Swedish is one of Finland’s two official national languages and is dominant in the Åland Islands.
Finland recognizes Finnish and Swedish as national languages. Swedish is spoken mainly along parts of the western and southern coasts and in the autonomous Åland Islands, where it is the sole official language. Swedish-speaking Finns are often called Finland Swedes, and their variety has distinctive vocabulary and pronunciation.
Swedish became prominent in Finland during centuries when the region was part of the Kingdom of Sweden. Finland became an autonomous grand duchy of the Russian Empire in 1809 and later declared independence in 1917, but Swedish retained constitutional status.
Åland has extensive self-government and a special demilitarized status. Its population is overwhelmingly Swedish-speaking, making it different from most of mainland Finland. Swedish is also a North Germanic language closely related to Danish and Norwegian, though the three standardized languages differ in pronunciation and usage.