Aland Islands. School Encyclopedia. Administrative-territorial structure of the Åland Islands
The unique seascape of the Åland Islands captures the imagination of everyone who sees it for the first time. The picturesque skerry landscape, mild climate and a large number of sunny days a year attract many vacationers to the Åland Islands. And thanks also to the soils, which are rich in limestone, a flora has formed here that is rather not typical for Scandinavia: oaks, ash trees, maples, elms and lindens and various types of orchids.
People began to settle on the islands from about 4200 BC. e., and for many centuries the islands were a "bridge" between Finland and Sweden, and the population of Aland was constantly increasing. During the Northern War, the islands, together with Finland, went to Russia in 1809, and in 1921 they were again transferred to Finland with the rights of a self-governing zone. In 1954, the Åland Islands received their own flag (red cross in a yellow field on a blue background); The official language on the islands is Swedish. Since 1984, they have been issuing their own postage stamps (Finnish stamps are invalid). Alanders are proud of their special status and do not like being called Finns. The main occupations of the Alanders are shipping, vegetable growing and the tourism industry. After the abolition of duty-free trade in the EU countries, the Åland Islands remain the only tax-free oasis in Europe.
On the Åland Islands, you can see the oldest churches in Finland, see the traces of ancient agriculture and buildings of the 12th century. Many ships were shipwrecked here, the most famous being the Vrou Maria, a Dutch ship loaded with treasures purchased by Catherine the Great. In 1999, the exact location of the shipwreck was finally located.
Turku is the oldest city in Finland, the largest port, the former capital. This is an excellent starting point for visiting the islands, especially if you are traveling by bike - the fact is that free ferries run constantly between the islands, a real miracle public transport. Here you can also observe a variety of flora and fauna, including seabirds, elks, seals, and at the same time feel the rural charm of the inner islands, see the giant lighthouses.
What to see in Åland
Mariehamn
Mariehamn, or Mariehamn (11 thousand inhabitants, or 40% of the total population of the islands)- the main city of the islands. The city of “a thousand limes” in the south of the archipelago was founded in 1861 by the Russian Emperor Alexander II and named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna. Since 1889 Mariehamn has been a popular seaside resort, now it is the administrative and industrial center of Aland. The magnificent 1000 m long Norra Esplanadgatan street connects the Western Port and the Eastern Port. Don't ignore the old Maritime quarter.
On Storagatan - the Museum of the Åland Islands with the richest archaeological collection; The cultural history of the region is also well represented. In the same building - an art museum (Opening hours: daily 10.00-16.00, Tue 10.00-20.00).
A museum of navigation has been opened in the Western Port - its building resembles a ship (Opening hours: May-June, Aug. 9.00-17.00, July 9.00-19.00, other times 10.00-16.00). In the same port, the sailing ship Pommern is anchored - now a museum. four-masted barque (length 95 m)- the symbol of the city. From 1903 to 1952 he transported grain from Australia to England (Opening hours: May-Aug. 9.00-17.00, July 9.00-19.00, Sept.-Oct. 10.00-16.00.)
Ramsholmen
3 km west of Mariehamn lies the beautiful nature reserve Ramsholmen (Ramsholmen). Here you can find species of meadow and shrub plants typical of the Åland Islands.
Fortress Kastelholm
Kastelholm is located 23 km northeast of Mariehamn. (Kastelholm). The first written mention of it is found in 1388. Until 1634, "Northern Gibraltar" was the residence of the governor of the Alands. In 1507, the Danish fleet destroyed the castle, and in the middle of the XVIII century. the castle was destroyed by fire. Today it has been restored and is open for inspection. (Opening hours: May, June, early-mid-Aug. 10.00-17.00, July 10.00-17.30, mid-Aug.-Sept. 10.00-16.30).
Manor of Jan Karl
Not far from Kastelholm - the open-air museum "Jan Karl's Manor" ("Jan Karlsgarden"). Museum visitors get acquainted with the traditional way of life of local peasants, and can also look into the historical prison of the 18th century. "Vita Bjorn" (Polar bear) . Opening hours: May-Sept. 10.00-17.00.
sund
A little further north of Kastelholm in Sunda (Sund) stands the stone church of John the Baptist (XIII century) with wooden sculptures. Not far from her in the forest - the ruins of the Viking fortress Borgboda (Borgboda).
Bomarsund
To the east of Kastelholm (11 km) rises the Bomarsund fortress, built by the Russians in 1832-1854. The fortress was conceived as a powerful citadel Russian Empire, but during the Crimean War it was destroyed in 1854. Information about the fortress can be obtained in the "Pilot's House" on the island of Preste (Prasto). Opening hours: May-Ser. Aug. Tue-Sun 10.00-15.00.
Saltvik
North of Mariehamn (23 km on the highway via Jomala, turn left before Kastelholm) we will find Saltvik (Saltvik). The local church of St. Mary is one of the oldest on the islands. Of greatest interest are the baptismal font made of Gotland limestone, the triumphal cross and the altar chest. (XV century)
Orrdalsklint
Northeast of Saltvik - Orrdalsklint (Orrdalsklint), the highest place (129 m above sea level) islands. A beautiful view also opens up from the Kasberg hill north of Saltvik.
Finström
20 km north of Mariehamn (after Jomala to the left) Finström is located (Finstrom) centered in Godby (godby). In the church of St. Michael (XIII century), frescoes of the XV century have been preserved.
Geta
Another 21 km north of Godby - and we are in the northernmost commune of Geta on the Åland Islands (Geta). From Mount Soltuna, the second highest, offers beautiful views.
Hammarland
21 km northwest of Mariehamn stands the Church of St. Catherine in Hammarland (XIII century). In Skarpnato the municipality of Hammarland (Hammarland) opened a local history museum. Interesting peasant buildings of the XVIII century. and old windmills.
Eckero
In Storby near Eckero in the old post office building (1897) there is a postal museum. Among the exhibits there are even mail boats, on which until 1910 royal mail was delivered to Stockholm. Opening hours: May-Ser. June, ser. Aug.-Ser. sept. 10.00-16.00, ser. June-ser. Aug. 10.00-18.00.
Every year in June, a traditional mail boat race is held here. (40 km) along the Gulf of Bothnia - to Grisslehamn (Sweden).
Museum of hunting and fishing tells about the conditions of former life on the islands (Karingsund, Eckero).
Lemland
Municipality of Lemland (Lemland) is located on an island, 15 km southeast of Mariehamn. Next to the ruins of the sea chapel of St. Olaf (XIII century)- the ancient cemetery of the Vikings, the largest in Aland. The former Viking sanctuary is a stone labyrinth. Pellas Historic House Museum (1884) open: ser. June-ser. Aug.
Kyokar
To Kökar (kokar, 300 inhabitants, guest ports Sandvik and Hellso)- a real paradise for sailing enthusiasts - can be reached by ferry from Cogro (74 km southwest of Turku) and Langnas (28 km east of Mariehamn). It is worth seeing the gray vacca church, built on the ruins of a Franciscan monastery (XIV century). A small local history museum has been opened in Kökare; there are hotels, a restaurant and a campsite.
Details Category: European dependencies Posted on 08/23/2013 04:18 PM Viewed: 3198The Åland Islands are an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. It is an autonomous province within Finland. It has the same dialing code as Finland, but its own parliament, flag, post office, stamps and domain.
The archipelago is located at the entrance from the Baltic Sea to the Gulf of Bothnia. The Åland Islands border on the sea with Finland, in the west and north-west - with Sweden, including having a land border on the island of Merket. The archipelago from north to south has a length of 130 km and consists of 6757 islands (of which 60 are inhabited). It is an archipelago with the largest cluster of islands on Earth. The largest of the islands of the archipelago is Åland with an area of 685 km². The highest point in the archipelago is Orrdalsklint, 129 m high. 
The main population of the Åland Islands is Finnish Swedes. The archipelago has a demilitarized status, which means that military installations and other facilities have been eliminated on its territory and the maintenance of armed forces, the construction of fortifications, maneuvers, etc. are prohibited. There are no military units, naval or air bases of the armed forces. The islands have the status of neutral territory and cannot be involved in the theater of operations in the event of armed conflicts. Unlike all other citizens of Finland, the inhabitants of the Åland Islands are not called up for military service. It is also prohibited to keep and carry any firearms, except for hunting (with the exception of the police).
The islands ended up in Finland because of Russia: the Alands occupy a strategic position in the Baltic, since the time of Peter I they have been the target of the Russian-Swedish wars, and in 1809, together with Finland, they passed to Russia under Alexander I.
State symbols
Flag- similar to Swedish, that is, it is a rectangular blue panel with a yellow Scandinavian cross. However, the yellow cross on the Åland flag is wider and has a red Scandinavian cross inserted into it. Approved 7 April 1954
Coat of arms- represents the image of a golden deer on a blue field. Above the shield is topped with a pearl crown decorated with precious stones. This feature makes the coat of arms of the Åland Islands related to the coats of arms of some regions of Finland and the official coat of arms of Sweden, which owned the islands until the beginning of the 19th century.
State structure
Form of government is an autonomous province within Finland.
Capital- Mariehamn.
The largest city– Mariehamn, the only city.
Provincial head- governor.
Head of the government- Prime Minister.
Territory- 1,552.57 km².
Population– 30 361 people About a third of the population lives in the capital.
Currency- Euro. Åland's own coins of the first half of the 1990s are dalers; they were legal tender in the Åland Islands and are accepted by banks for exchange.
Official language- Swedish.
Religion- mostly Lutherans.
Climate- moderate, cool. At the same time, Åland is one of the sunniest regions among the Nordic countries.
Administrative division– 16 communes.
Economy- fishing, dairy farming, tourism (seaside resorts). 
Nature
Flora Aland is represented mainly by pine and broad-leaved (mainly ash) forests, shrubs, and meadows. Stones, greenery and a lot of water around - this is a typical Åland landscape. 
There are several reserves on the islands.
Rough rocks of unusually bizarre outlines, bays and gulfs with clear azure water smoothly flow into thick cloaks of coniferous and deciduous forests. The Åland Islands are beautiful wilderness with minimal traces of civilization. They have always been famous for their unique nature.
Fauna: Animals that are not afraid of people live here: fearless hares, roe deer and moose. Of the predatory animals, the common fox, pine marten and others are found. Fishing is a popular activity in the Åland Islands. Salmon, sea taimen, pike and salmon live in local waters.
Attractions of the Åland Islands
Kastelholm
Medieval castle in the municipality of Sund on the Åland archipelago. The exact date of foundation is unknown.
It's the only one medieval castle in the Alands, for the first time in the annals it is mentioned in 1388 as the "House of Kastelholm". In its modern form, it is a complex architectural complex, built and expanded in the period from the end of the 14th to the middle of the 17th centuries.
The heyday of the castle falls on the XV-XVI centuries. In the second half of the XVI century. the castle belonged to the Stenbock family, which was in opposition to the Swedish king Eric XIV. In 1599, during the internecine war for the Swedish throne, the castle was heavily destroyed by the troops of King Charles IX.
In the XVII-XVIII centuries. used as a prison. In the XX century. The castle was restored and opened to the public.
Fortress of the 19th century Founded in 1832 by the Russian Empire on the island of Aland. Destroyed in 1854 by the Anglo-French fleet during the Crimean War.
Bomarsund Fortress was supposed to be grandiose, but the technology turned out to be outdated. It was based on the principle of deep defense - several layers of ditches and earthen ramparts. Of the twelve round towers, only three were built on Bomarsund. But the fortress was quickly taken and destroyed by the British and French in 1854. Russia did not lose Aland, but the skeletons were demilitarized, and the fortress was never restored (only dismantled for building materials). Today, a highway runs through the ruins.
History of the fortress
After the end of the war of 1808-1809 and the conclusion of the Friedrichsgam peace treaty, Finland and the Åland Islands, which used to belong to the Kingdom of Sweden, became part of the Russian Empire. The islands became the westernmost outpost of the empire, a garrison was placed on their territory and a decision was made to build a military fort.
During 1809, all the main preparatory activities for the construction of the fort were completed: the forest at the site of the fort was cut down, a new military hospital was built on the island of Prästö.
But due to the Patriotic War of 1812 and the death of the Russian commander Barclay de Tolly, who was responsible for the construction of Bomarsund, the construction of the fort had to be stopped.
In 1820, while visiting the islands, Nikolai Pavlovich, Grand Duke and inspector of fortresses, decided to resume construction and commissioned new plans for the fortification of Bomarsund.
Work on the islands began in 1830 with the construction of wooden barracks and other buildings for the military contingent and prisoners sent to the island to build a fort.
In 1853, the Crimean War began, on the side Ottoman Empire were England and France. The Baltic Sea was blocked, Bomarsund isolated. The battle went on in August 1854, after four days of battle the fortress was taken. Later, the fortress was finally destroyed, because the British wanted to prevent Russia's military activities on the islands.
In 1856, the Treaty of Paris granted the Åland Islands the status of a demilitarized zone, which has been preserved to this day.
The fortress has never been restored, although the muzzles of formidable cannons still look into the sea from the dilapidated walls.
Ekerö
An island in the Baltic Sea, located in the extreme west of the Åland Islands.
From 1809 to 1917, Ekerö was part of the Russian Empire and has a rich history, as evidenced by the Russian inscriptions on the building of the Post and Customs Office in Storby. Located in the center of the Swedish Empire, Ekerö became the westernmost coast of the Russian Empire during military campaigns. The commune of Ekerö also includes the uninhabited island of Merket, divided equally between Sweden and Finland. It is the only land border with Sweden in the Åland Islands.
Vita Bjorn Prison
A prison near Kastelholm Castle in the municipality of Sund. It was built in 1784 and operated until 1975. One half of the house was used as an apartment for the jailer and his family, and the other was divided into cells.
In the early 1980s, the building was restored, in 1985 the prison museum was opened here, where an exhibition of the development of the penitentiary (penal-executive) system from the end of the 18th century was arranged. to 1950
City of Mariehamn
The houses in the city are mostly wooden.
The main attraction of Mariankhamin is the Church of St. George, donated to the city by the shipowner August Troberg.
Consulate Russian Federation on the Åland Islands can also please Russian tourists.
History of the Åland Islands
The Aland Islands were inhabited by people around the 4th millennium BC. e. (according to ceramic products found by archaeologists).
For several centuries, the islands became the scene of hostilities between states. Baltic region: in 1714-1721 The Alands were almost completely defeated by the troops of Peter the Great, and the population of the archipelago migrated to neighboring Sweden, which until the beginning of the 19th century. exercised power over the archipelago.
In 1809, the archipelago, according to the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty, became part of the Russian Empire as part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. The functions of the governor of the Alands were abolished.
In 1832, the Russian military fortress of Bomarsund was built on the islands. During the Crimean War, the fortress was captured by English and French troops, and since 1856 the islands have become a demilitarized zone.
In March 1917, after the fall of the monarchy in Russia, the population of the Aland Islands attempted to reunite with Sweden, but on December 6, 1917, Finland declared its independence from Russia, in connection with this, the Alands were denied the right to self-determination.
On January 4, 1918, Sweden and Russia recognized the independence of Finland, and the islands of the archipelago were included in it, which caused a wave of protest both among the population of the Åland Islands themselves and the continental part of Sweden.
In June 1919, a referendum was held on the status of the islands - 95.48% of the Alanders who voted on it expressed their desire for the archipelago to become part of Sweden. In May 1920, the Finnish Parliament granted the islands the rights of autonomy, but the law was not accepted by the Aland population, which led to the so-called Aland crisis.
On June 24, 1921, with the mediation of Great Britain, the Åland Convention was signed, according to which it was decided to leave the archipelago under the control of Finland, but with the granting of a status of broad autonomy.
On October 20, 1921, representatives of ten states: Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Finland, France, Sweden and Estonia signed a convention in Geneva on the demilitarization and neutrality of the Aland Islands. The mentioned convention was not signed by representatives of Russia, as it was considered contrary to the interests of the Russian state.
Before the Second World War, fortifications were erected on the islands (in violation of the convention) by Finland. A few years later, Finland, which participated in the war on the side of Nazi Germany, signed a trilateral treaty on the restoration of the status of the inadmissibility of hostilities on the territory of the Aland Islands following the armistice with the USSR and Great Britain.
Since 1954, the Aland Islands have had their own flag, and since March 1, 1984, Aland began to issue its own postage stamps.
Information about the Åland Islands
Location of the Åland Islands on the world map
The Aland Islands is an autonomous region of Finland (according to the new administrative-territorial division of the country of January 1, 2010), occupying the archipelago of the same name in the Baltic Sea. Includes about 6,000 islands at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. The part of the Baltic within which the Aland Islands lie is called the Archipelago Sea, being the largest cluster of islands on Earth.
Most borders are maritime. The Åland Islands border in the east with the region of Original Finland. In the west - with the Swedish flax Stockholm. In the extreme northwest with the Swedish county of Uppsala. The Aland Islands also border on the latter by land - on the tiny island of Merketa, with an area of \u200b\u200bonly 3 hectares.
Map of Åland Islands
State structure of the Åland Islands
The Åland Islands are an autonomous region of Finland. Until 2010, they were an autonomous province of the same name.
In 1920, Finland granted autonomy to the islands by issuing the "Aland Islands Autonomy Law", which the inhabitants of the islands did not accept. In 1951, the law was replaced by a new one, which on August 16, 1991, after 20 years of preparation, was again updated and adopted by the Parliament of Finland with the consent of the Parliament of the Åland Islands. On January 1, 1993, the autonomy law entered into force.
The inclusion of the islands into Finland on January 4, 1918 (after the recognition of Finland's independence by Sweden and Russia) initially caused a wave of protest both among the population of the Åland Islands themselves and the continental part of Sweden. People feared for their native Swedish culture. Therefore, two meetings were convened at the initiative of the League of Nations to resolve differences. On June 24, 1921, the islands began to be considered part of Finland, with broad autonomy granted to them. After another 3 days, the "Aland Agreement" was signed between Sweden and Finland - a peace treaty on the status of the islands.
The modern islands are a completely demilitarized territory. The construction of military fortifications, the deployment of military units is prohibited here. The demilitarization of the Åland Islands was unilaterally established by the Russian side following the Paris Peace Treaty of 1856, which put an end to the Crimean War.
In the international convention of 1921, the status of the islands, their demilitarization and neutral status during the conduct of hostilities were confirmed. The convention was signed by 10 states, Russia was not among them. However, in the Moscow Agreement on the Åland Islands of 1940 and the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, there are decrees on the demilitarization of the islands. At the same time, there is no mention of a neutral status in any of the documents.
Residents of the islands, as well as those who moved to the islands before reaching the age of twelve, are not called up for military service. The carrying and storage of any firearms, except for hunting, is prohibited to citizens. An exception is made only for the police.
The official language of the Åland Islands is Swedish (Åland dialect). All national television and radio programs and teaching in schools are conducted in this language. All written correspondence sent to government offices must also be in Swedish.
Housing on the islands can only be purchased by persons with citizenship of the Åland Islands. This is done to preserve the priority right to own land and real estate for its citizens.
The internal policy of the islands is regulated by the Parliament of the Åland Islands - Lagting, which is the legislative body. Foreign policy is under the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Finland - Eduskunta.
The executive power of the islands is in the hands of the government, which cannot be more than 8 people. Members of the government are elected by the deputies of the Lagting, and as a rule they rely on a parliamentary majority.
The deputies of the Lagting are elected every 4 years by secret and direct ballot. The first parliamentary elections were held on June 9, 1922, and since then this date has been annually celebrated as the Self-Government Day of the Åland Islands. Today there are 30 deputies in the parliament.
Control over such areas of public life as: education and culture, environmental protection, health care, transport, post, television and radio broadcasting, public utilities, police and economic development is carried out by the administrative apparatus controlled by the government of the Åland Islands. All laws in these areas, passed by Parliament, are then sent to the President of Finland, who bases his decision on the opinion of the Åland Delegation and, sometimes, Supreme Court republics. The chairman of the Åland delegation is the Governor of the Åland Islands, appointed by the President of Finland after agreement with the chairman of the Lagting.
The conduct of foreign policy, judiciary, the customs system, criminal and civil law, taxation are controlled by the same laws that apply throughout Finland. To ensure the legitimate interests of the Åland Islands, one deputy from the islands is represented in the Finnish Parliament.
A Brief History of the Åland Islands
People began to populate the Aland Islands even before our era. The first traces of human presence in the form of ceramics date back to 4000 BC.
Over the following centuries, the islands more than once became the scene of hostilities between the Baltic states. In particular, in 1714-21. The Aland Islands were almost completely plundered by the forces of Peter the Great, and the population fled to neighboring Sweden.
Until the beginning of the 19th century, the Swedish kingdom had the power of the Åland Islands, after which the islands as part of the Grand Duchy of Finland were annexed to the Russian Empire by the Fredrikshamn Treaty of September 17, 1809.
In 1832, the Russian fortress of Bomarsund was built on the islands. During the Crimean War, the fortress was captured by the allied English and French troops. On March 30, 1856, an agreement was signed between Great Britain, France and Russia on the inadmissibility of building military fortifications on the islands and deploying military forces.
In December 1917, the Finnish parliament declared independence from Russia, taking advantage of the instability of the situation in the latter. The population of the Åland Islands at the same time, fearing for the safety of their Swedish language and culture, seeks to reunite with Sweden. However, on January 4, 1918, Sweden and Russia recognize the independence of Finland and the islands are included in its composition. The final agreement between the two Scandinavian states on the status of the islands was reached only in 1921 following a meeting of 2 commissions created by the League of Nations. As a result, on June 24, 1921, the League of Nations decided to consider the islands part of Finland, but with autonomy granted to them. Three days later, Sweden and Finland signed the "Aland Agreement" - a peace treaty on the status of the islands.
On October 20 of the same year, representatives of ten states: Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Finland, France, Sweden and Estonia signed in Geneva a convention on the demilitarization and neutrality of the Aland Islands. This convention was not signed by representatives of Russia, because was considered contrary to the interests of the Russian state. The fact is that the islands lie near the entrance to the Gulf of Finland, and the convention signed by the leading world powers actually gave them complete control over the Gulf and Russian naval forces. Before the Second World War, in violation of the convention, Finland erected fortifications on the islands, but under the terms of the agreements following the results of the Soviet-Finnish war, Finland undertook to demilitarize the islands, which was violated by the Finnish side just a few months later. Only 3 years later, as Finland fought on the side of fascist Germany, between the USSR and Great Britain on the one hand and Finland on the other, following the results of the truce, the agreement on the inadmissibility of conducting hostilities on the territory of the Aland Islands was restored.
Nature of the Åland Islands
The territory of the Aland Islands (fin. Ahvenanmaa) is 1552 km 2, of which about 27 km 2 are occupied by rivers and lakes. The rest of the territory is 6757 large and small islands and rocks. Only 60 of them are inhabited.
The largest of the islands is the island of Aland or the main island, covering an area of 685 km 2. Other major islands are Ekerö, Vardø, Lemland and Lumparland. The islands are hilly, composed of granites and gneisses. The highest point of all the islands - the Orrdalsklint peak lies in the municipality of Saltvik and reaches 132 meters in height. The second highest is Mount Kasbergen, lying in the mountains of Jeta, with a height of 129 meters.
Numerous small islands and rocks occupying vast areas within the archipelago are called skerries and are usually uninhabited.
The climate of the islands is temperate continental maritime, milder than the climate of neighboring areas of continental Finland. The average annual air temperature is 7-8°C. In summer, the average air temperature rises to 15°C, in winter it drops to -2.5°C. In general, the climate of the islands is very even: the influence of the Baltic Sea affects. The sea accumulates heat for a long time and then gives it off for a long time, thanks to which it is very warm on the islands in autumn and cool in spring.
There is little precipitation - 550 mm per year. Lots of sunny days. According to the latest indicator, the Åland Islands are the sunniest region of Northern Europe.
Most of the islands are occupied by pine and broad-leaved forests. The rest of the territory is meadows, shrubs and arable land.
Administrative-territorial structure of the Åland Islands
The Åland Islands are divided into 16 communes, which are combined into 3 sub-regions: the archipelago, the village and Mariehamn.
| Commune | Area (km 2) | Population (31 October 2010) | Population density (person / km 2) |
| brando | 108,07 | 482 | 4 |
| Wordo | 101,5 | 449 | 4 |
| Jomal | 142,55 | 4072 | 29 |
| Yeta | 84,36 | 484 | 6 |
| Kumlinge | 99,26 | 371 | 4 |
| Lemland | 113,09 | 1820 | 16 |
| Lumparland | 36,25 | 392 | 11 |
| Mariehamn | 11,79 | 11146 | 945 |
| Saltvik | 152,09 | 1795 | 12 |
| Sottunga | 28,05 | 119 | 4 |
| sund | 108,07 | 1017 | 9 |
| Voglö | 134,78 | 573 | 4 |
| Finström | 123,26 | 2507 | 20 |
| Hammarland | 138,19 | 1503 | 11 |
| Chokar | 63,55 | 261 | 4 |
| Ekerö | 107,71 | 945 | 9 |
Population of the Åland Islands
The population of the Åland Islands on October 31, 2010 was 27,899 people, of which more than 11 thousand people lived in the capital Mariehamn. In addition, about 50 thousand people from the islands live outside of them: in Sweden, Finland, Norway.
The average population density is 18 people / km 2.
The majority of the population of the Åland Islands are ethnic Swedes (92%), in connection with which the Swedish language has been given the status of a state language. Another 5% of the population are descendants of Finnish fishermen. In the commune of Brando, the share of Finnish-speaking citizens is higher - 9%.
The proportion of women in the structure of the population is 51%.
The vast majority of the population - 94.8% - belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The distribution of the population by age groups in the Åland Islands is as follows: from 0-14 years old - 17.3%, from 15-64 (labor) - 65.9, over 65 years old - 16.8 (data are given for 2005). The islands are characterized by an increase in the proportion of people of retirement and pre-retirement age, a decrease in the proportion of children, as well as a decrease in fertility and mortality, which ultimately gives a low natural population growth of only 0.3 per thousand. In addition, the population of the Åland Islands increases by about 200 people annually due to immigrants who come to the autonomy from neighboring Sweden and Finland.
The unemployment rate in 2009 was 5.4%, which is lower than the national average of 8.2%. However, in previous pre-crisis years, the unemployment rate fluctuated around 1-2%.
Economy of the Åland Islands
The economy of the Åland Islands is based on the production and processing of crop products (sugar beets, potatoes, wheat, barley, oats, onions), dairy farming, fishing, tourism, the pulp and paper industry, trade services and product transportation.
In total, over 2,000 enterprises are registered on the territory of the Åland Islands, most of which (30%) work in the field of trade and tourism. About 20% of operating enterprises are engaged in construction, mainly wooden cottages, which is due to the presence of an extensive construction base and the rental of almost a third of all cottages to tourists, the number of which is continuously growing from year to year and in recent years has exceeded 2 million people a year, of which only a quarter stay on the islands for more than one day. The main flow of tourists comes from neighboring Sweden and Finland.
17% of Åland's enterprises operate in the financial sector. Insurance and banking operations are becoming an important source of income today.
10% of enterprises are engaged in the production of industrial products and transportation. The location of the Åland Islands, halfway between the main industrial regions of such highly developed countries as Sweden and Finland, makes the islands an important transit point between them. And today, the profit from the transportation of goods through the territory of the Aland Islands gives up to a third of regional GDP.
The GDP of the Åland Islands in 2002 reached 906 million euros, or about 35 thousand euros per capita, which is higher than in neighboring Finland and Sweden.
It is very interesting that approximately 15% of the total GDP of the Åland Islands is allocated from the state budget of Finland. This measure is taken as compensation for taxes, customs duties and excises deducted to the state treasury. In 2007, the allocation amounted to €190 million, which is about 45% of Finland's total income minus public debt.
Today's Åland is one of the wealthiest regions in the European Union.
The largest is the island of Aland, with an area of 640 km2. Despite their northern location, these islands are one of the sunniest regions in Northern Europe. Borders with neighboring Sweden are mostly maritime. The only exception is Merket Island; it is uninhabited, while its western part belongs to Sweden, the eastern part to Finland.
The straits of Delet, Lapwezi and Skiftet divide the archipelago from south to north into four groups of islands. The water area between the Aland Islands and the Swedish coast, 40-45 km wide, is called the Gulf of Aland. It freezes only in the most harsh winters, but ice hummocky fields are formed off the coast almost every year. The strip of sea between the archipelago and the Finnish coast is a real labyrinth of skerries - small rocky islands. Their base is composed mainly of granites and gneisses, the relief is hilly, in places with moraine deposits. There are many shallow bays on the islands, the entrance to which is only accessible to small boats.
The name of the islands comes from the Old Norse Ahwaland, or "Water Land", where ahwa means the same as in Latin aqua - "water". From the same base comes Finnish name islands - Ahvenanmaa, which can also be translated as "Perch Land".
People began to populate the Åland Islands in the 4th millennium BC. e. In 2400-1500. BC e. the Neolithic culture of Kiukai developed here. The main occupations of the people were hunting and fishing. The feudal period left the only significant evidence of itself in the Åland Islands - the medieval castle of Kastelholm. It was first mentioned in chronicles in 1388, although it was built long before that date. From 1300 to 1600, Kastelholm Castle was a constant object of assaults and sieges during the period of feudal wars.
During the Northern War between the coalition of northern states and Sweden for the Baltic lands in 1700-1721. in 1714, a large naval battle took place near the Aland Islands between the Russian fleet of 30 linear and 180 training ships under the command of Admiral Apraksin and the Swedish fleet, which was three times smaller. The Swedes wanted to prevent the Russians from landing on the Aland Islands, but were forced to retreat, and Tsar Peter I (1672-1725) - in the rank of Rear Admiral under Apraksin - captured the flagship of the Swedish Admiral Erinschild. At the same time, the population of the archipelago left the islands and headed for mainland Sweden.
In 1809, the islands became part of the Russian Empire as part of the Grand Duchy of Finland - according to the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty of September 17, 1809, Russia built a powerful military fortress Bomarsund on the islands, but during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. it was captured and destroyed by the Anglo-French squadron. In 1856, according to the Paris Peace Treaty, which summed up the results of the war, the Åland Islands were given the status of a demilitarized zone.
After the fall of autocracy in Russia, the population of the Åland Islands, fearing for the safety of the Swedish language and their unique culture, tried to reunite with Sweden. A petition was drawn up to the King of Sweden with thousands of signatures under it, but on December 6, 1917, Finland declared independence from Russia, and on January 4, 1918, Russia and Sweden recognized it.
The territory of Finland thus became sovereign and indivisible. Dissatisfaction began to grow among the residents of Apand, who were embarrassingly late with their petition, and heated debates on this topic were going on in local authorities. A compromise solution, under the patronage of Great Britain, was found by the League of Nations. In 1921, Sweden and Finland signed an agreement worked out by the League, according to which the Åland Islands remained in Finland, but acquired broad self-government rights. In the same 1921, another convention was signed in Geneva: on the demilitarization and neutrality of the Aland Islands. During World War II, Finland, an ally of Nazi Germany, violated the convention, but after the war signed a tripartite treaty with the USSR and Great Britain to restore the status of the Åland Islands as a demilitarized zone. The inhabitants of the Åland Islands have a kind of dual citizenship. On the cover of their passports it is written, not like the rest of the citizens of Finland, “Suomi - Finland”, but “Suomi - Finland - Aland”.
It is expressed, in particular, in special privileges for the local parliament - the Lagting. It adopts its laws and the provincial budget without the consent of Helsinki. At the same time, the Parliament, according to the Constitution of Finland, has the right to change the law on self-government of Åland, but only with the consent of the local authority. The absolute majority of the population of the Åland Islands is ethnically Swedes, the number of Finns here is insignificant. At the same time, Swedish is the only official state language of the Åland Islands. The Finnish language is taught at school, and although it is not included in the number of compulsory subjects, almost all the inhabitants of Åland speak it: as they say, life forces. The birth rate on the islands is low, and the population of Åland is increasing mainly due to visitors from the continent - from Sweden and Finland. Almost half of all inhabitants of the islands live in Mariehamn, the main city of the archipelago.
Mariehamn was built by the Russians on the nominal order of Tsar Alexander II (1818-1881). In 1861, the settlement received the status of a city and was named Mariehamn, translated from Swedish as “Harbor of Mary”, in honor of the wife of the emperor, Maria Alexandrovna. In the park in front of the Mariehamn City Hall in 2011, to the performance of the Russian "Kalinka", a monument to the Empress by sculptor A. Kovalchuk was erected, a gift from Russia to Mariehamn in honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the province. And "Kalinka" was performed because it was written by the composer I. Larionov in 1860, that is, also 150 years ago.
The capital of Aland has two ports, on the western and eastern ends of the island. The western port is of international importance: ferries to Sweden and mainland Finland pass through it. The yacht harbor of the Eastern Port is one of the largest in the Baltic Sea.
The bowels of the islands are by no means rich in minerals, and yet the Åland Islands are in tenth place in the list of the richest regions of the European Union.
The economy of the islands is based on shipping, trade and tourism. The number of tourists is growing, almost a third of all inhabitants of the islands are engaged in their service. Most tourists come, as you might guess, from Sweden and Finland.
Although the stony soil of the islands retains only a very thin layer of soil, the islanders grow barley, wheat, oats, sugar beets, and potatoes on it. Local meadows are quite suitable as pastures for sheep and cattle. The water in the coastal zone near the islands has a low salt content, so both marine and freshwater fish are found here: pike perch, whitefish, salmon and salmon, pike and sea taimen, the latter two species growing off the coast of Aland to extremely large sizes. Both the land and the coastal waters of the islands are private property. The owners of the sea "lands" are united in fishing artels.
Part of the agricultural products of the fishing catch of the islanders in fresh or frozen form is delivered to the mainland, the rest is processed on the spot. Fermented milk products, canned fish, granulated sugar, potato chips, apple cider are produced.
And today the silhouettes of the surviving windmills are typical of Åland, giving them an external accent of the pastorality of the local life, which, in general, corresponds to reality. Some mills are still used for their intended purpose, while others have been turned into housing, cafes, and small local museums. More than a third of all electricity in the Åland Islands, as in all of Scandinavia, is generated by the direct descendants of windmills - modern wind turbines. Recently, the financial sector of the economy - insurance and banking operations - has become increasingly important in the Alands.
general information
Administrative status: province of the Åland Islands, part of the Republic of Finland.
Administrative-territorial division: 16 communes (Brandø, Ekere, Finström, Vögle, Eta, Hammarland, Jomala, Kumlinge, Csökar, Lemland, Lumparland, Mariehamn, Saltvik, Sottunga, Sund, Vordø).
Origin of the islands: continental.
Administrative center: city of Mariehamn - 11,005 people (2013).
Languages: Swedish (official), Finnish.
Ethnic composition: Swedes - 92%, Finns - 5%, others - 3%.
Religion: Protestantism.
Currency unit: euro.
The most important ports: Mariehamn, Berghamn, Longnas.
Neighboring countries and territories: in the east - the region of Original Finland, in the west - county of Stockholm (Sweden), in the north-west - county of Uppsala (Sweden, including the land border on the island of Merket).
Nearest airports: international airports Helsinki Vantaa and Turku.
Numbers
Area: 1580 km2.Population: 28,355 (2011).
Population density: 18 persons/km 2 .
Number of islands: about 6500, inhabited - about 150.
Length: from north to south - 130 km.
highest point: Orrdalsklint hill on the island of Åland (128 m).
Climate and weather
Moderately continental with a strong maritime influence, generally cool.January average temperature: -4°C.
July average temperature: +15°С.
Average annual rainfall: 550 mm.
Relative humidity: 75%.
Economy
GRP: $1,563 million (2007), per capita $55,829 (2007)
Port industry, passenger shipping.
Industry: food and ferry parts, large laundromat serving ferries.
Agriculture: crop production (sugar beet, potatoes, wheat, barley, oats, onions), animal husbandry (cattle, sheep).
Fishing and shrimp production.
Service sector: insurance banking, trade, tourism.
sights
■ Aland Island: Kastelholm Castle (XIV-XVII centuries), nearby - Vita Bjorn Prison Museum, Jan Karlsgorden Farm Museum (traditional Aland houses and windmills), Viking mounds, ruins of the Russian military fortress Bomarsund (XIX century), Jeta village with a church of the 15th century, next to Mount Yeta (98 m) with an observation tower, red granite rocks, hiking trails (“Caves”, “Middle Ages Trail, Troll Trail”), equipped with benches for rest and fenced on steep banks low fences, a snail farm.■ City of Mariehamn(Aland Island): sailing ship-museum "Pommern", the Church of St. George (1927), the main building of the Åland Maritime College (1927), the city hall building (1939), the local history museum, the Museum of Åland Art, the Marine Quarter , Museum of hunting and fishing.
■ Uninhabited rocky island Kobba Klintar with an old pilot's house, where a small museum is located.
■ Ruins of the Franciscan Monastery 13th century (Kökar Island), Museum of the Island.
Curious facts
■ Merket Island, which marks the border between Sweden and Finland, is the westernmost point of Finland. Its area is 3 hectares: it is one of the smallest islands in the world, divided between countries. Since the territory of the island changes due to natural causes, every 25 years the border is demarcated. The last correction of the border line was carried out in 2006.■ Residents of the archipelago are not called up for military service, they are prohibited from carrying and keeping any firearms, except for hunting. This prohibition does not apply to the police.
■ In the Åland Islands, twins are born unusually often compared to other regions of Scandinavia. This is the special heredity of the islanders, according to doctors and genetic scientists.
■ Since 1970, the Åland Islands have had their own independent representation in the Nordic Council, an organization that coordinates cooperation between the parliaments of the Nordic countries.
■ Postboxes in Mariehamn are often decorative objects, they are painted with flowers and shaped like lighthouse lanterns. In general, every owner tries to make his box the most beautiful.
■ The word "dacha" in Swedish has the same meaning as in Russian, because it is borrowed from Russian.
■ Since 1984, the Åland Islands have issued their own postage stamps. In honor of the 150th anniversary of the city of Mariehamn, a stamp was issued with a portrait of Empress Maria Alexandrovna.
The month is coming to an end, and I still have decently unfulfilled wishes of my friends. Here comes the turn nordlight_spb We listen to the request:
"I would like to know more about the Åland Islands, the capital of the islands, Marienhamin, as well as the Archipelago Sea."
So, forward to the unknown!
The Åland Islands are located between Sweden and Finland at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. The population of the region is about 27,000 people, over 90% of whom are Swedes. James Barros in his book divides the history of the islands into three main periods:
1. Control of Sweden (1157 - 1809);
2. Control of Russia (1809 - 1917);
3. Control of Finland (since 1917).
Due to the strategic location of the islands, for many centuries the Åland Islands have been the subject of geopolitical games of several major powers. In 1714, during the reign of Peter the Great, the region was occupied, albeit for a short period, by the Russian Empire. Over the following years, Russia and Sweden fought more than once for control of the region, which constantly passed from one empire to another. Only after the military campaign of 1808-1809 did Russia eventually manage to establish control over the Åland Islands and a number of Finnish regions that were under the control of Sweden at that time.
The Åland Islands are located in the Archipelago Sea (Finnish Saaristomeri, Swedish Skärgårdshavet). It is part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland within Finnish territorial waters.
The Archipelago Sea includes a huge number of islands. The exact number depends on the definition of the term "island", as landmasses range from small rocks peeking out of the water to large islands with a few villages or even a city on them. There are 257 islands in the Archipelago Sea with an area exceeding 1 km² and about 18,000 islands with an area of more than 0.5 ha. Including smaller uninhabited rocks and skerries, the archipelago includes more than 50,000 islands (for comparison, the number of islands in the Indonesian archipelago varies from 13,000 to 18,000). The territory of the archipelago is roughly divided into inner and outer groups of islands. The outer group consists mainly of small uninhabited islands. The archipelago occupies a triangular area with the cities of Mariehamn, Uusikaupunki and Hanko at the corners.
Islands began to rise from under the water immediately after the last ice age. Due to the post-glacial uplift of the land, the process is still ongoing, new skerries and islands are formed, old ones increase in size or unite. The current rate of ascent is between 4 and 10 millimeters per year. Since the islands are mainly composed of granite and gneiss, two very hard rocks, the rate of erosion is much slower than the rate of uplift.
Barros describes in his book how Swedish diplomats "in vain insisted on the fact that the Åland Islands have always been a province of Sweden", to which Russian diplomats replied that "we are now busy not with the old borders of Sweden, but with the new borders of the Russian Empire." According to Barros, "using the Åland Islands as a military base against Sweden, the Russians were well aware of the strategic importance in terms of the defense of Finland, as well as establishing control in the Baltic Sea."
Under the Treaty of Fredrikshamn (September 17, 1809), the Åland Islands, as well as a number of territories of modern Finland, went to Russia. The issue of militarization or demilitarization of the Åland Islands was constantly on the agenda of Russian-Swedish negotiations throughout the 19th century. Sweden demanded the neutralization of the islands "as an independent state under the protectorate of France, England and Sweden", and this demand was supported by Great Britain, but was rejected by Russia.
Mariehamn - translated from Swedish, - "Harbor of Mary." Alexander II named the city in honor of his wife. Mariehamn has two ports, a sailing ship museum, a restaurant steamer, modern high-speed yachts and cruise liners. The islanders refer to Mary as their godmother, although little is known about her. Probably because the Empress herself has never been to the city that is named after her.
In 1856, Russia, France, and Great Britain signed the "convention for the demilitarization of the Åland Islands", which ended the debate at least until the collapse of the Swedish-Norwegian alliance in 1905. In 1907, in exchange for the recognition of Norwegian independence, Russia demanded the annulment of the 1856 convention, which would allow Russia to station its troops on the territory of the islands. However, when Russia publicly announced a proposal to annul the 1856 convention, it caused an uproar in Sweden and the UK, and the issue was removed from the agenda for some time.
During World War I, Germany promised to return the Åland Islands to Sweden, but in exchange demanded Sweden's allied participation in the war. But Stockholm remained neutral and demanded the transformation of the Åland Islands into a neutral zone. At the same time, Russia, knowing that Germany was preparing to occupy the islands, was preparing military forces for confrontation. In a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov on January 1, 1915, Vice Admiral Ivan Grigorovich, Minister of the Navy, stressed the importance of the islands to Russia. "The whole territory is of strategic importance, so one of the main tasks of the navy is to keep the islands under the strict control of Russia."
The turning point began for the Åland Islands with the fall of the tsarist government in Russia, the establishment of the Provisional Government, and then the coming to power of the Bolsheviks.
After the fall of the monarchy in Russia, representatives of the Åland provinces-communes gathered in Mariehamn to jointly begin work on reunification with their old fatherland - Sweden. A request was made to the Swedish king and government to take Alands under their protection. By December 1917, the signatures of almost the entire adult population of the Åland Islands had been collected.
During this period, Finland demanded independence from Russia, and in Sweden, demands for the unification of Sweden with the Åland Islands intensified.
On December 6, 1917, Finland declared itself an independent republic (self-proclaimed, as we would say now) and denied the Alands their right to self-determination, understood as joining Sweden. At the same time, the Alands were still promised self-government. In May 1920, the Finnish parliament passed a law on Åland self-government. Alanders met this law with hostility. In the Åland parliament, elected back in 1918, there was a heated debate, ending with the two leaders Sundbloom and Berkman being arrested on charges of treason.
England intervened, offering to refer the matter to the League of Nations. On May 24, 1921, the League decided on Finland's sovereignty over the Alands, but recommended that it give the Alanders legislative guarantees of self-government, demilitarization and neutrality. Three days later, Sweden reluctantly signed the so-called Åland Treaty with Finland.
Independence of Finland
In August 1917, the Alanders held a secret assembly to discuss the issue of unification with Sweden. "A four-person delegation was formed with a mandate to convey to the Government and Parliament of Sweden the deep desire of the Åland Islands to reunite with the Kingdom of Sweden for a number of specific reasons," writes Barros. From December 25 to 29, the population of the Åland Islands held a kind of referendum and signed a petition to King Gustav of Sweden calling for unification. This message strengthened the position of the Swedish political groups that advocated the immediate occupation of the Åland Islands.
Taking advantage of the weakened position of Russia, King Gustav sent a message to Germany, Austria and Turkey demanding that the issue of the Åland Islands be considered during peace negotiations with Russia in Brest-Litovsk in order to "protect the vital interests of Sweden on these islands." Germany offered Sweden its assistance in negotiations with the Bolsheviks on the issue of joining the islands to Sweden. At the same time, Germany put forward a number of conditions: Sweden was to "allow the inhabitants of the islands to determine their future fate in a referendum, not to build any fortification outposts and bases on the islands, not to transfer the islands to any third party, and also to start negotiations to increase exports iron ore from Sweden to Germany after the war".
However, on January 4, 1918, Russia recognized the independence of Finland. Surprisingly, ahead of other European states, Sweden recognized Finnish independence on the same day. Subsequently, Helsinki will repeatedly use the argument that "Sweden and other states, by recognizing the independence of Finland, without any preconditions, actually recognized the Åland Islands as a sovereign part of Finland."
A few weeks after the recognition of Finnish independence, a civil war began in this country. While King Gustav tried to take cautious steps and avoid direct confrontation with Finland, the Swedish opposition demanded immediate control over the islands. Shortly thereafter, Sweden sent the ships of its fleet and occupied the Åland Islands. Subsequently, German troops established control over the entire territory of Finland, including the Aland Islands.
Status of the Åland Islands
The independence of Finland did not solve the problems of the Åland Islands, and the negotiations between Finland and Sweden, as well as the negotiations of the superpowers with Russia, continued. Helsinki accused Stockholm of interfering in its internal affairs by supporting the inhabitants of the islands in their desire to unite with Sweden. This increased tension in relations between the two states. The Finnish government has notified the inhabitants of the islands that it "guarantees the complete safety of the islands and urgently asks the inhabitants to avoid actions that could damage the territorial integrity of Finland, as such actions will be severely suppressed."
"In the spring of 1918, Stockholm advised the inhabitants of the islands that independence could be achieved only by building their own institutions of self-government, and also by preparing for a plebiscite at the right time regarding separation from Finland and joining Sweden."
At some point there were speculations that Finland was considering the possibility of a "territorial exchange" by transferring the Åland Islands to Sweden and receiving the territory of East Karelia in return. However, these speculations were refuted by a special statement from the Finnish government. Instead, Finland offered the inhabitants of the islands a high status of autonomy within Finland.
Negotiations between Stockholm and Helsinki did not produce results, and the parties agreed to transfer consideration of the status of the Åland Islands to the League of Nations. While the superpowers tried to mediate, the situation in both Sweden and Finland worsened. Public opinion in both countries became tougher and demanded an immediate solution to the issue of the status of the islands. As a result, the League of Nations created two special commissions to resolve the issue of the islands. The first commission was to comprehensively study the political, legal and historical aspects of the Åland problem and propose possible solutions. The task of the second commission was to develop concrete recommendations and draw up a peace agreement.
After listening to the arguments of both sides and conducting their own research, the first commission (commission of lawyers) concluded that "the fundamental question is a legal one, namely the right of Finland to sovereignty over the Åland Islands. It is necessary to discuss the question of whether Finland was a sovereign state after the collapse of its union with Tsarist Russia and whether its sovereignty extends to the islands in the same way as to other parts of Finland" (Article 314). Regarding the issue of Finland's right to the Åland Islands, the commission concluded that "Finnish independence in 1917, which was recognized by other states, included the islands." This means that "Finnish sovereignty over the Åland Islands was not in dispute, and the islands legally became part of the Finnish state."
The issue of the supremacy of the territorial integrity of the state over the right of a minority to self-determination, which is still relevant today, was also discussed by the Commission of the League of Nations. The question "Is it possible to recognize the "absolute" right of a minority to secede for the purpose of further unification with another state or declaring independence?" was mentioned in the commission's report. Quoting the commission's report, Barros writes: "Give in to the demands of any minority (on linguistic, religious or some other basis) to separate from the community to which they belong, just because it is their desire, would be a clear destruction of order and stability. within the state and would give rise to anarchy in international life.
As a result, the commission of lawyers made the following recommendations regarding the status of the Åland Islands within Finland:
. "In the province of Åland, elementary and technical schools must provide education only in Swedish. The compulsory study of Finnish, which is approved by law, should not apply in this territory.
. Inhabitants of the islands in any situation should have a priority right in matters of acquiring land on the islands. In addition, newly arrived settlers can only become eligible to vote after five years of residence on the islands.
. The Ålanders should have the right to submit to the government in Helsinki a list of three candidates for governor of the islands, and the governor should be appointed only from this list."
The commission also threatened a referendum on the status of Åland if the Finnish government rejected these recommendations. These recommendations have been added to the already existing guarantees of the autonomy of the islands, accepted by the government of Finland. The final decision on the issue of the islands was made on June 24, 1921, and the League of Nations reaffirmed Finnish sovereignty over the Åland Islands. Three days later, on June 27, Sweden and Finland signed the "Aland Agreement" - a peace treaty on the status of the islands.
The structure of the autonomy of the Åland Islands
The act of autonomy for the Åland Islands was hastily drawn up and adopted by the Finnish Parliament on May 6, 1920. At first, the inhabitants of the islands rejected this act. However, after the League of Nations debated the status of the islands, the proposed recommendations were added to the 1920 Autonomy Act. Lars Ingmar Johannson, who served as General Secretary of the Åland Parliament in the 1980s, writes that "the first popularly elected institution in the islands was the Landsting, or Åland Parliament, which was elected in a popular election in Åland and its first plenary session took place June 9, 1922" (Article 25). Later, the Autonomy Act was again revised twice. This happened for the first time on December 28, 1951, and then again in 1993. The current legislation is in full agreement with the Government of Finland and the population of the Åland Islands.
The "fundamental principle" of the Act of Autonomy was "to give the inhabitants of Åland the widest possible freedom in the management of their internal affairs in order to ensure the internal and external security of (Finland)".
The Act of Autonomy unambiguously and clearly shares the legal responsibility between the parliaments of Finland and Åland. The Åland Parliament works on a similar principle to the Finnish Parliament. It consists of 30 deputies, elected every four years, and functions as an institution that makes laws and decisions on issues of island life such as police, health care, education, communications, economic development of the region, etc. Johansson claims that " in these areas, the functions of the Åland Parliament are practically no different from the functions of the legislative and executive body of an independent state.
"Preliminary laws approved by the Åland Parliament apply on the islands and are superior to laws adopted by the Finnish Parliament. However, in areas where the Åland Parliament does not have the power to legislate, Finnish laws have the same force on the islands as in the rest of the country "Such areas include postal, customs and monetary services, courts, the criminal code, many aspects of civil law relating to family, inheritance, trade and foreign affairs."
Alanders also have a quota in the Finnish Parliament and are directly elected by the population of the island, just like the rest of the deputies of the country's parliament. All adopted legislative acts of the Åland Parliament are sent for signature to the President of Finland, who has the right to veto only in two cases: if the law adopted by the Åland Parliament "goes beyond its competence" and if the adopted act "threatens the country's internal and external security."
The Åland Parliament also makes laws regarding its own budget and taxation. Taxes, customs duties and other payments are collected from the inhabitants of the islands in the same manner as for all other citizens of Finland. At the same time, the Finnish state budget annually has a guaranteed line on deductions in favor of the Åland Islands. In addition to this, the Åland Parliament has the right to request additional funding from the Finnish state budget.
Ålanders have their own flag and local police units. Moreover, the islands issue their own postage stamps and are represented (as part of the Finnish delegation) in the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Nordic Council is a regional organization that consists of ministers and parliamentarians from the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands (Denmark), Greenland (Denmark) and the Åland Islands (Finland).
You probably noticed when sailing from Stockholm to Helsinki that the ferry makes a ten-minute stop in the middle of the journey in a city with an unpronounceable name. Maybe because the word Maarianhamina is not easy to pronounce, so little attention is paid to this city. However, very in vain. Mariehamn (Maarianhamina) is worth stopping for a couple of days. A cozy island life, so unlike life in a metropolis, or even life in a godforsaken village, will open before you in all its quiet splendor.
Marienhamn is located on a peninsula, therefore it has two ports, on the west and east coasts.
The history of the emergence of Mariehamn is connected with the Eastern, or Crimean War, which determined the further fate of the Alands as demilitarized islands. After the war, the local community turned to Emperor Alexander 11 with a petition to allow the establishment of a port city on the main island.
And in order to definitely get consent, the intercessors proposed to name the city in honor of the wife of the Emperor Maria Alexandrovna. By the royal manifesto on February 4, 1859, the founding of the city of Mariehamn ("Mary's Harbor") was "mercifully" allowed, and on February 20, 1861, a letter was signed establishing the statute of the city. From this date, its existence is counted.
The western port (Västerhamn) is of great international importance; ferries stop here several times a day on the route between Finland and Sweden.
The Eastern Harbor is one of the largest Scandinavian yacht ports.
The capital of the Åland Islands offers tourists ample opportunities for urban recreation: many hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes and museums will gladly meet their visitors. Not far from the city center is Lilla Holmen - a beautiful beach for the whole family and the Mariebad water park with a spa.
Getting to Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands, is most interesting by ferry, and going from Stockholm to Helsinki, and not vice versa: in this direction, the ferry arrives not at four in the morning, but at midnight, which is much more convenient. Do not be surprised by the very paradoxical pricing: getting from Mariehamn to Helsinki is even more expensive than from more distant Stockholm to Helsinki.
Mariehamn has quite a few museums for such a small town. This is, firstly, the famous Pommern sailing ship, The Maritime Quarter and the Åland Maritime Museum, the Åland Museum, the hunting and fishing museum, the art museum and a little more.
Having looked into the museum from the entrance, we concluded that these are typical provincial museums, which are not worth spending much time on if you are not connoisseurs of local arts and crafts. It only makes sense to visit the Pommern sailboat. But if you do not have enough time, you can still admire it from the pier (the masts and tackle look especially beautiful against the backdrop of sunset).
Clean streets with toy houses not hiding behind fences, and silence, which is only occasionally broken by the roar of an old American car from the middle of the century (now and then I recall Stephen King's Christina). As it turned out, taxes on the purchase of a new car are very high here, so young people prefer to buy spectacular-looking "dinosaurs", bring them, literally, to a brilliant state and in the evenings, wearing a cowboy hat, slowly drive around the city with the whole company.
Alanders are very kind to their mailboxes. Old mailboxes are wooden, hand-painted, and only a few dare to supply newfangled plastic ones.
The main attraction of Mariehamn is its hiking trails (especially in the western part of the island). Coastline largely reminiscent of South coast Crimea: sheer cliffs, small pine trees, winding paths. But, unlike the Crimea, where only in Novy Svet there is an equipped walking "ecological" trail, there are equipped trails everywhere (and even inside the island, they are marked with a red line on the map).
This means that every N meters there are benches, bridges, fences and there is no garbage (despite the fact that during the season the tourist load on them is corresponding). All walking routes are thought out in such a way that after 2-3 hours of a leisurely walk you will return to the city.
There are several equipped beaches in the eastern and northeastern parts of the island. The sandy-silty bottom is very flat - it will take a long time to enter the water. Because of this bottom relief, it is especially interesting to observe low tides when a significant area of the seabed is exposed.
The museum sailboat Pommern is anchored in the western port. The Dutch steamship Jan Nieveen (also called F.P. von Knorring) is in the eastern harbor and has been converted into a restaurant. We also recommend visiting the city museum and the art museum.
For connoisseurs of architecture, it will be interesting to know that there are several buildings in Marienhamn designed by the famous Finnish architect Lars Sonck: the main building of the Åland Maritime College (1927), the Marienhamn church (1927), the city hall building (1939).
In the square in front of the city hall, there is a statue of the patroness of the city - Empress Maria Alexandrovna.
In 2011, Marienhamn celebrated its anniversary - 150 years since its founding. This bronze monument is a gift from the Russian side.
Sculpture on a red granite pedestal. The monument was erected in the very center of the Aland capital.
The Russian fortress of Bomarsund reminds of the military past of the Åland Islands. Now there is little left of it, only ruins, but the Alanders proudly bring tourists here. At the beginning of the 19th century, these islands, together with Finland, became part of the Russian Empire. But the history of the Alands is closely connected with Russia since the time of Peter the Great.
With this observation deck you can see the most beautiful road that runs between the islands. In the 18th century, an important postal route from St. Petersburg to Stockholm passed through Aland. Peasants living along the highway at a distance of up to 3 miles were placed at the disposal of the postal department and were obliged to deliver letters and parcels along the chain from yard to yard.
Postal workers were the first to celebrate the anniversary of the city. They issued a stamp in honor of the Russian Empress. For the miniature, the authors used one of the most famous images of Maria Alexandrovna, there is exactly the same portrait in the Hermitage.
This is also a joint project - Aland and Russian mail. Godmother of the city against the background of the historical landscape. Only local stamps are used in the Alands, so now with the help of the miniature Empress Maria, you can send a letter from Mariehamn to St. Petersburg. Very symbolic.
How to get there
Marienhamn can be reached from Turku and Helsinki, Finland, and from Stockholm or Kapellskar, Sweden.
Ferries are a reliable, comfortable and popular form of transport for traveling to the capital of the Åland Islands.
Different fish are caught in every season. In summer - pike perch and salmon, in autumn - frighteningly large pike and sea taimen, in winter ice fishing with a short rod is good, and in spring salmon, sea taimen and pike peck notably.
Since the land on the islands (and coastal waters) are privately owned, fishing is allowed only in specially designated areas. These territories often consist of many small private estates, the owners of which have united in fishing farms. There are about fifty of them in total.
For fishing, it is necessary to obtain a fishing permit or a license for the territory where you plan to fish. To do this, you need to decide in advance on the place of fishing (or rather, on the place where to live, since it makes no sense to live in one place and fish in another). The license can be ordered in advance when booking a cottage or purchased directly on the spot from its owner. The cost of licenses fluctuates quite strongly - depending on the number of fish and the size of the territory. Each territory has its own rules, they should be clarified with the owner of the cottage when buying a license.
It is necessary to immediately clarify what types of fishing are allowed in these places: pike are caught on spinning and lure, perch - on light spinning, jigs and small baubles, salmon is caught by trolling (fishing at great depths in the open sea), sea taimen - on spoon-shaped baubles and wobbler, pike perch - for large wobblers and jigs.
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