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The counties of Sweden (
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
: ''Sveriges län'') are the top-level geographic subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is today divided into 21 counties; however, the number of counties has varied over time, due to territorial gains/losses and to divisions and/or mergers of existing counties. This level of administrative unit was first established in the 1634 Instrument of Government on Lord Chancellor Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, and superseded the historical provinces of Sweden ( sv, landskap) in order to introduce a more efficient administration of the realm. At that time, they were what the translation of ''län'' into English literally means:
fiefdom A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of f ...
s. The county borders often follow the provincial borders, but the Crown often chose to make slight relocations to suit its purposes. In every county there is a
county administrative board A county administrative board ( sv, länsstyrelse) is a Swedish Government Agency in each of the counties of Sweden, led by a vice-regal governor ( sv, landshövding) appointed by the government for a term of six years. The lists of gubernatorial o ...
(''länsstyrelse'') headed by a governor ('' landshövding''), appointed by the
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
, as well as a separate regional council (''region''). In the county of Gotland however, the county's only municipality has adopted regional responsibilities. The aims of the county administrative board are to supervise local state administration (that is not otherwise assigned to other government agencies), and to coordinate political goals with the central government. The regional council is the elected regional political assembly that oversees the municipal affairs of the county, primarily in regard to public healthcare,
public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...
, and culture. Several other government agencies are organised on a county basis, including the main bodies of the police, employment,
social insurance Social insurance is a form of social welfare that provides insurance against economic risks. The insurance may be provided publicly or through the subsidizing of private insurance. In contrast to other forms of social assistance, individuals' ...
, and forestry services.


List of counties


Map

With county codes, which were official until 1974. *AB: Stockholm County *AC: Västerbotten County *BD: Norrbotten County *C:
Uppsala County Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) is a county or ''län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea. Prov ...
*D:
Södermanland County Södermanland County ( sv, Södermanlands län) is a county or ''län'' on the southeast coast of Sweden. In the local Sörmlandic dialects it is virtually universally shortened and pronounced as Sörmlands län, or simply Sörmland, which is th ...
*E: Östergötland County *F: Jönköping County *G: Kronoberg County *H: Kalmar County *I:
Gotland County Gotland County ( sv, Gotlands län) is a county or ''län'' of Sweden. Gotland is located in the Baltic Sea to the east of Öland, and is the largest of Sweden's islands. Counties are usually sub-divided into municipalities, but Gotland County ...
*K: Blekinge County *M: Skåne County *N: Halland County *O: Västra Götaland County *S: Värmland County *T: Örebro County *U: Västmanland County *W: Dalarna County *X: Gävleborg County *Y: Västernorrland County *Z: Jämtland County Each county region contains a number of municipalities (), the existence of which is partly at the discretion of the central government. Since 2004 their number has been 290, thus an average of 13.8 municipalities per county. Until 1968, the City of Stockholm had its own "county code" A, which is still used interchangeably with AB in some contexts, and County of Stockholm had county code B. L was for Kristianstad County and M was for Malmöhus County but since they were merged to form Skåne County, M is usually used. O used to stand for Gothenburg and Bohus County but has been used for Västra Götaland County since it was merged with
Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( sv, Skaraborgs län ) was a county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County. The count ...
(R) and
Älvsborg County Älvsborg County ( sv, Älvsborgs län) was a county of Sweden until 1997, when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg & Bohus and Skaraborg to form Västra Götaland County. The county corresponded to the traditional province of Dals ...
(P).


History


Older subdivisions

Sweden's
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
, or ''landskap'', and the "lands", or ''landsdelar'', lack political importance today but are common denominations culturally and historically. The provinces had their own laws and justice systems and could have large cultural and religious differences. Note that the province of Småland (literally ''small land'') historically was several provinces with its own laws. Here burial tradition in the era before the Viking Age could differ significantly from province to province. The province of Norrbotten is a relatively recent creation; it was part of Västerbotten which extended all the way to Österbotten into today's Finland before 1809. Finnish and Swedish Lappland was also one province until 1809. Historically, the provinces were grouped in three lands:
Götaland Götaland (; also '' Geatland'', '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, wit ...
, being southern and western Sweden;
Svealand Svealand (), or Swealand, is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three historical lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, T ...
being eastern and south-eastern, and
Norrland Norrland (, "Northland", originally ''Norrlanden'' or "the Northlands") is the northernmost, largest and least populated of the three traditional lands of Sweden, consisting of nine provinces. Although Norrland does not serve any administ ...
being the entire northern half. The names of the first two refer to ancient tribes, and the third is a geographical reference. They are still commonly used as geographical references. The boundaries have changed over time, with the most significant in 1658 (the cession of provinces from Denmark-Norway to Sweden) and 1812 (due to the loss of Finland to Russia in 1809). In 1812 some provinces were moved from
Götaland Götaland (; also '' Geatland'', '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, wit ...
to
Svealand Svealand (), or Swealand, is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three historical lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, T ...
.


Finland

After the
Finnish War The Finnish War ( sv, Finska kriget, russian: Финляндская война, fi, Suomen sota) was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a re ...
, Sweden was forced to cede the counties in Finland to
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
following the
Treaty of Fredrikshamn The Treaty of Fredrikshamn ( sv, Freden i Fredrikshamn; russian: Фридрихсгамский мирный договор), or the Treaty of Hamina ( fi, Haminan rauha), was a peace treaty concluded between Sweden and Imperial Russia on 17 ...
in (1809). However, the counties were upheld in Finland until a
reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement ...
in 1997. They are still in use in Sweden, 370 years later. The counties in Finland established in 1634 were:
Turku and Pori County Turku and Pori Province (, , ) was a Provinces of Finland, province of independent Finland from 1917 to 1997. The province was however founded as a county in 1634 when today's Finland was an integrated part of Sweden. It is named after the citi ...
,
Nyland and Tavastehus County Nyland and Tavastehus County (, ) was a Counties of Sweden, county of the Swedish Empire in Finland from 1634 to 1809. In 1775 whole northern part of the county (later Central Finland region) was transferred to the new Vaasa Province, Vasa Count ...
, Viborg and Nyslott County,
Ostrobothnia County Ostrobothnia County (, ) was a county of the Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the ...
and
Kexholm County Kexholm County (, ) was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1721, when the southern part was ceded to the Russian Empire in the Treaty of Nystad. The capital of the county was Kexholm (), which today is Priozersk. History The county ...
. Over time the number of subdivisions in Finland increased to twelve, until a reorganization in 1997 reduced their number to six
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
, while keeping the administrative model intact. The counties in Finland were abolished in 2010.


Abolished counties

Abolished counties in current-day Sweden proper were: *
Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( sv, Skaraborgs län ) was a county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County. The count ...
+ Gothenburg and Bohus County +
Älvsborg County Älvsborg County ( sv, Älvsborgs län) was a county of Sweden until 1997, when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg & Bohus and Skaraborg to form Västra Götaland County. The county corresponded to the traditional province of Dals ...
(merged as Västra Götaland County in 1998) * Kopparberg County (became Dalarna County in 1997) * Malmöhus County + Kristianstad County (merged as Skåne County in 1997) * Norrland County (in 1645 divided into Västerbotten County, Hudiksvall County and Härnösand County) * Nyköping County, Gripsholm County and Eskilstunahus County (united in 1683 to become
Södermanland County Södermanland County ( sv, Södermanlands län) is a county or ''län'' on the southeast coast of Sweden. In the local Sörmlandic dialects it is virtually universally shortened and pronounced as Sörmlands län, or simply Sörmland, which is th ...
) * Närke County (became Örebro County) * Härnösand County (1645–1654, formed Västernorrland County) * Hudiksvall County (1645–1654, formed Gävleborg County) * Office of the Governor of Stockholm (1634–1967, united with Stockholm County) * Svartsjö County (1786–1809, united with Stockholm County) *
Öland County Öland County, or ''Ölands län'', was a county of Sweden, between 1819 and 1826. It consisted of the island of Öland, designating the historical province of Öland as its own county. A Governor resided briefly at Borgholm, but the island is ...
(1819–1826, united with Kalmar County) Counties in Swedish-ruled Finland were: *
Turku and Pori County Turku and Pori Province (, , ) was a Provinces of Finland, province of independent Finland from 1917 to 1997. The province was however founded as a county in 1634 when today's Finland was an integrated part of Sweden. It is named after the citi ...
(1634–1809) *
Nyland and Tavastehus County Nyland and Tavastehus County (, ) was a Counties of Sweden, county of the Swedish Empire in Finland from 1634 to 1809. In 1775 whole northern part of the county (later Central Finland region) was transferred to the new Vaasa Province, Vasa Count ...
(1634–1809) *
Ostrobothnia County Ostrobothnia County (, ) was a county of the Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the ...
(1634–1775) * Viborg and Nyslott County (1634–1721) *
Kexholm County Kexholm County (, ) was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1721, when the southern part was ceded to the Russian Empire in the Treaty of Nystad. The capital of the county was Kexholm (), which today is Priozersk. History The county ...
(1634–1721) * Kymmenegård and Nyslott County (1721–1747) * Savolax and Kymmenegård County (1747–1775) *
Vasa County Vasa may refer to: Places * Vaşa, Azerbaijan * Vasa County, a historic county in modern-day Finland * Vaasa or Vasa, Finland * Vasa, Rajasthan, a village in Sirohi District, Rajasthan, India * Vasa, Palghar, a village in Maharashtra, India * ...
(1775–1809) * Oulu County (1775–1809) * Kymmenegård County (1775–1809) * Savolax and Karelia County (1775–1809)


Proposed regions

Under the aegis of the Swedish government, ''Ansvarskommittén'' has been investigating the possibilities of merging the current 21 counties into 6 to 9 larger regions. These proposals are from their final report, delivered in 2007: # ''Norra Sverige'': Norrbotten County + Västerbotten County + Jämtland County + Västernorrland County + Nordanstig and
Hudiksvall Hudiksvall () is a city and the seat of Hudiksvall Municipality, in Hälsingland, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 15,015 inhabitants in 2010. Hudiksvall is also known as Glada Hudik ( en, Happy Hudik), a term that originated in the 19th century as ...
# ''Bergslagen'': the rest of Gävleborg County + Dalarna County + Örebro County + Värmland County # ''Mälardalen'': Stockholm County +
Uppsala County Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) is a county or ''län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea. Prov ...
+
Södermanland County Södermanland County ( sv, Södermanlands län) is a county or ''län'' on the southeast coast of Sweden. In the local Sörmlandic dialects it is virtually universally shortened and pronounced as Sörmlands län, or simply Sörmland, which is th ...
+ Västmanland County +
Gotland County Gotland County ( sv, Gotlands län) is a county or ''län'' of Sweden. Gotland is located in the Baltic Sea to the east of Öland, and is the largest of Sweden's islands. Counties are usually sub-divided into municipalities, but Gotland County ...
# ''Västra Götaland'': Västra Götaland County + Halland County # ''Östra Götaland'': Östergötland County + Jönköping County + Kronoberg County + Kalmar County # ''Södra Götaland'': Skåne County + Blekinge County # ''Norra Sverige'': Norrbotten County + Västerbotten County + Örnsköldsvik # ''Mellannorrland'': Jämtland County + Västernorrland County (except Örnsköldsvik) + Nordanstig and
Hudiksvall Hudiksvall () is a city and the seat of Hudiksvall Municipality, in Hälsingland, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 15,015 inhabitants in 2010. Hudiksvall is also known as Glada Hudik ( en, Happy Hudik), a term that originated in the 19th century as ...
# ''Dalarna-Gävleborg'': Dalarna County + Gävleborg County (except Nordanstig and Hudiksvall) # ''Västra Svealand'': Värmland County + Örebro County # ''Mälardalen'': Stockholm County +
Uppsala County Uppsala County ( sv, Uppsala län) is a county or ''län'' on the eastern coast of Sweden, whose capital is the city of Uppsala. It borders the counties of Dalarna, Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea. Prov ...
+
Södermanland County Södermanland County ( sv, Södermanlands län) is a county or ''län'' on the southeast coast of Sweden. In the local Sörmlandic dialects it is virtually universally shortened and pronounced as Sörmlands län, or simply Sörmland, which is th ...
+ Västmanland County +
Gotland County Gotland County ( sv, Gotlands län) is a county or ''län'' of Sweden. Gotland is located in the Baltic Sea to the east of Öland, and is the largest of Sweden's islands. Counties are usually sub-divided into municipalities, but Gotland County ...
# ''Västra Götaland'': Västra Götaland County + Halland County # ''Östergötland'': Östergötland County + Västervik # ''Småland'': Jönköping County + Kronoberg County + Kalmar County (except Västervik) # ''Södra Götaland'': Skåne County + Blekinge County A model for this comes from the merger of some counties into Skåne County and Västra Götaland County in 1997 and 1998, respectively, which is now considered a success. The counties are discussing the proposal. An obstacle is that Stockholm County does not want to merge with any other county, while its neighbours want to merge with Stockholm. After this discussion the following proposal has in 2016 emerged: # Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Västernorrland and Jämtland county # Dalarna, Gävleborgs, Södermanlands, Uppsala, Västmanland and Örebro county # Östergötland, Jönköping, Kalmar and Kronoberg county # Gotland and Stockholm county # Halland, Värmland and Västra Götaland county # Blekinge and Skåne county The main difference is that the proposed Bergslagen is divided to other counties, and Stockholm is on its own (plus the small Gotland which has air connections to Stockholm)


Riksområden

The counties in Sweden correspond to the third level of division in the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
's system of Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics. For the purpose of creating regions corresponding to the second level, counties have been grouped into eight Riksområden, or ''National Areas'': Stockholm, East Middle Sweden, North Middle Sweden, Middle Norrland, Upper Norrland, Småland and the islands, West Sweden and South Sweden.


See also

*
Administrative divisions of Sweden There are several series of subdivisions of Sweden. * Judiciary *# Supreme Court (''Högsta Domstolen''), Supreme Administrative Court (''Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen'') *# Courts of appeal (''hovrätter''), administrative courts of appea ...
* Ranked list of Swedish counties *
ISO 3166-2 codes for Sweden ISO 3166-2:SE is the entry for Sweden in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions (e.g., provinces or states) ...
* Subdivisions of the Nordic countries


References


External links


The Swedish County administrative boardsOfficial site of the Swedish government
(searchable) {{DEFAULTSORT:Counties Of Sweden Subdivisions of Sweden
Counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
Sweden 1 Counties, Sweden Sweden geography-related lists