A map of Finland. Lahti is the city I'll be staying in, and it is located right above the capital: Helsinki. The Finnish population is about 5.3 million people.
This is a view of Helsinki, from a satellite. Helsinki has a population of about 570 000 but 1.3 million people live in the greater Helsinki area. Finland is called "Land of Lakes" because of the vast amount of water covering the country.
Another shot of Helsinki. The prominent white building is the Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral, known as "Helsinki Cathedral" and is a major tourist attraction, although it is still used regularly for religious services.
This is a shot of the Cathedral. Built in 1852, it was originally a tribute to the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas I, and was called St. Nicholas's Church until Finland gained independence in 1917.
Here are some pictures from the city of Lahti.
This is Aleksanterinkatu, the main street in Lahti. The city has a population of about 100 000 people.
The building in the background is Sibelius Hall. This concert hall was built in 2000 and is the venue for the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, which is perhaps the best known symphony orchestra in the country.
Here is another view of Sibelius Hall.
Sibelius Hall at night.
Finally, a picture of Finland's frigid northern region, known as "Lapland". I'll be going on a tour of Lapland during my Exchange, and I'll be posting more awesome photos like this one:
