The history of Åland can be traced back to when

Humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

first reached the archipelago in the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...

period ca. 4000BC.Early history. (2014, September 25). Visit Åland. https://www.visitaland.com/en/good-to-know/history/early-history/ Retrieved 25 August 2021

Geology and prehistory

Paleolithic period

Around 18,000BC, during the

Weichselian glaciation The Weichselian glaciation was the last glacial period and its associated glaciation in northern parts of Europe. In the Alpine region it corresponds to the Würm glaciation. It was characterized by a large ice sheet (the Fenno-Scandian ice sheet ...

, a thick cover of ice stretched over

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swed ...

, which eventually receded from the islands around 9000BC. Around 8000BC the highest peaks of the then submerged archipelago rose from the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

.Stone Age Åland
Retrieved 29 August 2006. The

sea levels Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

would alternate in the Baltic Sea, but a

land bridge In biogeography, a land bridge is an isthmus or wider land connection between otherwise separate areas, over which animals and plants are able to cross and colonize new lands. A land bridge can be created by marine regression, in which sea lev ...

to Åland never formed, indicating the first humans came by

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

or over the ice. Due to the forebulge effect after the icecaps melted, the area around Åland is still rising several millimeters per year, marginally expanding the archipelago's surface.

Neolithic period

Artifacts of human remains,

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...

and animal

bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...

were found dating as far back as the

Middle Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...

(ca. 4000BC). These are the oldest findings, denoting human presence on the isles by then. Their cultures were Scandinavian, firstly the

Pitted Ware culture The Pitted Ware culture ( 3500 BC– 2300 BC) was a hunter-gatherer culture in southern Scandinavia, mainly along the coasts of Svealand, Götaland, Åland, north-eastern Denmark and southern Norway. Despite its Mesolithic economy, it ...

and later joined by the

Comb Ceramic culture The Comb Ceramic culture or Pit-Comb Ware culture, often abbreviated as CCC or PCW, was a northeast European culture characterised by its Pit–Comb Ware. It existed from around 4200 BCE to around 2000 BCE. The bearers of the Comb Ceramic cultu ...

.Götherström, A., Stenbäck, N., & Storå, J. (2002). The Jettböle middle Neolithic site on the Åland Islands–human remains, ancient DNA and pottery. European Journal of Archaeology, 5(1), 42-69.

Chronology until 1809

* 12th century: Åland Islands might have been occupied by

Eric the Saint Eric IX, ( Swedish: ''Erik Jedvardsson; Erik den helige; Sankt Erik''; d. 18 May 1160) also called Eric the Holy, Saint Eric, and Eric the Lawgiver, was a Swedish king in the 12th century, 1156–1160. The ''Roman Martyrology'' of the Catholic ...

, other sources claim Åland was already an integral part of Sweden. * 1324: Finland (including the islands) constituted a duchy. * 1300–1600: Kastelholm Castle was a focal point for a number of battles and raids. * 1324: Peace of Nöteborg. Finland and the islands incorporated in Sweden. * 1397–1523:

Union of Kalmar The Kalmar Union (Danish, Norwegian, and sv, Kalmarunionen; fi, Kalmarin unioni; la, Unio Calmariensis) was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden, that from 1397 to 1523 joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms ...

: Danish ascendency. * 1581: Finland a Grand Duchy. * 1634:

Swedish Constitution The Basic Laws of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges grundlagar) are the four constitutional laws of the Kingdom of Sweden that regulate the Swedish political system, acting in a similar manner to the constitutions of most countries. These four laws are: th ...

. The islands formed part of the Government of

Åbo Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

(Finland) * 1714: The Islands are conquered by

Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

. * 1714–1721: Åland was attacked and devastated by

's forces; most of the population then fled to Sweden. * 1721:

Peace of Nystad The Treaty of Nystad (russian: Ништадтский мир; fi, Uudenkaupungin rauha; sv, Freden i Nystad; et, Uusikaupunki rahu) was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War of 1700–1721. It was concluded between the Tsardom of ...

. Finland (except

Vyborg Vyborg (; rus, Вы́борг, links=1, r=Výborg, p=ˈvɨbərk; fi, Viipuri ; sv, Viborg ; german: Wiborg ) is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus n ...

) is restored to Sweden. * 1743: Peace of Åbo: part of Finland is ceded to Russia. * 1808:

Finnish War The Finnish War ( sv, Finska kriget, russian: Финляндская война, fi, Suomen sota) was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a res ...

between Sweden and Russia. * 1809 September –

Treaty of Fredrikshamn The Treaty of Fredrikshamn ( sv, Freden i Fredrikshamn; russian: Фридрихсгамский мирный договор), or the Treaty of Hamina ( fi, Haminan rauha), was a peace treaty concluded between Sweden and Imperial Russia on 17 ...

: Finland and the islands are ceded to Russia.

Continuing malaria outbreaks

As the result of abundant ''

Anopheles claviger ''Anopheles claviger'' is a mosquito species found in Palearctic realm covering Europe, North Africa, northern Arabian Peninsula, and northern Asia. It is responsible for transmitting malaria in some of these regions. The mosquito is made up of ...

'' mosquitoes,

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, fatigue (medical), tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In se ...

was endemic in Åland for at least 150 years, with severe outbreaks being recorded in the 18th century, and in 1853 and 1862.

Chronology up to 1919

* c. 1835: Fortress of Bomarsund begins construction. * 1853: Severe

outbreak. * 1854 –

Battle of Bomarsund The Battle of Bomarsund, in August 1854, took place during the Åland War, which was part of the Crimean War, when an Anglo- French expeditionary force attacked a Russian fortress. It was the only major action of the war to take place at Bo ...

: as part of the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

the Anglo-French invasion of Åland takes place. The coalition force attacks and destroys the fortress of Bomarsund. The British prime minister

Palmerston Palmerston may refer to: People * Christie Palmerston (c. 1851–1897), Australian explorer * Several prominent people have borne the title of Viscount Palmerston ** Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston (c. 1673–1757), Irish nobleman and ...

had protested against this fortification some twenty years prior, without effect. * 1856 – Treaty of Paris: The peace convention forbids the fortification of the Islands. * March 1856: By the

Åland Convention The Åland convention, refers to two conventions regarding the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland. * The Åland convention of 1856 was signed on 30 March 1856, following the Russian defeat in the Crimean War against the United Kingdom ...

, concluded between the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Nor ...

, France and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...

, it was decided the isles were

demilitarized A demilitarized zone (DMZ or DZ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or bounda ...

. * 1862: Another severe malaria outbreak occurs. * 1877: A telegraph cable is in use from

Mariehamn Mariehamn ( , ; fi, Maarianhamina ; la, Portus Mariae) is the capital of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Åland, and 40% of the population of Åland live in ...

to Nystad. * 1892: The first

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into el ...

is installed in Mariehamn. * 1906: A Russian garrison is established in the Islands. Some attention went to the earlier Treaty of Paris when Russia, under pretext of stopping the smuggling of arms into Finland, placed considerable naval and military forces on the islands. * 1907: Russia requests France and Great Britain to cancel the Convention's agreement. * 1907: Secret

Treaty of Björkö The Treaty of Björkö, also known as the Treaty of Koivisto, was a secret mutual defense accord signed on 24 July 1905 in Björkö between Wilhelm II of the German Empire and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Wilhelm was the chief author, but he acte ...

(Russia and Germany), which gives Russia a free hand to install military forces on the Islands. * 1914: Outbreak of World War I: Russia fortifies the Islands. * 1916: The islands are remilitarised by Russia and used as a

submarine base A submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel. Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue (the base for France's Force océanique stratégique), Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Nav ...

during World War I. * 1917 –

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

: Finland declares independence. The Islanders demand reunification with Sweden via a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

(25–29 December). * 1918: The Soviet Government, Sweden and Germany recognise Finland's independence Sweden, and Germany. Bolshevik forces, however, land on the Islands as part of the

. The isles are later invaded by Sweden (February) and eventually occupied by Germany (March-October). * 1918: The islanders internationally plead to reunite with Sweden. * 1919: Sweden brings the question before the Paris Peace Conference on 18 March but the islands remain part of Finland. * 1921: The

Åland convention The Åland convention, refers to two conventions regarding the demilitarization and neutralization of Åland. * The Åland convention of 1856 was signed on 30 March 1856, following the Russian defeat in the Crimean War against the United Kingdom ...

re-establishes the demilitarised status of the islands.

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:History of Aland Aland