Åland Post Stamps now presents some big news! The very first auction arranged by Åland Auctions is planned to be held in November.Åland Auctions is a website auction house, and we plan to have three or four auctions every year. Initially, all objects will be older philatelic material, stamps, covers, cards, et cetera. You have the possibility of creating your own personalized Åland stamps! You choose* the motif, so take the chance and choose one of your favourite photos for your own unique stamp! Here, we present some of the possibilities for My Stamps; however, your fantasy sets the limit.
My Stamps is the perfect choice for special occasions and birthdays, invitations for weddings or christenings or for your holiday greeting cards! My Stamps are sold as gummed sheets of eight identical stamps. Your photograph will be placed within the Post's official Frame. A new frame appears every year.
The Åland Post is the youngest and smallest of the Nordic postal administrations. The postal history of Åland dates back to the year 1638 when Sweden began postal services across Åland to the Finnish half of the kingdom.
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| In 1809, the Russian empire assumed responsibility of the postal services and in 1917, passed on the responsibility to the recently formed republic of Finland. On 1 January 1993, the autonomous province of Åland assumed responsibility and the Åland Post became an independent postal administration. The Åland Post is a business firm with approximately 280 employees and a total of 21 post offices. The Philatelic Service plans the issuing of Åland stamps. Most of the post offices in Åland were founded at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The postal delivery routes came about in the 1920s. In 1917 the independent Finland took over the responsibility for the postal service in Åland. The postal service got incorporated with the telegraph service in the "Post och Telegrafverket" 1927. The Post was organised as a governmental department. In the 1970s it was decided that its activities would be run according to "business principles". In 1981 the department changed its name to "Post och Televerket". In 1990 the organizational form was changed into a business firm with independent economy under the name "Post- och tele". The "Postbanken" was founded in 1888. The company became a public limited company on 1 January 1989. In the spring of 1998 the bank's name changed to Leonia Bank AB.
Åland issued its first stamps in 1984. The stamps were issued by "Post- och tele" in Finland in co-operation with the Åland Government until 31 December 1992.
The post office network was re-organized in 1991, 1/3 of the offices were closed and 1/3 were to be run by representatives. The remaining post offices were combined with bank services. In the middle of 1991 the postal service in Finland was deregulated. Finland -and Åland- became the first country in the world to open its postal market to competition. Åland became an independent postal administration on 1 January 1993 through a change in the Åland Autonomy Act. The business is based upon the provincial law regarding Åland Post and is run as a business firm under the supervision of the Åland Government.
FACTS ABOUT ÅLAND
 Location:Northern Europe, island group in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland Geographic coordinates:60 00 N, 20 00 E Area:total: 1,527 sq km water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams) land: 1,527 sq km Land boundaries:0 km Coastline:NA Climate:comparative cold winters and cool summers Terrain:Low-lying islands, some low peaks, a typical fault-fissure landscape, with wide-stretching valleys and fault cliffs. Elevation extremes:lowest point: highest point: Orrdalsklint 129m Natural resources:timber, fish Land use:arable land: 12% permanent crops: 0% forests: 58% other: 29% (2002 est.) Irrigated land:0 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards:NA Environment - current issues:NA Gegraphy - note:archipelago of appr. 6 500 islands, of which 60 are inhabited People Population:26 530 (31.13.2004) Median age:total: NA male: NA female: NA Birth rate:10.6 births/1,000 population Death rate:9.8 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) Sex ratio:NA Life expectancy at birth:total population: 84.8 years male: 79.2 years female: 84.7 years (2001 est.) Total fertility rate:2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.) Nationality:noun: Alandic (singular and plural) adjective: Alandic Ethnic groups:Scandinavian Religions:Evangelical Lutheran 90.1% others 0.6% none 9.3% Languages:Swedish, Finnish Literacy:definition: NA total population: NA Government: Country name:conventional long form: Aland Islands conventional short form: Aland local short form: Åland local long form: Ålandsöarna Dependency status:part of the republik of Finland; self-governing overseas administrative division of Finland since 1922. Autonomy Act is revised in 1951. Capital:Mariehamn Administrative divisions:none (part of the none (part of the National holiday:Självständighetsdagen (Independence Day), December 6th Constitution:1 March 2000 (Finnish Constitution) Legal system:Finnish civil law system based on Swedish law; Supreme Court may request legislation interpreting or modifying laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations Suffrage:18 years of age; universal Executive branch:chief of state: President: Tarja Halonen (President of Finland), represented by Governor Peter Lindbäck election results: Roger Nordlund elected prime minister. note: coalition of Centern, Liberalerne, Frisinnad Samverkan and Socialdemokraterna. head of government: Prime Minister Roger Nordlund (since October 2003) cabinet: Ålands Landskabsregering, appointed by the Lagting (parliament). Legislative branch:unicameral Parliament or Lagting of Åland (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms) election results: Seats in the Parliamant: Centre Party: 7 seats, Liberal Party: 7 seats, Social Democrats: 6 seats, FS (Moderate Party): 4 seats, Independents: 3 seats, ÅF (Future of Åland): 2 seats, ÅP (Åland Progress Group): 1 seat. elections: last held Judicial branch:none Political parties: Flag description:Blue with a red cross outlined in yellow extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
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