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"Aland" redirects here. For other uses, see Aland (disambiguation).
Landskapet Åland
Ahvenanmaan maakunta
Åland Islands
Flag of Åland Coat of arms of Åland
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Islands of Peace"[1]
Anthem: Ålänningens sång
Location of Åland
Capital
(and largest city)		 Mariehamn
60°7′N, 19°54′E
Official languages Swedish
Government Autonomous province
 -  Governor Peter Lindbäck1
 -  Premier Viveka Eriksson
Autonomy
 -  Declared 1920 
 -  Recognized 19212 
EU accession January 1, 19953
Area
 -  Total 13,517 km² (unranked)
5,267 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 89
Population
 -  2007 estimate 27,153 
 -  Density 17. The flag of Åland refers to the geographical and political position of the Finnish islands of Åland just off the coast of Sweden: it is the The Coat of arms of Åland features a gold red deer on a blue field. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Ålänningens sång ( Swedish: " Song of the Ålander " is the official anthem of the Åland Islands, an autonomous Swedish-speaking Demographics A chart on population growth Sister cities Mariehamn is twinned with Visby, Sweden Kópavogur An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority The Governor, Maaherra, or Landshövding, of a province of Finland heads the activities of the State Provincial Office, The Landskapsregering, is the Government of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. Viveka Eriksson (born August 18, 1956) is a politician on the autonomous Åland Islands and the current Premier of the Government of Åland An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 6/km² 
45. 6/sq mi
Currency Euro (€)4 (EUR)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 -  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD .ax5
Calling code +358 (area code 18)
1 The governor is an administrative post appointed by the Government of Finland, and does not have any authority over the autonomous Government of Åland. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Finland is a Republic with a Representative democracy governed according to the principles of Parliamentarism. The Landskapsregering, is the Government of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland.
2 Settled by the League of Nations following the Åland crisis. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 The Åland Crisis was one of the first issues the new League of Nations had to arbitrate
3 Åland held a separate referendum and then joined at the same time as the rest of Finland. As of 2007 the European Union has 27 member states, most of which participate in all EU policy areas and programs or have signed up to do so
4 Until 1999, the Finnish mark. The markka ( Finnish) or mark ( Swedish) was the Currency of Finland from 1860 until February 28, 2002, when
5 Replacing . aland. fi from August 2006. The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with Finland and the rest of European Union member states. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

The Åland Islands (Swedish: Åland (pronounced IPA: ['oːland]), Finnish: Ahvenanmaa) form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. It is situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and forms an autonomous, demilitarized, monolingually Swedish-speaking administrative province, region and historical province of Finland. The Gulf of Bothnia (Pohjanlahti Bottniska viken ie Bottenviken + Bottenhavet is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. A federacy is a Form of government where one or several substate units enjoy considerably more independence than the majority of the substate units Monoglottism ( Greek monos, "alone solitary" + glotta, "tongue language" or more commonly monolingualism or unilingualism Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the The state of Finland consists of 6 provinces ( Finnish: läänit, Swedish: län) Finland is divided into 20 regions ( maakunta in Finnish, landskap in Swedish) The historical provinces (historialliset maakunnat singular historiallinen maakunta, historiska landskap of Finland is a legacy of the country's joint history with Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It is the smallest province of Finland, comprising 0. 50% of Finland's population and 0. 49% of land area.

The islands consist of the main island Fasta Åland (where 90% of the population resides)[2] and an archipelago to the east that consists of over 6,500 skerries and islands. Skerry (disambiguation A skerry is a small rocky island usually defined to be too small for habitation Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden by forty kilometres (twenty-five miles) of open water to the west. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States In the east, the Åland archipelago is virtually contiguous with the Finnish Archipelago Sea. Archipelago Sea ( Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet) is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia Åland's only land border is short and strangely shaped;[3] it is located on the uninhabited island of Märket, which it shares with Sweden. Märket (ˈmærkə(t Swedish for "The Mark" is a small uninhabited Skerry in the Baltic Sea 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. The Landskapsregering, is the Government of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland.

Contents

Autonomy of Åland

The autonomous status of the islands was affirmed by a decision made by the League of Nations in 1921 following the Åland crisis. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 The Åland Crisis was one of the first issues the new League of Nations had to arbitrate It was reaffirmed within the treaty admitting Finland to the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in By law, Åland is politically neutral and entirely demilitarised, and residents are exempt from conscription to the Finnish Defence Forces. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority The Finnish Defence Forces is responsible for defence of Finland. 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. The Eduskunta (in Finnish) or the Riksdag (in Swedish) is the Parliament of Finland.

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. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 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. Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty

See also: Special member state territories and their relations with the EU#Åland Islands

Name

According to one theory, Åland's original name was Germanic *Ahvaland which means "Land of Water". As of 2007 the European Union has 27 member states, most of which participate in all EU policy areas and programs or have signed up to do so The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. 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 ("perch land"), is seen to preserve another form of the old name. Perca is the genus of fish referred to as perch or sometimes yellow perch, a group of freshwater Fish belonging to the family Percidae [4]

Another theory suggests that the Finnish Ahvenanmaa would be the original name of the archipelago, from which the Swedish Åland derives. [5]

History

Main article: History of Åland
The museum ship Pommern is anchored in the more western of Mariehamn's two harbours, Västerhamn
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. This article is about Finnish sailing ship for German battleship see SMS Pommern The Pommern (the name means Pomerania Demographics A chart on population growth Sister cities Mariehamn is twinned with Visby, Sweden Kópavogur Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Treaty of Fredrikshamn or the Treaty of Hamina was a Peace treaty concluded between Sweden and Imperial Russia on September 17 As a result, along with all other parts of Finland, they became part of the semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor

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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

In 1832, Russia started to fortify the islands with the great fortress of Bomarsund. Bomarsund is a nineteenth century fortress in Sund on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea. 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. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought In the Treaty of Paris (1856), the entire Åland Islands were demilitarized. The Treaty of Paris of 1856 settled the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia, France

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. The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national and social turmoil caused by World War I (1914&ndash1918 in Europe Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace 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. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined The Senate of Finland combined the functions of Cabinet and Supreme court in the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1816 to 1917 and in the independent Republic

Åland with historical and modern provinces of Finland juxtaposed
Åland with historical and modern provinces of Finland juxtaposed

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. The Russification of Finland (1899-1905 1908-1917 sortokaudet/sortovuodet (times/years of oppression in Finnish) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire 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. The language strife was one of the major conflicts of Finland's national history and domestic politics

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 League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 The latter decided that Finland should retain sovereignty over the province but that the Åland Islands should be made an autonomous territory. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself 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.

See also: Åland crisis

In the course of the twentieth century, increasing numbers of the islanders have perceived Finnish sovereignty as benevolent and even beneficial. The Åland Crisis was one of the first issues the new League of Nations had to arbitrate The twentieth century of the Common Era began on 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". World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The islanders enjoyed safety at sea during WWII as their merchant fleet sailed for both the allied countries and the Germans. Consequently Åland shipping was not generally attacked as each side rarely knew what cargo was being carried for who.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Åland
The Åland Islands during the Crimean War.
The Åland Islands during the Crimean War. Politics of the Åland Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic autonomous, demilitarised and unilingually The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought

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. The Landskapsregering, is the Government of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. The Lagting, or Lagtinget, is the parliament of Åland, an autonomous demilitarised and unilingually Swedish territory of Finland. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which

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. A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers is an intergovernmental forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries. Since 2005 the Åland Islands also have had their own national airline, Air Åland. Air Åland Ab is the provincial Airline of Åland, based in Mariehamn, Åland, Finland. The islands are demilitarised, and the population is exempt from conscription. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority 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. Finland is divided into 20 regions ( maakunta in Finnish, landskap in Swedish) Åland is a member of the Small European Postal Administration Cooperation. The Small European Postal Administration Cooperation (also Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation or SEPAC is a group of small European postal authorities

The Åland Islands are guaranteed representation in the Finnish parliament, to which they elect one representative. The Eduskunta (in Finnish) or the Riksdag (in Swedish) is the Parliament of Finland. Åland also has different system of political parties than the mainland (see List of political parties in Finland). Political parties in Finland lists political parties in Finland.

Administration

Main article: 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 autonomy. The State Provincial Office on the Åland Islands ( Länsstyrelsen på Åland) represents the Finnish central government on the Åland Islands The state of Finland consists of 6 provinces ( Finnish: läänit, Swedish: län) Generally, a State Provincial Office is a joint regional authority of seven different ministries of the Government of Finland. Finland is a Republic with a Representative democracy governed according to the principles of Parliamentarism. In Åland, the State Provincial Office also represents a set of other authorities of the central government, which in Mainland Finland has separate bureaucracies. Mainland Finland (Manner-Suomi is a term used for instance in Statistics to exclude the autonomous Åland Islands under Finnish 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 lowest numbered postal code is for the capital Mariehamn, 22100, and the highest 22950 for Jurmo.

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Åland

Geography

Geographical features and municipalities of the Åland Islands
Geographical features and municipalities of the Åland Islands
Main article: Geography 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 16 municipalities of the Åland Islands are divided on three sub-regions: Mariehamn the countryside and the archipelago This article is about the municipality in Åland. Brändö is also the Swedish name for Kulosaari, a suburb of Helsinki. History Finström was widely inhabited in the Viking era The church of St History It is not known where the name Jomala comes from but it has been suggested that "jom" comes from the name of the Viking god Jom and "ala" means History The first visitors to Kumlinge were Vikings who stopped there during their voyages History Kökar was first inhabited over 3000 years ago by seal hunters Sights The Church of Lumparland, dedicated to St Andrew, is the oldest surviving wooden church in Åland dating back to the 1720s. Demographics A chart on population growth Sister cities Mariehamn is twinned with Visby, Sweden Kópavogur History Like the rest of Eastern Åland Sottunga got its first permanent inhabitants sometime in the 11th century although there is evidence that the island had had inhabitants History and Sights There are many pre-historic sites in Sund from the Stone Bronze and Iron Ages 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 ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the The Gulf of Bothnia (Pohjanlahti Bottniska viken ie Bottenviken + Bottenhavet is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. The Gulf of Finland ( Finnish: Suomenlahti, Russian: Финский залив, Finskiy zaliv, Swedish: Finska viken

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. Skerry (disambiguation A skerry is a small rocky island usually defined to be too small for habitation 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. Åboland, in Swedish, or Turunmaa, in Finnish, is a sub-region in the Finland Proper region in south-western Finland Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Together they form the Archipelago Sea. Archipelago Sea ( Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet) is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia

The surface of the islands is generally rocky, the soil thin, and the climate keen. There are several excellent harbours.

The islands' landmass occupies a total area of 1,512 square kilometres (583 sq. mi). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Ninety per cent of the population live on Fasta Åland (the Main Island), also the site of the capital town of Mariehamn. Fasta Åland ( Finnish: Manner-Ahvenanmaa or Ahvenanmanner) is the largest and most populous island of Åland, an Autonomous province Demographics A chart on population growth Sister cities Mariehamn is twinned with Visby, Sweden Kópavogur 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. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States

During the Åland Crisis, the parties sought support from different maps of the islands. The Åland Crisis was one of the first issues the new League of Nations had to arbitrate 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. Mainland Finland (Manner-Suomi is a term used for instance in Statistics to exclude the autonomous Åland Islands under Finnish 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).
A transnational Euroregion encompasses Åland and nearby coastal archipelagoes (skärgårdar). In European Politics, a Euroregion is a form of Transnational co-operation structure between two (or more territories located in different European

Åland's economy is heavily dominated by shipping, trade and tourism. Shipping is physical process of Transporting goods and Cargo. Trade is the willing exchange of goods, services, or both Trade is also called Commerce. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel 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. Demographics A chart on population growth Sister cities Mariehamn is twinned with Visby, Sweden Kópavogur Långnäs is a Port in Lumparland on the eastern mainland of Åland.

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 Aland shipowner 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 European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Union Value Added Tax Area is an area consisting of all the European Union member states and certain non-member states which follow the Value added tax 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. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e

Demographics

Most inhabitants have Swedish (the sole official language) as their first language: 91. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth 2% in 2007, and 5. 0% speak Finnish. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside 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. ) See Åland Swedish for information about the dialect. Åland Swedish, åländska, is a dialect of the Swedish language spoken by the people on the Åland island

Regional citizenship or the right of domicile (kotiseutuoikeus/hembygdsrätt) 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 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (in Finnish Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; in Swedish Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan

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. Swedish -speaking Finns (often called Finland-Swedes, Finnish Swedes, Fennoswedes or Swedish Finns, see below ( Swedish e. Uppländska, than to adjacent dialects of Finland Swedish. Uppländska is a variety of Svealand Swedish spoken in Uppland. Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of Dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their See Languages of Sweden

Sport

Holidays

Date English name Local name Remarks
January 1 New Year's Day Nyårsdagen
January 6 Epiphany Trettondagen
March 30 Demilitarization Day Ålands demilitariseringsdag Peace in 1856 after the Crimean War
Moveable Friday Good Friday Långfredag The Friday before Easter Sunday
Moveable Sunday Easter Sunday Påskdagen
Moveable Monday Easter Monday Annandag påsk The day after Easter Sunday
April 30 Walpurgis Night Valborgsmässoafton
May 1 May Day Första maj
Moveable Thursday Ascension Day Kristi himmelsfärdsdag 39 days after Easter
Moveable Sunday Pentecost Pingstdagen 49 days after Easter
Moveable Monday Whitmonday Annandag Pingst 50 days after Easter
June 9 Autonomy Day Självstyrelsedagen First congregation of the regional government
Third Friday of June Midsummer Eve Midsommarafton
Third Saturday of June Midsummer Day Midsommardagen
First Saturday of November All Saints Day Alla helgons dag
December 6 Independence Day Självständighetsdagen Independence of Finland (1917)
December 24 Christmas Eve Julafton
December 25 Christmas Day Juldagen
December 26 St. Stephen's Day Boxing Day Annandag jul

In popular culture

Gallery

Ferry in the Åland archipelago.

Östra Hamnen - The Eastern Port of Mariehamn, sailing ship Linden in the center

Sjökvarteret in Mariehamn

Sailing ship Pommern and a racing boat

Knutsbodaberget in Lemland, with 4 wind power generators

The Lemströms canal

Schooner Linden in the waters south of Mariehamn

Cruiseferries offer transport from Åland to both mainland Finland and Sweden. This article is about Finnish sailing ship for German battleship see SMS Pommern The Pommern (the name means Pomerania A cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a Cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry.

Kastelholm castle

See also

References

  1. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20040718/ai_n11466101| Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jul 18, 2004 by Tim Vickery Associated Press
  2. ^ http://www.osterholm.info/aland/index.html
  3. ^ an account of the border on Märket, and how it was redrawn in 1985, appears in Hidden Europe Magazine, 11 (November 2006) pp. The Landskapsregering, is the Government of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. The Governor, Maaherra, or Landshövding, of a province of Finland heads the activities of the State Provincial Office, The Åland Islands official football team is the official football team for the Åland Islands, Finland, and is controlled by Ålands Fotbollförbund Åland is an Archipeligo of over 6000 Islands in the Baltic Sea. 26-29 ISSN 1860-6318
  4. ^ Virrankoski, Pauli. Suomen historia. Ensimmäinen osa. SKS 2001. ISBN 951-746321-9. Page 59.
  5. ^ Lars Hulden: Finlandssvenska bebyggelsenamn, 2001, ISBN 951-583-071-0.

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