Hammarland

Hammarland
Municipality
Hammarlands kommun
Coat of arms of Hammarland
Location of Hammarland in Finland
Location of Hammarland in Finland
Hammarland is located in Åland
Hammarland
Hammarland
Location in Åland
Coordinates: 60°13′N 019°44′E / 60.217°N 19.733°E / 60.217; 19.733
Country Finland
Region Åland
Sub-regionCountryside
Government
 • Municipal managerKurt Carlsson
Area
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total
1,224.17 km2 (472.65 sq mi)
 • Land138.55 km2 (53.49 sq mi)
 • Water1,084.84 km2 (418.86 sq mi)
 • Rank285th largest in Finland
Population
 (2025-06-30)[2]
 • Total
1,640
 • Rank276th largest in Finland
 • Density11.84/km2 (30.7/sq mi)
Population by native language
 • Swedish89.9% (official)
 • Finnish3.3%
 • Others6.8%
Population by age
 • 0 to 1417.7%
 • 15 to 6460.2%
 • 65 or older22.1%
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Websitewww.hammarland.ax

Hammarland is a municipality of Åland, an autonomous region of Finland. Its entire population of 1,640 people (30 June 2025) speak Swedish, with 90% having it as their first language (31 December 2008). Hammarland is known for its historic church, considered one of the mother churches of Åland.

Geography

Hammarland has a total area of 1,224.17 square kilometres (472.65 sq mi), of which 1,084.84 km2 (418.86 sq mi) is water and only 138.55 square kilometres (53.49 sq mi) is land.[1] Märket, the westernmost point of Finland, is an exclave of Hammarland.[5]

Demographics

The municipality has a population of 1,640 (30 June 2025), with a population density of 11.84 inhabitants per square kilometre (30.7/sq mi).[2]

The municipality is unilingually Swedish. As of 31 December 2008, 90% of its population spoke Swedish as their first language, making Hammarland one of the municipalities with the highest percentage of Swedish speakers in Finland.[6]

Church

The Hammarland Church is a historic building located on an old postal road in the municipality's north, near a small lake connected to a bay and the sea. It is consecrated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria and is considered one of the mother churches of Åland.[7]

Constructed from local red granite, known as rapakivi, the church features a stepped skyline composed of three distinct levels.[7] The highest point is a pyramidal tower built against the western section of the nave's southern wall. The nave itself forms the second-highest structure, while the lowest part is a narrowing chancel to the east, constructed against the nave's original eastern wall.[7] There are small stones in the nave, with larger granite slabs framing the corners. A simple stepped socle runs along the base of the nave, except for a short stretch on the southern side. The church is characterised by large, roughly hewn windows, and the south façade of the nave shows clear evidence of later modifications.[7]

Transportation

The main road of Hammarland is Highway 1 between Mariehamn and Eckerö.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b "Area of Finnish Municipalities 1.1.2018" (PDF). National Land Survey of Finland. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Population increased most in Uusimaa in January to June 2025". Population structure. Statistics Finland. 24 July 2025. ISSN 1797-5395. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Population according to age (1-year) and sex by area and the regional division of each statistical reference year, 2003–2020". StatFin. Statistics Finland. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Luettelo kuntien ja seurakuntien tuloveroprosenteista vuonna 2023". Tax Administration of Finland. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Citizen's Map Site – National Land Survey of Finland". Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Population according to language and the number of foreigners and land area km2 by area as of 31 December 2008". Statistics Finland's PX-Web databases. Statistics Finland. Archived from the original on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d "Hammarland Church". Kyrkor.ax. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Jomala Kommun – Kommunöversikt" [Jomala Municipality – Municipality Overview] (PDF) (in Swedish). Jomala Municipality. Retrieved 29 May 2025.