Enköping
Encyclopedia
Enköping is a locality
and the seat of Enköping Municipality
, Uppsala County
, Sweden
with 20,204 inhabitants in 2005.
, about 78 km west of Stockholm
.
A comparably large number of Swedish cities are located in the vicinity of Enköping. The municipal slogan is therefore "Sweden's Closest City". This expression was created in 1965 when it was discovered by a local business that within a radius
of 120 kilometers, one finds 38 Swedish cities and 1/3 of Sweden's population.
Near Enköping, there is some of the best preserved rock art
from the Bronze Age present in central Sweden. The city of Enköping itself dates its history back to the 13th century but the city itself did not emerge until about 1250. Enköping was then as now situated by the rich farmlands close to lake Mälaren
, leading to a wealthy rural population. The city has also always been a major crossroads for commerce, and excellent communications signify the city even today: The Mälar Railline (Mälarbanan) and the E18 highway
provide ample means of travelling to the nearby major cities of Stockholm
and Västerås
. The city has several manufacturing industries, a hospital and the Swedish Armed Forces command and control and army electronic warfare centre Ledningsregementet
(LedR).
Urban areas in Sweden
Urban area is a common English translation of the Swedish term tätort. The official term in English, used by Statistics Sweden, is, however, locality. There are 1,940 localities in Sweden . They could be compared with census-designated places in the United States.A tätort in Sweden has a minimum of...
and the seat of Enköping Municipality
Enköping Municipality
Enköping Municipality is a municipality in Uppsala County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Enköping.The present municipality consists of nearly forty original local government units...
, Uppsala County
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...
, 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....
with 20,204 inhabitants in 2005.
Geography
Enköping is situated near Lake MälarenMälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
, about 78 km west of Stockholm
Stockholm
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...
.
A comparably large number of Swedish cities are located in the vicinity of Enköping. The municipal slogan is therefore "Sweden's Closest City". This expression was created in 1965 when it was discovered by a local business that within a radius
Radius
In classical geometry, a radius of a circle or sphere is any line segment from its center to its perimeter. By extension, the radius of a circle or sphere is the length of any such segment, which is half the diameter. If the object does not have an obvious center, the term may refer to its...
of 120 kilometers, one finds 38 Swedish cities and 1/3 of Sweden's population.
History
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
from the Bronze Age present in central Sweden. The city of Enköping itself dates its history back to the 13th century but the city itself did not emerge until about 1250. Enköping was then as now situated by the rich farmlands close to lake Mälaren
Mälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
, leading to a wealthy rural population. The city has also always been a major crossroads for commerce, and excellent communications signify the city even today: The Mälar Railline (Mälarbanan) and the E18 highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
provide ample means of travelling to the nearby major cities of Stockholm
Stockholm
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...
and Västerås
Västerås
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
. The city has several manufacturing industries, a hospital and the Swedish Armed Forces command and control and army electronic warfare centre Ledningsregementet
Ledningsregementet
Ledningsregementet designation LedR, is the Swedish Armed Forces command and control and army electronic warfare center that traces its origins back to the 19th century. The regiment is currently garrisoned in Enköping, Uppland.- History :...
(LedR).
Notable people
- Amelia AndersdotterAmelia AndersdotterAmelia Andersdotter is a Swedish politician and prospective Member of the European Parliament , elected on the Pirate Party list in the 2009 election....
- Elin LantoElin LantoElin Lanto is a Swedish singer who has had several hits in her home country, including the number one "I Won't Cry."Lanto first came to prominence after her performance of her song "Money" in Melodifestivalen 2007...
, singer - Lars (archbishop) is buried in the monastery there.