Västernorrland County ( sv, Västernorrlands län) is a county (''

län Län ( Swedish, ), lääni ( Finnish, ) and len ( Norwegian, ) refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland and Norway. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010. In Norway, the term was in use b ...

'') in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name ''Västernorrland'' means "Western Norrland", as it was in the western part of the original Norrland (northern Sweden and northern Finland).

Province

''For History, Geography and Culture, see:

Ångermanland Ångermanland ( or ) is a historical province (''landskap'') in the northern part of Sweden. It is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Swedish Lapland, Västerbotten, the Gulf of Bothnia, Medelpad and Jämtland. The name is derived from ...

or Medelpad'' Västernorrland County covers approximately the historical provinces of Ångermanland (Angermannia) and Medelpad.

Administration

The main aim of the county administrative board – a government agency headed by a governor – is to fulfil the goals set out in national politics by the Riksdag and the government, to coordinate the interests of the county, to promote the development of the county, to establish regional goals and safeguard the due process of law in the handling of each case. See List of Västernorrland governors.

Politics

The

county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...

of Västernorrland is the '.

Riksdag elections

The table details all Riksdag election results of Västernorrland County since the unicameral era began in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

. The blocs denote which party would support the Prime Minister or the lead opposition party towards the end of the elected parliament.

Municipalities

''In Medelpad Province:'' * Sundsvall * Timrå * Ånge ''In

Province:'' *

Härnösand Härnösand () is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 17,556 inhabitants in 2010. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape just a few miles north of ...

Kramfors Kramfors () is a locality and the seat of Kramfors Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It had a population of 5,990 inhabitants in 2010. The town grew on the western bank of the Ångerman river in the 19th century as harvested logs w ...

* Sollefteå * Örnsköldsvik

Demographics

Foreign background

SCB have collected statistics on backgrounds of residents since 2002. These tables consist of all who have two foreign-born parents or are born abroad themselves. The chart lists election years and the last year on record alone.

History

Västernorrland County was formed in 1634, when counties were introduced, replacing the older provinces. Västernorrland then included parts of Sweden north of the city of Gävle, except Jämtland and Härjedalen – which belonged to Norway – and except Finland. The county grew and shrank significantly since its creation. The boundary adjustments: * Västerbotten County was separated in 1637. * Jämtland and Härjedalen joined in 1657, but they both separated as Jämtland County in 1810. * Gävleborg County separated in 1762. * Other minor changes have taken place. Even though the name ''Västernorrland'' literally means "Western Norrland", it is today situated on the eastern coast of Swedish Norrland. The "west" in its name (') arose due to the fact that, at the time, Norrland was a much larger region, including northern Finland as well. Västernorrland was therefore in the western "arm" of Norrland in its broadest sense.

Heraldry

The arms for the County of Västernorrland are a combination of those of

and Medelpad. When it is shown with a royal crown, it represents the county administrative board. Blazon: "Parted per pale, the arms of Angermannia and the arms of Medelpad."

Miscellaneous topics

Local public transport in the county is provided by Din Tur.

References and notes

External links

Västernorrland County Administrative BoardVästernorrland County Council
*Regional Association of Local Authorities in Västernorrland {{DEFAULTSORT:Vasternorrland County Counties of Sweden Ångermanland Medelpad