Outline of Åland - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...

are an autonomous

Federacy

A federacy is a form of government where one or several substate units enjoy considerably more independence than the majority of the substate units. To some extent, such an arrangement can be considered as similar to asymmetric federalism.-Description:...

, demilitarized

Demilitarized zone

In military terms, a demilitarized zone is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers , where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement...

, monolingually

Monoglottism

Monoglottism or, more commonly, monolingualism or unilingualism is the condition of being able to speak only a single language...

Swedish-speaking

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

administrative province

Provinces of Finland

The state of Finland consisted of six provinces between the years 1997 and 2009. The provincial authority was part of the central government's executive branch, not directly elected. The system was created in 1634, and its makeup was changed drastically in 1997, when the number of the provinces...

, region

Regions of Finland

Finland consists of 19 regions called in Finnish and in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition,...

and historical province

Historical provinces of Finland

The historical provinces of Finland are a legacy of the country's joint history with Sweden. The provinces ceased to be administrative entities in 1634 when they were superseded by the counties, a reform which remained in force in Finland until 1997. The provinces remain as a tradition, but have...

of the Republic of Finland. The Åland Islands form an archipelago

Archipelago

An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

in the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...

at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia

Gulf of Bothnia

The Gulf of Bothnia is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the Åland Islands, between the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea.-Name:...

. The Åland Islands are the smallest province of Finland, comprising 0.50% of Finland's population and 0.49% of its land area.

The islands consist of the main island Fasta Åland (where 90% of the population resides) and an archipelago to the east that consists of over 6,500 skerries

Skerry

A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....

and islands. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

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

Archipelago Sea

Archipelago Sea is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland and the Sea of Åland, within Finnish territorial waters...

. Åland's only land border is short and strangely shaped; it is located on the uninhabited island of Märket

Märket

Märket is a small 3.3 hectares uninhabited skerry in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland , which has been divided between two sovereignties since the Treaty of Fredrikshamn of 1809 defined the border between Sweden and Russian Empire as going through the middle of the island...

, which it shares with Sweden. That border was re-negotiated in 1985.

Due to the Åland Islands' 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 the Åland Islands.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Åland Islands:

General reference

Pronunciation
International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...

:
Common English country names: Åland or the Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
Official English country name: The Autonomous State of Åland of the Republic of Finland
Common endonym(s):
Official endonym(s):
Adjectival(s): Alandian
Demonym(s):
Etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...

: Name of Åland
ISO country codes: AX, ALA, 248
ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:AX
ISO 3166-2:AX
ISO 3166-2:AX is the entry for the Åland Islands in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently no ISO 3166-2 codes are...
Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

country code top-level domain
Country code top-level domain
A country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....

: .ax
.ax
.ax is the Internet country code top-level domain of the Åland Islands, introduced in 2006. Previously, most Åland websites were under the .aland.fi subdomain.-History:...

Geography of Åland

Main article: Geography of Åland
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....

Åland is: an archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

of over 6,500 islands, and an autonomous province of Finland. See also Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...

.
Location:
- Northern Hemisphere
  Northern Hemisphere
  The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
  
  and Eastern Hemisphere
  Eastern Hemisphere
  The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
- Eurasia
  Eurasia
  Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
  - Europe
    Europe
    Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
    - Northern Europe
      Northern Europe
      Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
      - Scandinavia
        Scandinavia
        Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
- Baltic Sea
  Baltic Sea
  The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
Population of Åland: 27,210 (2008)
Area of Åland: 13517 square kilometres (5,218.9 sq mi)
Atlas of Åland

Environment of Åland

World Heritage Sites in Åland: None

Regions of Åland

Fasta Åland

Fasta Åland is the largest and most populous island of Åland, an autonomous province of Finland. The provincial capital Mariehamn is located on the island. With the area of 685 km² it is the 3rd largest island in Finland....

— Ninety per cent of the population of Åland live on Fasta Åland (the Main Island), which is also the site of the capital town of Mariehamn.

Administrative divisions of Åland

Main article: Administrative divisions of Åland

Municipalities of Åland

Capital of Åland: Mariehamn
List of Åland municipalities by population
List of Åland municipalities by area

Government and politics of Åland

Main article: Government of Åland
Government of Åland
The Landskapsregering is the government of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. The government is led by a Lantråd, the premier of Åland, who is elected by the Lagting, the parliament of Åland.-List of Premiers of Åland :...

and Politics of Åland
Politics of Åland
Politics of the Åland Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic autonomous, demilitarised and unilingually Swedish territory of Finland, whereby the Lantråd is the head of government, and of a multi-party system....

Form of government
Form of government
A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...

: autonomous parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....

representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...

demilitarised and unilingually Swedish territory of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Capital of Åland: Mariehamn

Åland as a constituency of Finland
Åland (constituency)
Åland is an electoral district represented in the Finnish Eduskunta . It covers the autonomous administrative region of Åland, with a population of 26,711 . It is the smallest constituency in Finland, and the only one that only elects one member of parliament...
- Åland Representation in the Parliament of Finland
  Åland Representation in the Parliament of Finland
  Though Åland, an autonomous region of Finland, has its own parliament, it also elects a representative to the Finnish parliament. Åland became its own Finnish electoral district in 1948. Åland had previously been a part of the same electoral district as Varsinais-Suomi. Of the fifteen Finnish...
Åland convention
Åland convention
The Åland convention, refers to two conventions regarding the demilitarization and neutralization of the Åland Islands.Åland convention held in Paris, France....

s — establish the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland.
Elections in Åland
Elections in Åland
Elections in Åland gives information on election and election results in Åland.Åland elects on a regional level a legislature. The diet has 30 members, elected for a four year term by proportional representation....
- (specific elections)
Political parties in Åland

Executive branch of the government of Åland

There are two executive authorities in Åland:

Government of Åland
Government of Åland
The Landskapsregering is the government of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. The government is led by a Lantråd, the premier of Åland, who is elected by the Lagting, the parliament of Åland.-List of Premiers of Åland :...
- Head of state
  Head of State
  A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
  
  : President of Finland
  President of Finland
  The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
  
  , Tarja Halonen
  Tarja Halonen
  Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency...
- Head of government
  Head of government
  Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
  
  : Lantråd (Premier of Åland)
  Lantråd
  Lantråd is the title of the Head of Government of the Åland Islands, an autonomous and unilingually Swedish-speaking territory of Finland.The current Lantråd is mrs...
  
  , Viveka Eriksson
  Viveka Eriksson
  Viveka Eriksson or Viveca Eriksson is a politician on the autonomous Åland Islands and the current Premier of the Government of Åland...
  - Vice lantråd
    Vice lantråd
    Vice lantråd is the title of the Deputy Head of Government of the Åland Islands, an autonomous and unilingually Swedish-speaking territory of Finland.The current vice lantråd is Mrs...
    
    : Britt Lundberg
    Britt Lundberg
    Britt Lundberg is a politician in the Åland Islands, an autonomous and unilingually Swedish territory of Finland.*Speaker of the Parliament of Åland 2011-*Deputy Premier and Minister of Culture and Education 2007-2011...
- Cabinet of Åland
Åland State Provincial Office
Åland State Provincial Office
The State Provincial Office on the Åland Islands represented the Finnish central government on the Åland Islands between 1918 and 2009. Due to its autonomy, it had somewhat different functions than similar offices in other Provinces of Finland...

Legislative branch of the government of Åland

Parliament of Åland
Parliament of Åland
The Lagting, or Lagtinget, is the parliament of Åland, an autonomous, demilitarised and unilingually Swedish-speaking territory of Finland. The Lagting has 30 seats.- Elections :- See also :*Government of Åland, or Ålands landskapsregering...

(unicameral)
- List of Speakers of the Parliament of Åland

Judicial branch of the government of Åland

Supreme Court of Åland

Foreign relations of Åland

Although autonomous, Åland is part of Finland and does not conduct foreign relations.
- Åland as a constituency of Finland
  Åland (constituency)
  Åland is an electoral district represented in the Finnish Eduskunta . It covers the autonomous administrative region of Åland, with a population of 26,711 . It is the smallest constituency in Finland, and the only one that only elects one member of parliament...
- Åland convention
  Åland convention
  The Åland convention, refers to two conventions regarding the demilitarization and neutralization of the Åland Islands.Åland convention held in Paris, France....
  
  s — establish the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland.
Relationship of Åland to the European Union — Åland is a Special Member of the EU.

Law and order in Åland

Main article: Law of Åland

Constitution of Åland
Constitution of Åland
Åland is a part of Finland and is governed by the Constitution of Finland. The Constitution does mention Åland but immediately refers to the Autonomy Act of Åland. This is an ordinary act...
Law enforcement in Åland
Law enforcement in Åland
Law enforcement in the Åland Islands is the responsibility of the Police Authority of the Åland Islands, a unit independent of the mainland Finnish police , which answers to the Åland unit of the...

Military of Åland

Military status of Åland
Military of Åland
The Åland Islands are demilitarised. This means that there may be no military presence and that the Islands may not be fortified. The Åland Islands are also neutralised, and must therefore be kept outside of war in case of a conflict.- History :...

— Åland is both demilitarized and neutralized by international treaty: it may not militarize, be militarized, nor participate in war.
- Åland crisis
  Åland crisis
  The Åland crisis was one of the first issues put up for arbitration by the League of Nations on its formation. The Åland Islands' population's demand for self-determination was not met and sovereignty over the islands was retained by Finland, but international guarantees were given to allow the...
- Åland convention
  Åland convention
  The Åland convention, refers to two conventions regarding the demilitarization and neutralization of the Åland Islands.Åland convention held in Paris, France....
  
  s — establish the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland.
- Command
  - Commander-in-chief
    Commander-in-Chief
    A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
    
    : none
  - Ministry of Defence: none
- Conscription in Åland — Citizens of Åland cannot be conscripted
  Conscription
  Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
  
  into military service.
Forces: none
Military bases: none

Culture of Åland

Architecture of Åland
- Bomarsund
  Bomarsund, Åland
  The Battle of Bomarsund was fought by an Anglo-French task force against Russian defenses at Bomarsund during the Crimean War.-Background:Bomarsund is a 19th century fortress which had started to built in 1832 by Russia in Sund on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea...
  
  — nineteenth century fortress in Sund
- Kastelholm Castle
  Kastelholm Castle
  Kastelholm Castle is a Swedish-built medieval castle located off Road 2 in Sund, Åland, Finland, approximately northeast of Mariehamn, overlooking a fjord to the south of the village of Kastelholm...
  
  — a Swedish-built medieval castle located off Road 2 in Sund, approximately 25 km (15.5 mi) northeast of Mariehamn, overlooking a fjord to the south of the village of Kastelholm. Built in the 14th century, and held in fief during the Middle Ages
  Middle Ages
  The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
  
  by various nobles, feudal chiefs, and kings, it had significant period in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Art in Åland
- Television in Åland
Cuisine of Åland
Gambling in Åland
- PAF
  PAF (gambling monopoly)
  Ålands Penningautomatförening or PAF is a Finnish company that operates a legal gambling monopoly on the Åland Islands, Finland. PAF also has an Internet-based gambling and gaming operation, in addition to operating and maintaining casino and gaming activities on a large number of cruiseferrys...
  
  — a Finnish company that operates a legal gambling monopoly on the Åland Islands.
Languages of Åland
Languages of Åland
Åland, an autonomous region of Finland, has the largest Swedish-speaking majority in Finland, with about 90% of the province, or about 25,000 people, speaking Swedish as their first language . Swedish is also the sole official language of the province...
- Åland Swedish
  Åland Swedish
  Åland Swedish is a dialect of Swedish spoken in the Åland Islands, an autonomous province of Finland. Åland Swedish has similarities to both Finland Swedish and the historical dialects of Uppland, but it is generally considered to be a variant of Eastern Swedish .Swedish is the sole official...
Museums of Åland
- Åland Museum
  Åland Museum
  The Åland Museum & Åland Art Museum is a museum in Mariehamn in the Åland Islands, Finland. It is located in the eastern part of the town, about 200 metres from the harbour. Along with Åland Maritime Museum it is the most important museum in the islands. Both the main museum and the art museum are...
- Åland Maritime Museum
  Åland Maritime Museum
  The Åland Maritime Museum is a museum in Mariehamn in the Åland Islands, Finland. It is located in the western part of the town on the sea on Hamangtan, about 1 km at the other end of Storangatan...
  - Pommern
    Pommern (ship)
    The Pommern, formerly the Mneme , is a windjammer. She is a four-masted barque that was built in 1903 in Glasgow at the J. Reid & Co shipyard....
National symbols of Åland
- Anthem of Åland: Ålänningens sång
  Ålänningens sång
  Ålänningens sång , is the official anthem of the Åland Islands, an autonomous Swedish-speaking province of Finland...
- Coat of arms of Åland
- Flag of Åland
  Flag of Åland
  The flag of Åland refers to the geographical and political position of the Finnish islands of Åland. It is the Swedish flag defaced by a red cross symbolising Finland...
Public holidays in Åland
Public holidays in Åland
Public holidays in the Åland Islands include:...
Sport in Åland
- Ålands Fotbollförbund
  Ålands Fotbollförbund
  The Ålands Fotbollförbund is one of the 12 district organisations of Football Association of Finland. It administrates the local level football in the Åland Islands.- Background :...
- Åland Islands national football team
  Åland Islands national football team
  The Åland Islands official football team is the official football team for the Åland Islands, Finland, and is controlled by Ålands Fotbollförbund. They are not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA....
- Ålandscupen
  Ålandscupen
  Ålandscupen is a local football competition for the Åland Islands which is administered by the ÅFF. The cup competition was first introduced in 1943 and continues to be dominated by IFK Mariehamn who have won the Ålandscupen 42 times. The last time another club won the competition was in 1993 when...
World Heritage Sites in Åland: None

Economy and infrastructure of Åland

Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007):

Banking in Åland
- Banks in Åland
Communications in Åland
- Internet in Åland
- Newspapers of Åland
  - Ålandstidningen
    Ålandstidningen
    Ålandstidningen or Tidningen Åland is a Swedish language newspaper on the Åland Islands, an autonomous region in Finland. It's published six times a week, and is the largest local newspaper on Åland, of the two published .Tidningen Åland was founded in 1891 by Julius Sundblom, who would later play...
  - Nya Åland
    Nya Åland
    Nya Åland is a Swedish language newspaper on the Åland Islands, an autonomous region in Finland. It's published five times a week , and is the second largest local newspaper on Åland, following Ålandstidningen....
- Posten Åland
  Posten Åland
  Posten Åland is the company responsible for postal service in the Åland Islands. Posten Åland has been operating separately from the mainland postal service since 1993.-External links:*...
  
  — postal service.
Currency of Åland
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...

: Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

(see also: Euro topics)
- ISO 4217
  ISO 4217
  ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
  
  : EUR
  Euro
  The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
Tourism in Åland
Tourism in Åland
Tourism in Åland is promoted by Visit Åland, the official tourism organisation of the Åland Islands.- Attractions :Åland's major tourist attraction is the mild nature of its seasons compared to other parts of Scandinavia...
Transport on the Åland Islands
Transport on the Åland Islands
Åland is an archipelago of over 6,000 islands in the Baltic Sea. Constitutionally, it is a Swedish-speaking autonomous province of Finland. Sea travel is a vital part of Åland's economy and a major local employer...
- Airports in Åland
- Ports of Åland
  - Långnäs
    Långnäs
    Långnäs is a port in Lumparland on the eastern mainland of Åland. Road ferries to Kumlinge and Galtby via Kökar start here. In the early 1960s, Silja Line built a ferry terminal in Långnäs, designed by architect Bengt Lundsten. The terminal was in use 1965-1975 and was then closed and removed in...

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 example of Åland:autonomy as a minority protector, thisisFINLAND.fi
Buy liquor, but not a house, thisisFINLAND.fi
Åland Official Tourist Gateway
Ålandsbanken
Posten Åland - the Post Office of Åland
Ålandstidningen - Local Newspaper

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