Physical Geography of Helsinki

As you can see, Helsinki is located about as close to the rest of Europe as possible. This is because of its original

purpose as a trading city in opposition to the Hanseatic League. Originally established at the mouth of the Vantaa

River, it was moved because of the river's tendency to silt up and become unnavigable. The Vironniemi peninsula,

where the city's center is now located, was chosen because it was near the original site and because it was less

subject to the whims of the river.

As any map will easily tell you, the biggest physical factor in the development of Helsinki is the fractured coastline

it is a part of. Helsinki's 315 islands and several peninsulas have made it a water city, for better and worse. It has

an excellent harbor, yet travel around the metro area is problematic at times, because of the many bridges and

causeways that exist. As is also clear from looking at a map, greenspace is important to the city's residents. There

are numerous parks, even close in to the CBD, and many of the smaller islands in the harbor are undeveloped but

accessible. As this satellite picture shows, urban sprawl, though existent, has taken the form of a multiple core

system. This means that urbanization has been somewhat selective, leaving undeveloped areas close to the city.

The city first expanded up the peninsula, then across the bays, and only recently has the interior really become

part of the conurbation. The boundaries were increased several times as the city grew to incorporate the inner

suburbs, yet growth has now surpassed those lines and adjoining towns, such as Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen

are now major parts of the metropolis.

Helsinki is relatively near the Arctic circle, yet the moderating influences of the Baltic sea and the Gulf stream give

it a warmer climate than some of the areas it shares latitude with. It is not an especially hilly city, partially

because Finland's ground is based on some of the oldest rocks in existence, and partly because of extensive

glacialization during the last Ice Age. Interestingly, a fault line was discovered in the eastern part of the city

during construction of the Metro in the early 80's. It is not known how this will affect the city.

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