Yearbook 2017
Aland. There was political controversy during the year about the provincial government’s proposal for municipal reform, with 16 municipalities to become five. Of Åland’s nearly 29,000 residents, just over a third live in Mariehamn and the rest in smaller municipalities, where Sottunga is the smallest with just under 100 residents. The largest opposition party Center called for a referendum on the reform.
A Norwegian university report in July showed that Åland emits more carbon dioxide per inhabitant than any other area in the EU; 5.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person per year. The Ålanders use a lot of oil for electricity, the households are small but the houses are large with many rooms to heat.