a seaport town and naval station of the Russians in the Gulf of Finland, on a peninsula to the W. of the River Vanna, 180 miles W. of St. Petersburg, 100 S.E. of Abo, and 60 N. of Revel; N. Lat. 60. 10., E. Long. 24. 57. It is the capital of Finland, the seat of the principal authorities, and an archbishop's see. It was founded by Gustavus I. of Sweden in the sixteenth century, burnt by the Russians in 1728, and again in 1741. In 1742 it was taken by the Swedes under Lewenhaupt. In 1808 it was defended by Admiral Cronstadt against the Russians; but after his unaccountable surrender of the fortress of Sveaborg, which defends the entrance to the town, Helsingfors, with the whole of Finland, was ceded to the Russians by the treaty of 1809.

Within little more than thirty years the town of Helsingfors has undergone a complete change. It is now regularly laid out in streets and squares, and adorned with public buildings. Of these the principal are the senate-house, governor's house, university, barracks, hospital, assembly rooms, and a handsome Lutheran church with four porticoes. Some of these, as well as the quay, are built of granite.

It was not till the destruction of Abo by fire that Helsingfors rose to importance. In 1819 the government, and in 1827 the university, were transferred from the old to the new capital. The university comprises 4 faculties, with 22 professors, and about 500 students. The library, which is kept in the senate-house, amounts to 80,000 volumes, containing the editions of the classics taken from the monasteries by Charles XII. Besides the library there are museums of mineralogy and zoology, botanic gardens, and an observatory, which commands a fine view.

Its trade in time of peace was considerable in grain, fish, deal and other wood, iron, &c. The inhabitants manufacture sail-cloth, linen, tobacco, &c. Pop. 16,000. (For the fortress of Sveaborg, see SVEABORG.)