 |
| Helsinki overlooking the Gulf of Finland |
Helsinki was established as a trading town by King Gustav I of Sweden in 1550 to rival Tallinn (Reval). However, it remained a tiny town plagued by poverty, wars and disease. The plague of 1710 killed the greater part of the inhabitants. It was not until Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War (1808-09) that the town began to develop into a substantial city. In July 1942, Heinrich Himmler came to Helsinki to persuade the Finnish allies to hand over more than 200 foreign Jews. Only eight were handed over. A landmark event for Helsinki was the 1952 Olympic Games.
Helsinki is located on the tip of a peninsula and on 315 islands. Helsinki capital region and metropolitan areas has a population of 1.4 million. Finland is a member state of the European Union (EU). Temperatures in winter average around -5C and in summer around 20C.
No comments:
Post a Comment