Västerbotten

Västerbotten (Swedish: [ˈvɛ̂sːtɛrˌbɔtːɛn] (listen)), known in English as West Bothnia[2] or Westrobothnia, is a province (landskap) in the north of Sweden, bordering Ångermanland, Lapland, North Bothnia, and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is known for the cheese named after the province.

This article is about the Swedish historical province. For the modern county, see Västerbotten County.
Västerbotten
Coat of arms
Country Sweden
LandNorrland
CountyVästerbotten County
Area
 • Total15,093 km2 (5,827 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[1]
 • Total220,175
 • Density15/km2 (38/sq mi)
Ethnicity
 • LanguageWestrobothnian
Culture
 • FlowerMoor-king lousewort
 • AnimalCurlew
 • BirdHen harrier
 • FishLamprey
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Administration

The traditional provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. The administrative county, Västerbotten County, consists of the province and the southern part of Swedish Lappland.

Heraldry

On 18 January 1884, all provinces gained the rights to the rank of duchy, and the arms can be represented with a ducal coronet. Blazon: "Azure Seme of Mullets Or a Reindeer in full course and hoofed Gules."

Geography

Västerbotten was historically divided into chartered cities and districts.

Cities

Towns

Historical jurisdiction

The historical province Västerbotten was divided in court districts.

  • Burträsk Court District
  • Bygdeå Court District
  • Degerfors Court District (Now Vindeln Municipality)
  • Lower Kalix Court District
  • Upper Kalix Court District
  • Korpilombolo Court District
  • Lövånger Court District
  • Lower Luleå Court District
  • Upper Luleå Court District
  • Norsjö and Malå Court District
  • Nysätra Court District
  • Pajala Court District
  • Piteå Court District
  • Råneå Court District
  • Skellefteå Court District
  • Lower Torneå Court District
  • Upper Torneå Court District
  • Umeå Court District

Facts
  • Highest mountain: Åmliden (550 meters)
  • Largest lake: Bygdeträsket

History
Västerbotten's old borders which extended into present-day Finland

Up until the Finnish War 1808–1809, and the Treaty of Fredrikshamn, the province of Västerbotten also included a small portion of the extreme north of current Finland. This part has later been integrated in Lapland, Finland. The Österbotten, Eastern Botten or Ostrobothnia, lay on the Finnish side of the sea, and this province name still survives.

Following the Fredrikshamn treaty, which re-defined the outlines and orientation of Sweden, in 1810, Västerbotten County was split in two parts. The northern portion became Norrbotten County, and the Swedish-speaking locals of Norrbotten (which in itself is a multi-lingual area) soon began referring to themselves as Norrbothnians. The county borders thus gradually led to a local provincial identity. Nowadays Norrbotten is considered a separate province, even though provinces had ceased to have any administrative or legal significance hundreds of years before 1810.

Västerbotten Regiment was the provincial regiment.

Dukes of Västerbotten

Since the 13th century, Swedish princes in some dynasties have been created dukes of various provinces. Since 1772, these are only nominal titles.

Geography

Lakes and watercourses

Lakes

  • Bodträsket
  • Burträsket
  • Bygdeträsket
  • Norsjön
  • Nydalasjön
  • Storsävarträsket
  • Stöcksjön
  • Tavelsjön
  • Storkågeträsket

Watercourses

Watercourses

Sports

Regional football in the province is administered by Västerbottens Fotbollförbund. Ice hockey is also popular, with IF Björklöven and Skellefteå AIK.

References
  1. "Folkmängd i landskapen den 31 december 2016" (in Swedish). Statistics Sweden. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
  2. Eric Linklater in The Life of Charles XII pp. 53-54 & throughout

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.