The Åland Islands or Åland is an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking
region of Finland that consists of an archipelago lying at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia
in the Baltic Sea. Collectively, the islands in the archipelago form the smallest region
of Finland, constituting 0.49% of its land area and 0.50% of its population.
Åland comprises Fasta Åland and a further 6,500 skerries and islands to its east. Fasta
Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden by 38 kilometres of open water to the west.
In the east, the Åland archipelago is contiguous with the Finnish Archipelago Sea. Åland's
only land border is located on the uninhabited skerry of Märket, which it shares with Sweden.
Åland's autonomous status means that those provincial powers normally exercised by representatives
of the central Finnish government are largely exercised by its own government.
Autonomy
The autonomous status of the islands was affirmed by a decision made by the League of Nations
in 1921 following the Åland crisis. It was reaffirmed within the treaty admitting Finland
to the European Union. By law, Åland is politically neutral and entirely demilitarised, and residents
are exempt from conscription to the Finnish Defence Forces. The islands were granted extensive
autonomy by the Parliament of Finland in the Act on the Autonomy of Åland of 1920, which
was later replaced by new legislation by the same name in 1951 and 1991. Åland remains
exclusively Swedish-speaking by law. In connection with Finland's admission to
the European Union, a protocol was signed concerning the Åland Islands that stipulates,
among other things, that provisions of the European Community Treaty shall not force
a change of the existing restrictions for foreigners in Åland) to acquire and hold
real property or to provide certain services. Etymology
Åland's original name was in Proto-Norse language *Ahvaland which means "Land of Water".
In Swedish, this first developed into Áland and eventually into Åland, literally "river
land"—even though rivers are not a prominent feature of Åland's geography. The Finnish
name of the island, Ahvenanmaa, is seen to preserve another form of the old name.
Another theory suggests that the Finnish Ahvenanmaa would be the original name of the archipelago,
from which the Swedish Åland derives. History
The Åland Islands formed part of the territory ceded to Russia by Sweden under the Treaty
of Fredrikshamn in September 1809. As a result, along with all other parts of Finland, they
became part of the semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland.
During this process, Sweden failed to secure a provision that the islands not be fortified.
The issue was important not only for Sweden but also for the United Kingdom, which was
concerned that a military presence on the islands could threaten Britain's military
and commercial interests. In 1832, Russia started to fortify the islands
with the great fortress of Bomarsund. A combined British and French force of warships and marines
captured and destroyed the fortress in 1854 as part of the campaign in the Baltic during
the Crimean War. The 1856 Treaty of Paris demilitarized the entire Åland Islands archipelago.
During the Finnish Civil War, in 1918, Swedish troops intervened as a peacekeeping force
between the Russian troops stationed on the islands and "White" and "Red" Finnish troops
who came from Finland over the frozen sea. Within weeks, the Swedish troops gave way
to German troops who occupied Åland by request of the "White" Senate of Finland.
After 1917 the residents of the islands worked towards having them ceded to Sweden. In 1919
a petition for secession from Finland and integration with Sweden was signed by 96.4%
of the voters on the islands, with over 95% in favour, although serious questions later
arose regarding this extraordinarily high figure. Swedish nationalist sentiments had
grown strong particularly as a result of the following issues: anti-Swedish tendencies
in Finland, Finnish nationalism fuelled by Finland's struggle to retain its autonomy,
and the Finnish resistance against Russification. In addition, the conflict between the Swedish-speaking
minority and the Finnish-speaking majority, which since the 1840s had been prominent in
Finland's political life, contributed to the Åland population's apprehension about its
future in Finland. Finland, however, declined to cede the islands
and instead offered them an autonomous status. Nevertheless the residents did not approve
the offer, and the dispute over the islands was submitted to the League of Nations. The
latter decided that Finland should retain sovereignty over the province but that the
Åland Islands should be made an autonomous territory. Thus Finland was obliged to ensure
the residents of the Åland Islands the right to maintain the Swedish language, as well
as their own culture and local traditions. At the same time, an international treaty
established the neutral status of Åland, prohibiting the placing of military installations
or forces on the islands. In the course of the 20th century, increasing
numbers of the islanders have perceived Finnish sovereignty as benevolent and even beneficial.
The combination of disappointment about insufficient support from Sweden in the League of Nations,
Swedish disrespect for Åland's demilitarized status in the 1930s, and some feelings of
a shared destiny with Finland during and after World War II has changed the islanders' perception
of Åland's relation to Finland from "a Swedish province in Finnish possession" to "an autonomous
part of Finland". The islanders enjoyed safety at sea during World War II, as their merchant
fleet sailed for both the Allied countries and Germany. Consequently Åland shipping
was not generally attacked as each side rarely knew which cargo was being carried to whom.
Finland marked the 150th anniversary of demilitarisation of the Åland Islands by issuing a high-value
commemorative coin, the €5 150th Anniversary of Demilitarisation of Åland Islands commemorative
coin, minted in 2006. The obverse depicts a pine tree, very typical in the Åland Islands.
The reverse design features a boat's stern and rudder, with a dove perched on the tiller,
a symbol of 150 years of peace. Politics
The Åland Islands are governed according to the Act on the Autonomy of Åland and international
treaties. These laws guarantee the islands' autonomy from Finland, which has ultimate
sovereignty over them, as well as a demilitarized status. The Government of Åland, or Landskapsregering,
answers to the Parliament of Åland, or Lagting, in accordance with the principles of parliamentarism.
Åland has its own flag, has issued its own postage stamps since 1984, runs its own police
force, and is a member of the Nordic Council. Since 2005 the Åland Islands also have had
their own airline, Air Åland. The islands are demilitarised, and the population is exempt
from conscription. Although Åland's autonomy preceded the creation of the regions of Finland,
the autonomous government of Åland also has responsibility for the functions undertaken
by Finland's regional councils. Åland is a member of the Small European Postal Administration
Cooperation. The islands are considered to be a separate "entity" for amateur radio purposes
and have their own callsign prefix granted by Finland, OHØ.
The Åland Islands are guaranteed representation in the Finnish parliament, to which they elect
one representative. Åland also has a different system of political parties from the mainland.
Home Education has effectively been banned by the Swedish government in 2011, but is
allowed by the Finnish government. Due to the island's close proximity to Sweden and
because the island is Swedish speaking, a number of Swedish homeschooling families have
moved from the Swedish mainland to Åland, including Jonas Himmelstrand, the chairman
of the Swedish association for homeschooling. Administration
The State Department of Åland represents the Finnish central government and performs
many administrative duties. It has a somewhat different function from the other Regional
Administrative Agencies, owing to its autonomy. Prior to 2010, the state administration was
handled by the Åland State Provincial Office. Åland has its own postal administration but
still uses the Finnish five-digit postal code system, using the number range 22000-22999,
with the prefix AX. The lowest numbered postal code is for the capital Mariehamn, AX 22100,
and the highest AX 22950 for Jurmo. Municipalities
Geography
The Åland Islands occupy a position of strategic importance, as they command one of the entrances
to the port of Stockholm, as well as the approaches to the Gulf of Bothnia, in addition to being
situated near the Gulf of Finland. The Åland archipelago consists of nearly
three hundred habitable islands, of which about eighty are inhabited; the remainder
are merely some 6,000 skerries and desolate rocks. The archipelago is connected to Åboland
archipelago in the east—the archipelago adjacent to the southwest coast of Finland.
Together they form the Archipelago Sea. To West from Åland is Sea of Åland and to North
the Bothnian Sea. The surface of the islands is generally rocky
and the soil, thin. There are several harbours. The islands' landmass occupies a total area
of 1,527 square kilometres. Ninety per cent of the population live on Fasta Åland, which
is also the site of the capital town of Mariehamn. Fasta Åland is the largest island in the
archipelago, extending over 1,010 km2, more than 66% of the province's land area. It measures
approximately 47 kilometres from north to south and 34 kilometres from east to west.
During the Åland Crisis, the parties sought support from different maps of the islands.
On the Swedish map, the most densely populated main island dominated, and many skerries were
left out. On the Finnish map, a lot of smaller islands or skerries were, for technical reasons,
given a slightly exaggerated size. The Swedish map made the islands appear to be closer to
the mainland of Sweden than to Finland; the Finnish map stressed the continuity of the
archipelago between the main island and mainland Finland, while a greater gap appeared between
the islands and the archipelago on the Swedish side. Although both Finns and Swedes of course
argued for their respective interpretations, in retrospect it is hard to say that one is
more correct than the other. One consequence is the oft-repeated number of "over 6,000"
skerries that was given authority by the outcome of the arbitration.
Economy
Åland's economy is heavily dominated by shipping, trade and tourism. Shipping represents about
40% of the economy, with several international carriers owned and operated off Åland. Most
companies aside from shipping are small, with fewer than ten employees. Farming and fishing
are important in combination with the food industry. A few high-profile technology companies
contribute to a prosperous economy. Wind power is rapidly developing, aiming at reversing
the direction in the cables to the mainland in coming years. In December 2011 wind power
accounted for 31.48% of Åland's total electricity usage.
The main ports are Mariehamn, Berghamn and Långnäs on the eastern shore of the Main
Island. Mariehamn was the base for the last large
oceanic commercial sailing ships in the world. Their final tasks were bringing Australian
wheat to Great Britain, on which Åland shipowner Gustav Erikson kept going until after WW2,
1947 being his last year. The ships latterly made only one round-trip from South Australia
to Britain per year,, after each marathon voyage going back to Mariehamn to lay up for
a few months. The ship Pommern, now a museum in Mariehamn, was one of these last vessels.
The abolition of tax-free sales on ferry boats travelling between destinations within the
European Union made Finland demand an exception for the Åland Islands on EU's VAT rules.
The exception allows for maintained tax-free sales on the ferries between Sweden and Finland
and at the airport, but has also made Åland a different tax-zone, meaning that tariffs
must be levied on goods brought to the islands. Unemployment is well below that of surrounding
regions, 1.8% in 2004. Due to the change in global economy the unemployment rate has since
risen to 3.9% in January 2014 The Finnish State collects taxes, duties and
fees also in Åland. In return, the Finnish Government places a sum of money at the disposal
of the Åland Parliament. The sum is 0.45 per cent of total Government income, excluding
Government loans. If the sum paid to the Finnish state exceedes 0.5 per cent, then any amount
above that will go back to the Parliament of Åland as "diligence money". In 2010, the
amount of taxes paid by Åland Islanders was 0.65 per cent of the total taxes paid in Finland.
According to Eurostat, in 2006 Åland was the 20th wealthiest of the EU's 268 regions,
and the wealthiest in Finland, with a GDP per inhabitant 47 percent above the EU mean.
While the official currency is the euro, the Swedish krona also circulates freely in Åland.
Demographics
Births and deaths Ethnicity and language
Most inhabitants have Swedish as their first language: 90.2% in 2009, and 5.0% speak Finnish.
The language of instruction in publicly financed schools is Swedish.
The issue of the ethnicity of the Ålanders, and the correct linguistic classification
of their language, remains somewhat sensitive and controversial. They may be considered
either ethnic Swedes or Swedish-speaking Finns, but their language is closer to the adjacent
dialects in Sweden, i.e. Uppländska, than to adjacent dialects of Finland Swedish. See
Languages of Sweden. Regional citizenship or the right of domicile
is a prerequisite for the right to vote or stand as a candidate in elections to the Legislative
Assembly, to own and hold real estate situated in unplanned areas of Åland.
Religion
The majority of the population, 82.1%, belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Åland
islands contain Finland's oldest Christian churches, including the Church of St. Olaf
in Jomala, which dating from the late 13th century is likely to be the oldest in Finland.
The Åland Islands' largest church is the Church of St. George in Sund, dating from
shortly after. Sport
Åland competes in the biennial Island Games, which it hosted in 1991 and 2009.
Åland United and IFK Mariehamn are the islands' leading football clubs.
See also
Outline of the Åland Islands Index of Åland Islands-related articles
Bibliography of the Åland Islands Åland crisis
Åland Islands national football team Åland Swedish · Languages of Åland
Flag of Åland Government of Åland
Heraldry of Åland Provincial Governors of Finland
Public holidays in Åland Transport on the Åland Islands
References
External links Wikimedia Atlas of Åland
(Swedish) Åland. Tourist guide to Åland
Åland in Brief (Swedish) Government of Åland
Parliament of Åland Act on the Autonomy of Åland
B7 Baltic Islands Network The example of Åland, autonomy as a minor
protector Åland Tourist Gateway
Åland Official Tourist Gateway Ålandsbanken
Posten Åland – the Post Office of Åland Ålandstidningen.