Åland
The
Åland Islands, or
Landskapet Åland in
Swedish (
Åland pronounced //or // in English), or
Ahvenanmaan maakunta/Ahvenanmaa (literally Perch's Island) in
Finnish are an
archipelago at the entrance of the
Gulf of Bothnia in the
Baltic Sea. They form an
autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually
Swedish-speaking administrative province of
Finland. The Åland Islands consist of a Main Island,
Fasta Åland, with 90% of the population, and east thereof an archipelago of more than 6,500
skerries and islands at the entrance to the
Gulf of Bothnia.
Fasta Åland is separated by open water from the coast of
Sweden, 40
kilometres (25
mi) to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is virtually contiguous with the Finnish
Archipelago Sea.
By reason of Åland's autonomous status, the powers exercised at provincial level by representatives of the central state administration in the rest of Finland are here largely in the remit of the
Government of Åland (Ålands landskapsregering).The autonomous status of the islands was affirmed by a decision made by the
League of Nations in 1921, and in a somewhat different context, reaffirmed in the treaty on Finland's admission 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 an
Act on the Autonomy of Åland of 1920, last revised in 1991.
In connection with Finland's admission to the
European Union a protocol on the Åland Islands provides, 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 right"
(hembygdsrätt) in Åland) to acquire and hold real property or to provide certain services, implying a recognition of a separate
nationality.
See also: Special member state territories and their relations with the EU.The Åland Islands were among the territory ceded to
Russia by
Sweden under the
treaty of Fredrikshamn in September 1809; they became part of the semi-
autonomous Grand duchy of Finland.
When the islands were ceded to Russia, the Swedes were unable to secure a provision that the islands should not be fortified. The issue was important not only for Sweden but for the
United Kingdom, which was concerned that a military presence on the islands could threaten their security and commercial interests.
In 1832 the Russians 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
Civil War in Finland,
1918, Swedish troops intervened as a
peacekeeping force between the Russian troops stationed on the islands, and White and Red troops arriving over the ice from Finland. Within weeks the Swedes were replaced by German troops occupying by request of the Finnish
"White" government.
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The museum ship Pommern is anchored in the western of Mariehamn's two harbours, Västerhamn |
From 1917 the residents of the islands aimed at having the islands ceded back to their mother country, 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 in the face of anti-Swedish tendencies in Finland, Finnish nationalism fuelled by Finland's struggle to retain its autonomy, and the Finnish resistance against
Russification. Also 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 fear for its future in Finland.
However, as Finland was not willing to cede the islands, they were offered an autonomous status instead of reannexation. 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 the
sovereignty over the province, but the Åland Islands should be made an autonomous territory. Thus Finland was under an obligation to ensure the residents of the Åland Islands a right to maintain the Swedish language, as well as their own culture and local traditions. At the same time, an international treaty was concluded on the neutral status of Åland, under which it was prohibited to place military headquarters or forces on the islands.
In the course of the
20th century, the Finnish sovereignty has been perceived as benevolent, and even beneficial, by increasing numbers of the islanders. Together with disappointment over insufficient support from Sweden in the League of Nations, Swedish disrespect for Åland's demilitarised status in the
1930s, and to some degree a feeling of shared destiny with Finland during and after
World War II, this has resulted in a changed perception of Åland's relation to Finland: from "a Swedish province in Finnish possession" to "an autonomous part of Finland".
The Åland Islands are governed according to the Act on Åland Autonomy and international treaties, which guarantees autonomy and demilitarized status. The
Government of Åland, or
Landskapsregering, is dependent on the
Parliament of Åland, or
Lagting, according to the principles of
parliamentarism.
Åland has its own national flag, has issued its own
postage stamps since 1984, has its own
police force, and is a member of the
Nordic Council. The islands are demilitarised, and the male population is exempted from
conscription. Parliamentarism has been the custom since 1988. The Åland autonomy preceded the creation of the
Regions of Finland, but the autonomous government of Åland also handles what the regional councils do.
The sovereignty over Åland belongs to Finland, and Åland is thus not
independent. The Åland Islands are guaranteed representation in the
Finnish parliament, and elect one representative.
The State Provincial Office on the
Åland Islands has a somewhat different function from the other
Provinces of Finland, due to its
autonomy. 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.
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 inhabitable islands, of which about eighty are inhabited; the remainder are merely some 6,000
skerries and desolate rocks. The archipelago is connected to
Turkuland 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.
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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 well-off 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), 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.
Most inhabitants have
Swedish (the sole
official language) as their
mother tongue: 92.4% in 2004, and 5.0% speak
Finnish. Finns are not allowed to own land, and Finnish-language schools are forbidden. In the rest of Finland, both Finnish and Swedish are official languages. 0.3% (77 people) are English speakers.
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
Ethnic Swedes or
Finland-Swedes, however their language is closer to the adjacent dialects in Sweden than to adjacent dialects of Finland-Swedish.
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Listen to ÅlandishSee also:
List of ÅlandersImage:ALAND003 copy.jpg|Cruiseferries offer transport from Åland to both mainland Finland and Sweden.Image:Aaland_1.jpg|Östra Hamnen - The Eastern Port of Mariehamn, sailing ship Linden in the centerImage:Aaland_2.jpg|Sjökvarteret in MariehamnImage:Aaland_3.jpg|Sailing ship Pommern and a racing boatImage:Aaland_4.jpg|Knutsbodaberget in Lemland, with 4 wind power generatorsImage:Aaland_5.jpg|The Lemströms canalImage:Schooner Linden.jpg|Schooner Linden in the waters south of Mariehamn*
Government of Åland*
Provincial Governors of Finland*
Åland Islands national football team*
Åland - Official Site
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Åland Islands - Tourism links in 10 languages
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Parliament of Åland*
Government of Åland*
Act on Autonomy of Åland*
The autonomous regime of Åland*
B7 Baltic Islands Network*
Åland - Tourist site
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About The Åland Islands*
Åland Online - Swedish site about Åland (in swedish)
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Åland group on Flickr [
nds-nl:Ålandseilanen
