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The lands of Sweden are three unofficial parts, essentially three collectives of provinces, in Sweden. Historically Sweden was divided into four traditional lands. One of these, Österland corresponds to parts of what is now Finland while the other three historic lands are make up Sweden. These "lands" have no administrative function. There is not even a designation, which is commonly agreed upon, for this subdivision level. Most commonly they are called "landsdelar", which just means "parts of the country".
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Subdivision
- Götaland is the southern, most densely populated part, consisting of ten provinces
- Svealand is the central part, named after the historic Sweden proper, which is the smallest of the three parts with six provinces
- Norrland (literally "Northern lands") is the northern part, which is the largest of the three parts, covering 60 percent of the total Swedish territory with nine provinces.
They are used in weather reports, and therefore their boundaries can be seen on television and on the weather maps in the press.
The lands and the provinces:
| Götaland | Svealand | Norrland |
|---|---|---|
Historical lands
Sweden was historically divided into the four lands: Götaland, Svealand, Norrland and Österland.
- Österland (literally Eastern lands) is the old name for Swedish Finland. It represents the southern and middle parts of Finland. It may in prehistoric times have been inhabited by various tribes with their own kings (such as the Kvens). The term is not very much known in Sweden today.
- Norrland (literally Northern lands) is the name for annexed lands to the north on both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia.
- In Sweden's prehistoric times Sweden was largely restricted to Svealand and southern Norrland, while Götaland is mentioned in legends as a rival kingdom, and traditions of Swedish-Geatish wars survive in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. Eventually the two countries were united under one crown by the Swedish kings somewhere between 550-1200 (the date is the matter of debate).
By the time of the Treaty of Stolbovo, 1617, the significance of these particular lands of Sweden was historical and geographical diffuse.[citation needed] Thus the concept of Norrland could easily cover also the new territories in the North.
After the Finnish War (1808-1809) the eastern half of Sweden was ceded to Russia, thus becoming the Imperial Russian Grand Duchy of Finland. Norrland was divided between these two states. The Swedish portion of Norrland still represents more than half of Sweden's territory; it remains, however, sparsely populated compared to the south and middle. The town of Stockholm, which became the Swedish capital mostly because it was centrally located in Sweden of its medieval boundaries (i.e. the brightest area on the map) now became situated at the eastern border.
See also
- Subdivisions of Norden
- Old Finland
- Lands of Denmark
- Dominions of Sweden
- Provinces of Sweden
- Historical provinces of Finland
External links
Media related to Category:Lands of Sweden at Wikimedia Commons- Courts of Appeal: The Court Districts of Sweden - Official site of The National Courts Administration
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