The
Counties of Sweden are the first level administrative and political
subdivisions of SwedenThere are several series of subdivisions of Sweden.* Judiciary*# Supreme Court , Supreme Administrative Court...
. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The counties were established in 1634 on Count
Axel OxenstiernaAxel Gustafsson Oxenstierna af Södermöre , Count of Södermöre, was a Swedish statesman. He became a member of the Swedish Privy Council in 1609 and served as Lord High Chancellor of Sweden from 1612 until his death. He was a confidant of first Gustavus Adolphus and then Queen Christina.Oxenstierna...
's initiative, superseding the historical
provinces of SwedenThe provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
to introduce a modern administration. At that time, they were what the translation of
län into English literally means;
fiefdomA fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
s. The county borders often trail the provincial borders, but
the CrownThe Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
often chose to make slight relocations to suit their purposes. There are controversial proposals to divide Sweden into larger regions, replacing the current counties.
Function
In each county there is a
County Administrative BoardA County Administrative Board is a Government appointed board of a County in Sweden. It is led by a Governor or Landshövding appointed for a term of six years and the list of succession, in most cases, stretches back to 1634 when the counties were created...
(
länsstyrelse) headed by a
governorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
(
landshövding) as well as a
County CouncilA county council, or landsting, is an elected assembly of a county in Sweden. A county council is a political entity, elected by the county electorate and typically its main responsibilities lie within the public health care system. In each county there is also a county administrative board which...
and several other government organisations.
The County Administrative Board is appointed by the
GovernmentThe Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
to coordinate administration with national political goals for the county.
The
county councilA county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
or
landsting on the other hand is a
regionRegion is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
al government, i.e. a political assembly appointed by the electorate to deliberate on the municipal affairs of the county, primarily regarding the public healthcare system and also public transport, education and culture.
A number of several other government agencies are organised on a county basis, including the main bodies of police,
employmentThe Swedish Public Employment Service is a Swedish employment agency with over 325 local offices around Sweden. Its offices belong in the respective counties' labour boards, which are included in the Swedish Labour Market Agency ....
, social insurance, and forestry services.
Map
With official county codes.
- AB: Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
- AC: Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It borders the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Provinces :...
- BD: Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
- C: Uppsala County
Uppsala County is a county or län on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Uppland...
- D: Södermanland County
Södermanland County is a county or län on the south east coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Östergötland, Örebro, Västmanland, Uppsala, Stockholm and to the Baltic sea....
- E: Östergötland County
Östergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
- F: Jönköping County
Jönköping County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The capital is Jönköping.- Provinces :...
- G: Kronoberg County
Kronoberg County is a County or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar and Blekinge. Its capital is the city Växjö.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Småland...
- H: Kalmar County
Kalmar County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland....
- I: Gotland County
Gotland County is a county or län of Sweden. Gotland is located in the Baltic Sea to the east of Öland, and is the largest of Sweden's islands. Counties are usually sub-divided into municipalities, but Gotland County only consists of one municipality: Gotland Municipality. Gotland County at...
- K: Blekinge County
Blekinge County is a county or län in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne, Kronoberg, Kalmar and the Baltic Sea. The capital is Karlskrona...
- M: Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
- N: Halland County
Halland County is a county on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad....
- O: Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
- S: Värmland County
Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
- T: Örebro County
Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
- U: Västmanland County
Västmanland County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders to the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala...
- W: Dalarna County
Dalarna County is a county or län in middle Sweden. It borders the counties of Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It is also bordered by the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Sør-Trøndelag in the west...
- X: Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
- Y: Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
- Z: Jämtland County
Jämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
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Counties of Sweden
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Comparing with provinces of Sweden, one sees many similarities. Bold lines are counties, colors are provinces.
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Each county is further divided into municipalities (
kommuner), the existence of which is partly at the discretion of the central government. Since 2004 their number has been 290, thus an average of 13.8 municipalities per county. (See
Municipalities of SwedenThe municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
)
Until 1968, the City of
StockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
had its own "county code"
A, which is still used interchangeably with
AB in some contexts.
And County of Stockholm had county code
B.
Older subdivisions
The
provinces of SwedenThe provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
, or
landskap, and the
lands of SwedenThe lands of Sweden are three traditional parts, essentially three collectives of provinces, in Sweden. These "lands" have no administrative function, and there is no official designation for this subdivision level...
, or
landsdelar, lack political importance today but are common denominations culturally and historally. The provinces had their own laws and justice system and could have large cultural and religious differences. Note that the province of
Småland' is a historical province in southern Sweden.Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages...
(literally
small lands) historically was several provinces with its own laws. Here burial tradition in the era before the
Viking ageViking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
could differ significantly from province to province. The province of
NorrbottenNorrbotten is a Swedish province in northernmost Sweden. It borders south to Västerbotten, west to Swedish Lapland, and east to Finland.- Administration :...
is a relatively recent creation; it was part of
Västerbotten', English exonym: West Bothnia, is a province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders Ångermanland, Lapland, Norrbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is famous for the cheese with the same name as the province.- Administration :...
which extended all the way to Österbotten into today's
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
before 1809. Finnish and Swedish
LapplandLappland can refer to:*Lapland, geographic region in Northern Fennoscandia* Lappland, Sweden* Lapland, FinlandUnlike the English word "Lapland", the Swedish word is not used to indicate the area specifically inhabited by the Sami people. An old Swedish word for the Sami area under Swedish control...
was also one province until 1809.
Historically, the provinces were divided into three lands:
GötalandGötaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
, being southern and western Sweden;
SvealandSvealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
being eastern and south-eastern, and
NorrlandNorrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
being the entire northern half. The names of the first two refer to ancient tribes, and the third is a geographical reference. They are still commonly used as geographical references. The boundaries have changed over time, with the most significant in 1658(
the cession of provinces from Denmark-Norway to Sweden) and 1812(due to the loss of Finland to Russia in 1809). In 1812 some provinces were moved from
GötalandGötaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
to
SvealandSvealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
.
Finland
After the
Finnish WarThe Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
, Sweden was forced to cede the counties in
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
to
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
following the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in (1809). However, the counties were upheld in
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
until a reform in 1997. They are still in use in Sweden, 370 years hence.
The counties in Finland established in 1634 were: Turku and Pori County,
Nyland and Tavastehus CountyNyland and Tavastehus County was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1809.In 1775 a part of Satakunta was added from the Åbo and Björneborg County, while Upper Hollola was transferred to the new Kymmenegård County....
,
Viborg and Nyslott CountyViborg and Nyslott County was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1721. Prior to 1658 it was known as the County of Karelia . The county was named after the castle towns of Viborg and Nyslott , today located in the towns of Vyborg in Russia and Savonlinna in Finland.The county was...
, Ostrobothnia County and
Kexholm CountyKexholm County was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1617 to 1721, when the southern part was ceded to the Russian Empire in the Treaty of Nystad.-History:...
. Over time the number of subdivisions in Finland increased to twelve, until a reorganization in 1997 reduced their number to six
provincesThe state of Finland consisted of six provinces between the years 1997 and 2009. The provincial authority was part of the central government's executive branch, not directly elected. The system was created in 1634, and its makeup was changed drastically in 1997, when the number of the provinces...
, while keeping the administrative model intact. The counties in Finland were abolished in 2010.
Abolished counties
Abolished counties in current day
Sweden properSweden proper, , is a term used to distinguish those territories that were fully integrated into the Kingdom of Sweden, as opposed to the dominions and possessions of, or states in union with, Sweden....
are:
- Skaraborg County
Skaraborg County, or Skaraborgs län, was a county of Sweden until December 31, 1998 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County....
+ Gothenburg and Bohus CountyThe County of Gothenburg and Bohus, or Göteborgs och Bohus län, was a county of Sweden until December 31, 1998 when it was merged with the counties of Skaraborg and Älvsborg to form the county of Västra Götaland....
+ Älvsborg CountyÄlvsborg County, or Älvsborgs län, was a county of Sweden until December 31, 1998 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Skaraborg to form the county of Västra Götaland...
(merged as Västra Götaland CountyVästra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
in 1999)
- Kopparberg County (became Dalarna County
Dalarna County is a county or län in middle Sweden. It borders the counties of Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It is also bordered by the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Sør-Trøndelag in the west...
in 1999)
- Malmöhus County
Malmöhus County was a county of Sweden until 1997 when it was merged with Kristianstad County to form Skåne County.It had been named after Malmöhus, the castle in Malmö, which also was where the Governor originally resided....
+ Kristianstad CountyKristianstad County was a county of Sweden from 1719 to 1 January 1997 when it was merged with Malmöhus County to form Skåne County.The seat of residence for the Governor was in Kristianstad.- List of Governors :...
(merged as Skåne CountySkåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
in 1997)
- Norrland County
Norrland County, or Norrlands län, was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1645.In 1638 the northern part of the county, Västerbotten and Lappland, were separated and established as the Västerbotten County...
(in 1645 divided into Västerbotten CountyVästerbotten County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It borders the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Provinces :...
, Hudiksvall CountyHudiksvall County, or Hudiksvalls län, was a county of the Swedish Empire, between 1645 and 1654. It was created by splitting the Norrland County into the Hudiksvall County and the Härnösand County, but just nine years later they were merged again as the Västernorrland County...
and Härnösand CountyHärnösand County, or Härnösands län, was a county of the Swedish Empire, between 1645 and 1654. It was created by splitting the Norrland County into the Härnösand County and the Hudiksvall County, but just nine years later they were merged again as the Västernorrland County...
)
- Nyköping County
Nyköping County, or Nyköpings län, was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1683. It was one of three counties in the province of Södermanland, and in 1683 they were merged into Södermanland County.- See also :*Gripsholm County...
, Gripsholm CountyThe County of Gripsholm, or Gripsholms län, was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1683. It was one of three counties in the province of Södermanland, and in 1683 they were merged into the County of Södermanland.-See also:*County of Nyköping...
and Eskilstunahus CountyEskilstunahus County, or Eskilstunahus län, was a county of the Swedish Empire from 1634 to 1683. It was one of three counties in the province of Södermanland, and in 1683 they were merged into the Södermanland County.-See also:*Nyköping County...
(united in 1683 to become Södermanland CountySödermanland County is a county or län on the south east coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Östergötland, Örebro, Västmanland, Uppsala, Stockholm and to the Baltic sea....
)
- Närke County (became Örebro County
Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
)
- Härnösand County
Härnösand County, or Härnösands län, was a county of the Swedish Empire, between 1645 and 1654. It was created by splitting the Norrland County into the Härnösand County and the Hudiksvall County, but just nine years later they were merged again as the Västernorrland County...
(1645–1654, formed Västernorrland CountyVästernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
)
- Hudiksvall County
Hudiksvall County, or Hudiksvalls län, was a county of the Swedish Empire, between 1645 and 1654. It was created by splitting the Norrland County into the Hudiksvall County and the Härnösand County, but just nine years later they were merged again as the Västernorrland County...
(1645–1654, formed Gävleborg CountyGävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
)
- Stockholm Överståtshållarämbete
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(1634-1967, united with Stockholm CountyStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
)
- Svartsjö County (1786–1809, united with Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
)
- Öland County
Öland County, or Ölands län, was a county of Sweden, between 1819 and 1826. It consisted of the island of Öland, designating the historical province of Öland as its own county...
(1819–1826, united with Kalmar CountyKalmar County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland....
)
Proposed regions
Under the aegis of the Swedish government,
Ansvarskommittén has been investigating the possibilities of merging the current 21 counties into 6 to 9 larger
regionRegion is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
s. If approved, these would come into effect around 2015. These suggestions of new regions were found in their final report:
- Norra Sverige: Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
+ Västerbotten CountyVästerbotten County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It borders the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Provinces :...
+ Jämtland CountyJämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
+ Västernorrland CountyVästernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
+ NordanstigNordanstig Municipality is a municipality in Gävleborg County, east central Sweden.The municipal seat is located in Bergsjö....
and HudiksvallHudiksvall Municipality is one of Sweden's 290 municipalities, situated in Gävleborg County, east central Sweden. Its seat is in the city Hudiksvall....
- Bergslagen: the rest of Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
+ Dalarna CountyDalarna County is a county or län in middle Sweden. It borders the counties of Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It is also bordered by the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Sør-Trøndelag in the west...
+ Örebro CountyÖrebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
+ Värmland CountyVärmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
- Mälardalen: Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
+ Uppsala CountyUppsala County is a county or län on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Uppland...
+ Södermanland CountySödermanland County is a county or län on the south east coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Östergötland, Örebro, Västmanland, Uppsala, Stockholm and to the Baltic sea....
+ Västmanland CountyVästmanland County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders to the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala...
+ Gotland CountyGotland County is a county or län of Sweden. Gotland is located in the Baltic Sea to the east of Öland, and is the largest of Sweden's islands. Counties are usually sub-divided into municipalities, but Gotland County only consists of one municipality: Gotland Municipality. Gotland County at...
- Västra Götaland: Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
+ Halland CountyHalland County is a county on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad....
- Östra Götaland: Östergötland County
Östergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
+ Jönköping CountyJönköping County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The capital is Jönköping.- Provinces :...
+ Kronoberg CountyKronoberg County is a County or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar and Blekinge. Its capital is the city Växjö.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Småland...
+ Kalmar CountyKalmar County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland....
- Södra Götaland: Skåne County
Skåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
+ Blekinge CountyBlekinge County is a county or län in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne, Kronoberg, Kalmar and the Baltic Sea. The capital is Karlskrona...
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Norra Sverige: Norrbotten CountyNorrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
+ Västerbotten CountyVästerbotten County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It borders the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Provinces :...
+ ÖrnsköldsvikÖrnsköldsvik Municipality is one of Sweden's 290 municipalities, in Västernorrland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is in the town Örnsköldsvik...
Mellannorrland: Jämtland CountyJämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
+ Västernorrland CountyVästernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
(except Örnsköldsvik) + NordanstigNordanstig Municipality is a municipality in Gävleborg County, east central Sweden.The municipal seat is located in Bergsjö....
and HudiksvallHudiksvall Municipality is one of Sweden's 290 municipalities, situated in Gävleborg County, east central Sweden. Its seat is in the city Hudiksvall....
Dalarna-Gävleborg: Dalarna CountyDalarna County is a county or län in middle Sweden. It borders the counties of Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It is also bordered by the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Sør-Trøndelag in the west...
+ Gävleborg CountyGävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
(except Nordanstig and Hudiksvall)
Västra Svealand: Värmland CountyVärmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
+ Örebro CountyÖrebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
Mälardalen: Stockholm CountyStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
+ Uppsala CountyUppsala County is a county or län on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Uppland...
+ Södermanland CountySödermanland County is a county or län on the south east coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Östergötland, Örebro, Västmanland, Uppsala, Stockholm and to the Baltic sea....
+ Västmanland CountyVästmanland County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders to the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala...
+ Gotland CountyGotland County is a county or län of Sweden. Gotland is located in the Baltic Sea to the east of Öland, and is the largest of Sweden's islands. Counties are usually sub-divided into municipalities, but Gotland County only consists of one municipality: Gotland Municipality. Gotland County at...
Västra Götaland: Västra Götaland CountyVästra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
+ Halland CountyHalland County is a county on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad....
Östergötland: Östergötland CountyÖstergötland County is a county or län in southeastern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kalmar to the southeast, Jönköping to the southwest, Västra Götaland to the west, Örebro to the northwest, Södermanland to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the east.Östergötland County has a population of...
+ VästervikVästervik Municipality is a municipality in Kalmar County, south-eastern Sweden, with its seat in the city of Västervik....
Småland: Jönköping CountyJönköping County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The capital is Jönköping.- Provinces :...
+ Kronoberg CountyKronoberg County is a County or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar and Blekinge. Its capital is the city Växjö.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Småland...
+ Kalmar CountyKalmar County is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland....
(except Västervik)
Södra Götaland: Skåne CountySkåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
+ Blekinge CountyBlekinge County is a county or län in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne, Kronoberg, Kalmar and the Baltic Sea. The capital is Karlskrona...
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A model for this comes from the merger of some counties into
Skåne CountySkåne County is the southernmost administrative county or län, of Sweden, basically corresponding to the historical province Scania. It borders the counties of Halland, Kronoberg and Blekinge. The seat of residence for the Skåne Governor is the town of Malmö...
and
Västra Götaland CountyVästra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
in 1997 and 1998, respectively, which is now considered a success.
The counties are discussing the proposal. An obstacle is that
Stockholm CountyStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
does not want to merge with any other county, while its neighbours want to merge with Stockholm.
Riksområden
The
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
is divided into a
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for StatisticsThe Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
where the counties in Sweden correspond to the third level of division. For the purpose of creating regions corresponding to the second level, counties have been grouped into eight
RiksområdenIn the NUTS codes of Sweden , the three levels are:-NUTS codes:...
, or
National Areas:
StockholmStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
,
East Middle SwedenEast Middle Sweden is a National Area of Sweden. The National Areas are a part of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics of Sweden.-Geography:...
,
North Middle SwedenNorth Middle Sweden is a National Area of Sweden. The National Areas are a part of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics of Sweden.-Geography:...
,
Middle NorrlandMiddle Norrland is a National Area of Sweden. The National Areas are a part of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics of Sweden.-Geography:...
,
Upper NorrlandUpper Norrland is a National Area of Sweden. The National Areas are a part of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics of Sweden.-Geography:...
,
Småland and the islandsSmåland and the islands is a National Area of Sweden. The National Areas are a part of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics of Sweden...
, West Sweden and
South SwedenSouth Sweden is a National Area of Sweden. The National Areas are a part of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics of Sweden.-Geography:South Sweden is situated in the southern part of its country...
.
See also
- Ranked list of Swedish counties
-By population:-By area:-By density:...
- ISO 3166-2
ISO 3166-2 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , and defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1...
codes for Sweden
- Subdivisions of the Nordic countries
The countries and autonomous islands in the Nordic region have some similarly named country subdivisions, although their translations into English may differ.-Subdivisions of Denmark:*Mainland Denmark...
External links