Finland

Helsinki is the capital and largest city of Finland, set on the Gulf of Finland. It became the capital in 1812, replacing Turku after Finland came under Russian rule, to position the center closer to St. Petersburg. Today it’s known for modern design, seafront islands, and bilingual culture (Finnish and Swedish; Swedish name: Helsingfors). To avoid confusion with other Nordic capitals in the options: Oslo is Norway, Stockholm is Sweden, and Copenhagen is Denmark. Memory tip: Finland is famous for winter sports—its capital ends with “-ski”: Hel-sinki. You can also remember the Nordic line west to east: Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), with Copenhagen (Denmark) to the south.