Kulosaari
Encyclopedia
Kulosaari is an island
and a suburb in Helsinki
, Finland
. It is also the 42nd neighbourhood of the city. Construction of villa
s on the island started in the beginning of the 20th century, and a bridge from Sörnäinen
was opened in 1919. Kulosaari was an independent municipality since 1922 until 1946, when it was merged to Helsinki.
Tram
s served the island from 1910 to 1951 – before the first bridge was completed, ferries were used to transport the trams. In 1982 Kulosaari got its own subway station
, an original station of the Helsinki Metro
. An important highway called Itäväylä, serving Helsinki's eastern suburbs, goes through the island, cutting it in two halves. There are plans to cover part of the highway to make room for housing development, but due to the economy of Helsinki and negative attitudes towards the project by the local inhabitants work on this plan is unlikely to be started in the near future.
Kulosaari is home to 3,700 people (2003), and has a size of 1.81 square kilometre (0.698844907052488 sq mi). Although some low-rise apartment blocks were built in the 1960s, the area is still rather secluded and wealthy having mostly free-standing villas.
The island is host to both Swedish-speaking and Finnish-speaking primary schools and the KSYK (Kulosaaren Yhteiskoulu, Kulosaari Secondary School) international secondary school, as well as Brändö Gymnasium, a gymnasium
for Swedish-speaking Finns.
in Kulosaari:
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
and a suburb in 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...
, Finland
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...
. It is also the 42nd neighbourhood of the city. Construction of villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s on the island started in the beginning of the 20th century, and a bridge from Sörnäinen
Sörnäinen
Sörnäinen is a neighbourhood in the city of Helsinki, Finland.Sörnäinen is located a little more than one kilometre north from the coastal centre of Helsinki, near the district of Hakaniemi. The east side of Sörnäinen borders the sea....
was opened in 1919. Kulosaari was an independent municipality since 1922 until 1946, when it was merged to Helsinki.
Helsinki tram
The Helsinki tram network forms part of the Helsinki public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Helsinki City Transport in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki. The trams are the main means of transport in the city centre. 56.6 million trips were made...
s served the island from 1910 to 1951 – before the first bridge was completed, ferries were used to transport the trams. In 1982 Kulosaari got its own subway station
Kulosaari metro station
Kulosaari or Brändö is a ground-level station on the Helsinki Metro. It serves the island district of Kulosaari in East Helsinki....
, an original station of the Helsinki Metro
Helsinki Metro
The Helsinki Metro , is the metro system in Helsinki, Finland. It is the World's most northern metro system, and currently the only one in Finland. The system was opened to the general public on 2 August 1982 after 27 years of planning...
. An important highway called Itäväylä, serving Helsinki's eastern suburbs, goes through the island, cutting it in two halves. There are plans to cover part of the highway to make room for housing development, but due to the economy of Helsinki and negative attitudes towards the project by the local inhabitants work on this plan is unlikely to be started in the near future.
Kulosaari is home to 3,700 people (2003), and has a size of 1.81 square kilometre (0.698844907052488 sq mi). Although some low-rise apartment blocks were built in the 1960s, the area is still rather secluded and wealthy having mostly free-standing villas.
The island is host to both Swedish-speaking and Finnish-speaking primary schools and the KSYK (Kulosaaren Yhteiskoulu, Kulosaari Secondary School) international secondary school, as well as Brändö Gymnasium, a gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
for Swedish-speaking Finns.
Politics
Results of the Finnish parliamentary election, 2011Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
in Kulosaari:
- National Coalition Party 43.7%
- Swedish People's Party 14.5%
- Green LeagueGreen LeagueThe Green League is a centrist green liberal political party in Finland. It has ten seats in the Finnish Parliament and two in the European Parliament. The current chairperson is Ville Niinistö....
13.7% - Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party of FinlandThe Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
9.0% - True FinnsTrue FinnsTrue Finns or The Finns is a populist and nationalist political party in Finland, founded in 1995 following the dissolution of the Finnish Rural Party. The head of the movement is Timo Soini. In the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election, The party won 19.1% of votes, becoming the third largest party...
7.4% - Left AllianceLeft Alliance (Finland)The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990....
5.4% - Centre PartyCentre Party (Finland)The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
3.5% - Christian DemocratsChristian Democrats (Finland)The Christian Democrats is a Christian democratic political party in Finland. Formerly known as the Finnish Christian League , the Christian Democrats have six seats in the Finnish Parliament and one in the European Parliament.The party was founded in 1958, chiefly from the Christian faction of...
1.5%