Editing Pirates of the Baltic Sea (section)

===History===

Åland was an autonomous and demilitarized region of Finland since 1920 by a decision of the League of Nations, and its only official language is Swedish. In 2100, after a growing dissatisfaction with the Finnish government’s increasing focus on the various metropolitan hubs and industry at the expense of less urban areas that were left at the mercy of corporate exploitation and ever worsening effects of climate change, Åland declared independence. The secession was peaceful. In the parliament, most of the opposition had sympathy for Åland’s concerns and voted for granting independence. And the ruling right wing coalition’s ranks broke as one large populist nationalist party voted for getting rid of the Swedish-speaking region.

Åland had, at the time, a population of around 30 000 people. With the joy and enthusiasm of their newly gained independence, those people drafted a constitution with staunch protections for the environment, civil rights and personal freedoms, and heavy regulations for the corporations, along with restrictions on their involvement in politics. Offended, the corporate cartels of the region declared that they would not be doing business in or with Åland, nor with anyone who did, placing Åland under an effective embargo.

The corporations expected to bully Åland into submission, but instead they created a hub of resistance for their activities. Not just the Ålandic people were incensed, plenty of individual people in the Baltic area threw their support behind the region. Official trade and traffic was replaced by unofficial. Embargo became impossible to enforce as individual people and crews started transporting people and goods from all over the Baltic to Åland and back. Instead, Åland became a hub for such unofficial sea traffic – some would say smuggling. The Islands also became a haven for various activist groups, especially anti-corporate ones, that experienced harassment elsewhere. 

In some regions this might have resulted in takeover by corporate bought mercenaries. But Åland has been a demilitarized zone for over two centuries, and as such is under the protection of both Swedish and Finnish armed forces. Even if any corporation saw some gain in poking that nest of trouble, they would be unlikely to find a group of mercenaries stupid enough to take the assignment.

So what followed instead was increased pirate activity. It started with both corporate-sponsored and just plain greedy pirate crews starting to prey on shipping to Åland. In response, many ships took permanent berth in Åland, and with the government’s permission, armed themselves for protection against the pirates. Soon enough the outsiders learned that the Ålandic ships were not easy prey, but the gauntlet had been thrown. With rallying from the anti-corporate activist groups, some former smugglers started raiding corporate shipping in turn. This attracted some individual pirate vessels from other regions to migrate to islands instead. Over time, more of these crews and activists took permanent residence, vastly increasing Åland’s population.

These developments received mixed reception from Ålandic people. Some had expected independence to bring them peace from foreign meddling and give the islands to them only, and were aghast to see how foreign people and ways were taking over their beautiful islands. Others were proud of the new, more cosmopolitan environment and happily welcomed the new arrivals.

And while many were happy with, or even dependent on the smuggling business, not all of them liked the fact that some of the smugglers would also raid shipping should the opportunity present itself. 

Even today, when Åland’s population is more than double than when they became independent, there is tension and a somewhat conflicting atmosphere of both unity and division. In many places, people of very different origins casually rub shoulders. In others, if you show up not looking like a native Ålander or do not speak fluent enough Swedish, the reception can be frosty, though rarely violent.

And in addition to what goes on at the sea, various entirely new services have popped up on the islands. Places for the crews to rest and relax. Businesses offering server space and anonymous communications to various activist groups and anyone else who needs such. And lots and lots of brokers and fixers. Whether for goods or services. For many crews in Åland are mercenary in nature, and when individuals, groups, or even corporations need troubleshooters in the Baltic region, Åland has become the place to look. Up to the point where even the corporations cannot afford to entirely stay away, embargo or not.

And the ship crews from Åland, whether they do the original business of fishing and transport or engage in smuggling or piracy, have got a name around the Baltic to differentiate them from other similar crews. As image of their original counterparts from the Caribbean, they are Buccaneers of the Baltic Sea. Commonly referred to just as Buccaneers.