Helsinki (Swedish Helsingfors), largest city, capital, and chief seaport of Finland. The city is located in southern Finland, on a small peninsula extending into the Gulf of Finland. Small islands fringe the peninsula, and the entrance to Helsinki Harbor is protected by the fortifications of Suomenlinna (Swedish Sveaborg), covering seven of the islands.
Helsinki is laid out with spacious streets interspersed with many gardens and parks. Architecturally, Helsinki is a mixture of old and modern styles, with the old senate house and the Tuomiokirkko, or Lutheran Cathedral, representing the older buildings, and the railroad station, designed in 1918 by the Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, as a notable example of modern architecture. Other points of interest include the Jean Sibelius Monument, the Uspensky Cathedral, the Ataneum Art Museum, the Sports Museum, and Helsinki's islands, with a zoo, recreational park, and museums. Helsinki is the cultural, commercial, and political center of Finland. The University of Helsinki has been in the city since 1828, when it was moved from Åbo (Turku), where it was founded in 1640. The National Museum of Finland, the Finnish National Opera, and several theaters, presenting works in both Finnish and Swedish, are located in the city.
