County Councils of Sweden
Encyclopedia
A 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 is an administrative entity appointed by the government
. The Swedish name, Landsting, is the same as was used by the supreme ting
s of the historical provinces of Sweden
. In 2010, the landsting have a combined 1,662 seats according to the Swedish Election Authority (Valmyndigheten).
Constitutionally the county councils exercise a degree of municipal self-government provided for in the Constitution of Sweden
. This does not constitute any degree of federalism, which is consistent with Sweden's status as a unitary state. In Swedish terminology the county council is considered to be a "provincial municipality" or landstingskommun.
In each county there are also several smaller entities for the local government
and administration that constitute municipal self-government, which are independent of the county councils. It is called a "primary municipality" or primärkommun, and more plainly "municipality" or kommun. The island of Gotland
is a special case in that it makes up one full county but at the same time only one municipality. As Gotland does not have a separate entity for a county council, the Municipality of Gotland also handles the county council tasks.
During a trial period the government has decided to devolve some of the authority from the county administrative boards in three different counties. This authority will instead be held by the evolved county councils in Skåne
, Västra Götaland
and Gotland
, now called regional councils.
Counties of Sweden
The Counties of Sweden are the first level administrative and political subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The counties were established in 1634 on Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, superseding the historical provinces of Sweden to introduce a modern administration...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. A county council is a political entity, elected by the county electorate and typically its main responsibilities lie within the public health care
Publicly-funded health care
Publicly funded health care is a form of health care financing designed to meet the cost of all or most health care needs from a publicly managed fund. Usually this is under some form of democratic accountability, the right of access to which are set down in rules applying to the whole population...
system. In each county there is also a county administrative board
County Administrative Boards of Sweden
A 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...
which is an administrative entity appointed by the government
Government of Sweden
The 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...
. The Swedish name, Landsting, is the same as was used by the supreme ting
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
s of the historical provinces of Sweden
Provinces of Sweden
The 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....
. In 2010, the landsting have a combined 1,662 seats according to the Swedish Election Authority (Valmyndigheten).
Constitutionally the county councils exercise a degree of municipal self-government provided for in the Constitution of Sweden
Constitution of Sweden
The Swedish Constitution consists of four fundamental laws :* The 1810 Act of Succession * The 1949 Freedom of the Press Act * The 1974 Instrument of Government * The 1991 Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression...
. This does not constitute any degree of federalism, which is consistent with Sweden's status as a unitary state. In Swedish terminology the county council is considered to be a "provincial municipality" or landstingskommun.
In each county there are also several smaller entities for the local government
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
and administration that constitute municipal self-government, which are independent of the county councils. It is called a "primary municipality" or primärkommun, and more plainly "municipality" or kommun. The island of Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
is a special case in that it makes up one full county but at the same time only one municipality. As Gotland does not have a separate entity for a county council, the Municipality of Gotland also handles the county council tasks.
During a trial period the government has decided to devolve some of the authority from the county administrative boards in three different counties. This authority will instead be held by the evolved county councils in Skåne
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...
, 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...
and Gotland
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...
, now called regional councils.
| County | County Council | Landsting | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. | Blekinge 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... Dalarna 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... Gotland 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... Gävleborg 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 :... Halland 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.... Jämtland 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... Jönköping 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 :... Kalmar 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.... Kronoberg 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... Norrbotten 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... Skåne 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... Stockholm 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... Södermanland 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.... Uppsala 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... Värmland 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 :... Västerbotten 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 :... Västernorrland 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 :... Västmanland Västmanland County Västmanland County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders to the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala... 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... Örebro 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 :... Östergötland 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... | Blekinge County Council Dalarna County Council Gotland Municipality Gotland Municipality Gotland Municipality is a municipality that covers the entire island of Gotland in Sweden. The city of Visby is the municipality's seat.-History:... Gävleborg County Council Halland County Council Jämtland County Council Jönköping County Council Kalmar County Council Kronoberg County Council Norrbotten County Council Skåne Regional Council Skåne Regional Council The Skåne Regional Council is the County Council of Skåne County in Sweden.Region Skåne was created on January 1, 1999, by the amalgamation of the County councils of Malmöhus County and Kristianstad County and some of the tasks handled by Malmö Municipality.Its county assembly is the highest... Stockholm County Council Södermanland County Council Uppsala County Council Värmland County Council Västerbotten County Council Västernorrland County Council Västmanland County Council Västra Götaland Regional Council Västra Götaland Regional Council The Västra Götaland Regional Council, or Västra Götalandsregionen, is the devolved County Council of Västra Götaland County in Sweden. It was created in 1999 by the merger of the county councils of Gothenburg and Bohus, Älvsborg, and Skaraborg Counties coupled with the devolution of power from the... Örebro County Council Örebro County Council The Örebro County Council is the County Council of Örebro County in Sweden.... Östergötland County Council | Landstinget Blekinge Landstinget Dalarna Gotland kommun Landstinget Gävleborg Landstinget Halland Jämtlands läns landsting Landstinget i Jönköpings län Landstinget i Kalmar län Landstinget Kronoberg Norrbottens läns landsting Region Skåne Stockholms läns landsting Landstinget Sörmland Landstinget i Uppsala län Landstinget i Värmland Västerbottens läns landsting Landstinget Västernorrland Landstinget Västmanland Västra Götalandsregionen Örebro läns landsting Landstinget i Östergötland |
See also
- :Category:County Councils of Sweden
- County Administrative Boards of SwedenCounty Administrative Boards of SwedenA 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...
- Regions of FinlandRegions of FinlandFinland consists of 19 regions called in Finnish and in Swedish. The regions are governed by regional councils, which serve as forums of cooperation for the municipalities of a region. The main tasks of the regions are regional planning and development of enterprise and education. In addition,...