The Åland Islands are an autonomous region of which country?

The Åland Islands are an autonomous region of Finland.

Åland is a Swedish-speaking archipelago in the Baltic Sea, positioned between mainland Finland and Sweden. Finland retains sovereignty, but Åland has its own parliament and government and controls many regional matters under a special autonomy arrangement.

The status emerged from a dispute after Finland became independent in 1917. Many Ålanders wanted to join Sweden, but the League of Nations decided in 1921 that sovereignty would remain with Finland while the islands received guarantees for autonomy, language, and culture. Åland’s first regional assembly met in 1922.

The islands are often mistaken for Swedish territory because Swedish is the sole official language and Sweden lies nearby. Åland is also demilitarized and has special arrangements within the European Union. Mariehamn, founded in 1861, is the capital and largest settlement.