'Åland' (pronounced in
Swedish), also called the 'Åland Islands' or ''Ahvenanmaa(n maakunta)'' (in
Finnish) and sometimes even called ''Alandia'', is an
archipelago in the
Baltic Sea. It is situated at the entrance to the
Gulf of Bothnia and forms an
autonomous,
demilitarised,
monolingually Swedish-speaking administrative province of
Finland.
The islands consist of the main island ''Fasta Åland'' (where 50% of the population resides) and an archipelago to the east that consists of over 6,500
skerries and islands. ''Fasta Åland'' is separated from the coast of
Sweden by forty
kilometres (twenty-five
miles) of open water to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is virtually contiguous with the Finnish
Archipelago Sea. Åland's only land border is short and strangely shaped
[1]; it is located on the uninhabited island of
Märket, which it shares with Sweden. That border was re-negotiated in 1985.
Due to Åland's autonomous status, the powers exercised at the provincial level by representatives of the central state administration in the rest of Finland are largely exercised by the
Government of Åland in Åland.
Autonomy of Åland
The autonomous status of the islands was affirmed by a decision made by the
League of Nations in 1921. It was reaffirmed within the treaty admitting Finland to the
European Union. By law, Åland is politically neutral and entirely demilitarised. The islands were granted extensive autonomy by the
Parliament of Finland in the Act on the Autonomy of Åland of 1920, which was last replaced by new legislation by the same name in 1951 and
1991.
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 (i.e., persons who do not enjoy "home region rights" ''(hembygdsrätt)'' in Åland) to acquire and hold real property or to provide certain services, implying a recognition of a separate
nationality.
Name
According to one theory, Åland's original name was
Germanic ''
★ Ahvaland'' meaning 'Land of the Water'. In Swedish, this first developed into ''Aland'' and eventually into Åland. The Finnish name of the archipelago, ''Ahvenanmaa'', is seen to preserve another form of the old name.
[2]
Another theory suggests that the Finnish ''Ahvenanmaa'' ('
Perch Land') is the original name of the archipelago, from which the Swedish ''Åland'' derives.
History
Main articles: History of Åland
The museum ship '
Pommern' is anchored in the more western of
Mariehamn's two harbours, Västerhamn
The Åland Islands were 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 was unable 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 security and commercial interests.
In 1832, Russia started to fortify the islands with the great fortress of
Bomarsund. This was captured and destroyed by a combined British and French force of warships and marines in 1854 as part of the campaign in the Baltic during the
Crimean War. In the
Treaty of Paris (1856), the entire Åland Islands were demilitarized.
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 that came from Finland over the frozen sea. Historians, however, point out that Sweden may have in reality planned to occupy the islands. Within weeks, the Swedish troops gave way to German troops that occupied Åland by request of the "White" (
conservative) Finnish
Senate.
After 1917, the residents of the islands worked towards having the islands ceded to Sweden. A petition for secession from Finland was signed by 96.2% of Åland's native adults (those working or living abroad excluded), although serious questions were later raised regarding this extraordinarily high figure. Swedish nationalist sentiments had grown strong particularly due to 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 (on the mainland), 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 was, however, not willing 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, whereby it was prohibited to place military headquarters or forces on the islands.
In the course of the
twentieth 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 demilitarised 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".
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Åland
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 national 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 got their own national 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 Åland Islands are guaranteed representation in the
Finnish parliament, to which they elect one representative.
Administration
Main articles: Åland State Provincial Office
The State Provincial Office on the
Åland Islands has a somewhat different function from the other
Provinces of Finland, due to its . Generally, a State Provincial Office is a joint regional authority of seven different ministries of the
Government of Finland. In Åland, the State Provincial Office also represents a set of other authorities of the central government, which in
Mainland Finland has separate bureaucracies. On the other hand, duties which in Mainland Finland are handled by the provincial offices are transferred to the autonomous government of Åland.
Åland has its own post office but uses the Finnish five-digit postal code system, in which postal codes beginning with 22XXX are reserved for it. The smallest postal code is for the capital Mariehamn, 22100, and the highest 22950 for Jurmo.
Municipalities
Main articles: Municipalities of Åland
Geography
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands occupy a position of great 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 (
Finnish: ''Turunmaan saaristo, ''
Swedish: ''Åbolands skärgård)'' — the archipelago adjacent to the southwest coast of Finland. Together they form the
Archipelago Sea.
The surface of the islands is generally rocky, the soil thin, and the climate keen. There are several excellent harbours, most notably at
Ytternäs.
The islands' landmass occupies a total area of 1,512 square kilometres (583
sq. mi). Ninety per cent of the population live on ''
Fasta Åland'' (the Main Island), also the site of the capital town of
Mariehamn. ''Fasta Åland'' is the largest island in the archipelago, extending over 1,010 square kilometres, more than 70% of the province's land area, and stretching 50 kilometres (31
mi) from north to south and 45 kilometres (28 mi) 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
A transnational ''
Euroregion'' encompasses Åland and nearby coastal archipelagoes (''skärgårdar'').
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.
The main ports are
Mariehamn (south),
Berghamn (west) and
Långnäs on the eastern shore of the Main Island.
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 (provided they stop at Mariehamn or Långnäs), 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.
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. In 2005, the sum was over 225 million USD.
While the official currency is the
euro, the
Swedish krona also circulates freely in Åland.
Demographics
Most inhabitants have
Swedish (the sole
official language) as their
first language: 92.4% in 2004, and 5.0% speak
Finnish. The language of instruction in publicly financed schools is Swedish, but an Ålandic municipality is free to provide teaching of Finnish. (In the rest of Finland, both Finnish and Swedish are official languages.) 0.3% (77 people) are English speakers.
Regional citizenship or the right of domicile (hembygdsrätt/ kotiseutuoikeus) 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 in Åland or to exercise without restriction a trade or profession in Åland.
The vast majority of the population, 94.8%, belongs to the
Evangelical Lutheran Church.
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.
★
Listen to Ålandish
Holidays
In popular culture
★ The Åland Islands are mentioned as the location where the character Hooper Hamilton in
H.G. Wells' book ''
The Shape of Things to Come'' commits suicide.
Gallery
See also
★
Government of Åland
★
Provincial Governors of Finland
★
Åland Islands national football team
★
Transport on the Åland Islands
References
1. an account of the border on Märket, and how it was redrawn in 1985, appears in Hidden Europe Magazine, 11 (November 2006) pp. 26-29 ISSN 1860-6318
2. Lars Hulden: Finlandssvenska bebyggelsenamn, 2001, ISBN 951-583-071-0
External links
★
Åland - Official Site (mainly in Swedish)
★
Åland in Brief
★
Government of Åland (in Swedish)
★
Parliament of Åland
★
Act on the Autonomy of Åland
★
B7 Baltic Islands Network
★
The autonomous regime of Åland
★
Åland Official Tourist Gateway
★
Ålandsbanken
★
Posten Åland - the Post Office of Åland
★
Ålandstidningen - Local Newspaper
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