students an wirkers.

Helsinki Arena hostit the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, the first iver Eurovision Song Contest arranged in Finland, follaein Lordi's win in 2006.

At the Senate Square in September / October 2010, the lairgest open-air airt exhibition iver in Finland teuk place: Aboot 1.4 million fowk saw the internaitional exhibition o United Buddy Bears.

Helsinki is the 2012 Warld Design Caipital, in recognition o the uise o design as an effective tuil for social, cultural an economic development in the ceety. In chuisin Helsinki, the Warld Design Caipital selection jury heichlichtit Helsinki's uise o 'Embedded Design', which haes tee'd design in the ceety tae innovation, "creatin global brents, such as Nokia, Kone an Marimekko, popular events, like the annual Helsinki Design Week, ootstaundin education an research institutions, such as the University o Airt an Design Helsinki, an exemplary airchitects an designers such as Eliel Saarinen an Alvar Aalto".

Media

Naitional media

Helsinki is the centre o the Finnish media, maist naitional newspapers as well as the broadcasters are locatit there.

Local media

There are twa public service local radio stations in Greater Helsinki, Finnish-leid Ylen aikainen (the regional edition o YLE Radio Suomi) an Swadish-leid YLE Radio Vega Huvudstadsregionen (the regional edition o YLE Radio Vega). There are an' a' privately-awned local radio stations.

YLE produces local TV news programme for the region o Uusimaa, Uudenmaan uutiset.

Twa daily newspapers, Helsingin Sanomat an Hufvudstadsbladet are published in Helsinki an function as the local as well as the naitional newspapers.

Sports

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium wis the centre o activities during the 1952 Summer Olympics.

Main airticle: Sport in Helsinki

Helsinki haes a lang tradition o sports: the ceety gained muckle o its initial internaitional recognition durin the 1952 Simmer Olympics, an the ceety haes syne then been vera open tae arrangin sportin events, for example the first Warld Championships in Athletics 1983 an 2005, an European Championships in Athletics 1971, 1994 an 2012 etc. Helsinki hosts fairly successful local teams in baith o the maist popular team sports in Finland, fitbaa, ice hockey an synchronized skatin. Helsinki hooses Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (HJK), Finland's lairgest an maist successful fitbaa club. Helsinki's track an field club Helsingin Kisa-Veikot is an' a' pretty dominant in Finland. Ice Hockey is a sport o passion for mony Helsinki residents, who uisually take a stance for either o the local clubs IFK Helsingfors (HIFK) or Jokerit. HIFK, wi 14 Finnish championships titles, an aa plays in the heichest bandy diveesion, so does Botnia -69. The Olympic stadium hostit the 1st iver Bandy Warld Championships in 1957.

Transportation

Helsinki region roads.

Roads

Helsinki haes several ring roads: Ring I, Ring II, an Ring III. Frae central ceety tae east an wast, there are Itäväylä an Länsiväylä. Frae the central ceety tae north, there are several routes. There is a proposal tae build a Stockholm-like tunnel unner central Helsinki tae hide caurs frae streets. Central Helsinki haes popular unnergrund pairkin facilities.

Helsinki haes some 390 caurs per 1000 inhabitants. This is less than in ceeties o similar density, for instance, Brussels' 483 per 1000 an Stockholm's 401, an Oslo's 413.

Rail transport an buses

Main airticle: Public transport in Helsinki

The Helsinki Metro wi its characteristic bricht orange trains is the warld's northmaist subway.

Malmi airport, ane o the auldest in the warld an Finland's- main general aviation airport.

Public transportation is generally a hotly debatit subject in the local politics o Helsinki. In Helsinki metropolitan aurie, public transportation is managed unner Helsinki Region Transport, the metropolitan aurie transportation authority. The diverse public transport seestem consists o trams, commuter rail, the subway, bus lines an twa ferry lines.

The day, Helsinki is the anerlie ceety in Finland tae hae trams or subway trains. There uised tae be twa ither ceeties in Finland wi trams: Turku an Viipuri (Vyborg, nou in Roushie), but baith hae syne abandoned trams. The Helsinki Metro, opened in the year 1982, is the anerlie subway seestem in Finland. In 2006, the construction o the lang debatit extension o the subway seestem wast intae Espoo wis approved, an serious debate aboot an eastren extension intae Sipoo haes taken place.

The possibility o a Helsinki tae Tallinn Tunnel is currently being researched. The rail tunnel wad connect Helsinki tae the Estonian caipital Tallinn, further linkin Helsinki tae the rest o continental Europe bi Rail Baltica.

Aviation

Air traffic is handled primarily frae the internaitional Helsinki Airport, locatit approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) north o Helsinki's dountoun aurie, in the neighbourin ceety o Vantaa. Helsinki's seicont airport, Malmi Airport, is mainly uised for general an private aviation. Copterline haes providit fast (18 min.) helicopter flichts tae Tallinn, but discontinued the regular service in December 2008 on grunds o unprofitability.

Sea transport

Ferry connections tae Tallinn an Stockholm are serviced bi various companies. Finnlines passenger-freight ferries tae Gdynia, Poland an Travemünde, Germany are an' a' available, while Tallink began service tae Rostock, Germany in 2007. St. Peter Line affers passenger ferry service tae Saunt Petersburg several times a week.

Internaitional relations

See an aw: Leet o twin touns an sister ceeties in Finland

Pairtnerships

Helsinki does no hae offeecial sister ceeties, but haes co-operation agreements wi the follaein ceeties:

• Beijing. Cheenae
• Moscow, Roushie

Freemit airtins

Wikimedia Commons haes media adae wi:

Helsinki

• Scenaries, sichts, an places tae go in an near Helsinki in Wikimedia Commons
• Hel.fi – Offeecial wabsteid (in Inglis; ither leids available)
• Visithelsinki.fi – Offeecial Ceety o Helsinki Tourism Website
• Helsinki.mobi – Offeecial mobile wabsteid
• Helsinki.fi – Ceety Portal
• World Design Capital 2012 Helsinki Offeecial steid