Finland is Europe’s most sparsely populated country with about 5.5 million inhabitants, more than a fifth of whom live in the Greater Helsinki area. Historically a part of Sweden, and from 1809 an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire, Finland declared its independence in 1917. A country of lakes and islands, it is mostly flat and forested. Helsinki was originally called Helsingfors when it was founded in 1550 by King Gustav I of Sweden, and it was meant to be a rival to nearby Tallinn. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it spreads across a number of islands. Helsinki’s neoclassical architecture has earned it the epithet “the White City of the North.” However, it is also famous for its art nouveau buildings. The leading figure of Finnish art nouveau was Eliel Saarinen, whose masterpiece is the Helsinki Central railway station. Owing to the northern latitude, midwinter days last less than six hours. Conversely, summer days extend for almost 19 hours at the solstice.