Kuivasaari
Encyclopedia
Kuivasaari is a Finnish
island in the Gulf of Finland
, near Helsinki
. The island gets its name, meaning 'dry island', from the fact that there is no fresh water on the island, and water is instead pumped from the nearby Isosaari island.
The whole island is a military installation and access for civilians is heavily restricted. A number of coastal artillery
guns are installed there, including some exceptionally heavy 12" / 305 mm pieces. The island served as an important coastal artillery fort protecting the entrance to Helsinki harbour during the World Wars.
Kuivasaari is located some 5 kilometres out into the Gulf of Finland, due south of Helsinki city centre, and was for many years the outermost inhabited island in the Helsinki archipelago (now there is no permanent settlement based on the island). It lies parallel to the Harmaja lighthouse, and the main shipping route into and out of Helsinki passes between the two. In fair weather the city of Tallinn, in Estonia on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland is visible from the observation tower.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
island in the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
, near Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. The island gets its name, meaning 'dry island', from the fact that there is no fresh water on the island, and water is instead pumped from the nearby Isosaari island.
The whole island is a military installation and access for civilians is heavily restricted. A number of coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
guns are installed there, including some exceptionally heavy 12" / 305 mm pieces. The island served as an important coastal artillery fort protecting the entrance to Helsinki harbour during the World Wars.
Kuivasaari is located some 5 kilometres out into the Gulf of Finland, due south of Helsinki city centre, and was for many years the outermost inhabited island in the Helsinki archipelago (now there is no permanent settlement based on the island). It lies parallel to the Harmaja lighthouse, and the main shipping route into and out of Helsinki passes between the two. In fair weather the city of Tallinn, in Estonia on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland is visible from the observation tower.