Norrland

Norrland—historically called *Norrlanden*, meaning "the Northlands"—is Sweden's biggest, northernmost, and most sparsely populated traditional region. It covers nine historical provinces and makes up roughly 60% of Sweden's landmass, yet holds only about 12% of the country's people. Though it has no administrative function today, Norrland remains a distinct historical, cultural, and geographic area, commonly mentioned in contexts like weather reports. Its dialects form a unique subset of Swedish, clearly different from those spoken farther south.

The region's largest city is Umeå. Other county seats include Gävle, Härnösand, Östersund, and Luleå. Among the larger non-capital towns are Sundsvall, Skellefteå, and Örnsköldsvik, while Kiruna is the biggest settlement in the vast province of Lapland in the far north. Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise, and its deepest lake, Hornavan, are both in Norrland. Numerous long rivers start in the mountains and cut through the region’s forests; major coastal towns often sit at their mouths. The steep drops along these rivers make Norrland a key producer of hydroelectricity.

Winters here are cold by Swedish standards but relatively mild for the latitudes. The region’s sheer size creates a wide range of environments and climates—from the mild coastal weather of Gävleborg to the tundra of the high mountains. The most common climate type is subarctic. The cold conditions have made winter sports popular, and Norrland teams and athletes excel especially in ice hockey, skiing, and bandy.

**Provinces and counties** Norrland consists of nine historical provinces: Gästrikland, Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Medelpad, Ångermanland, Västerbotten, Norrbotten, and Lappland. Historically, Jämtland and Härjedalen belonged to Norway until 1645, so they are often considered outside the traditional Norrland. Meanwhile, Finland was part of Sweden until 1809, and during that period Norrland extended into northern Finland. Administratively, Sweden uses counties rather than provinces, but Norrland roughly corresponds to the modern counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Norrbotten, Västerbotten, and Västernorrland.

Sometimes Norrland is split into Northern Norrland (Norrbotten, Västerbotten, and Lappland) and Southern Norrland (the rest). There is also a concept of Middle Norrland, which is the northern part of Southern Norrland; its boundaries are vague, but it usually covers Ångermanland, Medelpad, Jämtland, and Härjedalen.

**Geography** Apart from the coast, Norrland is thinly populated. Most of the region consists of the Norrland terrain—hilly, forested land covered by boreal forests. Three north–south belts run through it: the Scandinavian Mountains in the west, the Muddus Plains across much of the interior, and the mixed relief of the eastern coast. Unlike the more crowded Svealand and Götaland, known for big cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö, Norrland is famous for its nature—wide forests, large rivers, and untouched wilderness.

Most inhabitants live in rural areas, small villages, or coastal cities. Late in the 20th century, the population in Norrland grew noticeably, largely from people moving out of bigger cities. The largest cities, from north to south, are Luleå, Skellefteå, Umeå, Östersund, Sundsvall, and Gävle—all except Östersund lie near the coast.

During the Industrial Revolution, which reached Sweden in the mid-1800s, Norrland became the source for the wood and pulp industry. All but four of its major rivers have been harnessed for hydropower, and these rivers provide the bulk of Sweden’s hydroelectricity—a resource that accounts for about 40% of the country’s total electricity production. Mines for precious metals have also operated here. Historically, and still today, Stockholm’s administration often viewed Norrland as a colony of natural resources to be exploited. A quote attributed to Axel Oxenstierna captures this attitude: “In Norrland we have an India within our borders, if only we realize we should be taking advantage of it.” Official Swedish history says little about the northern parts of the country.

Kebnekaise, Sweden’s tallest mountain at 2,097 meters, rises in Lapland in northern Norrland. The region’s climate varies greatly with altitude, latitude, and distance from the sea. Southern coastal areas have a humid continental climate; farther north, subarctic conditions dominate, though many areas are mild for that classification, especially along the coast. In the mountains, tundra climate occurs, with summer temperatures averaging below freezing—but that is due to elevation, not in populated areas. All low-lying parts of Norrland are below the tree line.