Finland - Port of Hanko

Hanko (IPA: /ˈhɑŋko/), or Hangö in Swedish, (Гангут in Russian), is a small bilingual port city on the south coast of Finland, 130 km west of Helsinki. Its current population is 9,905 (2004-12-31), with a majority being Finnish speakers and a strong minority being (44,3 %) Swedish speakers.

The Hanko Peninsula, on which the city is located, is the southernmost tip of continental Finland. The soil is a sandy moraine, and vegetation consists mainly of pine and low shrubs. Hanko is known for its beautiful archipelago.

The city has a coastline of approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles), of which 30 km (19 miles) are sandy beaches. There are also over 90 small islands and islets within the city limits.

The skyline of Hanko is dominated by the church and the water tower. Both of them received their current appearance after World War II, as their predecessors were either damaged or destroyed by the Soviet Army.

A number of ferries operated till 2006 between Hanko and Rostock in Germany.