The Kalix archipelago ( sv, Kalix skärgård) is a group of 792 Swedish islands in the north part of the

Bay of Bothnia The Bothnian Bay or Bay of Bothnia (; ) is the northernmost part of the Gulf of Bothnia, which is in turn the northern part of the Baltic Sea. The land holding the bay is still rising after the weight of ice-age glaciers has been removed, and wi ...

. The largest island in the Kalix archipelago is Rånön. A few of the islands have small permanent populations, but most are used only for recreation in the summer months. They are icebound during the winter.

Location

The north of the bay of Bothnia contains a large archipelago area. The islands in the Swedish sector make up the

Norrbotten archipelago The Norrbotten archipelago ( sv, Norrbotten skärgård) is a group of Swedish islands in the north part of the Bay of Bothnia. A few of the islands have small permanent populations, but most are used only for recreation in the summer months. They ...

. It is divided into the archipelagos of Piteå (550 islands), Luleå (1,312 islands), Kalix (792 islands) and

Haparanda Haparanda (; fi, Haaparanta, , aspen shore or bank) is a locality and the seat of Haparanda Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. It is adjacent to Tornio, Finland. Haparanda had a population of 4,856 in 2010, out of a municipal total of ...

(652 islands). Due to

post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound ...

the land is rising at from annually, so the shoreline can retreat by as much as in one person's lifetime. As a result, the islands are growing in size but the waters and harbors are becoming shallower. The largest island in the Kalix archipelago, and in the Norbotten archipelago as a whole, is Rånön. It is the only island in Kalix that once had a resident population, who lived from forestry, fishing and farming. Traces can still be seen.

Stora Huvön Stora Huvön is an island in the northwest of the Swedish sector of the Bay of Bothnia, in the Kalix archipelago. Description Stora Huvön was voted one of Sweden's most lovely islands in a nationwide poll. It has a fine, natural harbor protected ...

is said to be one of the most beautiful islands in Sweden, with cliffs that rise from the sea, a sandy beach, and deep tree-filled valleys. Malören, in the outer archipelago, has a chapel that dates to the 1770s. Some of other islands include

Bergön Bergön is an island in the northwest of the Swedish sector of the Bay of Bothnia, in the Kalix archipelago. The north end of the island has facilities for recreational boating. The southern part, which is used for forestry, has been proposed as ...

, Berghamn,

Björn Bjorn (English, Dutch), Björn (Swedish, Icelandic, Dutch, and German), Bjørn (Danish, Faroese and Norwegian), Beorn (Old English) or, rarely, Bjôrn, Biorn, or Latinized Biornus, Brum (Portuguese), is a Scandinavian male given name, or less oft ...

Getskär Getskär and Renskär are two islands in the north of the Swedish sector of the Bay of Bothnia, in the Kalix archipelago, that have become joined through uplift of the land due to post-glacial rebound and are now one. Location Getskär and Rensk ...

-Renskär, Halsön, Granön, Likskär and Stora Trutskär.

Climate

The archipelago is only south of the Arctic Circle, so there is daylight for 24 hours in the summer, and full moon all day in the winter. The waters around the archipelago are brackish, with less the 10% of the salt content of the Atlantic. The sea freezes in January and remain frozen until March–April.

References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kalix archipelago Swedish islands in the Baltic Archipelagoes of Sweden Landforms of Norrbotten County Kalix

Location

Climate

See also

References