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Thelands of Sweden (Swedish:Sveriges landsdelar) are three traditional andhistorical regions of the country, each consisting of severalprovinces. The division into lands goes back to theconsolidation of Sweden, whenGötaland, the land of theGeats, merged withSvealand, the land of theSwedes, to form the country, whileNorrland andÖsterland (the latter nowFinland) were added later.[citation needed] The lands have no administrative function but are still seen by many Swedes as an important part of their identity.
The lands have no administrative functions[a] or coats of arms, but are in common use when referring to different parts of the country, including in all nationwide weather reports in Swedish media.
Areas and populations of thelands:
| Land | GDP (billionSEK | Population (2021)[1] | Area | Density | Num. of prov. | Provinces | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km2 | sq mi | per km2 | per sq mi | |||||
| Götaland | 1,812.447 | 4,995,764 | 97,841 | 37,777 | 51 | 130 | 10 | Scania,Blekinge,Halland,Småland,Öland,Gotland,Östergötland,Västergötland,Dalsland andBohuslän |
| Svealand | 1,960.351 | 4,268,504 | 91,098 | 35,173 | 47 | 120 | 6 | Södermanland,Uppland,Västmanland,Närke,Värmland andDalarna |
| Norrland | 427.062 | 1,188,031 | 261,292 | 100,885 | 4.5 | 12 | 9 | Gästrikland,Hälsingland,Härjedalen,Jämtland,Medelpad,Ångermanland,Västerbotten,Norrbotten andLappland |
Sweden was historically divided into the four lands:Götaland,Svealand,Norrland andÖsterland.
In theSecond Treaty of Brömsebro (1645)Denmark-Norway ceded the Norwegian provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen to Sweden. These provinces are part of Norrland. In theTreaty of Roskilde (1658), Denmark-Norway ceded Scania, Blekinge and Halland (Skåneland) and Bohuslän to Sweden. These provinces are since then part of Götaland.
After theFinnish War (1808–1809), the eastern part of Sweden was ceded toRussia, thus becoming theImperial RussianGrand Duchy of Finland, withNorrland divided between these two states. The Swedish portion of Norrland still represents more than half of Sweden's territory; it remains, however, sparsely populated compared to the south and middle.
Media related toLands of Sweden at Wikimedia Commons
