Helsinki

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Capital and port of Finland; population (2003 est) 582,600, urban agglomeration 1,162,900. Sheltered by islands, the city is a natural seaport and is the commercial, administrative, and intellectual centre of Finland. Industries include shipbuilding, engineering, machinery, food processing, electronics and textiles. It is also the country's main tourist centre, and is linked by ferry with Stockholm, Tallinn, and St Petersburg. The port is kept open by icebreakers in winter.

History
Helsinki was founded in 1550 by King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden, north of its present location. The city was devastated by a great fire in 1808; it was rebuilt as a well-planned, spacious metropol is, which includes the architecture of Alvar Aalto. After Finland was ceded to Russia in 1809, Helsinki became capital of the grand duchy in 1812 and remained the capital after independence in 1917.

The wingless dragon holds jewels in its claws to represent prosperity. Saffron yellow symbolizes the power of the monarchy. Orange-red stands for Buddhism. Effective date: c. 1971. >>