Åland

Åland is made of many, many islands in the sea.

It is between Sweden and Finland. People speak Swedish. The only town is Mariehamn.

Åland lies at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern arm of the Baltic Sea, about 40 kilometers east of the coast of Sweden. It is made up of about 35 islands where people live and around 6,500 more where nobody does, plus many rocky reefs.

Åland is part of Finland but runs much of its own affairs with its own parliament, the Lagting. Swedish is its only official language, and it is used in schools. The islands are demilitarized, which means no armed forces or fortifications are allowed. The money is the euro, and the capital, Mariehamn, is the only town.

Britannica describes Åland as an archipelago forming an autonomous territory of southwestern Finland, at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia, 40 km east of the Swedish coast at the eastern edge of the Åland Sea, with a land area of 1,551 km² in about 35 inhabited islands, 6,500 uninhabited ones and many rocky reefs. Visit Åland counts 6,700 islands.

The single-chamber Lagting is elected for four-year terms and appoints the ministers of the Executive Council; Ålanders also elect one member of the Finnish parliament, and a governor appointed by Finland's president in agreement with the Lagting's speaker heads a board for powers the state keeps. Swedish is the sole official language and the language of instruction. The Åland Islands Peace Institute describes the islands as demilitarized and neutral.

Mariehamn is the only town. It sits by the sea among green trees.

On the main island are the ruins of an old fortress. Far out are many small islands.

The main island, which locals call Fasta Åland, makes up more than 70 percent of the land, and about 9 in 10 Ålanders live there. Mariehamn, the capital, port and only town, is in its south. The photo shows Mariehamn from the air, with houses among trees, bays of the sea and the airport runway in the distance.

At Bomarsund are the remains of a fortress that was destroyed in 1854. Eckerö is one of the next-largest islands, and far to the southeast lies the outer island of Kökar.

Fasta Åland (Main Åland) holds more than 70% of the land and about 90% of the people; its north is rugged granite and its southeast rich farmland, and it has Mariehamn, the administrative capital, chief seaport and only town. Eckerö and Lemland are the next-largest islands. The 2026 aerial photo shows Mariehamn's houses among woods, sheltered bays and, beyond, the airport.

Britannica notes Mariehamn's sailing fleet, which from the 19th century until World War II carried grain from Australia, and a maritime museum that tells its story. At Bomarsund, Russia built a garrison from the 1830s; the fortress was destroyed in 1854. The Bomarsund Visitor Centre stands beside its remains.

Åland's islands are made of a hard rock called granite.

Farms grow crops on the rich soil. The sea is all around.

Åland's islands are made mostly of granite, a hard rock, covered in many places by clay soil. The northern part of the main island is rugged, while the southeast has rich farmland. The highest point, Orrdalsklint, is only 127 meters high.

Britannica notes that the mild climate and fertile soil give Åland Finland's highest crop yields, with farms growing wheat, oats, potatoes and onions. Apple, plum and pear orchards do well, and more than 70 percent of all of Finland's apples are grown in Åland.

Britannica describes a granite bedrock covered with mainly clay soils that are rich in places, rugged granite in the north of the main island and fertile soil in the southeast. The highest point, Orrdals Hill (Orrdalsklint), is 129 m in Britannica and 127 m in Wikidata.

Britannica credits the mild climate and fertile soil for high crop yields; small mechanized farms grow wheat, oats, barley, rye, cucumbers, sugar beets, potatoes and onions, and the climate favors apple, plum and pear orchards. Visit Åland says more than 70% of all Finnish apples are grown in Åland.

The first people on Åland hunted seals.

Today people still eat local fish such as herring, pike and perch. Cows and sheep live on the farms.

The first people to come to Åland, about 7,500 years ago, were seal hunters. For centuries afterward, fish was the islanders' daily food and living. Herring, pike and later cod were the most important catches, and pike is still a festive dish at Christmas.

Today perch, flounder and whitefish are still favorite summer foods. On the farms, Britannica notes, Ayrshire cattle are the main dairy cows, and sheep are raised too.

Åland's Cultural History Museum, as Visit Åland describes it, begins with the first seal hunters some 7,500 years ago. Visit Åland adds that for centuries fish was the archipelago's daily food and livelihood: herring, pike and later cod were vital catches, and live fish were even shipped as far as Helsinki. Britannica notes that fishing first drew settlers to coastal areas unsuited to farming and is now a declining source of income.

On the farms, Britannica says Ayrshire cattle dominate dairying and sheep are also raised. Perch, flounder and whitefish remain local foods.

People on Åland speak Swedish.

A favorite food is Åland pancake. It is made from porridge and served with cream and stewed prunes.

About 31,000 people live on Åland. Most speak Swedish, and children learn in Swedish at school. Ferries and planes link the islands with Sweden and mainland Finland, and many visitors arrive by ferry.

Åland pancake is a local favorite, made from semolina or rice porridge, flavored with cardamom and served with whipped cream and prune compote. Sweet rye black bread was once important food for seal hunters, fishermen and sailors.

ÅSUB's preliminary figure for 30 September 2026 is 30,933 people. Britannica describes most inhabitants as Swedish speakers, with Swedish the sole official language and language of instruction; tourism, shipping, commerce and banking provide much non-farm work, and most visitors arrive by ferry from Finland or Sweden. ÅSUB also tracks applications for Åland's regional citizenship.

Visit Åland describes Åland pancake, voted the islands' dish of the century, made from semolina or rice porridge with cardamom and served with whipped cream and spiced prune compote, and a compact, sweet rye black bread that once fed seal hunters, fishermen and sailors.