Helsinki capital area - Definition and Overview

Central Helsinki, the focal point of the Capital Region, from the sky

Greater Helsinki (Finnish: Suur-Helsinki, Swedish: Storhelsingfors), Capital Region (Pääkaupunkiseutu, Huvudstadsregionen), Helsinki Metropolitan Area, and Helsinki Region (Helsingin seutu, Helsingforsregionen) all refer to the conurbation surrounding the Finnish capital, Helsinki. It is located in the south of Finland, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, which is part of the Baltic Sea. The area has a population of 975,000 to 1.3 million, depending on how one draws the boundaries.

The Helsinki region is the biggest urbanised area in the country, and is by far the most important centre economically, as well as in culture and science. Eight out of Finland's 20 universities and most of the headquarters of notable companies and governmental institutions are located in Greater Helsinki, as is Finland's main aviation hub, Helsinki-Vantaa airport.

Definitions of Greater Helsinki

In the strictest sense, the Capital Region consists of four cities: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen, whose total population is 975,922 (2004). This area is most often called Helsinki Metropolitan Area in English, and Pääkaupunkiseutu in Finnish, although the use of the terms is not especially consistent. Sometimes it is called the "YTV area", referring to YTV, or the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council, which serves as a co-operation agency for the four central municipalities, mainly providing for public transport and waste management services.

Commonly about eight more municipalities are considered to be part of Greater Helsinki. When Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, Kerava, Kirkkonummi, Nurmijärvi, Sipoo, Tuusula, and Vihti are included, the number of inhabitants rises to 1.2 million. All of the municipalities belong to the region of Uusimaa, with the exception of Sipoo, located on the coast east of Helsinki, which belongs to Eastern Uusimaa.

In the broadest sense, the Helsinki Region encompasses some 25 municipalities, with a total population of more than 1.3 million. The commuter belt of Helsinki, however, stretches even further with many people from as far as Lahti and even Tampere commuting to Helsinki daily.

Statistics

The table below lists population, area and population density for the most central municipalites of the Greater Helsinki area. (Note that "Metropolitan Area" and the other terms used are not completely established, and may vary in different contexts.)

See also

• Metropolitan area
• Largest European cities

External links

• Satellite image of the Helsinki region (http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/hel_sat.html)
• Virtual Finland: Helsinki Metropolitan Area (http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/metropol.html)
• Guide map of the Helsinki Region (http://kartta.hel.fi/opas/en/)
• YTV, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (http://www.ytv.fi/english/)
• Marketing site for the Helsinki Region (http://www.helsinkiregion.com/)