Finland Yearbook - 1898 (Thomas Brambor's conflicted copy 2015-11-09)

A H V E N A N M A A N M A A K U N T A - L A N D S K A P E T Å L A N D
Å L A N D
THE AUTONOMOUS TERRITORY OF THE ÅLAND ISLANDS
General
B ecause of its autonomy and demilitarization based on international agreements, Å land occupies a special
position in Finland. In view o f this, the Statistical Yearbook o f Finland introduces a special section on Å land
in which the most important data on the territory are gathered together.
The natural environment
Å land comprises a total o f approx. 6 ,5 0 0 islands, 6 2 o f which are inhabited. M ainland Å land is the largest
island. Orrdalsklint in Saltvik is the highest point (1 2 8 .8 m above sea level). There a re m ore than 160 lakes.
Å land has a land area of 1,526.5 sq.km and a total area - including inland waters a n d sea areas - o f 6 ,784.2
sq.km.
Population and the economy
Å land had 2 5 ,3 9 2 inhabitants a t the e n d o f 1997, an increase o f over 2 0 p e r cent on 1970. M ore than 4 0 p e r
cent o f the population lives in Marieham n, which is the only urban municipality on Å land and sen/es as its
administrative a n d economic centre. In addition, there are 15 rural municipalities with a population of 131 to
3,195.
Prim ary production and shipping used to be the backbone o f A land’s economy. During the 1960s and ’70s,
however, Å land becam e a service economy in which tourism plays an important part. In 1997, Å land received
over 1.4 million visitors. The service sector accounts for over 8 0 p e rc e n t of A land’s gross domestic product.
Autonomy
Å land has wide-ranging autonom y with the right to enact own laws. The legislative assembly, Lagtinget, has
3 0 m em bers who are elected by general elections. The relations betw een Å land a n d the Finnish State are
governed by the provisions of the Autonom y of Å land Act. An am ended act took effect in 1993, granting Åland
the right to enact legislation concerning statistics on Åland.
Policies concerned with autonomy are prepared and im plem ented b y the G overnm ent o f Åland, with the
administrative services provided by a central office.
The origins o f A land’s autonomy go back to the y e a r 1917, when the Ålanders began to discuss what country
they should belong to and expressed their desire to rejoin Sweden. A s Sweden a n d Finland could not agree
on the issue, it was referred to the League o f Nations. According to the League o f Nations resolution of 1921,
A land was to belong to Finland a n d Finland was to guarantee the inhabitants o f Å land their Swedish language,
culture and local customs b y giving them autonomy. A land’s demilitarization, which goes back to the end of
the Crimean W ar in 1856, was also confirmed in this connection.
A land is exclusively Swedish as far as language is concerned. It has had its own cross flag in blue, yellow
and red since 1954 and its own postage stamps since 1984. A land is represented in the Nordic Council and
participates in the work of the Council o f Ministers. Further, there is the concept o f citizenship o f Åland, a
status you g et a t birth or can apply for after being a resident of A land for a t least five years.
Åland in the Statistical Yearbook of Finland
A part from its own tables below, Å land is included in:
1. Normally, all figures for the whole country (any exceptions are mentioned in connection with the tables)
2. A ll tables with data b y province or b y county (totalling more than 60)
3. The following tables with data b y municipality:
No. 31 (surface area, population, etc. - pp. 7 8 -7 9 )
No. 3 2 4 (local governm ent finances - pp. 3 2 4 -3 2 5 )
No. 3 2 5 (municipal a n d real estate taxation - p. 336)
4. The following tables on special topics:
No. 3 (climate - pp. 3 4 -3 5 )
No. 2 7 3 (seap orts -p . 271)
No. 281 (traffic a t airports - p. 2 7 5 )
M ore exhaustive, detailed information on A land can be found in Statistisk Årsbok för Åland, a yearbook of
statistics on Å land edited by the D epartm ent o f Statistics and Economic Research in Åland.
528 Suomen tilastollinen vuosikirja - Statistisk årsbok för Finland - Statistical Yearbook o f Finland 1938