This article is about the administrative county. For the Riksdag constituency, seeJönköping County (Riksdag constituency). For the culture, geography and history of the larger Småland region, which includes Jönköping County, seeSmåland.
Jönköping County (Swedish:Jönköpings län) is acounty orlän in southernSweden. It borders the counties ofHalland,Västra Götaland,Östergötland,Kalmar andKronoberg. The total county population was 356,291 inhabitants in September 2017. The capital and largest city isJönköping. About one quarter of the total county population lives in the combined Jönköping-Huskvarna urban area around the southern point of LakeVättern.
Despite being commonly used to indicate the geographical, cultural and historical region, the larger historicalprovince(landskap) ofSmåland, which most of Jönköping County is part of, has no administrative or political significance today. Jönköping County has existed as an administrative division since the 17th century, and constitutes the north-western part of Småland, the other parts beingKronoberg County in the south-west andKalmar County in the east. Jönköping County was periodically united with neighbouringKronoberg County in the singleJönköping and Kronoberg County until 1687. Until the 18th century the administration was housed in the Renaissance fortress atJönköping Castle, which was demolished in the 19th century; the former site of the castle is still the site of the County Administrative Board building and the Governor's residence.
Habo Municipality andMullsjö Municipality, from the south-eastern part of the historical province ofVästergötland, are since the dissolution ofSkaraborg County in 1998 also part of Jönköping County; both municipalities joined Jönköping County as the results of local referendums in 1997.
The main aim of theCounty Administrative Board is to fulfill the goals set in national politics by theRiksdag and theGovernment, to coordinate the interests and promote the development of the county, to establish regional goals and safeguard the due process of law in the handling of each case. The County Administrative Board is aGovernment Agency headed by a Governor. The seat of residence for the Governor orLandshövding is the city ofJönköping. See thelist of Jönköping Governors.
The main responsibilities of theCounty Council of Jönköping, orLandstinget i Jönköpings län, are the regionalpublic healthcare system andpublic transport. The County Council Assembly(landstingsfullmäktige), which is the elected body for regional municipal issues, is elected every four years concurrently with theRiksdag elections.
Jönköping County is the strongest electoral region of theChristian Democrats, who traditionally have a large following among members of evangelical churches in the region. The County Council Assembly and most of the municipalities in the county are governed by liberal-conservative, center-right coalitions. TheSocial Democrats have historically been strong in mill towns and industrial districts of Jönköping County.
In the1922 prohibition referendum which would have banned the sale of alcohol in Sweden, Jönköping County at 81.5% had the strongest support for the ban.[3]
The table details allRiksdag election results of Jönköping County since the unicameral era began in1970. The blocs denote which party would support the Prime Minister or the lead opposition party towards the end of the elected parliament.
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.[22] The chart lists election years and the last year on record alone.
Jönköping County was formally granted its arms in 1942. By custom it used a combination of the lesser state arms of Sweden and the arms for the town of Jönköping. Blazon for the town of Jönköping: "Gules, a Castle with three towers Argent massoned windowed and gated Sable issuant from a Base wavy Azure".
