{"id":39702,"date":"2023-12-10T14:20:14","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T14:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/miamiheatnation.com\/?p=39702"},"modified":"2023-12-10T14:20:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-10T14:20:14","slug":"the-beautiful-island-country-in-europe-that-no-one-has-heard-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miamiheatnation.com\/world-news\/the-beautiful-island-country-in-europe-that-no-one-has-heard-of\/","title":{"rendered":"The beautiful island country in Europe that no one has heard of"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We all know Europe. Many of us head there for a few weeks each year to bask in the sun.<\/p>\n

Whether it’s Spain, France, Greece, Italy or Portugal \u2014\u00a0or elsewhere on the continent \u2014 Britons know the place well.<\/p>\n

There are few places that Brits haven’t been, and even fewer that we haven’t heard of.<\/p>\n

But there is one place, an autonomous region that is essentially a country of its own that hardly anyone has heard of.<\/p>\n

The \u00c5land Islands, or \u00c5land, is technically a region of Finland\u00a0that mostly speaks Swedish, yet operates as its own country, with its own parliament, its own legislation, and even its own flag.<\/p>\n

READ MORE <\/strong> The breathtaking European island majorly overlooked with barely any tourists<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00c5land has had its autonomy since 1920, a decision taken by the League of Nations, and something that grants it a special place in Europe.<\/p>\n

It is a member of the EU and uses the euro as its currency, though its relationship with Brussels is regulated in an extremely unique way.<\/p>\n

To maintain the vital sale of duty-free goods on ferries operating between Sweden and Finland, \u00c5land is exempt from the EU’s VAT areas, meaning goods can be sold tax-free.<\/p>\n

Its political and economic set-up isn’t the one unique thing about \u00c5land: the island is a truly beautiful destination, especially in the summer, where Finns, Swedes, and Estonians flock to bask in the sunshine.<\/p>\n

With a population of just 30,000, it is the smallest of the three autonomous territories in the Nordic region, and of these people, one-third live in the capital Mariehamn.<\/p>\n

In all, the \u00c5land archipelago consists of 6,700 breathtaking islands, where nature and maritime history collide to create a distinctive landscape.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss… <\/strong>
Divers discover wreckage and remains of crewman after Osprey crashed off Japan[REPORT] <\/strong>
The beautiful little island in Europe left untouched by high-rise resorts[LATEST] <\/strong>
The island paradise just as pretty as the Maldives but with hardly any tourists[INSIGHT] <\/strong><\/p>\n

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