Editing Provinces of Sweden

{{For|the modern administrative subdivisions|Counties of Sweden||}}{{For|the regional governments previously known as County Councils|Regions of Sweden||}}{{short description|Historical and cultural geographical region}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2007}}
[[File:Provinces of Sweden by population (2016).png|330px|thumb|Population of Swedish provinces in 2016<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/statistik-efter-amne/befolkning/befolkningens-sammansattning/befolkningsstatistik/pong/tabell-och-diagram/helarsstatistik--forsamling-landskap-och-stad/folkmangd-i-landskapen-den-31-december-2016/|title=Folkmängd i landskapen den 31 december 2016|date=21 March 2017|publisher=[[Statistics Sweden]]|language=Swedish|access-date=17 April 2018|archive-date=31 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031010714/https://www.scb.se/hitta-statistik/statistik-efter-amne/befolkning/befolkningens-sammansattning/befolkningsstatistik/pong/tabell-och-diagram/helarsstatistik--forsamling-landskap-och-stad/folkmangd-i-landskapen-den-31-december-2016/|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
The 25 '''provinces of Sweden''' ({{langx|sv|Sveriges landskap}}) are [[Historical region|historical]], geographical and cultural regions. They have no administrative function, but retain their own cultural identities, dialects and folklore.

Several were administrative subdivisions until 1634, when they were replaced by the [[counties of Sweden]] ({{lang|sv|län}}). Some were conquered later on from [[Denmark–Norway]]. Others, like the [[historical provinces of Finland|provinces of Finland]], have been lost.

In some cases, the county and province borders correspond almost exactly, as with [[Blekinge]] and [[Blekinge County]]. The island of [[Gotland]] is both a [[Gotland|province]], a [[Gotland County|county]] and a [[Gotland Municipality|municipality]] (''kommun''). The only other province to share a name with a modern municipality is [[Härjedalen]], though the borders are not quite the same. Administrative borders are subject to change – for example, several of today's counties were created in the 1990s – while the provincial borders have remained stable for centuries. All the provinces are also ceremonial [[Duchy|duchies]], but as such have no administrative or political functions.

Nevertheless, the provinces of Sweden are no archaic concept; they are still referenced in everyday speech and seen as culturally distinct. The main exception is [[Lapland (Sweden)|Lapland]], where people see themselves as citizens of [[Västerbotten County|Västerbotten]] or [[Norrbotten County|Norrbotten]], based on the [[counties of Sweden|counties]].

Sweden's two largest cities, [[Stockholm]] and [[Gothenburg]], both have provincial borders running through them: Stockholm is split between [[Uppland]] and [[Södermanland]], and Gothenburg is split between [[Västergötland]] and [[Bohuslän]]. According to a 2011 survey, people in major cities – Stockholm, Gothenburg and, to a lesser extent, [[Malmö]] – identify primarily with their city, rather than their province.<ref>{{cite web|author1=GfK Sverige AB|url=https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/gfk-sverige-ab/pressreleases/svenskarna-aer-mer-lokala-aen-nationella-i-sin-geografiska-identitet-717825|title=Svenskarna är mer lokala än nationella i sin geografiska identitet|date=21 December 2011 |access-date=13 December 2021|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213223908/https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/gfk-sverige-ab/pressreleases/svenskarna-aer-mer-lokala-aen-nationella-i-sin-geografiska-identitet-717825|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Provinces ==

{|
|-
!Swedish
!Latin
!rowspan="33"|{{Provinces of Sweden imagemap}}
|-
||[[Ångermanland]]||''Angermannia''<ref name="p638">{{cite book | last=Vilborg | first=Ebbe | title=Norstedts svensk-latinska ordbok | date=2009 | isbn=978-91-7227-572-0 | language=sv | page=| publisher=Norstedts akademiska förlag }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Graesse |first1=Johann Georg Theodor |url=https://www.bavarikon.de/object/bav:BSB-CMS-0000000000003989?lang=en |title=Orbis latinus : Lexikon lateinischer geographischer Namen des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit |last2=Benedict |first2=Friedrich |last3=Plechl |first3=Helmut |last4=Plechl |first4=Sophie-Charlotte |publisher=Klinkhardt & Biermann |year=1972 |edition=full |location=Braunschweig |pages= |language=de}}</ref>{{efn|also ''Angermania''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Blekinge]]||''Blekingia''<ref name="p638"/>{{efn|also ''Bleckingia provincia'', ''Blechingia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Bohuslän]]||''Bahusiana provincia<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />''
|-
||[[Dalarna]]||''Dalecarlia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Dalia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Dalsland]]||''Dalia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />
|-
||[[Gästrikland]]||''Gestricia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />
|-
||[[Gotland]]||''Gotlandia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Godlandia'', ''Gothia'', ''Gothlandia'', ''Guthia'', ''Gutlandia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Halland]]||''Hallandia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Halandia provincia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Hälsingland]]||''Helsingia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />
|-
||[[Härjedalen]]||''Herdalia''<ref name="letterh" >{{Cite web |title=Orbis Latinus - Letter H |url=https://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/Graesse/orblath.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=www.columbia.edu}}</ref>{{efn|also ''Herndalia'', ''Harnedalia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Jämtland]]||''Iemtia''<ref name="p638"/>{{efn|also ''Iemptia provincia'', ''Jemtia<ref name=":1" />''}}
|-
||[[Lapland (Sweden)|Lappland]]||''Lapponia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Lappa'', ''Lappia'', ''Loppia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Medelpad]]||''Medelpadia''<ref name="p638"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Orbis Latinus - Letter M |url=https://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/Graesse/orblatm.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=www.columbia.edu}}</ref>
|-
||[[Närke]]||''Nericia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Neringa''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Norrbotten]]||''Botnia septentrionalis''<ref name="p638"/>
|-
||[[Öland]]||''Oelandia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Olandia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Östergötland]]||''Ostrogothia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Gothia orientalis''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Scania|Skåne]]||''Scania''<ref name="p638"/>{{efn|also ''Schonia''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orbis Latinus - Letter S |url=https://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/Graesse/orblats.html#Scania |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=www.columbia.edu}}</ref>}}
|-
||[[Småland]]||''Smolandia''<ref name="p638"/>
|-
||[[Södermanland]]{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}{{nbsp}}||''Sudermannia''<ref name="p638"/>{{efn|also ''Sudermannia provincia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Uppland]]||''Uplandia''<ref name="p638"/><ref name=":1" />
|-
||[[Värmland]]||''Wermelandia provincia''<ref name=":1" />
|-
||[[Västerbotten]]||''Westrobotnia''<ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Bothnia occidentalis''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
||[[Västergötland]]||''Westrogothia''<ref name=":1" />{{efn|also ''Gothia occidentalis'', ''Westragothia''<ref name=":1" />}}
|-
|[[Västmanland]]||''Westmannia provincia''<ref name=":1" />
|}

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<div style="text-align:center;">
<span style="font-weight:bold;">[[Norrland]]</span><br/>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<span style="font-weight:bold;">[[Svealand]]</span><br/>
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<span style="display:inline-block; background:#ffe680; width:30px; height:20px; margin:2px;"></span>
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<div style="text-align:center;">
<span style="font-weight:bold;">[[Götaland]]</span><br/>
<span style="display:inline-block; background:#afdde9; width:30px; height:20px; margin:2px;"></span>
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English and other languages occasionally use Latin names for Swedish provinces. The name ''Scania'' for Skåne is particularly common in English. Some English [[exonym]]s and spellings, such as ''the Dales'' for Dalarna, ''East Gothland'' for Östergötland, ''Swedish Lapland'' for Lapland and ''West Bothnia'' for Västerbotten, are also found in English literature.<ref>[[Eric Linklater]] in ''The Life of Charles XII'' (1960)</ref><ref>[[Robert Nisbet Bain]] in ''Gustavus III and His Contemporaries'' (1894)</ref><ref>[[Bernard Quaritch]] in ''The stories of the Kings of Norway Called the Round World (Heimskringla)'' (1893)</ref>

== History ==

[[File:Svpmap blank.png|right|thumb|170px|Sweden's provinces from 1658 to 1809]]

The origins of the provincial divisions lay in the [[petty kingdom]]s that gradually became more and more subjected to the [[King of Sweden|central monarchy]] during the [[consolidation of Sweden]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Clemensson |first1=Per |title=Your Swedish roots: a step by step handbook |last2=Andersson |first2=Kjell |date=2004 |publisher=Ancestry |isbn=978-1-59331-276-3 |location=Provo, UT |pages=30}}</ref> Until the [[Magnus Erikssons landslag|country law of Magnus Eriksson]] in 1350, each of these lands still had its own laws and its own assembly ([[thing (assembly)|thing]]), and in effect governed itself. The first provinces were considered [[duchy|duchies]], but newly conquered provinces received the status of duchy or [[county]], depending on importance.{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

After the separation from the [[Kalmar Union]] in 1523, the Kingdom incorporated only some of its new conquests as provinces. The most permanent acquisitions stemmed from the [[Treaty of Roskilde]] in 1658, in which the former [[Denmark|Danish]] [[Scanian lands]] ([[Skåne]], [[Blekinge]] and [[Halland]]), along with [[Gotland]] and the Norwegian [[Bohuslän]], [[Jämtland]] and [[Härjedalen]], became Swedish and gradually integrated. Other foreign territories were ruled as [[Dominions of Sweden|Swedish Dominions]] under the Swedish monarch, in some cases for centuries. [[Norway]], in [[personal union]] with Sweden from 1814 to 1905, never became an integral part of Sweden.

When Sweden ceded Finland to the [[Russian Empire]] in 1809, [[Västerbotten]] was divided up so that [[Norrbotten County|Norrbotten]] first emerged as a county. Eventually, it came to be recognized as [[Norrbotten|its own province]]. It was granted a coat of arms as late as in 1995.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Nevéus |first=Clara |title=Ny svensk vapenbok |date=1992 |publisher=Streiffert i samarbete med Riksarkivet |isbn=978-91-7886-092-0 |location=Stockholm |language=sv}}</ref>

Some scholars suggest that Sweden revived the concept of provinces in the 19th century.<ref>Jacobsson, Benny (2000). [http://people.su.se/~benny/Uppland.htm "Konstruktion av landskap. Exemplet Uppland"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202114846/http://people.su.se/~benny/Uppland.htm |date=2 February 2009 }}. ''Idéhistoriska perspektiv''. Ed. Ingemar Nilsson, Arachne 16, Göteborg 2000, p. 109-119. Retrieved 20 October 2006. (In Swedish).
</ref>

=== The lands of Sweden===
Historically, Sweden was seen as containing four ”lands” (larger regions):
* [[Götaland]] (southern Sweden)
* [[Svealand]] (central Sweden)
* [[Österland]] (Finland, from the 13th century to 1809)
* [[Norrland]] (northern parts of present-day Sweden and north-western Finland)

In the [[Viking Age]] and earlier, Götaland and Svealand were home to a number of [[petty kingdom]]s that were more or less independent; Götaland in the Iron Age and Middle Ages did not include [[Scania]] and other provinces in the far south, which were then part of [[Denmark]]. The leading tribe of Götaland in the Iron Age was the [[Geat]]s; the main tribe of Svealand, according to [[Tacitus]] ca 100 AD, was the [[Suiones]] (or the ”historical Swedes”). ”Norrland” was all the unexplored northern parts, the boundaries and Swedish control over which were weakly defined into the early modern age.

Due to the [[Northern Crusades]] against [[Finns proper|Finns]], [[Tavastians]] and [[Karelia (historical province of Finland)|Karelians]] and [[Swedish colonisation of Finland|colonisation of some coastal areas]] of the country, Finland fell under the Catholic Church and Swedish rule. ''Österland'' ("Eastern land"; the name had early gone out of use) in southern and central Finland formed an integral part of Sweden. Russia annexed Finland in 1809, and reunited it with some frontier counties annexed earlier to form the [[Grand Duchy of Finland]]. In 1917, Finland became [[Finland|an independent country]].

The regional borders have changed several times throughout history with changing national borders. Norrland, Svealand and Götaland are only ''parts'' of Sweden, and have never superseded the concept of the provinces.

== Heraldry ==
[[File:Västerbottens vapen crowned.svg|thumb|upright=0.8|Västerbotten's arms with a ducal coronet]]
At the funeral of King [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav Vasa]] (Gustav I) in 1560, the arms for 24 provinces of Sweden, including Finland, were displayed together for the first time, most of them created for that occasion.<ref name=ne>{{cite encyclopedia |last=von Konow |first=Jan |encyclopedia=Nationalencyklopedin |title=Landskapsvapen |trans-title=Regional arms |url=https://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/l%C3%A5ng/landskapsvapen |language=Swedish |year=1993 |publisher=NE Natnionalencyklopedin |series= |volume=10 |location= |id= |isbn=978-91-976240-9-1}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> [[Erik XIV of Sweden]] modelled the funeral processions on those of German [[duke]]s, who in turn may have styled their displays after [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Charles V]]'s funeral, where a host of banners represented each entry in the King's long list of titles. Gustav Vasa's title only had three entries – "King of [[Svealand|Sweden]], [[Götaland|the Goths]] and [[Wends|the Wends]]" – so banners were created for each Swedish province for a better display.

Some of these arms were short-lived, such as the beaver for [[Medelpad]] (changed in the 1570s),<ref name=":0" /> the wolverine for [[Värmland]] (changed in 1567)<ref name=":0" /> and the roses on [[Småland]]’s arms. [[Östergötland]] was represented by two different arms, one with a ''Västanstång'' dragon and one with a ''Östanstång'' lion. The current arms for Östergötland (see below) were created in 1884.<ref name=":0" />

The current arms for Småland were created for the coronation of [[John III of Sweden|John III]] in 1569. The wild man representing [[Lapland (Sweden)|Lapland]] was created for the funeral of [[Charles IX of Sweden|Charles IX]] in 1612.<ref name=":0" /> Arms for Jämtland were created when Norway ceded the province to Sweden in 1635. Arms for Härjedalen were created later. The arms for Blekinge, Bohuslän, Halland and Skåne were created for the funeral of [[Charles X Gustav]] in 1660. The Arms for Norrbotten were created as late as 1995.<ref name=":0" />

At [[Erik XIV]]'s coronation in 1561, a division of the provinces into 'duchies' ({{lang|sv|hertigdom}}) and 'counties' ({{lang|sv|grevskap}}) was introduced. However, this system never achieved lasting stability. In 1884, the [[King in Council (Sweden)|King in Council]] gave all provinces the right of use to a ducal coronet for their coat of arms.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nevéus |first=Clara |url=https://archive.org/details/nysvenskvapenbok0000neve/ |title=Ny svensk vapenbok |date=1992 |publisher=Streiffert |isbn=978-91-7886-092-0 |location=Stockholm |pages=16–17 |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Landskapens vapen |last=Hildebrandt |first=Hans |journal=Antiqvarisk/Antikvarisk tidskrift för Sverige / Nionde delen|url=https://runeberg.org/antiqtid/9/0058.html |pages=54–57 |language=sv}}</ref><ref name=ne/> Some of the [[Historical provinces of Finland|Finnish provinces]], which were separated from Sweden in 1809, still feature a count's coronet.

=== Götaland ===
[[Götaland]] comprises ten provinces in the southern part of Sweden. Until 1645, [[Gotland]] and [[Halland]] were parts of Denmark. Also, until 1658 [[Blekinge]] and [[Scania]] were parts of Denmark, and [[Bohuslän]] was part of [[Norway]]. [[Värmland]] was counted as part of Götaland until 1812.

{{gallery|mode=packed|height=115|style=font-size:88%|noborder=y
| Bohusläns vapen.svg            | [[Bohuslän]]
| Dalslands vapen.svg            | [[Dalsland]]
| Västergötlands vapen.svg       | [[Västergötland]]
| Östergötland vapen .svg        | [[Östergötland]]
| Smålands vapen.svg             | [[Småland]]
| Ölands vapen.svg               | [[Öland]]
| Gotlands vapen.svg             | [[Gotland]]
| Hallands vapen.svg             | [[Halland]]
| Skåne landskapsvapen.svg       | [[Scania]] (''Skåne'')
| Blekinges vapen.svg            | [[Blekinge]]
}}

=== Svealand ===
[[Svealand]] comprises six provinces in central Sweden. Until 1812, Värmland was counted as part of Götaland instead.

{{gallery|mode=packed|height=115|style=font-size:88%|noborder=y
| Dalarnas vapen.svg      | [[Dalarna]]
| Värmlands vapen.svg     | [[Värmland]]
| Västmanlands vapen.svg  | [[Västmanland]]
| Närkes vapen.svg        | [[Närke]]
| Upplands vapen.svg      | [[Uppland]]
| Södermanlands vapen.svg | [[Södermanland]]
}}

=== Norrland ===
[[Norrland]] today comprises nine provinces in Northern and central Sweden. Until 1645 the provinces of [[Jämtland]] and [[Härjedalen]] were parts of Norway. In 1809, when Sweden ceded Finland to the [[Russian Empire]], the old province of [[Laponia (historical province)|Lapland]] was split into [[Swedish Lapland]] and [[Lapland, Finland|Finnish Lapland]]. [[Norrbotten]] was separated from [[Västerbotten]] at the same time, and developed its own provincial identity during the 19th century.{{gallery|mode=packed|height=115|style=font-size:88%|noborder=y
| Lapplands vapen .svg    | [[Swedish Lapland|Lapland]]
| Norrbottens vapen.svg   | [[Norrbotten]]
| Västerbottens vapen.svg | [[Västerbotten]]
| Jämtlands vapen.svg     | [[Jämtland]]
| Ångermanlands vapen.svg | [[Ångermanland]]
| Medelpads vapen.svg     | [[Medelpad]]
| Härjedalens vapen.svg   | [[Härjedalen]]
| Hälsinglands vapen.svg  | [[Hälsingland]]
| Gästrikland vapen .svg  | [[Gästrikland]]
}}

==See also==
{{commons category|Provinces of Sweden}}
*[[Lands of Sweden]]
*[[Dominions of Sweden]]
*[[Historical provinces of Finland]]
*[[Counties of Sweden]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Provinces of Sweden}}
{{Sweden topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Provinces Of Sweden}}
[[Category:Provinces of Sweden| ]]
[[Category:Historical regions|Sweden]]
[[Category:Vernacular geography]]