View source for Norrland

{{Short description|Northernmost region of Sweden}}
{{Distinguish|Nordland}}
{{more citations needed |date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| image_map                = File:Sverigekarta-Landsdelar Norrland.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| coordinates              = {{coord|65|N|18|E|display=inline,title|region:SE_type:adm1st}}
| area_total_km2           = 261292
| population_as_of         = 31 December 2021
| population_footnotes     = <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-2021// |title=Folkmängd i landskapen den 31 december 2021 |date= |publisher=[[Statistics Sweden]] |language=sv |access-date=2022-08-23}}</ref>
| population_total         = 1188031
| population_density_km2   = auto
| demographics_type1       = Gross Regional Product
| demographics1_footnotes  = <ref>[http://stats.oecd.org/ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita], OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.</ref>
| demographics1_title1     = Total
| demographics1_info1      = SEK 427.062 billion<br />
€45.629 billion (2015)
| timezone                 = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset               = +1
| timezone_DST             = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST           = +2
| website                  = 
| settlement_type          = [[Lands of Sweden|Land of Sweden]]
}}
[[File:Norrlandsflaggan.svg|thumb|150px|Unofficial flag]]
[[File:Sverigekarta-Landsdelar,_namn_och_landskap.svg|thumb|150px|The three [[lands of Sweden]] ]]
[[File:Map swedish lands.png|thumb|150px|Norrland when Finland was an integrated part of Sweden.]]

'''Norrland''' ({{IPA|sv|ˈnɔ̌rːland|lang|Norrland.ogg}}, {{lit|Northland}}, originally ''Norrlanden'', meaning 'the Northlands') is the northernmost, largest and least populated of the three traditional [[lands of Sweden]], consisting of nine [[Provinces of Sweden|provinces]]. Although Norrland does not serve any administrative purposes, it continues to exist as a historical, cultural, and geographic region; it is often referred to in everyday language, e.g., in weather forecasts. Several related Norrland dialects form a distinct subset of dialects of the [[Swedish language]] separate from those to its south.

Norrland consists of the majority of the Swedish landmass at about 60% of the land area, but only has about 12% of the country's population.<ref name="Statistics Sweden"/> Its largest city is [[Umeå]], while the other four county seats are [[Gävle]], [[Härnösand]], [[Östersund]] and [[Luleå]]. The largest non-capitals are [[Sundsvall]], [[Skellefteå]] and [[Örnsköldsvik]] while [[Kiruna]] is the largest town of the vast [[Lapland (Sweden)|Lapland]] province in the far north. Sweden's highest mountain [[Kebnekaise]] and deepest lake of [[Hornavan]] are in Norrland. Plenty of long rivers originating in the mountains run through the Norrland forests, with major coastal towns frequently being on their estuaries. Their extensive drops in elevation also make Norrland a major producer of [[hydroelectricity]] from some of those rivers.

Winters in Norrland are cold by Swedish standards but mild for the latitudes. The vastness of the region renders very different environments and climates, ranging from mild coastal climates of [[Gävleborg County|Gävleborg]] to the [[tundra climate]] of the high mountains. In general, the most common climate is the [[subarctic climate|subarctic]] type. The cold climate has led to winter sports being popular, with Norrland teams and athletes being especially successful in [[ice hockey]], [[skiing]] and [[bandy]].

== Provinces and counties ==
Norrland comprises the historical nine provinces ({{Lang|sv|landskap}}):<ref>{{cite web |title= Norrland {{!}} region, Sweden |url= https://www.britannica.com/place/Norrland |website= Britannica.com |publisher= Encyclopaedia Britannica |access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref>
{{colbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* [[File:Gästrikland vapen .svg|40px|Gästrikland]] [[Gästrikland]]
* [[File:Hälsinglands vapen.svg|40px|Hälsingland]] [[Hälsingland]]
* [[File:Härjedalens vapen.svg|40px|Härjedalen]] [[Härjedalen]]
* [[File:Jämtlands vapen.svg|40px|Jämtland]] [[Jämtland]]
* [[File:Medelpads vapen.svg|40px|Medelpad]] [[Medelpad]]
* [[File:Ångermanlands vapen.svg|40px|Ångermanland]] [[Ångermanland]]
* [[File:Västerbottens vapen.svg|40px|Västerbotten]] [[Västerbotten]]
* [[File:Norrbottens vapen.svg|40px|Norrbotten]] [[Norrbotten]]
* [[File:Lapplands vapen .svg|40px|Lappland]] [[Lapland (Sweden)|Lappland]]
{{colend}}

Historically, Jämtland and Härjedalen belonged to [[Norway]] until 1645, and are thus often considered outside of the historical Norrland. On the other hand, Finland belonged to Sweden until 1809, and during that time, Norrland was extended into Northern Finland. Administratively, Sweden is not divided into provinces but into [[Counties of Sweden|counties]] ({{Lang|sv|län}}). Although Norrland is defined in terms of the historical provinces and not the counties, it roughly comprises the modern counties of [[Gävleborg County|Gävleborg]], [[Jämtland County|Jämtland]], [[Norrbotten County|Norrbotten]], [[Västerbotten County|Västerbotten]] and [[Västernorrland County|Västernorrland]].

Sometimes, Norrland is subdivided into Northern Norrland ({{Lang|sv|norra Norrland}}) and Southern Norrland ({{Lang|no|södra Norrland}}). The northern part of the region typically covers the historical provinces of Norrbotten, Västerbotten and Lappland (the modern counties of Norrbotten and Västerbotten), while the southern part covers the remainder of the region. There is also the concept of [[Middle Norrland]] ({{Lang|sv|mellersta Norrland}}), which is the northern part of Southern Norrland. Middle Norrland has no clearly defined boundaries, but usually corresponds with the historical provinces Ångermanland, Medelpad, Jämtland and Härjedalen.

== Geography ==
{{See also|Norrland terrain}}
[[File:Stora Blasjon.jpg|thumb|240px|The village Stora Blåsjön and the lake of [[Stora Blåsjön]] in [[Strömsund Municipality]], [[Jämtland]].]]
Except for the coastal areas, Norrland is sparsely populated. Approximately 12 percent of Sweden's population lives in Norrland.<ref name="Statistics Sweden">[http://www.scb.se/pages/tableandchart____262456.aspx Population of Sweden 2008-12-31] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820103203/http://www.scb.se/Pages/TableAndChart____262456.aspx |date=2010-08-20 }}, Statistics Sweden</ref> Except for some coastal areas most of Norrland is made up by the [[Norrland terrain]]—hilly and mountainous land covered by [[Taiga|boreal forests]].<ref name=Karna>{{cite journal |last=Lidmar-Bergströrm |first=Karna |author-link=Karna Lidmar-Bergström|date=1995 |title=Relief and saprolites through time on the Baltic Shield |journal=[[Geomorphology (journal)|Geomorphology]] |publisher=Elsevier |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=45–61 |doi=10.1016/0169-555X(94)00076-4 |bibcode=1995Geomo..12...45L }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sporrong |first=Ulf |chapter=The Scandinavian landscape and its resources |editor-last=Helle |editor-first=Knut|date=2003 |title=The Cambridge History of Scandinavia |url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory01hell |url-access=limited |publisher=Cambridge University Press |issue=1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory01hell/page/n655 22] |isbn=9780521472999 }}</ref> More in detail Norrland is made up of three north–south belts: the [[Scandinavian Mountains]] in the west, the [[Muddus plains|Muddus Plains]] covering much of the inland, and the mixed relief{{efn-ua|This includes coastal plains and parts of the [[Sub-Cambrian peneplain]].<ref name=Natatlas/>}} of the eastern coast.<ref name=Natatlas>{{cite book |last1=Lidmar-Bergström |first1=Karna|author-link1=Karna Lidmar-Bergström |date=2002|chapter=Berggrundens ytformer |title=Berg och jord |series=Sveriges Nationalatlas|editor-last=Fredén|editor-first=Curt |editor-link=Curt Fredén |publisher=Sveriges Nationalatlas |pages=44–54 |isbn=91-87760-50-9 |language=sv }}</ref>

Unlike the much more densely populated [[Svealand]] and [[Götaland]], which are better known for big cities ([[Stockholm]], [[Gothenburg]], [[Malmö]]) with landmarks and tourist attractions, Norrland is known for its nature with wide forests, large rivers and untouched wilderness.

Most inhabitants live in rural areas and small villages and along the coast in cities. Towards the end of the 20th century, there was a noticeable increase of the population in Norrland, mainly from people moving from larger cities. The largest cities in Norrland, from north to south, are [[Luleå]], [[Skellefteå]], [[Umeå]], [[Östersund]], [[Sundsvall]] and [[Gävle]]. With the exception of Östersund, those cities are all near the coast.

During the [[Industrial Revolution]], which reached Sweden in the mid-19th century, Norrland became the source for the important wood and [[wood pulp|pulp]] industry. All but four of the major Norrland rivers have been exploited for [[water power]]. The rivers in Norrland account for the bulk of [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric power]] in Sweden, which is in many countries a limited energy source, but Sweden has hydroelectrical power account for approximately 40 percent of its total production of [[electricity]].

Mines for producing [[precious metal]]s have also been located in Norrland. In older history and still today, the administration in Stockholm viewed Norrland essentially as a [[colony]] consisting of [[natural resource]]s to be exploited. "In Norrland we have an India within our borders, if only we realize we should be taking advantage of it" ({{Lang|sv|I Norrland hava vi inom våra gränser ett Indien, blott vi förstå att bruka det}}) is a quote attributed to [[Axel Oxenstierna]] that fairly well describes the attitude. In the official history of Sweden, not much is written about the northern parts of the country.

[[Kebnekaise]], Sweden's tallest mountain at 2,097 metres (6,879 feet), is located in [[Lapland, Sweden|Lappland]] in the north of Norrland.

Norrland has a highly variable climate depending on altitude, latitude and distance to water. The southern coastal areas have a [[humid continental climate]], but further north, the [[subarctic climate]] is abundant, although it in many areas is very mild for that classification, especially in coastal regions. In the mountain ranges the [[tundra climate]] can be found with summer temperatures averaging below {{convert|10|C|F}}, but that is due to altitude and not in populated areas. All low-lying areas of Norrland are below the [[tree line]] because of the mild summers and so the [[boreal forest]] is dominant.

== History ==
In older history,{{When|date=June 2024}} Norrland is one of the four [[lands of Sweden]]. To the west it represented the northern half of Sweden bounded to the south by [[Svealand]] and to the east it represented the northern half of [[Finland]] – which was then a part of Sweden – bounded to the south by [[Österland]]. In Svealand and Götaland, the land boundaries were of major juridical and administrative importance, but this was not the case with Norrland. The name ''Norrland'' just gradually became a denomination of everything north of Svealand. Up to the Middle Ages, the northern part of Norrland ([[Norrbotten]] and [[Lapland, Sweden|Lappland]]) was sparsely populated by [[Sami people|Sami]], [[Kvens]] and different tribes/people related to the [[Finns]]. In the southern part of Norrland, Swedish and Norwegian settlers lived side by side with the Sami population. From the Middle Ages on, the Swedish kings tried to colonize and Christianize the area.{{Cn|date=June 2024}}

As a result of the changing relations to Finland, the northern borders of Norrland have shifted. While the word Finland originally meant only the southwestern part of what is now Finland ([[Finland Proper (historical province)|Finland Proper]]), the border of Norrland was drawn at the rivers [[Kaakamojoki]] or, later, [[Simojoki]]. This changed when the eastern half of Sweden (Finland) was lost to [[Russia]] in 1809, and the new border was drawn at [[Torne (Finnish and Swedish river)|Torne River]]. The southern border was originally everything north of the [[Gästrikland]] province (until the 14th or 15th century a part of [[Uppland]]), but since the mid 17th century, Gästrikland is also considered a part of Norrland. The name can be first traced from ''Karl's Chronicle'', explaining how [[Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson]] in 1433 sent a letter to [[Erik Puke]] requesting assistance to conquer entire Norrland ({{Lang|gmq-SE|al norland vnte han honom wolla}}).{{Cn|date=June 2024}}

==Sport==
[[Ice hockey]] is generally regarded to be the most popular spectator sport in Norrland. Many of Sweden's most famous hockey players are natives of Norrland, including [[Peter Forsberg]], [[Börje Salming]], [[Markus Näslund]], [[Henrik Lundqvist]], [[Nicklas Bäckström]], [[Elias Pettersson]], and twin brothers [[Henrik Sedin|Henrik]] and [[Daniel Sedin]]. As of the 2023–24 season, four Norrland teams currently compete in the [[Swedish Hockey League]]: [[Luleå HF]], [[Skellefteå AIK]], [[MoDo Hockey]] and [[Timrå IK]]. Additionally, [[Brynäs IF]] and [[IF Björklöven]] are also two popular teams from Norrland with long traditions in Swedish ice hockey who currently compete in the second highest league [[Hockeyallsvenskan]].

Skiing, both alpine and nordic, is also a popular sport in Norrland. Two of Sweden's largest and most popular ski resorts, [[Åre]] and [[Hemavan]], are located in Norrland. Famous skiers from the region include [[Ingemar Stenmark]], [[Anja Pärson]] and [[Per Elofsson]].

[[Association football|Football]] is also popular in Norrland, but teams from the region have rarely been on the same competitive level as the big city clubs in southern Sweden. To date, no Norrland team has ever won [[Allsvenskan]], Sweden's highest-level football league, and [[Sandvikens IF]] is the only Norrland team that has ever finished in the top four (last time in 1956). As of the 2023 season, no team from Norrland currently plays in Allsvenskan. However, teams such as [[GIF Sundsvall]], [[Gefle IF]] and [[Östersunds FK]] have all in recent years played many seasons in Sweden's highest league, and the region has produced its share of famous footballers. [[Gunnar Nordahl]], [[Tomas Brolin]], [[Jesper Blomqvist]] and [[Mikael Lustig]] are all footballers who grew up in Norrland, and went on to become Swedish internationals.

==In fiction==
{{Original research|date=December 2011}}
Norrland is often "othered"<ref>Burney, Shehla. “CHAPTER ONE: Orientalism: The Making of the Other.” Counterpoints 417 (2012): 23–39. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42981698.</ref> in Swedish fiction, used as a canvas for stories involving terror and dread. The thriller films ''[[The Hunters (1996 film)|The Hunters]]'' and ''[[False Trail]]'' (''The Hunters 2'') show a highly negative portrait of Norrland, filled with racial prejudice and violence. The people of Norrland in their turn tend to have a fairly negative view of people from Stockholm and the rest of southern Sweden, for example by referring to Stockholm as {{Lang|sv|fjollträsk}}, which loosely translated means "sissy swamp". This dynamic is portrayed in movies and series such as ''[[Sällskapsresan 2 – Snowroller]]'', ''The Hunters'' and ''[[Pistvakt – En vintersaga]]''. Despite Norrland being the most diverse of the three lands of Sweden in terms of languages and cultures it is usually portrayed as one homogeneous region. Fiction usually portrays characters from Norrland as villagers from the wilderness even though the majority of the population live in and around the coastal cities.

In the 2006 horror film ''[[Frostbite (2006 film)|Frostbite]]'', the portrait is more balanced. Unlike most other Swedish films, it takes place in a larger community at the northern peak of Sweden, being filmed in [[Kalix]] and [[Kiruna]]. The people are shown to be pretty warm and welcoming towards outsiders. Rather than the people, the nature of Norrland is shown to be hostile. A constant darkness roams over the town and there is extreme cold. Vampires have been shown taking a liking to the land and hunt the towns people in the arctic night. The film is notorious for having the actors speak without the district Norrland accent, even the actors in the film who are native to Norrland.

A mixed portrait of the region is found in ''[[As It Is in Heaven]]'' (2004), which "vividly conveys both the delights and the challenges of small town living."<ref>{{cite web|title=An astonishing Swedish drama about a church choir and its creative director who take a meaningful and loving journey together.|last1=Brussat|first1=Frederic|last2=Brussat|first2=Mary Ann|access-date=2017-01-24|website=Spirituality & Practice|url=http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/19648}}</ref>  The northern town is initially inhospitable to the main character as a boy, whose mother chooses to take him out of the town to escape bullying.  He returns years later as an accomplished musician, only to find an insular town where bullying continues in several forms, including from the original classmates who troubled him as a youth.  It is through his outside status—along with his music and desire share its joy—that the town finds redemption.

The plot of [[Stieg Larsson]]'s 2005 thriller ''[[The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo]]'' shifts back and forth between Stockholm and the fictional town of Hedestad, which Larsson places along "the Norrland coast... a little more than an hour north of Gävle."<ref>Larsson, Stieg, ''The Girl with the  Dragon Tattoo'' (Toronto: Penguin Group (Canada), 2008), 70, https://dn720004.ca.archive.org/0/items/english-collections-1/Girl%20with%20the%20Dragon%20Tattoo%2C%20The%20-%20Stieg%20Larsson.pdf.</ref> A repeated theme is the social, cultural and physical differences between Stockholm and Norrland, despite Hedestad only being three hours north of Stockholm by train.<ref>Larsson, Stieg, ''The Girl with the  Dragon Tattoo'' (Toronto: Penguin Group (Canada), 2008), 65, https://dn720004.ca.archive.org/0/items/english-collections-1/Girl%20with%20the%20Dragon%20Tattoo%2C%20The%20-%20Stieg%20Larsson.pdf</ref> Norrland is depicted as being more sedate, conservative and slow-moving in comparison with the cosmopolitan Stockholm; a Stockholmer having to live for an extended period in Norrland feels "exiled to the back of beyond."{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}} Norrland is also colder, and a Stockholmer coming there must urgently buy warmer clothes (a theme which is also present in ''As It Is in Heaven)''; Norrlanders often speak [[Norrland dialects|regional dialects]] which Stockholm people find nearly incomprehensible; Stockholm people look down their noses at "a working class boy from Norrland" even when he had lived many years in Stockholm. The book's great success and translation into numerous languages made non-Swedish people more aware of Norrland's distinct characteristics.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}{{non-sequitur|date=September 2025}}

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Svealand]]
* [[Götaland]]
* [[Österland]]
* [[Upper Norrland]]
* [[Middle Norrland]]
* [[Sápmi (area)|Sápmi]]
* [[Lapland, Sweden|Lappland]]
* [[Historical provinces of Finland]]
* [[Norrland Grand Regiment]]
* [[Norrland County]]
* [[Norland (disambiguation)]]
* [[Nordland (disambiguation)]]

{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist-ua}}

== References ==
* [https://runeberg.org/nfbs/0813.html article ''Norrland''] from [[Nordisk familjebok]]. In Swedish.
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Norrland}}
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{{Lands of Sweden}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Norrland| ]]
[[Category:Lands of Sweden]]