Ångermanland

Ångermanland
Flag
Country	Sweden
Land	Norrland
Counties	Västernorrland County Jämtland County Västerbotten County
Area
– Total	19,507 km2 (7,531.7 sq mi)
Population (2009)[1]
– Total	132,689
– Density	6.8/km2 (17.6/sq mi)
Ethnicity
– Language	Ångermanländska
Culture
– Flower	Heartsease
– Animal	Beaver
– Bird	—
– Fish	Lavaret
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal codes

 Ångermanland (help·info) is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Medelpad, Jämtland, Lapland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name "Ångermanland" comes from the Old Norse "anger", which means "deep fjord" and refers to the deep mouth of the river Ångermanälven. "Ångermanland" is "Angermannia" in Latin.

Administration

The traditional provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes, but are cultural and historical entities. The province of Ångermanland is divided between Västernorrland County, which comprises the heartland with minor parts in Västerbotten County and Jämtland County.

Heraldry

The arms is represented showing a dukal coronet. Blazon: "Azure three Salmons nainaint Argent finned Gules, the middle one counternainaint." It is almost identical to the coat of arms of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

Geography

Ångermanland is the sixth largest of Sweden's provinces with an area of roughly 19,500 km², about the size of Wales. A round 1,000 km² consists of water.

The western part of Ångermanland is characterized by the flow of the Ångerman River. Although the soil of Ångermanland is generally too barren for cultivation, areas around the rivers and the Ångerman River in particular are is covered with fields.

The coastal line is archipelago-like with a belt of bays, in which the Ångerman River also has its mouth. It is in general regarded as a pictureque nature, particularly in the thickly foliaged Ådalen region around the Ångerman River. The landscape is of a varied sort with valleys, rocks and bogs.

The largest town today is Örnsköldsvik, by the coast. It has ca 25,000 inhabitants in the town proper. It is followed by Härnösand with 18,000.

Facts

• Highest mountain: Bunkfjället 740 (meters)
• Largest lake: Tåsjön
• National parks: Skuleskogen

The coast line on the Gulf of Bothnia, called the Höga Kusten, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The land still rises at the rate of about one centimetre per year, as an effect of the last ice age that ended in the 7th millennium BC.

Population

The population of Ångermanland is 132,689 as of December 31, 2009. It distributes over three counties as follows:^[1]

County	Population
part of Västernorrland County	119,459
part of Västerbotten County	9,996
part of Jämtland County	3,234

History

Ångermanland is mentioned the first time in Historia Norwegie as "Angariuam", in 1170. It is thought to have been christened in the 12th century, as several runestones were erected in the 11th century. The Vitalie pirate brothers sieged the Styresholm fortress in 1398, holding the whole coast of Norrland. The Styresholm fort was however demolished in 1434 by the locals during the Engelbrekt Uprising. In 1490, districts Ångermanland, Alir, Sunded, Nordanstig and Medelpad constituted Storhälsingland. Härnösand receives city status in 1585. In 1721 Härnösand was burned to the ground by the Russian navy.

In 1931 four demonstrants and one bypassing were shot to death in what was to be known as the Ådal Riot. It resulted in the forming of the state police, stripping the military of policiary work. Lower Norrland received its first university in 2005 when the Mitthögskolan transformed into the Mittuniversitet. The university has its courses spread over four cities; Härnösand, Sundsvall, Örnsköldsvik and Östersund.

Historical administration

Ångermanland was historically divided into chartered cities and districts.

Cities

• Härnösand (1585)
• Kramfors (1947)
• Sollefteå (1917)
• Örnsköldsvik (1893)

Districts

Arnäs Court District Boteå Court District Gudmundrå Court District Nora Court District Nordingrå Court District Nordmaling Court District

Nätra Court District Ramsele Court District Resele Court District Själevad Court District Sollefteå Court District Umeå Court District

Sports

Football in the province is administered by Ångermanlands Fotbollförbund.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Statistics Sweden

• article Ångermanland from Nordisk familjebok. (Swedish)
• Hälsingland, Medelpad och Ångermanland from Tacitus.nu. (Swedish)

External links

• Mid Sweden - Official tourist site for Ångermanland & Medelpad
• Sweden
• Sweden
• Sweden

Coordinates: 63°09′14″N 17°14′17″E / 63.154°N 17.238°E / 63.154; 17.238