HELSINKI. – Ancient Helsingfors, capital of the Republic of Finland, is the most populous city in the state (270,000 inhabitants), of which 64.5% are Finns and 33.5% Swedes. Due to its location, it is the principal port and the main outlet for the interior; situated on a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland, it is surrounded by numerous islands, which have made possible the construction of ports with convenient docks, spacious warehouses, and coal depots.
Founded in 1550 at 5 km north of its present location, near the mouth of the Vanda River, it was repeatedly moved due to wartime events, occupations, destructions, and fires, until Tsar Alexander I had it rebuilt in its current site. Capital since 1817, it is laid out according to a regular plan, with wide streets, spacious squares, and gardens adorned with fine monuments; public and private palaces, churches, seminaries, libraries, and theaters are abundant. The University of H., founded in Turku in 1640, was transferred to the capital in 1827. The new Parliament building in H. is the most modern in Europe. The average annual temperature is 4.4°; the warmest month is July, with an average of 16.5°, and the coldest is February, with -6.2°. Among the wettest areas, which lie to the south of the country, H. receives 706 mm of rainfall per year. Snow covers the ground of the capital for about 120 days a year. It is a center for the export of timber and paper and for the import of foodstuffs and raw materials. Industries include textile processing, porcelain manufacturing, and tobacco production. As the seat of various shipping companies, the port of H. serves as a departure point for European and transoceanic ports.