Place details
Place nameHelsinki
Other namesHelsingfors
CountrySuomi
Latitude60.133
Longitude25
SourceThesaurus of Geographic Names
Overview
Located on peninsula in Gulf of Finland; founded by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden in the 16th century to compete with Reval (Tallinn), Estonia across the gulf; ravaged by plague in 1710, and fires in 1710 and 1808; prospered after being strongly fortified in 1748.