ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Åland

Åland is a group of islands that belong to Finland, but they are kinda special. The people who live there speak Swedish, not Finnish, and they have their own flag and even their own stamps.

They have a special self-governing status, which means they get to make some of their own rules and decisions, instead of just following what Finland says. They also get to keep a lot of the money they make from things like tourism and fishing, instead of giving it all to Finland.

Even though they are part of Finland, they are also part of the European Union, which is a big group of countries that work together on things like trade and laws.

Overall, Åland is like a little island family that is part of a bigger country, but they get to do some things their own way.