Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County (
Norrbottens län) is a
Swedish county or
län in the extreme north of
Sweden. It borders to
Västerbotten County and the
Gulf of Bothnia. It also borders to
Nordland and
Troms counties in
Norway, and
Lapland Province in
Finland.
The name
Norrbotten is also used for a
province of the same name. This province covers only the eastern part of Norrbotten County – the inland mostly belongs to the
Swedish Lapland (
Lappland) province.
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Luleå|province=
Norrbotten and
Lapland|governor=
Per-Ola Eriksson|council=Norrbottens Läns Landsting|nuts=Upper Norrland|date=
1810|arearank=1st|area=98,911|areapercent=24.1|population_as_of=1999|populationrank=12th|population=258,094|populationpercent=2.9|populationdensity=2.6|GDP_as_of=2004|GDPrank=13th|GDP=59,875 Million|GDPpercapita=236,000|GDPpercent=2.55|coatofarms=
|map=
|}}
Norrbotten and about 2/3 of
Swedish Lapland.
Norrbotten County covers almost 1/4 of Sweden's surface, but is sparsely inhabited. This is especially true for inland part of Lapland.
The climate is generally harsh, which is not surprising considering its northern location. However, the long summer days allow crops to ripen within 2-3 months, and various
grains are commonly grown and make up an important part of the industry. Besides grains,
potatoes and
turnips are also grown. The most important plant is however
grass, used as
hay for the
livestock.
Major
rivers in Norrbotten County (north-south) include the
Torne River,
Lule River,
Kalix River and
Pite River. Rivers shared with
Västerbotten County include
Skellefte River and
Ume River. Other rivers that flow directly to the sea and that are at least 100 km long are the
Sangis River,
Råne River,
Åby River and
Byske River.
The population has increased during the last hundred years. The estimated
2002 population was 250,000. In the
1912 census, the population was 166,641, (4,000 more males than females), and of this, around 120,000 belonged to the Norrbotten Province (then Northern Västerbotten Province) part. Twenty years earlier, in 1892, the population was only 110,000. . Since the 1960s, however, most municipalities of the county have experienced a decrease in population figures, particularly in the inland.
During the Middle Ages, Norrbotten was a
no man's land. The area was sparsely populated by
sami,
kvens and different tribes/people related to the
Finns. From the
Middle Ages on, the Swedish kings tried hard to
colonize and christianze the area. But it took time - even today, Finnish and Sami minorities live in the area and have maintained their culture and customs.
Following the
Finnish War in
1809 Västerbotten County was separated into a Swedish and a Finnish part, with the larger part remaining within Swedish borders. In
1810 the county was divided again when
Norrbotten County was created out of the northern part, on the Swedish side. Still, most people in Norrbotten County refer to the entire county, including the areas in Lapland, when they say '
Norrbotten', which is also the name of a smaller province. The reasons are practical and historical and do not imply they wouldn't prefer the name Lapland.
During the
industrialization of Sweden, the
natural resources (
hydroelectricity,
timber and
minerals) from Norrbotten played a key role. Still, Norrbotten is poor compared to the southern parts of Sweden. The
unemployment is high and young people leave for a better future "down south".
Heraldry
The arms for the Norrbotten County is a combination of the arms of
Västerbotten and
Laponia. When it is shown with a royal crown it represents the County Administrative Board. Blazon: "Quartered, the arms of Westrobothnia and the arms of Laponia."
Culture
The culture of Norrbotten County is in many ways different from the rest of Sweden, since many different cultures meet there; the
Sami culture, the Finnish culture (
tornedalians) and the Swedish settler-culture (combined with the climate, midnight sun, and mid winter darkness). Many of the old swedish and finnish dialects have survived in the area, and are spoken by a great number of people.There is a saying in Norrbotten County called "I am not Swedish - I am a Norrbottnian".
Along the coast are the historical cities Luleå and Piteå. Luleå's old town section
Gammelstad (10 km north of the present city) has been declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sami,
Meänkieli, and
Finnish may be used in dealing with
government agencies,
courts,
municipalities,
preschools and
nursing homes in parts of Norrbotten County.
The main aim of the
County Administrative Board is to fulfil the goals set in national politics by the
Parliament and the
Government, to coordinate the interests of the county, to promote the development of the county, to establish regional goals and safeguard the due process of law in the handling of each case. The County Administrative Board is nominally a
Government Agency headed by a Governor. See
List of Norrbotten Governors.
The
County Council of Norrbotten or
Norrbottens Läns Landsting.
From north to south with approximate population figures as of
2002.
In Norrbotten Province:*
Pajala (7,000)
*
Övertorneå (5,500)
*
Överkalix (4,000)
*
Boden (28,000)
*
Kalix (17,500)
*
Haparanda (10,000)
*
Älvsbyn (8,500)
*
Luleå (72,500)
*
Piteå (40,500)
In Swedish Lapland:*
Kiruna (23,500 inhabitants)
*
Gällivare (19,500)
*
Jokkmokk (5,500)
*
Arjeplog (3,200)
*
Arvidsjaur (7,000)
The
Sami language can be used in contacts with local authorities in
Arjeplog,
Gällivare,
Jokkmokk and
Kiruna. Similarly,
Finnish and
Meänkieli can be used in
Gällivare,
Haparanda,
Kiruna,
Pajala and
Övertorneå.
*
article Norrbottens län from
Nordisk familjebok (1912).
*
Norrbotten County Administrative Board*
Norrbotten County Council*Norrbotten Regional Association of Local Authorities
