Baby girl declared millionth resident of Helsinki region

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A baby girl officially recognised as the millionth resident of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area was born at the Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital in Helsinki on Wednesday.
      The girl was born at 1:35 on Wednesday morning, weighing 3.05 kilos, and measuring 48 centimetres.
      Top officials of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen had decided that the first baby born on Wednesday would be officially recognised as the Metropolis Baby. The combined population of the cities that make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area is expected to exceed one million this week.
      Three mayors and city mangers - Jussi Pajunen of Helsinki, Juhani Paajanen of Vantaa, and Torsten Widén of Kauniainen, and Juha Metso, Director of Social and Health Services in Espoo, as well as Hannu Penttilä, Director of Cooperation at the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV), all showed up at the hospital to congratulate the baby and her parents in the afternoon. As a gift from the cities, the girl was granted the right to ride on regional public transport for free until she is 12 years old.
      The baby's family is from Helsinki, but expects to move to nearby Tuusula soon.
      Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen said that the baby is a good symbol of the Helsinki region, where migration is very brisk.
     
There is no certainty that the combined population of the Helsinki region has actually exceeded the one million mark. For now, it has only been possible to give some forecasts, because demographic developments tend to fluctuate considerably.
      Information about births usually comes very quickly, but the number of deaths is updated more slowly.
      "Certainty over whether or not the population reached one million this week will not come before May 2nd", says Matti Saari of Statistics Finland.
      The actual millionth resident could just as easily be a 40-year-old German or a bus driver from Tyrvää, as anyone who moves to the area will fit the bill.
      Experts at Statistics Finland had expected the regional population to go into seven digits already last month, but later revised their calculations.
      Late March and early April are traditionally busy times at Finnish maternity hospitals - a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the "Midsummer rush".


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Population of Helsinki area expected to exceed one million in coming days (14.3.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat