Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Helsinki ita ce babban birnin Finland kuma ita ce birni mafi girma. An kafa shi a tsakiyar zamanai don ya zama abokin hamayyar Sweden ga sauran tashar jiragen ruwa a Tekun Finland, amma ya kasance ƙaramin ƙauyen masunta fiye da ƙarni biyu. Muhimmancinsa ga Masarautar Sweden ya karu a tsakiyar karni na 18 lokacin da aka gina sansanin soja da aka sani da Sveaborg a kan tsibirin a ƙofar tashar jiragen ruwa. Duk da yake an yi niyyar kare Helsinki daga harin Rasha, Sveaborg a ƙarshe ya mika wuya ga Rasha a lokacin Yakin Finnish (1808-1809), kuma Finland ta shiga cikin Daular Rasha a matsayin wani ɓangare na Yarjejeniyar Fredrikshamn. Sai Rasha ta ƙaura babban birnin Finland daga Turku zuwa Helsinki, kuma birnin ya bunƙasa sosai a ƙarni na 19. 'Yancin kai na Finnish, yakin basasa
, da kuma rikice-rikice guda uku da suka danganci yakin duniya na biyu sun sanya Helsinki wani wuri mai muhimmanci na siyasa da aikin soja a farkon rabin karni na 20. Helsinki ta karbi bakuncin wasannin Olympics na bazara a shekarar 1952, ita ce Babban Birnin Al'adu na Turai a shekarar 2000, kuma Babban Birnin Zane na Duniya a shekarar 2012. Ana ɗaukarsa a matsayin birni na Beta Level ta Globalization da World Cities Research Network (GaWC), bisa ga binciken su na 2012.