Land, sometimes referred to as dry land, is the solid surface of the Earth that is not permanently covered by water. The vast majority of human activity occurs in land areas that support agriculture, habitat, and various natural resources.

Some life forms (including terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals) have developed from predecessor species that lived in bodies of water.

Areas where land meets large bodies of water are called coastal zones. The division between land and water is a fundamental concept to humans. The demarcation between land and water can vary by local jurisdiction and other factors. A maritime boundary is one example of a political demarcation. A variety of natural boundaries exist to help clearly define where water meets land. Solid rock landforms are easier to demarcate than marshy or swampy boundaries, where there is no clear point at which the land ends and a body of water has begun. Demarcation can further vary due to tides and weather.

Etymology and terminology

Lands (stylized as LANDS) is a temporary musical band created by the producer of Japanese pop-rock band Mr. Children, Takeshi Kobayashi (小林 武史, Kobayashi Takeshi). The group was created to promote the film Bandage, which stars the Japanese singer and actor Jin Akanishi as the leader and vocalist Natsu (ナツ) of the fictional band. The band released their debut single "Bandage", on November 25, 2009. The single topped the Oricon chart selling 211,000 copies in the first week.

History

In October 2008, it was announced that Jin Akanishi would be starring in a film titled Bandage, where he would play the character Natsu the leader and vocalist of Lands, a four-member band that is set in the 1990s. The film was directed by Takeshi Kobayashi, who was also chosen to create the music for the film. In early November 2008. it was revealed that Kobayashi had written at least five songs for the film and that the fictional band would be planning a "real world" debut. In September 2009, it was reported that Lands would make their debut later in the fall with the single, "Bandage". Nearly a month later it was confirmed that the single would be released on November 25, 2009.

The Åland Islands or Åland (Swedish: Åland, Swedish pronunciation: [ˈoːland]; Finnish: Ahvenanmaa) is a region of Finland that consists of an archipelago lying at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. It is autonomous, demilitarised and is the only monolingually Swedish-speaking region in Finland. Collectively, the islands in the archipelago form the smallest region of Finland, constituting 0.49% of its land area and 0.50% of its population.

Åland comprises Fasta Åland on which 90% of the population resides and a further 6,500 skerries and islands to its east. Fasta Åland is separated from the coast of Sweden by 38 kilometres (24 mi) of open water to the west. In the east, the Åland archipelago is contiguous with the Finnish Archipelago Sea. Åland's only land border is located on the uninhabited skerry of Märket, which it shares with Sweden.

Åland's autonomous status means that those provincial powers normally exercised by representatives of the central Finnish government are largely exercised by its own government.