Halland
Halland | |
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UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Area codes | 0300 0340 0345 0346 035 0430 |
Halland (Swedish pronunciation:
Administration
The provinces of Sweden serve no administrative function. Instead, that function is served by the Counties of Sweden. However, the province of Halland is almost coextensive with the administrative Halland County, though parts of the province belong to Västra Götaland County and Skåne County, while the county also includes parts of Småland and Västergötland.
As of 31 December 2016 Halland had a population of 327,093. Of these, 310,536 lived in Halland County; 14,205 lived in Västra Götaland County; and 2,352 lived in Skåne County.[1]
Heraldry
During the Danish era until 1658, the province had no
The same coat of arms was later granted for the administrative Halland County, which has almost the same boundaries.
Geography
The rivers of
Most of the region is made up of a relief unit known as the Sub-Mesozoic hilly peneplain. Around Morup and Tvååker hilltops are remnants of the Sub-Cambrian peneplain, an ancient erosion surface that covers much of eastern Sweden.[3] Loose flint nodules of Cretaceous age have been found around Halland. The flints are remnants of a former cover of sedimentary rock that has been eroded. At present the sedimentary cover continues to exist in Scania, Denmark and offshore.[4]
History
Early history
The Bronze Age was probably a period of relative prosperity in Halland. This is shown in the number of new settlements and the numerous archaeological remains. Over 1,100 tumuli and grave mounds have been found.
The end of the Bronze Age witnessed an over-consumption of resources. Large areas were deforested. This might have been a result of a high demand for charcoal in smelting gold or bronze among the local elites.
The worsening climate at the beginning of the Iron Age meant that the local elites no longer could obtain bronze to the same extent as before. As a result, the social structures collapsed.
The early Iron Age social structures seem to have been relatively egalitarian, but from around 200 AD there was a trend in which villages formed larger communities and small kingdoms. This is likely to have been a distant influence from the growing Roman Empire. During the 5th and 6th century large free-standing farms were created; they grew larger as time passed. An example of such a farm can be found in Slöinge.
It was not just the social structure that changed, so too did the
800–1645 AD
According to information from a trader travelling from Skiringssal, close to the Oslofjord to Hedeby in the 870s it can be concluded that Halland was a Danish area at that time. It would stay so for most of recorded history.
Iron extraction is known to have taken place in Hishult and Tvååker/Sibbarp during the Iron Age.
As part of the
Halland was the scene of considerable military action from the 13th century and on as Sweden, Denmark and to some degree Norway fought for supremacy in Scandinavia. The many wars made the province poor. Not only were material damages caused by military action, but the social impact of the fighting was devastating; people lacked the motivation to invest in their land and properties as it was likely to be destroyed anyway.
The county was the site of combat and plunder three times during the 13th Century: in 1256
As the Kalmar Union was formed, Halland came for a brief period of time to be centrally located. According to the union treaty, the king was to be elected in Halmstad.
During the rebellion of
The Danish civil war called the Count's Feud in 1534–1536, the Northern Seven Years' War between Denmark-Norway and Sweden in 1563–1570 and the Kalmar War between Denmark-Norway and Sweden in 1611–1613 all affected Halland. One of the major battles of the Northern Seven Years' War, the battle of Axtorna, took place in Halland.
After 1645
Halland was temporarily (for a period of 30 years) transferred to Sweden in 1645 under the terms of the
The more peaceful conditions that followed meant that the province could start to develop again. The 19th century saw the farming develop quickly to become one of the more efficient in the country by the end of the century. Parts of the province did however remain poor and erosion and blown sand remained a problem for much of the century. The county did therefore see a lot of emigration, continuing well into the 20th century.
The 20th century has seen the province becoming one of the fastest growing in Sweden, as it has doubled its population since World War II. This is in part due to the northern parts, such as Kungsbacka and Onsala, more or less becoming suburbs of Gothenburg.
Cities
During Danish rule, privileges to towns in Halland were granted to:
- Falkenberg (1558)
- Halmstad (1307)
- Kungsbacka (approximately 1400)
- Laholm (approximately 1200)
- Varberg (approximately 1100)
Such
Hundreds
Culture
The
Sights
- Varberg Fortress, a medieval fortress.
- Tjolöholm Castle, a castle and museum in the Kungsbacka Fjord, just off of the Swedish coast. [5]
Dukes of Halland
As early as the 13th century, southern Halland was given as duchy to a branch of the Danish royal family. In the 14th century, it was given to various relatives and friends of Danish and Swedish royal families, such as Benedict, Duke of Halland 1353–1357.
Since 1772 Swedish royal princes have been nominated dukes of provinces without political significance. Such a title was held by Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland (1912–1997), who was survived by his wife Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland (1976–2013), and currently is held by Prince Julian (since 2021).
Sports
Football in the province is administered by Hallands Fotbollförbund. Team handball is also popular, with HK Drott, HK Aranäs and HK Varberg.
References
- ^ a b "Folkmängd i landskapen den 31 december 2016" (in Swedish). Statistics Sweden. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-25.
- ^ Clara Nevéus, Bror Jacques de Wærn: Ny svensk vapenbok. Riksarkivet 1992. (In Swedish)
- S2CID 134300755.
- GFF. 94: 565–567.
- ^ "Welcome to Tjolöholm – A Swedish Castle in Tudor Style". www.tjoloholm.se. Tjoloholm Slott. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
Sources
- Kungsvägen genom Halland – Bidrag till halländsk kulturhistoria och underlag för vägminnesvårdsprogram. Stellan Haverling. 1996. Gothenburg: Vägverket
External links
- Halland – Tourist site