The special status of the Strait of the Aland Islands as an exception of the transit passage principle (Art. 35 of the Convention on the Law of the Sea)

The Aland Islands are comprised of 6500 islands, eighty of which are inhabited, with a combined area of 1500 km2. The entire territory is inhabited by 27 000 Swedish-speaking people. The international agreements currently in force regulate the use of the Strait of the Aland Islands just to a certain degree and refer only to navy vessels. Therefore, it can be concluded that the strait's particular legal regime is described primarily by the regulations of the 1921 Geneva Convention. For other ships, the principles of common use and treaties of international maritime law apply. Foundations exist to recognize a transit passage in the strait beyond the demilitarized zone. The current status of the islands and the surrounding waters is commonly accepted by both the Swedish inhabitants of the archipelago - who have considerable political and economic autonomy within Finland, the countries on both sides of the strait, and the international community throughout the Baltic region.