Municipalities of Åland

File:Alandmunicipalities.png

Map of Åland's municipalities

The municipalities of Åland (Swedish: Ålands kommuner) are the sixteen local government units that administer the Åland Islands. Despite being a part of Finland, Åland has a high degree of self-government under the Act on the Autonomy of Åland, with its municipalities managing a wide range of local public services. Swedish is the sole official language in both regional and municipal administration. All public services, including education, are conducted exclusively in Swedish.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The size of Åland’s municipalities varies significantly. Mariehamn, the largest, has a population of 11,898, accounting for over 40% of Åland’s total population, while Sottunga is the smallest in both Åland and in all of Finland with just 103 residents.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Municipal Elections

Each municipality is governed by an elected municipal council, which serves a four-year term. To vote in these elections you must, be at least 18 years old, have the right of domicile, and have been a resident of Åland for the previous year.<ref name=":0" />

Municipal Responsibilities

Municipalities in Åland maintain a wide range of responsibilities, many of which have been regionalised elsewhere in Finland. These include, but not limited to: public buildings and facilities, public transport, economic development, environmental protection, waste management, land use, local infrastructure, and primary, secondary, and adult education.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Inter-Municipal Cooperation

Municipalities cooperate in several areas through municipal associations and jointly owned corporations.

Associations

• Ålands kommunförbund - Association of Åland Municipalities<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• Miljöservice (Mise) - Waste management
• De Gamlas Hem - Old people's home
• Ålands omsorgsförbund - Åland Care Association
• Södra Ålands högstadiedistrikt - South Åland high school
• Norra Ålands högstadiedistrikt - North Åland high school

Corporations

• Mariehamns Centralantenn Ab - TV and broadband company
• Mariehamns Telefon Ab - Telecom company
• Ålands vatten Ab - Produces drinking water
• Ålands Problemavfall Ab - Handles hazardous waste
• Svinryggens deponi Ab - Landfill
• Fastighets Ab Marstad - Real estate company

Sub-regions

The 16 municipalities are informally grouped into three sub-regions:

• Mariehamn - The capital and only city in Åland.
• The Countryside - Rural municipalities on the main island (Fasta Åland)
• The Archipelago - Municipalities that make up the other islands.

Municipalities

Coat of Arms	Municipality	Code	Sub-region	Population	Land area		Population density
File:Maarianhamina.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	MH	Mariehamn	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Jomala.vapen.svg	Template:Sort	JM	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Finström.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	FN	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Lemland.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	LE	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Saltvik.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	SV	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Hammarland.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	HM	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Sund.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	SD	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Eckerö.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	EC	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Föglö.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	FG	Archipelago	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Brändö.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	BR	Archipelago	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Geta.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	GT	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Vårdö.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	VR	Archipelago	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Lumparland.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	LU	Countryside	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Kumlinge.vapen.svg	Template:Sort	KM	Archipelago	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Kökar.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	KK	Archipelago	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert
File:Sottunga.vaakuna.svg	Template:Sort	ST	Archipelago	Template:Data Finland municipality/population count	Template:Convert	Template:Convert

Population data as of: {{#time: F j, Y | Template:Data Finland municipality/population count }}

Area data as of: {{#time: F j, Y | Template:Data Finland municipality/total area }}

See also

• Politics of Åland
• Government of Åland
• Parliament of Åland

External links

• Ålands statistik- och utredningsbyrå (ÅSUB)

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