Aland

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The Aland Islands, or Landskapet Aland in Swedish, is an autonomous, demilitarised and unilingually Swedish Province of Finland, consisting of more than 6,500 islands and skerries. The Aland Islands are an archipelago at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia, about 40 km from the coast of Sweden, and 25 km from that of Finland.

Autonomy of Aland

The independent 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, Aland is politically neutral and entirely demilitarised. The islands were granted extensive autonomy by the Eduskunta, Finland's legislative assembly, in an Act on the Autonomy of Aland of 1920 (last revised in 1991[1]).

In connection with Finland's admission to the European Union a protocol on the Aland Islands provides, i. a., 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 "regional citizenship" (hembygdsraett) in Aland) to acquire and hold real property, implicating a recognition of a separate nationality.

History

Main article: History of Aland The Aland 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.

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.

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 Aland's native adults (those working or living abroad excluded, although serious questions are later raised regarding this extraordinary high figure). These 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 privileged Swedish speaking minority in Finland and the Finnish speaking majority, which since the 1840s had been prominent in Finland's political life, contributed to the Aland 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. The residents did nevertheless 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 Aland Islands should be made an autonomous territory. Thus Finland is under an obligation to ensure the residents of the Aland 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 Aland, under which it is 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 majorities of the islanders. Together with disappointment over insufficient support from Sweden in the League of Nations, over Swedish disrespect for Aland'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 Aland's relation to Finland: from "a Swedish province in Finnish possession" to "an autonomous part of Finland".

Politics

Main article: Politics of Aland The Aland Islands are governed according to the Act on Aland Autonomy and international treaties, which guarantees autonomy and demilitarized status. The Government of Aland, or Landsstyrelse, is dependent on the Parliament of Aland, or Lagting according to the principles of parliamentarism.

In 1634 Aland was made part of the Abo and Bjoerneborg County as a part of the grand administrative reforms initiated by count Axel Oxenstierna. In 1918, following dominant separatist opinions on Aland in connection with Finland's independence and the Civil War in Finland, it was separated into its own administrative entity. The League of Nations' resolution of 1921 left Aland under Finland's sovereignty, but with a high degree of autonomy and some exclusive rights for the nationals of Aland.

Aland 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 Aland autonomy preceded the creation of the Regions of Finland, but the autonomous government of Aland also handles what the regional councils do.

Administration

Main article: Aland State Provincial Office The State Provincial Office on the Aland 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 Aland 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 on Mainland Finland are handled by the provincial offices, are transferred to the autonomous government of Aland.

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Aland

Geography

Main article: Geography of Aland

The Aland archipelago consists of nearly three hundred inhabitable islands, of which about eighty are inhabited, the remainder are merely desolate rocks, and is connected to Turku archipelago in the east (Finnish: Turunmaan saaristo, Swedish: Abo skaergard), the archipelago adjacent to the southwest coast of Finland.

The surface of the islands is generally sandy, the soil thin and the climate keen. There are several excellent harbours, most notably at Ytternaes.

The islands' landmass occupy a total area of 1,512 km². Ninety percent of the population live on Fasta Aland (the Main Island), which is also the site of the capital town of Mariehamn. Fasta Aland is the largest island in the archipelago, extending over more than 70% of the province's land area, stretching 50 km from north to south and 45 km from east to west.

Langnaes is a port on the eastern shore of the Main Island.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Aland The abolition of tax-free sales on ferry boats travelling between destinations within the European Union made Finland demand an exception for the Aland Islands. The exception allows for maintained tax-free sales on the ferries between Sweden and Finland, but has also made Aland a different tax-zone, meaning that tariffs must be levied on goods brought to the islands.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Aland

Culture

Main article: Culture of Aland Most inhabitants have Swedish mother tongue: 93.5% in 2001. The province is monolingually Swedish, while the rest of Finland has both Finnish and Swedish as official languages. The majority of the population, 94.8%, belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran church.

Holidays

Miscellaneous topics

• Ethnic Swedes
• Heraldry of Aland

External links

• Aland - Official Site
• Parliament of Aland
• Government of Aland

• Act on Autonomy of Aland
• The autonomous regime of Aland

• Aland - Tourist site