Provinces of Sweden

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Population of Swedish provinces in 2016[1]

The 25 provinces of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges landskap) are historical, geographical and cultural regions. They have no administrative function (except in some sports contexts), but retain their own cultural identities, dialects and folklore.

Several were administrative subdivisions until 1634, when they were replaced by the counties of Sweden (län). Some were conquered later on from Denmark–Norway. Others, like the provinces of Finland, have been lost.

In some cases, the county and province borders correspond almost exactly, as with

municipality (kommun). The only other province to share a name with a modern municipality is Härjedalen, though the borders are not quite the same. Administrative borders are subject to change – for example, several of today’s counties were created in the 1990s – while the provincial borders have remained stable for centuries. All the provinces are also ceremonial duchies
, but as such have no administrative or political functions.

Nevertheless, the provinces of Sweden are no archaic concept; they are still referenced in everyday speech and seen as culturally distinct. The main exception is Lapland, where people see themselves as citizens of Västerbotten or Norrbotten, based on the counties.

Sweden’s two largest cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg, both have provincial borders running through them: Stockholm is split between Uppland and Södermanland, and Gothenburg is split between Västergötland and Bohuslän. According to a 2011 survey, people in major cities – Stockholm, Gothenburg and, to a lesser extent, Malmö – identify primarily with their city, rather than their province.[2]

Provinces

Swedish Latin
Lapland (Sweden)NorrbottenVästerbottenHärjedalenJämtlandÅngermanlandHälsinglandDalarnaVästmanlandVärmlandGästriklandUpplandMedelpadSödermanlandNärkeDalslandBohuslänÖstergötlandVästergötlandSmålandGotlandHallandÖlandScaniaBlekinge
Ångermanland Angermannia
Blekinge Blechingia
Bohuslän Bahusia
Dalarna Dalecarlia
Dalsland Dalia
Gästrikland Gestricia
Gotland Gotlandia
Halland Hallandia
Hälsingland Helsingia
Härjedalen Herdalia
Jämtland Jemtia
Lappland Lapponia Suecana
Medelpad Medelpadia
Närke Nericia
Norrbotten Norbothnia
Öland Olandia
Östergötland Ostrogothia
Skåne Scania
Småland Smolandia
Södermanland      Sudermannia
Uppland Uplandia
Värmland Wermlandia
Västerbotten Westrobothnia
Västergötland Westrogothia
Västmanland Westmannia

[

exonyms, such as the Dales for Dalarna, East Gothland for Östergötland, Swedish Lapland for Lappland and West Bothnia for Västerbotten are common in English literature.[3][4][5] Swedes writing in English have long used the Swedish names only.[6][7]

History

Sweden's provinces from 1658 to 1809

The origins of the provincial divisions lay in the

central monarchy during the consolidation of Sweden.[8] Until the country law of Magnus Eriksson in 1350, each of these lands still had its own laws and its own assembly (the thing), and in effect governed itself. The first provinces were considered duchies, but newly conquered provinces received the status of duchy or county
, depending on importance.

After the separation from the

Skåne, Blekinge, Halland and Gotland), along with the Norwegian Bohuslän, Jämtland and Härjedalen, became Swedish and gradually integrated. Other foreign territories were ruled as Swedish Dominions under the Swedish monarch, in some cases for centuries. (Norway, in personal union
with Sweden from 1814 to 1905, never became an integral part of Sweden.)

When Sweden ceded Finland to the Russian Empire in 1809, Västerbotten was divided up so that Norrbotten first emerged as a county. Eventually, it came to be recognized as its own province. It was granted a coat of arms as late as in 1995.[9]

Some scholars suggest that Sweden revived the concept of provinces in the 19th century.[10]

The lands of Sweden

Historically, Sweden was seen as containing four ”lands” (larger regions):

  • Götaland (southern Sweden)
  • Svealand (central Sweden)
  • Österland (Finland, from the 13th century to 1809)
  • Norrland (northern parts of present-day Sweden and north-western Finland)

In the

Suiones
(or the ”historical Swedes”). ”Norrland” was all the unexplored northern parts, the boundaries and Swedish control over which were weakly defined into the early modern age.

Due to the Northern Crusades against Finns, Tavastians and Karelians and colonisation of some coastal areas of the country, Finland fell under the Catholic Church and Swedish rule. Österland ("Eastern land"; the name had early gone out of use) in southern and central Finland formed an integral part of Sweden. Russia annexed Finland in 1809, and reunited it with some frontier counties annexed earlier to form the Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1917, Finland became an independent country.

The regional borders have changed several times throughout history with changing national borders. Norrland, Svealand and Götaland are only parts of Sweden, and have never superseded the concept of the provinces.

Heraldry

At the funeral of King

Erik XIV of Sweden modelled the funeral processions on those of German dukes, who in turn may have styled their displays after Emperor Charles V's funeral, where a host of banners represented each entry in the King’s long list of titles. Gustav Vasa’s title only had three entries – "King of Sweden, the Goths and the Wends
" – so banners were created for each Swedish province for a better display.

Some of these arms were short-lived, such as the beaver for Medelpad (changed in the 1570s)[9], the wolverine for Värmland (changed in 1567)[9] and the roses on Småland’s arms. Östergötland was represented by two different arms, one with a Västanstång dragon and one with a Östanstång lion. The current arms for Östergötland (see below) were created in 1884.[9]

The current arms for Småland were created for the coronation of John III in 1569. The wild man representing Lappland was created for the funeral of Charles IX in 1612[9]. Arms for Jämtland were created when Norway ceded the province to Sweden in 1635. Arms for Härjedalen were created later. The arms for Blekinge, Bohuslän, Halland and Skåne were created for the funeral of Charles X Gustav in 1660. The Arms for Norrbotten were created as late as 1995.[9]

Götaland

Götaland (Gothia, Gothenland) comrpises ten provinces in the southern part of Sweden. Until 1645, Gotland and Halland were parts of Denmark. Also, until 1658 Blekinge and Scania were parts of Denmark, and Bohuslän was part of Norway. Värmland was counted as part of Götaland until 1812.

Svealand

Svealand (Swealand) comprises six provinces in central Sweden. Until 1812, Värmland was counted as part of Götaland instead.

Norrland

Finnish Lapland. Norrbotten was separated from Västerbotten
at the same time, and developed its own provincial identity during the 19th century.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Provinces of Sweden.

References

  1. ^ "Folkmängd i landskapen den 31 december 2016" (in Swedish). Statistics Sweden. 21 March 2017. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  2. ^ GfK Sverige AB (21 December 2011). "Svenskarna är mer lokala än nationella i sin geografiska identitet". Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  3. ^ Eric Linklater in The Life of Charles XII
  4. ^ Robert Nisbet Bain in Gustavus III and His Contemporaries
  5. ^ Bernard Quaritch in The stories of the Kings of Norway Called the Round World (Heimskringla)
  6. ^ R. Svanström & C.F. Palmstierna in A History of Sweden (1934)
  7. ^ Nils Ahnlund in Gustav Adolf the Great (1940)
  8. ISBN 978-1-59331-276-3
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-91-7886-092-0
    .
  10. ^ Jacobsson, Benny (2000). "Konstruktion av landskap. Exemplet Uppland" Archived 2 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Idéhistoriska perspektiv. Ed. Ingemar Nilsson, Arachne 16, Göteborg 2000, p. 109-119. Retrieved 20 October 2006. (In Swedish).
  11. ISBN 978-91-976240-9-1
    .
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