Mariehamn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mariehamn
Capital city
Mariehamns stad Town of Mariehamn
Västerhamn ferry terminal, Ålands Lagting, Havsgatan street, Consulate General of Sweden, Saint George church, Ålands Lyceum, the Sails Pavilion
Flag Seal Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  De tusen lindarnas stad (The town of a thousand linden trees)
Location of Mariehamn in Finland
Mariehamn Location in Åland
Country	Finland
Region	Åland
Sub-region	Mariehamn sub-region
Charter	21 February 1861; 164 years ago (1861-02-21)
Named for	Maria Alexandrovna
Area  (2018-01-01)
• Total	20.75 km2 (8.01 sq mi)
• Land	11.81 km2 (4.56 sq mi)
• Water	8.96 km2 (3.46 sq mi)
Area rank	311th largest in Finland
Population  (2023-12-31)
• Total	11,812
• Rank	86th largest in Finland
• Density	1,000.17/km2 (2,590.4/sq mi)
Population by native language
• Swedish	81.5% (official)
• Finnish	4.9%
• Others	13.6%
Population by age
• 0 to 14	14.2%
• 15 to 64	60.9%
• 65 or older	24.9%
Time zone	UTC+02:00 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Postal code	22100, 22101, 22110, 22111, 22120, 22140, 22160
Website	www.mariehamn.ax

Mariehamn is the capital city of Åland. Åland is a special territory that belongs to Finland but has its own government. It's where the Åland government and parliament meet. About 40% of all people in Åland live here.

The city is mostly surrounded by Jomala, another town in Åland. To the east, it borders Lemland. Most people in Mariehamn speak Swedish as their first language. This is true for all of Åland.

The coat of arms of Mariehamn shows symbols related to the city's main activities. These include shipping and its many parks, which are famous for their linden trees. Nils Byman designed the coat of arms, and it was officially approved in 1951.

Mariehamn is located in the middle of the Baltic Sea. This makes it a popular summer resort town for tourists. Around 1.5 million tourists visit the city every year.

History of Mariehamn

Map of Mariehamn showing its original area before 1961.

The city was named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Her name means "Marie's Port." Mariehamn was founded on February 21, 1861. It was built around a village called Övernäs. At that time, this area was part of the municipality of Jomala.

Since then, the city has grown bigger. It has taken in more land from Jomala. Mariehamn was planned with a very neat and organized layout. This design is still easy to see today. One of the oldest streets is Södragatan. You can still find many wooden houses from the 1800s there.

After World War I, Mariehamn was home to a large fleet of grain ships. On November 8, 1963, a sad plane crash happened in Mariehamn. This was a very serious event in Finland's aviation history.

Getting Around Mariehamn

Harbours and Shipping

Mariehamn is built on a peninsula, which is land surrounded by water on three sides. It has two important harbours. One is on the western side, and the other is on the eastern side. These harbours usually stay free of ice all year. They also do not have strong tides.

The Western Harbour is a busy international port. Ferries travel daily from here to Sweden, Estonia, and mainland Finland. Many large ferries stop in Mariehamn. This is because Åland is not part of the EU customs zone for taxes. This means duty-free goods can be sold on board the ships.

Åland and Mariehamn have a long and proud history of shipping. The famous old sailing ship Pommern is now a museum ship. It is part of the Åland Maritime Museum and is docked in the Western Harbour. The Eastern Harbour has one of the biggest marinas in Scandinavia. You can also find the famous Dutch steamer Jan Nieveen here. It is now called F.P. von Knorring.

Airport and Roads

Mariehamn Airport serves the city. It has regular flights from two airlines, including Finnair.

Mariehamn is also a starting point for three of Åland's four main highways. These roads connect the city to other parts of the islands. For example, Main Road 1 goes to Eckerö.

Culture and Museums

Mariehamn is a key place for media in Åland. Both local newspapers, Ålandstidningen and Nya Åland, are based here. Several radio stations and local TV channels also operate from the city. People on the islands have always loved reading. They had public libraries even before 1920. A printing company started in the town in 1891. The city's library, built in 1989, is a very interesting modern building.

Museums to Visit

• Åland Maritime Museum
• Åland Museum
• Pommern (the ship)
• Övernässtugan
• Sjökvarteret (Maritime Quarter)

Architecture and Buildings

Famous Architects

Many buildings in Mariehamn were designed by Finnish architect Lars Sonck. He moved to Åland when he was a child. Some of his designs include the church of Mariehamn (1927). He also designed the main building of the Åland Maritime College (1927) and the town hall (1939). Hilda Hongell also designed many buildings. Only a few of her original designs are still standing today.

The Church of St George

The main church in Mariehamn is called the Church of St George. It opened in 1927. It was made bigger in 1959 and updated in 1972. During the renovation, the church benches were painted blue.

Inside, you can see painted wooden panels on the ceiling. Each panel shows one of Jesus's followers. There is one panel that is left unnamed. This panel represents Judas Iscariot. The church's paintings and decorations were created by Finnish artist Bruno Tuukkanen. These include golden mosaics behind the altar. They show scenes from the life of Christ. Gifts to the church include the baptism font and a model ship hanging from the ceiling. This ship is called the Tjerimaj. The church also has a large organ.

Demographics

Mariehamn has grown steadily over the years. In 1987, about 9,966 people lived there. By 2018, the population had increased to 11,743.

Geography

Climate of Mariehamn

Mariehamn has a climate that is a mix between a humid continental climate and an oceanic climate. This is because it is an island in the Baltic Sea. The sea makes the weather milder. Summers are cooler than on the mainlands of Sweden and Finland. Winters are similar in cold to nearby parts of Sweden. They are milder than on Finland's mainland.

The coldest temperature ever recorded at Mariehamn airport was -32.9 degrees Celsius (-27.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in February 1979. The warmest temperature ever recorded was 31.3 degrees Celsius (88.3 degrees Fahrenheit) in July 2022 and July 1941.

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Mariehamn has special connections with other cities around the world. These are called twin towns or sister cities. They work together on cultural and other projects.

• Kópavogur, Iceland
• Kragerø, Norway
• Kuressaare, Estonia
• Lomonosov, Russia (cooperation is currently paused)
• Slagelse, Denmark
• Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
• Valkeakoski, Finland
• Visby, Sweden

Notable People from Mariehamn

Many interesting people have come from Mariehamn.

• Gustaf Erikson (1872–1947), a ship-owner who owned a fleet of large sailing ships.
• Maggie Gripenberg (1881–1976), a famous dancer and choreographer.
• Georg Kåhre (1899–1969), a teacher and author who wrote poems and stories.
• Henrik Klingenberg (born 1978), the keyboard player and singer for the band Sonata Arctica.
• Stefan Lindfors (born 1962), a designer, filmmaker, and sculptor.
• Ville Salminen (1908–1992), a film actor and director.

Sport Stars

• Adelina Engman (born 1984), a footballer.
• Anders Överström (born 1985), a professional footballer.
• Olivia Ulenius (born 2007), a footballer.
• Tommy Wirtanen (born 1983), a semi-professional footballer.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Mariehamn para niños