Helsingfors is the Swedish name of Helsinki.
Finns have been under Swedish rule for centuries. Officially between 1323 and 1809. That makes it a bit difficult to say what is Swedish influence and what is a Finnish characteristic.
Helsinki was founded because of a decision made by the Swedes. Similarly Lutheranism is one of the two state religions in Finland because a Swedish king decided to get the power and wealth away from the catholic church.
Finland is a bilingual country so the Swedish language is the most visible Swedish influence that I can think of. About 6% of people in Helsinki and Finland are Swedish speaking Finns so Swedish language is often heard and seen on the streets. Swedes from Sweden are not included in the numbers. Street and traffic sings are bilingual (in bilingual cities/municipalities). Public services must be provided both in Finnish and Swedish. Everybody needs to learn both languages at school whether they like it or not.
Thanks to many good ideas received through Sweden, Finland is today a wealthy nation. It was also beneficial for Finland to get rid of the Swedish rule.
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