What is the Time Zone in Finland?

Finland uses EET (UTC+2) during winter, and EEST (UTC+3) during summer

What is the time zone in Finland?
Finland uses Eastern European Time (UTC+2) during winter, and Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3) during summer. Many European countries, for example Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Greece use the same time zone as Finland.

Eastern European Time (EET)

During winter, Finland uses the Eastern European Time (EET) as standard time. EET is two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+2).

Eastern European Summer Time (EEST)

During summer, as daylight saving time, Finland uses the Eastern European Summer time (EEST). EEST is three hours ahead of coordinated universal time (UTC+3).

Image by Finland Promotion Board

Finland’s Independence Day is December 6

Independence Day is a national holiday, so most people have the day off. Restaurants and some shops may be open, but most businesses are closed.

Finland became independent in 1917, so Finland is more than a hundred years old. Independence Day was celebrated for the first time in 1919. But the biggest celebration was in 2017, when Finland turned 100 years old!

Finland’s Independence Day is a National Holiday

Independence Day is a national holiday in Finland, so most people have the day off. Restaurants and some shops may be open, but most businesses are closed.

Finns usually celebrate independence day at their homes, or with friends or family. People might make something special for dinner, light the white and blue candles and raise the Finnish flag. Independence Day is one of the Finnish flag flying day. Flag should be raised at 8am and lowered at 8pm.

Image by Ilari Järvinen / Finnish Heritage Agency

What is Helsinki Region?

The Helsinki region or greater Helsinki is an area that consists the capital region and some further-flung towns and cities

As you might already know, Helsinki is Finland’s capital. And with a population of about 650 000, it is also the biggest city in Finland.

What is Capital Region?

Next to Helsinki are two other big Finnish cities; Espoo and Vantaa. These three big cities (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa) and the small town of Kauniainen, which is surrounded by Espoo, create an area which is called the capital region or metropolitan area (“pääkaupunkiseutu” in Finnish). The cities are so close together that it is hard to tell when you are moving from one city to another. As Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa are all among the top 10 biggest cities in Finland, they bring the total population of capital region to over 1 million.

What is Helsinki Region?

The Helsinki region or greater Helsinki (“Helsingin seutu” in Finnish) is yet a bit more larger area surrounding the Helsinki. It consists the capital region and some further-flung towns and cities. These includes Tuusula, Kerava, Järvenpää, Kirkkonummi, Vihti, Hyvinkää, Nurmijärvi, Sipoo, Pornainen and Mäntsälä. Although some of these are about 50 km away from Helsinki, they are so strongly connected to the capital that they are referred as the Helsinki region.

How Many People Live in Helsinki?

Helsinki is Finland’s capital and also Finland’s biggest city. Meaning there are more people living in Helsinki than any other Finnish city.

Do you know how many people live in Helsinki?
Helsinki is Finland’s capital and also the most populated city in Finland!

How Many People Live in Helsinki?

So, how many people live in Helsinki? About 650 000. If you want to know exact number, it was 658 457 on December 31st 2021. Helsinki is slowly growing. The population of Helsinki increased by 0.2 % in 2021. With the population of almost 660 000, it means that 11.9 % of the Finland’s population live in Helsinki.

Here are some more facts about the “Helsinkians”. The average age of population is 41 years. There are a few more women than men. 52.4 % of the Helsinkians are women and 47.6 % are men. Finnish is the most common language. About 77 % speak Finnish as their first language. Swedish is the first language of 6 % and 17 % speak other language than Finnish or Swedish as their first language.

If you got interested in Helsinki, check also these other fun to know facts about Helsinki!

Image by Jussi Hellsten, Helsinki Partners
Sources:
Helsinki Statistics

10 Fun Facts about the Summer Weather in Finland

Typical summer weather in Finland isn’t too bad. Days are long and the temperatures are usually very enjoyable. It doesn’t get too hot, but at its best it is still warm enough to enjoy beach days.

What is summer weather like in Finland?
Well, if we believe the old Finnish saying “Finnish summer is short but at least there isn’t much snow” (in Finnish “Suomen kesä on lyhyt mutta vähäluminen”) we shouldn’t expect much of it. But although there are a bit’s of truth in it, the situation isn’t all that bad.

No, the summer weather in Finland is actually pretty good. Especially if we consider Finland’s northern location. In Finland summer days are long and the temperatures are usually very enjoyable. It doesn’t get too hot, but at its best it is still warm enough to enjoy beach days. Some days might be cloudy, it might rain, or thunder might strike, but it hardly ever snows!

And what comes to this Finnish saying mentioned earlier, we can consider is as a another example of dark Finnish humor. Finns are known to be modest, and if we don’t expect much, even a little sunshine feels like a great success.

Fun Facts about the Summer Weather in Finland

1. Summer Begins in May

In southern Finland summer season usually begins in late May and ends in mid-September.

3. July is the Warmest Month

The warmest summer days are usually experienced around July 20th.

3. Hot Day is called “Hellepäivä” in Finnish

In Finland there are usually 10-15 hot days (in Finnish “hellepäivä”) when temperature is above 25 °C.

4. Longest Heat Wave lasted 31 Days

In Finland it is called a heat wave when the temperature is over 25 °C for consecutive days. The longest heat wave in Finland was experienced in the city of Kouvola, when the temperatures were over 25 °C for 31 days between June 18th and July 18th.

5. Hottest Heat Wave was in Lapland

The hottest heat wave in Finland was experienced in Lapland, in 1972, when temperatures were over 30 °C for 10 consecutive days in the village of Nellim between June 30th and July 9th.

6. Hottest City is Joensuu

Highest summer temperature recorded in Finland is 37,2 °C. This was measured at the Joensuu Airport on July 29th in 2010.

7. Sometimes in Rains

Wettest summer day in Finland was recorded in July 7th, 1944 in Espoo when it rained is 198,4 mm of water in one day.

8. Thunderstroms are Quite Rare

In Finland there are usually 8-14 thunderstorm days during summer.

9. Summer Nights are Bright in Finland!

In southern Finland longest summer days are 19 hours long, while in northern Finland sun doesn’t set at all. This phenomenon is known as the midnight sun or polar days.

10. Summer Days are Endless in Northern Finland!

Nightless nights can be experienced in Lapland, in the areas north of the Artic Circle. In the northernmost parts of Finland polar days last 73 days. That’s quite a long time to wait for the next sunset!

Source:
Finnish Meteorological Institute