Norrbotten County

Norrbotten County (Swedish: Norrbottens län; Northern Sami: Norrbottena leatna, Finnish: Norrbottenin lääni) is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It is also the largest county by land area, almost a quarter of Sweden's total area. It shares the borders with the Västerbotten County at south-west, the Gulf of Bothnia at south-east, the counties of Nordland and Troms og Finnmark in Norway at north-west, and the Lapland Province in Finland at north-east.

Norrbotten County
Norrbottens län
Norrbottenin lääni
County of Sweden
Flag
Coat of arms
Norrbotten County in Sweden
Location map of Norrbotten County in Sweden
Coordinates: 67°N 19.7°E / 67; 19.7
CountrySweden
Formed1810
CapitalLuleå
Municipalities
14
  • Älvsbyn
  • Arjeplog
  • Arvidsjaur
  • Boden
  • Gällivare
  • Haparanda
  • Jokkmokk
  • Kalix
  • Kiruna
  • Luleå
  • Överkalix
  • Övertorneå
  • Pajala
  • Piteå
Government
 • GovernorLotta Finstorp[1]
 • CouncilLänsstyrelsen i Norrbottens län
Area
 • Total98,244.8 km2 (37,932.5 sq mi)
Population
 (September 30, 2017)[2]
 • Total251,080
 • Density2.6/km2 (6.6/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeSE-BD
GDP/ NominalSEK 59,875 million (2004)
GDP per capitaSEK 236,000
NUTS RegionSE332
Websitewww.lansstyrelsen.se/norrbotten
Stora Sjöfallet national park in western Norrbotten County.

The name "Norrbotten" is also used for a province of the same name. Norrbotten province covers only the eastern part of Norrbotten County – the inland mostly belongs to the Swedish Lapland province (Lappland).

The capital of Norrbotten is Luleå, whereas other significant towns include Boden, Kiruna and Piteå. The majority of the population lives in the namesake province, whereas the Lapland part of the county is sparsely populated. In terms of land area, Norrbotten is larger than Austria and Portugal together as well as the island of Ireland.

The northern part of Norrbotten lies within the Arctic Circle.

Provinces

Norrbotten County consists of the entire province of Norrbotten and about two thirds of Swedish Lapland.

Geography

Norrbotten County covers almost one quarter of Sweden's surface, but is sparsely inhabited. This is especially true for inland parts of Lapland.

The climate is generally cold, because of its northern location. However, the long summer days allow crops to ripen within two to three months, and agriculture is traditionally important, particularly near the coast and along the lower reaches of the Torne River. Grains, particularly barley, potatoes and turnips are grown to some extent, but the most important crop is hay for livestock. There are around 250 000 reindeer, in the winter herd, a number regulated by the Swedish state, which are herded by the Indigenous Sámi, organised in 15 Sámi Mountain villages, 9 Forest Sámi villages and 8 concession Sámi villages. Hunting and fishing is of major importance for the local inhabitants.

Major rivers in Norrbotten County (north–south) include the Torne, the Lule River, Kalix River, and Pite River. Rivers shared with the Västerbotten County include the 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 county includes many islands in the Bay of Bothnia, which make up the Norrbotten archipelago.[3] It is divided into the archipelagos of Piteå (550 islands), Luleå (1,312 islands), Kalix (792 islands) and Haparanda (652 islands).[4] The largest island is Rånön in the Kalix archipelago.[5]

Population

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), of which about 120.000 were in the Norrbotten 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, particularly those inland.

Riksdag elections

The table details all Riksdag election results of Norrbotten County since the unicameral era began in 1970. The blocs denote which party would support the Prime Minister or the lead opposition party towards the end of the elected parliament.

Year Turnout Votes V S MP C L KD M SD NyD Left Right
1970[6] 86.4 150,316 13.7 51.7 15.8 8.4 2.3 7.5 65.4 31.7
1973[7] 89.6 157,383 13.5 52.1 18.5 5.1 2.1 8.1 65.5 31.6
1976[8] 90.3 169,641 11.2 53.7 18.2 6.0 2.0 8.1 64.9 32.4
1979[9] 90.3 172,587 10.3 55.4 13.8 5.9 2.0 10.3 65.6 30.0
1982[10] 90.6 175,156 10.4 58.8 1.0 11.6 3.1 2.2 11.8 69.2 26.5
1985[11] 89.1 174,171 10.3 59.0 0.8 10.3 8.1 10.9 69.3 29.3
1988[12] 85.1 166,243 10.2 58.1 3.6 8.6 7.5 2.4 8.5 72.0 24.6
1991[13] 85.3 167,424 9.1 55.5 2.4 7.3 6.9 4.6 11.0 2.8 64.5 29.8
1994[14] 87.4 174,045 11.4 60.6 3.5 5.4 4.7 2.6 10.3 0.3 75.5 23.1
1998[15] 82.0 160,277 22.2 47.4 3.4 4.4 3.0 6.5 11.8 72.9 25.6
2002[16] 80.7 154,978 12.7 47.9 5.2 5.1 6.5 5.3 7.2 0.3 65.9 24.1
2006[17] 81.8 156,576 10.5 51.5 4.1 6.4 4.3 4.2 13.4 1.5 66.1 28.3
2010[18] 84.9 164,963 9.3 51.9 5.3 4.7 4.3 3.3 16.4 3.9 66.4 28.6
2014[19] 85.6 166,177 8.6 48.7 4.9 4.5 3.2 3.0 12.9 11.0 62.2 23.7
2018[20] 86.7 166,678 10.7 41.7 2.8 7.1 3.2 4.6 12.8 15.8 62.2 36.4

History

During the Middle Ages, Norrbotten was considered to be terra nullius ("no man's land"). The area was populated by Sami, Kvens and different people related to the Finns. From the Middle Ages on, the Swedish kings tried hard to colonise and Christianise the area. This took time, however; even today, there are Finnish and Sami minorities living in the area, who have maintained their own culture and customs.

In the first half of the 17th century several ore deposits were discovered in what is now known as Norrbotten County.[21] The silver of Nasafjäll was discovered during the autumn of 1634[21] and subsequently mined from 1635 to 1659 and from the 1770s to 1810.[22][23][24]

Following the Finnish War in 1809, Västerbotten County was split between Sweden and Finland, with the larger part remaining within the Swedish borders. In 1810, the county was divided again when Norrbotten County was created out of the northern part, on the Swedish side. Most people in Norrbotten County still refer to the entire county, including the areas in Swedish Lapland, when they say 'Norrbotten'.

The natural resources (hydroelectricity, timber, and minerals, especially iron) of Norrbotten have played a key role in the industrialization of Sweden. The 20th century saw strong mobility in and out of the county, with many young people moving south and people from other parts of the country moving in. In the 1970s and 1980s, the drainage of (mostly young) workers due to high unemployment was considerable, and people in the area began to voice feelings of being misunderstood or economically abused by the south and especially the capital Stockholm.

Heraldry

The coat of arms of Norrbotten County combines the arms of the provinces Västerbotten and Lappland and was granted in 1949. Since 1995 the province Norrbotten has a coat of arms of its own, but the county arms have not been changed accordingly. When it is shown with a royal crown, it represents the County Administrative Board. Blazon: "Quartered, the arms of Västerbotten and the arms of Lappland."

Culture

Many different cultures can be found in Norrbotten County: Sami culture, Finnish culture (via Tornedalians) and the Swedish settler-culture. Many of the old local Swedish and Finnish dialects have survived in the area. The people of Norrbotten County have a saying: "I am not a Swede; I am a Norrbothnian". A local way of speaking, coupled with understated irony, is also sometimes used as a means to exclude southerners. These contrasts are well known throughout Sweden and often appear in TV, films, literature and folklore connected to Norrbotten, for characterizing, satiric or dramatic purposes (e.g. some characters in the books of Eyvind Johnson or the police detective Einar Rönn in the crime novels of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö).

The coast has the historical cities of Luleå and Piteå. Luleå's Gammelstad ("Old town"), which is 10 km north of the present downtown, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Apart from the Swedish language, Sami, Meänkieli, and Finnish may be used in dealing with government agencies, courts, municipalities, preschools and nursing homes in parts of Norrbotten County. The Sami language has official minority language status in Arjeplog, Gällivare, Jokkmokk, and Kiruna municipalities. Meänkieli and Finnish have the same status in Gällivare, Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala, and Övertorneå municipalities.

Administration

The main aims of the County Administrative Board are to fulfil the goals set in national politics by the Riksdag and the Government, to promote the development of the county, and to establish regional goals. The County Administrative Board is a Government Agency headed by a Governor (see List of Norrbotten Governors).

Politics

Results of the 2010 Swedish general election in Norrbotten:

Municipalities
MunicipalityPopulation (2020)Area (km2)Province
Arjeplog2,75714 494,08Lapland
Arvidsjaur6,1946 126,28Lapland
Boden28,0214 290,95Norrbotten
Gällivare17,51116 818,78Lapland
Haparanda9,6601 887,66Norrbotten
Jokkmokk4,90819 334,08Lapland
Kalix15,8733 715,65Norrbotten
Kiruna22,84120 553,28Lapland
Luleå78,1024 911,97Norrbotten
Pajala6,0568 050,87Norrbotten
Piteå42,2474 640,69Norrbotten
Älvsbyn8,0841 795,24Norrbotten
Överkalix3,3052 919,46Norrbotten
Övertorneå4,2882 488,29Norrbotten

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.

Foreign background

SCB have collected statistics on backgrounds of residents since 2002. These tables consist of all who have two foreign-born parents or are born abroad themselves. A majority of them are of Finnish descent.[25] The chart lists election years and the last year on record alone.

Location 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2019
Arjeplog 5.8 7.1 9.5 10.9 12.0 11.8
Arvidsjaur 2.9 3.7 5.5 8.5 10.3 10.4
Boden 5.2 6.4 7.3 9.8 11.3 11.7
Gällivare 5.5 6.6 7.5 8.7 10.6 11.1
Haparanda 50.2 50.3 50.3 50.5 52.0 51.8
Jokkmokk 5.7 6.3 8.6 11.1 13.8 13.9
Kalix 9.8 10.5 11.2 11.9 13.1 13.3
Kiruna 9.6 10.2 10.8 12.0 14.1 14.5
Luleå 8.9 10.1 10.8 11.7 13.5 14.0
Pajala 12.2 12.3 13.1 14.2 16.3 16.8
Piteå 4.2 4.7 5.1 5.8 7.5 7.8
Älvsbyn 4.0 5.5 7.0 9.2 10.8 11.9
Överkalix 4.7 6.1 8.3 10.5 12.6 13.8
Övertorneå 23.6 25.3 27.6 29.7 31.1 30.1
Total 9.2 10.1 10.9 12.0 13.8 14.1
Source: SCB [25]

Transportation

The main mode of person travel inside Norrbotten is by car. The roads usually have sparse traffic, except the coastal road E4, which has more dense traffic. The distances are long, e.g. 345 km between Luleå and Kiruna, needing at least 3½ hours by car. The roads have been given relatively high speed limits compared to southern Sweden, usually 100–110 km/h, reducing travel times in this largest Swedish county.

Norrbotten has a railway network with sparse passenger traffic but dense and heavy freight traffic. There are two main railways. Stambanan genom övre Norrland connects Norrbotten with central and southern Sweden. Malmbanan connects Luleå with the iron mines in Gällivare and Kiruna and the ice-free port of Narvik. Malmbanan has highest amount of freight traffic in Scandinavia, especially the part between Kiruna and Narvik.

Air travel is the main mode of travel between Norrbotten and southern Sweden. The main airport is Luleå Airport, sixth largest in Sweden. Other airports are Arvidsjaur Airport, Gällivare Airport, Kiruna Airport and Pajala Airport.

See also
  • North Sweden European Office

References and notes
  1. "The King holds audiences with new county governors". Swedish Royal Court. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  2. "Folkmängd i riket, län och kommuner 30 september 2017 och befolkningsförändringar 1 juli–30 september 2017. Totalt". Statistics Sweden. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
  3. Ankre, Rosemarie (2005). "A Case Study of the Luleå archipelago, Sweden" (PDF). Mid-Sweden University. p. 8. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  4. "About the Bay of Bothnia". Bottenvikens skärgård. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
  5. "Index". bottenviken.se. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
  6. "Riksdagsvalet 1970" (PDF). SCB. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  7. "Riksdagsvalet 1973" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  8. "Riksdagsvalet 1976" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  9. "Riksdagsvalet 1979" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  10. "Riksdagsvalet 1982)" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  11. "Riksdagsvalet 1985" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  12. "Riksdagsvalet 1988)" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  13. "Riksdagsvalet 1991" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  14. "Riksdagsvalet 1994" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  15. "Riksdagsvalet 1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  16. "Valresultat Riksdag 2002" (in Swedish). Valmyndigheten. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  17. "Allmänna val 17 september 2006" (in Swedish). Valmyndigheten. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  18. "Röster - Val 2010" (in Swedish). Valmyndigheten. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  19. "Röster - Val 2014" (in Swedish). Valmyndigheten. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  20. "Röster - Val 2018" (in Swedish). Valmyndigheten. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  21. Hansson 2015, p. 13.
  22. Hansson 2015, p. 20.
  23. Hansson 2015, p. 24.
  24. Hansson 2015, p. 26.
  25. "PxWeb - välj variabler och värden" (in Swedish). SCB. Retrieved 11 August 2020.

Books and articles
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