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Native name: Stockholms skärgård | |
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 Map of the Stockholm Archipelago, covering the area from Arholma in the north to Landsort in the south | |
  Stockholm Archipelago | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Baltic Sea |
| Coordinates | 59°23′16″N18°44′09″E / 59.38778°N 18.73581°E /59.38778; 18.73581 |
| Total islands | 34,316 |
| Major islands | Dalarö,Finnhamn,Nässlingen [sv],Grinda,Husarö,Ingarö,Ljusterö,Möja,Nämdö [sv],Rödlöga,Tynningö,Utö,Svartsö,Värmdö |
| Administration | |
| County | Stockholm County |
| Official name | Svenska Högarna-Nassa |
| Designated | 12 June 1989 |
| Reference no. | 435[1] |
TheStockholm Archipelago (Swedish:Stockholms skärgård) is the largestarchipelago inSweden, and the second-largest archipelago in theBaltic Sea (the largest being theArchipelago Sea across the Baltic in Finland). Part of the archipelago has been designated as aRamsar site since 1989.[1]
Stockholm Archipelago has been found to have slightly over 24,000islands, islets and skerries and covers approximately 1,700 km² of which approximately 530 km² is land. There are around 10,000 permanent residences and 50,000 holiday homes in the archipelago. Residents are found on all the larger islands closest to the coast that have fixed bridges or ferry connections with road ferries, such asVaxholm,Ingarö,Värmdö,Yxlan,Blidö,Ljusterö andVäddö, but also on many of the larger islands farther out from the coast, asIngmarsö,Möja,Runmarö,Nämdö [sv],Ornö andUtö, which are served by passenger ships with fixed itineraries.
The water has apH value of 7.0 (neutral) or slightly lower, to be compared with approximately 8.0 for seawater. Together withhumic substances this sometimes causes a bit brownish water colour, especially in the inner parts. The salinity varies between freshwater andbrackish water with poor salinity. In the outer parts of the archipelago, the salinity reaches around 0.6–0.7 per cent by weight, to be compared with at least 1.5 for beginning to taste salty and around 3.0 or more for proper oceanic water. Sea ice is regularly formed in the inner parts every winter.[2]
The archipelago extends fromStockholm roughly 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the east. In a north–south direction, it mainly follows the coastline of theSödermanland andUppland provinces, reaching roughly fromÖja island, south ofNynäshamn, toVäddö, north ofNorrtälje. It is separated fromÅland by a stretch of water namedSouth Kvarken. A separate group of islands lies further north, near the town ofÖregrund. BetweenArholma andLandsort there are approximately 24,000 islands andislets.[3] Some of the better-known islands areDalarö,Finnhamn,Nässlingen [sv],Grinda,Husarö,Ingarö,Ljusterö,Möja,Nämdö [sv],Rödlöga,Tynningö,Utö,Svartsö andVärmdö.
The biggest towns of the archipelago, apart from Stockholm, areNynäshamn,Vaxholm andNorrtälje. The village ofYtterby, famous among chemists for naming no fewer than fourchemical elements (erbium,terbium,ytterbium andyttrium), is situated onResarö in the Stockholm Archipelago.
The shipping routes from the Baltic to Stockholm pass through the archipelago. There are three main entrances suitable for deep-draught craft, namely, those nearLandsort,Sandhamn, andSöderarm.
The Stockholm Archipelago is ajoint valley landscape that has been shaped – and is still being shaped – bypost-glacial rebound.[4][5] It was not until theViking Age that the archipelago began to assume its present-day contours. The islands rise by about three millimeters each year. In 1719 the archipelago had an estimated population of 2,900, consisting mostly offishermen. Today the archipelago is a popular holiday destination with some 50,000 holiday cottages (owned mainly by Stockholmers). TheStockholm Archipelago Foundation [sv], dedicated to the preservation of the nature and culture of the archipelago, owns some 15% of its total area.
The inhabitants in the archipelago, from around the mid-1400s to the end of thesecond world war, were combined farmers and fishermen. Spring and autumn fishing was quite intensive in the outer archipelago from 1450 until the mid-1800s, and many fishermen lived for long periods in the outer islands because of the long distances to their permanent houses in the inner archipelago. The combined farming and fishing culture lasted until around 1950–1955 when the younger generation, born during and directly after the war, started to leave the archipelago and look for jobs in the cities on the mainland. Today most of the small farms on the islands are closed and the fishing industry has almost disappeared.
Many poets, authors and artists have been influenced and fascinated by the Stockholm Archipelago. Among them areAugust Strindberg,Ture Nerman,Roland Svensson,Ernst Didring andAleister Crowley.Björn Ulvaeus andBenny Andersson from the groupABBA wrote most of their songs in a cabin located on the archipelago.
Boating is an extremely popular activity with the sailing raceOrnö runt (or Around the island of Ornö) being the largest in the archipelago. This annual race, organised by the Tyresö Boat Club, has taken place every year since 1973. It is open to anyone with a sailing boat but requires registration. There are different entry classes, with the family class being the least competitive.
In the winterskaters make excursions over the ice.
Visiting the larger islands in the archipelago is easy all year round, but during winter period the routes depend on the ice conditions. Several companies have regular routes. The largest of these isWaxholmsbolaget owned by theStockholm County government. Taxi boats are also available. The bigger and more populated islands of the archipelago, such asVaxholm,Resarö andKullö are easy to reach via bridges and thus local bus services.[6] In summer the archipelago bristles with private boats filled with people who often take advantage ofAllemansrätt (or "everyman's right"), a law which gives anyone the right to go ashore or anchor on any ground not in the direct vicinity of buildings.
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