Called the “Daughter of the Baltic”, Helsinki is located on the tip of a peninsula and on 315 islands. The inner city area occupies a southern peninsula, which is rarely referred to by its actual name Vironniemi. Population density in certain parts of Helsinki’s inner city area is very high, reaching 16,494 inhabitants per square kilometer in the district of Kallio, but as a whole Helsinki’s population density of 3,050 per square kilometer ranks the city as quite sparsely populated in comparison to other European capital cities. Much of Helsinki outside the inner city area consists of postwar suburbs separated from each other by patches of forest. A narrow, 10 kilometers long Helsinki Central Park, stretching from the inner city to the northern border of Helsinki, is an important recreational area for residents. The City of Helsinki has about 11,000 boat berths and possesses over 14 000 hectares of marine fishing waters adjacent to the Capital Region. Some 60 fish species are found in this area. Recreational fishing is a popular hobby among kids and adults alike.
Major islands in Helsinki include Seurasaari, Vallisaari, Lauttasaari, and Korkeasaari – the lattermost being the site of the country’s biggest zoo. Other noteworthy islands are the fortress island of Suomenlinna (Sveaborg), the military island of Santahamina, and Isosaari. Pihlajasaari island is a favorite summer spot for gay men and naturists, comparable to Fire Island off New York City.
Helsinki has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb), less than 2 °C (3.6 °F) above the threshold for subarctic classification. Owing to the mitigating influence of the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic Current (see alsoExtratropical cyclone), temperatures in winter are higher than the northern location might suggest, with the average in January and February around −5 °C (23 °F).
Winters in Helsinki are notably warmer than in the north, and the snow season is much shorter. Temperatures below −20 °C (−4 °F) occur a few times a year or less. However, because of the latitude, days last 5 hours and 48 minutes around the winter solstice with very low Sun (at noon Sun is little bit over 6 degrees in the sky), and the cloudy weather at this time of year accentuates the darkness. Conversely, Helsinki enjoys long daylight in summer, during the summer solstice days last 18 hours and 57 minutes .
The average maximum temperature from June to August is around 19 to 22 °C (66 to 72 °F). Due to the marine effect, especially during hot summer days, daily temperatures are a little cooler and night temperatures are higher than further away in the mainland. The highest temperature ever recorded in the city centre was 33.1 °C (91.6 °F), on 18 July 1945, and the lowest was −34.3 °C (−30 °F), on 10 January 1987. Helsinki Airport(located in Vantaa, 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of the Helsinki city centre) recorded a temperature of 34.0 °C (93.2 °F), on 29 July 2010, and a low of −35.9 °C (−33 °F), on 9 January 1987. Precipitation is received from frontal passages and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are most common in summer.
Helsinki has cars in its crosshairs. By 2025, the authorities hope to make car ownership a thing of the past and, in the process, will change the way we travel forever. At least that’s the plan.
Technology lies at the heart of this transport revolution: at the tap of a finger smart phone users can already summon on-demand buses, which use algorithms to form the best routes for its passengers. Add that to the city’s ubiquitous nature reserves and stringent eco policies, and you have one of the greenest capitals in Europe.
