. Site of the
Battle of Bomarsund. in 1918. People from the
Comb Ceramic culture began settling the Åland Islands around 7000 years ago, after the land started rising from the sea following the
last Ice Age. Åland became a meeting point for two Neolithic cultures: the Comb Ceramic culture and the later
Pit–Comb Ware culture, which spread from the west. During the
Stone Age and
Bronze Age, people lived by hunting seals and birds, fishing, and gathering plants. Farming also began early. From the
Iron Age, six hillforts remain on Åland. More than 380 burial sites from the
Viking Age have been documented. The
coat of arms of Åland was originally meant for the Swedish island of
Öland in 1560 but was assigned to Åland by mistake. It shows a golden
red deer (not native to Åland) on a blue
field. Traditionally, it is topped with a
comital coronet from the older Swedish heraldic style. In 1809, Sweden ceded Åland and Finland to the
Russian Empire under the
Treaty of Fredrikshamn. The islands became part of the
Grand Duchy of Finland, which existed until 1917. Sweden had hoped Åland would remain unfortified, but no such clause was included. In 1832, Russia began building the fortress of
Bomarsund on Åland. During the
Crimean War in 1854, British and French forces captured and destroyed it. The
Treaty of Paris (1856) then demilitarised the archipelago. Russia later remilitarised Åland during
World War I to guard against a German invasion. In 1918, during the
Finnish Civil War, Swedish troops landed on Åland as a
peacekeeping force between Russian soldiers and Finnish
White and
Red forces. Soon after,
German troops occupied the islands at the request of the Finnish White Senate. The only major battle was the near the village of
Godby in
Finström. After 1917, Ålanders campaigned to join Sweden. In 1919,
a petition signed by 96.4% of voters supported leaving Finland and uniting with Sweden. This was partly due to anti-Swedish policies in Finland and growing
Finnish nationalism, driven by the country’s struggle against attempts of
Russification. The long-standing
conflict between Finland's Swedish- and Finnish-speaking communities added to Ålanders' concerns. Finland rejected the petition but offered Åland autonomy. Ålanders refused, and the case went to the
League of Nations in 1921. The League ruled that Finland would keep
sovereignty but must give Åland political autonomy. A key diplomat behind the decision was
Nitobe Inazō, an Under-Secretary General of the League and director of the
International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. The
Åland convention of 20 October 1921, signed by Sweden, Finland, and several European countries, was the League's first major international agreement. It guaranteed Ålanders' rights to their language, culture, and traditions, and declared Åland a neutral and demilitarised zone. Åland's
Regional Assembly held its first session in
Mariehamn on 9 June 1922. That day is now celebrated as
Self-Government Day of Åland. Because of its neutral status, Åland's merchant fleet could sail for both the
Allies and
Nazi Germany during
World War II. Ships were generally not attacked, as their destinations and cargoes were often unknown. In 2006, Finland marked 150 years of Åland's demilitarisation by issuing a €5
commemorative coin. The obverse shows a pine tree, common in Åland, while the reverse depicts a boat's stern and rudder with a dove on the tiller—symbolising 150 years of peace. == Politics ==