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A short history of Aland
From 1634 the Swedish archipelago of Aland is part of the province of Finland. When Finland becomes part of Russia in 1809, Aland follows Finland as part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. After the independence of Finland, disputes between Sweden and Finland rise. Initially Sweden occupies the islands, followed by German forces on the request of the Finnish government. Though the residents of the islands favour cession back to Sweden, the League of Nations decides in 1921 that Finland shall retain the sovereignty over the province, though the islands shall become an autonomous territory.

Nature
The nature of the Aland islands is perhaps one of the most important reasons for visiting the islands. Spectacular variation with thousands of islands and skerries in contrast to the greens of land and the blue sea and sky are a truly unique experience. Rugged cliff shores, dense pine forests, wooded meadows, cultivated land and well kept gardens are just some of the diverse scenarios you can enjoy. With their fairly isolated location and thousands of years of natural evolution, the islands have developed their own flora and fauna. Many kinds of rare wild orchids can be found here and nature conservancy is well developed. You can still enjoy strolling in these protected areas since special nature trails have been established. These large untouched nature areas are a great asset for people who want to get close to nature and experience pure natural environments. With few larger industries in the nearby area, both land, sea and air are cleaner than in most other European areas today.
The Aland Islands lie in the so called oak zone of Scandinavia, with relatively large elements of deciduous trees such as oak, ash, elm, maple and linden. The mild climate has contributed to an abundant flora and some southern European varieties of flowers. More varieties of vegetation can be found here than in any other part of Finland.