Åland Islands

7.0

A group of about 6,000 islands in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden, run by Finland

proper noun

: Islas Åland

Finland administers the Åland Islands, granting them a high degree of autonomy.

Examples

The Åland Islands are famous for their scenic beauty and unique cultural heritage.
Many tourists visit the Åland Islands during the summer months for cycling and boating.
The Åland Islands are known for their beautiful landscapes.
Have you ever visited the Åland Islands?
Many tourists visit the Åland Islands during the summer months for cycling and boating.
The Åland Islands are famous for their scenic beauty and unique cultural heritage.
Finland administers the Åland Islands, granting them a high degree of autonomy.

Surface Forms

Åland Islands main

Morphology

Åland + island

This is a straightforward place-name + noun construction: 'Åland' is a proper name and 'islands' literally denotes pieces of land surrounded by water, so a learner who knows both constituents will infer it refers to a group of islands called Åland. The pattern 'X Islands' is cross-linguistically common, so the referential meaning (an archipelago associated with Åland) is transparent even if the learner does not know the exact location.

Etymology

Åland Islands comes from old Swedish: å means 'stream' or 'river' and land means 'land', so the name may mean 'land of rivers' or 'watered land'. That's why the name fits this group of many small islands and waterways between Finland and Sweden.