Märket, Rocky islet in Sea of Åland, Finland and Sweden
Märket is a low, flat skerry of smooth diabase rock in the Sea of Åland, about 350 metres long and 150 metres wide, rising at most 2 metres above the sea. Its centrepiece is a square lighthouse tower with two horizontal red bands, topped by a glazed lantern room with a small domed roof. A white keeper's building with a red roof adjoins the tower, and a red boat rests on the rock nearby.
The division of this islet between Sweden and Finland originated in 1809 when Sweden lost Finland to Russia. This border arrangement defined the location's territorial status for the centuries that followed.
Radio enthusiasts use this islet during summer months to operate their equipment and make connections with operators across different countries. The location draws people interested in wireless communication who want to establish international links.
To visit this remote islet, guests need to arrange their own boat transportation, as no regular ferry services operate here. Weather and sea conditions can change quickly, so careful planning is essential.
The 1985 border adjustment gave Finland the lighthouse and its immediate surroundings while an equal area of Finnish rock passed to Sweden, so neither country's area or coastline changed. The resulting border forms an inverted S about 480 metres long, marked only by holes drilled into the diabase because drift ice would shear off protruding markers.
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