How is it that such a small people possesses such extensive autonomy ? As far back as is known the Ålanders have been Swedish- speaking their culture closely resembling that of Sweden, with local variations. The Åland Islands belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden, occasionally with a fairly independent administration, right up to the 1808-1809 war, when Sweden was forced to relinquish Finland and Åland to Russia. Åland then became part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. When the Russian Empire started disintegrating, a meeting was held at the Åland Folk High School in August 1917, with secret discussions between representatives of all the Åland districts, who resolved to work for reunion with the old mother country of Sweden.

This wish was conveyed to the king and Government of Sweden by Åland representatives, being supported by a mass petition signed by an overwhelming majority of the resident adult population. In December 1917 Finland proclaimed itself an independent republic- by virtue of the same principle of national self- determination which was being invoked by the Ålanders in support of reunion with Sweden. However, the Finns were not prepared to comply with the Ålander´s demand for reunion with Sweden; instead they wanted to give them a certain form of internal self- government.

In 1920 the Parliment of Finland passed an autonomy act, but the Ålanders were unwilling to accept it at that stage. Because of its international character, the Åland Islands question was referred to the newly - formed League of Nations, and in June 1921 the Council of the League decided that Finland should receive sovereignty over the Åland Islands. Finland undertook, however, to guarantee the inhabitals of the Åland Islands their Swedish laguage, culture and customs. The decisions was supplemented by a treaty between Finland and Sweden on how the guarantees were to be effected.

Stipulations concerning voting rights and the acquisition of land were added to the Autonomy Act, and in 1922 the first election to the Åland parliament was held. The Åland Parliament assembled for its first plenary session on June 9, which date is now celebrated as Åland's Autonomy Day. The first Autonomy Act soon proved inadequate. Work of revising it commended already in the 1930s but did not yield results until 1951, when the current Autonomy Act was passed. Today a revision of the Autonomy Act is again being prepared.

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