Archipelago people: A peek at life in Åland

Photo: Maria Rosenlöf

Åland consists of more than 6,500 named islands and islets, approximately 65 of them inhabited. Just over 29,000 people live there. More than one-third of them live in the regional capital, Mariehamn, while the smallest of the 16 Åland municipalities, Sottunga, only has about 90 inhabitants.

Being autonomous, the territory also has the right to enact its own laws and can decide over many key issues. International treaties specify that Åland forms a demilitarised, neutral zone, and it is often cited as an example of how an autonomous minority culture can thrive within a larger nation.

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