Scandinavian Cruise - Day 9 - Helsinki, Finland

Finland

Climactic conditions and the lack of good soils greatly limit the amount of land available for cultivation. Nearly all land suitable for farming is found in the fertile coastal regions of the southwest. Only 7 percent of the total land area of Finland is under cultivation. The large majority of the farms are less than 20 hectares (49 acres) in size.

Dairy farming is the principal agricultural activity. Hay and other fodder crops are grown to feed dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, and other livestock. The principal food crops are wheat (grown mainly in the Ahvenanmaa archipelago), rye, barley, oats, potatoes, and sugar beets. In colder northern regions, the land is used mainly for grazing sheep and cattle.

Forests, which cover more than 70 percent of Finland, have long provided a major source of materials for Finland’s wood and wood products industries. The most productive and accessible forests lie in the central and southeastern parts of the country. A majority of the forest lands are owned by private individuals, rather than by large corporations or the government. Throughout much of Finland, timber is cut during the winter months, and in the spring it is floated down rivers and lakes to sawmills.

Fishing, although important for domestic consumption, accounts for a small share of foreign trade. More than one-third of the total catch typically comes from inland waters.

The pulp, paper, and woodworking industries account for a significant share of the Finnish manufacturing output. Other manufactured goods include heavy machinery and transportation equipment, metals, engineering products (including computers, software, electronic components, and telecommunications equipment), printed goods, food products and beverages, textiles and clothing, chemicals, and glass and ceramics. The Finnish company Nokia is one of the world’s largest telecommunications manufacturer, producing mobile telephones, digital networking hardware, and other equipment.

The Finnish social-welfare system provides unemployment, sickness, disability, and old-age insurance; family and child allowances; and war-invalid compensation. The National Health Act of 1972 provided for the establishment of health centers in all municipalities, and also provided for the elimination of doctor’s fees.

Finnish and Swedish are both official languages in Finland. About 93 percent of the population speaks Finnish, a Finno-Ugric language. About 6 percent of the people speak Swedish. The Saami speak Saami, a dialect of Finnish.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the principal national church. Its members make up 86 percent of the population. A small and declining minority of Finns (about 1 percent) belong to the Finnish Orthodox Church, still a national church. Freedom of worship is guaranteed to all faiths.

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki, (Swedish Helsingfors), is the 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 Harbour 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 railway 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 centre 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 theatres, presenting works in both Finnish and Swedish, are located in the city.

The principal manufactures of Helsinki include paper, textiles, liquors, china, chemicals, and metal goods; agricultural and dairy products and lumber and wood products are exported in considerable quantity. A major part of the commercial activity is centred on the harbour, in which separate facilities are maintained for passengers and small shipments, for bulk shipments of lumber and wood products, and for handling large incoming cargoes of coal and grain. The port can accommodate any vessel, but it is icebound from January to April, except for a channel that is kept clear by an icebreaker. Helsinki is also an international airline centre.

The city was founded by Gustav I Vasa, King of Sweden, in 1550 on a site some distance inland from its present location, to which it was moved in 1640. In 1713, during the Northern War (1700-1721) between Russia and Sweden, the city was destroyed by a retreating Swedish force; the present fortifications were begun in 1729. Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1809, and Helsinki was made the administrative capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812; since 1917 the city has been the capital of the Finnish Republic. In 1952, Helsinki was the site of the Olympic Games. Population is approx 560,553.

Currency

Euro. (£1 = 1.15) (Finland does not use the smaller coins, they round totals up to the nearest 10c.)

Best Souvenir

Any product that’s reindeer related (from reindeer skins to etched crystal to magnets). The main department stores are Sokos and Stockmann.

Helsinki, for lovers of art and artisan crafts, is a fabulous shopping destination. The newly designated “design district” offers numerous boutiques showcasing the work from young Finnish designers, head to Uudenmaankatu Street. The Esplanade, in the heart of the city, is Helsinki’s version of the Champs d’ Elysee (it’s a great place to pick up finds from Marimekko and Iittala; both have stores here). If there’s a live concert (often at lunchtime there are free performances of dance and music). Don’t miss Stockmann, the city’s most elegant department store, which includes, Lapland (the northernmost part of the country, and home to Santa Claus). It also has a huge bookshop with a good selection of works in English.

If time permits, I would highly recommend this visit.

A 15 minute ferry ride away, Suomenlinna Sea Fortress is a must do. This UNESCO monument, dating back to 1748, is set on a series of interconnected islands. Within the walls are numerous historic buildings and museums. Start at the Visitors Centre and work your way through museums such as: Suomenlinna Museum (11am-4pm) which displays military artefacts; the Suomenlinna Doll Museum and the Coastal Artillery Museum, among others. The fortress is also a residential community; there are numerous cafés and restaurants as well as a brew pub.

Museum goers who want to know more about Finland’s history should check out the National Museum of Finland (Mannerheimintie). Attracting quite a bit of notoriety is Helsinki’s relatively new Museum of Contemporary Art, Kiasma. To learn about Finnish modern design, check out the Design Museum. Music lovers will want to visit Sibelius Park (a long walk from city centre), home to the unusual monument featuring hundreds of steel pipes, that pays homage to the most famous Finnish Composer, Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957).

The Market Square beside the harbour is an excellent place to pick up souvenirs, and sample some local delicacies.