Norrbotten County, or Norrbottens län, or North Bothnia is a County or län in the extreme north of Sweden. It borders to Västerbotten County and the Gulf of Bothnia. It also borders to Lapland Province in Finland, Nordland and Troms counties in Norway. The term "Norrbotten", can also refer to just the eastern part, rather than to the whole of Norrbotten County.

History

Main article: History of Norrbotten

Following the Finnish War in 1809 Västerbotten County was separated into a Swedish and a Finnish part, where the main part remained within Swedish borders. In 1810 the county was divided once more when Norrbotten County was created out of the northern part, on the Swedish side.

Administration

Main article: Norrbotten County Administrative Board

The main aim of the County Administrative Board is to fulfil the goals set in national politics by the Parliament and the Government, to coordinate the interests of the county, to promote the development of the county, to establish regional goals and safeguard the due process of law in the handling of each case. The County Administrative Board is nominally a Government Agency headed by a Governor. See List of Norrbotten Governors.

Sami, Meänkieli, and Finnish may be used be used in dealing with government agencies, courts, municipalities, preschools and nursing homes in parts of Norrbotten County.

Politics

Main article: Norrbotten County Council

The County Council of Norrbotten or Norrbottens Läns Landsting.

Municipalities

Main article: Municipalities of Norrbotten

• Arjeplog
• Arvidsjaur
• Boden
• Gällivare
• Haparanda
• Jokkmokk
• Kalix
• Kiruna
• Luleå
• Pajala
• Piteå
• Älvsbyn
• Överkalix
• Övertorneå

The Sami language can be used in Arjeplog, Gällivare, Jokkmokk and Kiruna. Similary, Finnish and Meänkieli can be used in Gällivare, Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala and Övertorneå.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Norrbotten

Cultural identification in Sweden is closely related to the historical Provinces of Sweden, and the people in the coastal region of Norrbotten County, are in this sense living in Northern Westrobothnia, or Norra Västerbotten. In order not to be confused with people from Southern Westrobothnia, i.e. the coastal region of Västerbotten County, they started to identify themselves with the county rather than with the historical province. By the early 20th century Swedes had in general started referring to northern Sweden as Norrbotten. Specifically this came to mean that Norrbotten, at times referred to just Northern Westrobothnia, rather than to the whole of Norrbotten County. In this Norrbotten also came to be seen as being on equal footing with the historical provinces, even if it never had been one itself, and from the 1980s it has adopted or has been assigned provincial symbols. There is a coat of arms for Norrbotten County, but Norrbotten designated as a traditional province does not hold any distinction of this kind.

Heraldry

Main article: Heraldry of Norrbotten

The arms for the Norrbotten County is a combination of the arms of Westrobothnia , and Laponia . When it is shown with a royal crown it represents the County Administrative Board. Blazon: "Quartered, the arms of Westrobothnia and the arms of Laponia."

Miscellaneous topics

External links

• Norrbotten County Administrative Board
• Norrbotten County Council
• Norrbotten Regional Association of Local Authorities