Sottunga
| Sottunga | ||
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| Municipality | ||
| Sottunga kommun | ||
The southern end of Storsottunga as seen from a passing ferry in 2004
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 Location of Sottunga in Finland |
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 Sottunga
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| Coordinates: 60°08′N 020°40′E / 60.133°N 20.667°ECoordinates: 60°08′N 020°40′E / 60.133°N 20.667°E | ||
| Country |
 Finland
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| Region | Åland | |
| Sub-region | Archipelago sub-region | |
| Charter | 1959 | |
| Government | ||
| • Municipal manager | Kennet Lundström | |
| Area (2016-01-01) | ||
| • Total | 28.04 km2 (10.83 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 28.05 km2 (10.83 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 314.41 km2 (121.39 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 310th largest in Finland | |
| Population (2016-03-31) | ||
| • Total | 99 | |
| • Rank | 313th largest in Finland | |
| • Density | 3.53/km2 (9.1/sq mi) | |
| Population by native language | ||
| • Swedish | 88.7% (official) | |
| • Finnish | 8.7% | |
| • Others | 2.6% | |
| Population by age | ||
| • 0 to 14 | 10.4% | |
| • 15 to 64 | 60.9% | |
| • 65 or older | 28.7% | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
| Municipal tax rate | 18% | |
| Website | www.sottunga.ax | |
Sottunga is an island municipality of Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland. The municipality is the smallest when it comes to population in Åland and in Finland, with a population of only 99 (31 March 2016) and covers an area of 28.04 square kilometres (10.83 sq mi) of which 314.41 km2 (121.39 sq mi) is water. The population density is 3.53 inhabitants per square kilometre (9.1/sq mi). The municipality is unilingually Swedish, with 88.7% of the inhabitants speaking Swedish as their native language. Sottunga comprises many islands, of which only three, Husö, Finnö and Storsottunga, are inhabited. Storsottunga is usually called Sottunga. There are five villages in the municipality: Finnö, Husö, Hästö, Mosshaga and Sottunga. The highest point of Sottunga is Kasberget (25 m).
Sottunga can be reached by ferry from Långnäs in Lumparland and Galtby in Korpo and many ferries pass the island without making a stop.
Like the rest of Eastern Åland, Sottunga got its first permanent inhabitants sometime in the 11th century, although there is evidence that the island had had inhabitants long before that. The name Sottunga itself is thought to predate the 11th century. In the 17th century there were some ten households on the island and about 70 inhabitants.
Sottunga has suffered during many wars, first during the Great Northern War in 1714–22 when all of Åland fled to Sweden and again during the Finnish War of 1808-09 when all the buildings on the island were set on fire in order to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. In 1800, before the Finnish War, the island had been visited by King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden. Later during the Winter War of 1939–40 the island was bombed by the Soviet Union. The bombs were responsible for the sinking of the cargo ship SS Notung in 1940 just northeast of Sottunga.
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Wikipedia