Outline of Åland

The Flag of Åland		The Coat of arms of Åland

The location of Åland

An enlargeable map of the Autonomous State of Åland

See also: Index of Åland-related articles

The Åland Islands are an autonomous, demilitarized, monolingually Swedish-speaking administrative province, region and historical province of the Republic of Finland.^[1] The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. 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)^[2] and an archipelago to the east that consists of over 6,500 skerries and islands. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden 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. Åland's only land border is short and strangely shaped;^[3] it is located on the uninhabited island of Märket, which it shares with Sweden. 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:
• Common English country names: Åland or the Åland Islands
• 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: Name of Åland
• ISO country codes: AX, ALA, 248
• ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:AX
• Internet country code top-level domain: .ax

Geography of Åland

An enlargeable topographic/hydrographic map of the Åland Islands

Main article: Geography of Åland

• Åland is: an archipelago of over 6,500 islands, and an autonomous province of Finland. See also Nordic countries.
• Location:
  • Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere
  • Eurasia
    • Europe
      • Northern Europe
        • Scandinavia
  • Baltic Sea
• Population of Åland: 27,210 (2008)
• Area of Åland: 13,517 square kilometres (5,219 sq mi)
• Atlas of Åland

Environment of Åland

An enlargeable satellite image showing the Åland Islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Bothnia (upper left)

• World Heritage Sites in Åland: None

Geographic features of Åland

• Islands of Åland
  • Märket
• Sea of Åland

Regions of Åland

Fasta Åland — 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

Main article: Municipalities of Åland

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

Brändö Eckerö Finström Föglö

Geta Hammarland Jomala Kumlinge

Kökar Lemland Lumparland Mariehamn

Saltvik Sottunga Sund Vårdö

Demography of Åland

Main article: Demographics of Åland

Government and politics of Åland

Main article: Government of Åland and Politics of Åland

• Form of government: autonomous parliamentary representative democratic demilitarised and unilingually Swedish territory of Finland
• Capital of Åland: Mariehamn

• Åland as a constituency of Finland
  • Åland Representation in the Parliament of Finland
• Åland conventions — establish the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland.
• Elections in Åland
  • (specific elections)
• Political parties in Åland

Branches of the government of Åland

Main article: Government of Åland

Executive branch of the government of Åland

There are two executive authorities in Åland:

• Government of Åland
  • Head of state: President of Finland, Tarja Halonen
  • Head of government: Lantråd (Premier of Åland), Viveka Eriksson
    • Vice lantråd: Britt Lundberg
  • Cabinet of Åland
• Åland State Provincial Office

Legislative branch of the government of Åland

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

Judicial branch of the government of Åland

Main article: Court system 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 conventions — establish the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland.
• Relationship of Åland to the European Union — Åland is a Special Member of the EU.

International organization membership

• none ^[1]

Law and order in Åland

Main article: Law of Åland

• Constitution of Åland
• Law enforcement in Åland

Military of Åland

• Military status of Åland — Åland is both demilitarized and neutralized by international treaty: it may not militarize, be militarized, nor participate in war.
  • Åland crisis
  • Åland conventions — establish the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland.
  • Command
    • Commander-in-chief: none
    • Ministry of Defence: none
  • Conscription in Åland — Citizens of Åland cannot be conscripted into military service.
• Forces: none
• Military bases: none

History of Åland

Main article: History of Åland

Culture of Åland

• Architecture of Åland
  • Bomarsund — nineteenth century fortress in Sund
  • Kastelholm Castle — a Swedish-built^[4] medieval castle located off Road 2^[5] in Sund, approximately 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Mariehamn, overlooking a fjord to the south of the village of Kastelholm.^[6][7][8] Built in the 14th century, and held in fief during the Middle Ages by various nobles,^[9] feudal chiefs, and kings,^[10] it had significant period in the 15th and 16th centuries.

• Art in Åland
  • Television in Åland
• Cuisine of Åland
• Gambling in Åland
  • PAF — a Finnish company that operates a legal gambling monopoly on the Åland Islands.
• Languages of Åland
  • Åland Swedish
• Museums of Åland
  • Åland Museum
  • Åland Maritime Museum
    • Pommern
• National symbols of Åland
  • Anthem of Åland: Ålänningens sång
  • Coat of arms of Åland
  • Flag of Åland
• Public holidays in Åland
• Sport in Åland
  • Ålands Fotbollförbund
  • Åland Islands national football team
  • Ålandscupen
• 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
    • Nya Åland
  • Posten Åland — postal service.
• Currency of Åland: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
  • ISO 4217: EUR
• Tourism in Åland
• Transport on the Åland Islands
  • Airports in Åland
  • Ports of Åland
    • Långnäs

See also

European Union portal

Main article: Åland

• All pages beginning with "Åland"
• All pages beginning with "Ålandian"
• All pages with titles containing "Åland"
• All pages with titles containing "Ålandian"
• Index of Åland-related articles
• List of Åland-related topics
• List of international rankings
• Outline of Europe
• Outline of Finland
• Outline of geography

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Finland". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 2, 2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fi.html. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
2. ^ The Aland Islands
3. ^ an account of the border on Märket, and how it was redrawn in 1985, appears in Hidden Europe Magazine, 11 (November 2006) pp. 26-29 ISSN 1860-6318
4. ^ Aarons, Felice (2006). Fodor's Scandinavia. Random House, Inc.. p. 554. ISBN 1400016428. http://books.google.com/books?id=jQzLKjzXbsgC&pg=PA554. 
5. ^ Symington, Andy (2009). Lonely Planet Finland. Lonely Planet. p. 252. ISBN 1741047714. http://books.google.com/books?id=SNatbAr2SFgC&pg=PA252. 
6. ^ Johnstone, Sarah (2007). Europe on a shoestring. Lonely Planet. p. 358. ISBN 1741045916. http://books.google.com/books?id=e7_-rb4Et6UC&pg=PA358. 
7. ^ Google. Google Maps (Map). 
8. ^ Microsoft and Harris Corporation Earthstar Geographics LLC. Bing Maps (Map). 
9. ^ Rothery, Agnes (2007). Finland – The New Nation. READ BOOKS. p. 218. ISBN 1406705551. http://books.google.com/books?id=YsEyOZ4RsXgC&pg=RA1-PA218. 
10. ^ Economic geography. 15–16. Worcester, Mass.. 1939. p. 35. http://books.google.com/books?id=K2MTAAAAIAAJ&q=Kastelholm+Castle&dq=Kastelholm+Castle&hl=en&ei=mn7TTNWBHIS8sAOB9-zjBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBDge. 

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of Åland

• 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