Mariestad Municipality is a municipality

Municipalities of Sweden

The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...

 in Västra Götaland County

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...

 in western 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....

. Its seat is located in the city of Mariestad

Mariestad

Mariestad is a locality and the seat of Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,448 inhabitants in 2005. It was until 1997 the capital of the former Skaraborg County and an episcopal see in the Church of Sweden between 1583 and 1646....

.

The present municipality was formed in 1971, when the City of Mariestad was amalgamated with four surrounding rural municipalities.

Geography

Mariestad Municipality is situated on Lake Vänern

Vänern

Vänern is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the EU and the third largest lake in Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland in the southwest of the country.- History :...

 and is visited by many tourists in summer. The largest fresh water archipelago

Archipelago

An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...

 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....

 lies within the municipality. Torsö and Brommö are the two largest island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

s. North of the city, in Sjötorp

Sjötorp

Sjötorp is a locality situated in Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 551 inhabitants in 2005....

, Göta Canal

Göta Canal

The Göta Canal is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. It formed the backbone of a waterway stretching some 382 miles , linking a number of lakes and rivers to provide a route from Gothenburg on the west coast to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea via the river Göta älv and the...

 meets Lake Vänern.

Industry

The largest employers are Electrolux

Electrolux

The Electrolux Group is a Swedish appliance maker.As of 2010 the 2nd largest home appliance manufacturer in the world after Whirlpool, its products sell under a variety of brand names including its own and are primarily major appliances and vacuum cleaners...

 home products and Katrinefors bruk, a part of Metsä Tissue AB. SCA Packaging AB, RM Perfo AB and Jede AB are other notable companies in Mariestad

Mariestad

Mariestad is a locality and the seat of Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,448 inhabitants in 2005. It was until 1997 the capital of the former Skaraborg County and an episcopal see in the Church of Sweden between 1583 and 1646....

. Within the IT industry

Information technology

Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...

 Telia

Telia

Telia may refer to:*Telia - part of the reproductive cycle of Rusts*Telia Digital-tv - a Swedish TV platform*Telia, Nepal - a village in Nepal*TeliaSonera - a Swedish/Finnish telecom operator*Telia Challenge Waxholm - Golf tournament...

 Partner AB and WM-data Infra Solutions AB are the two biggest employers. Just south of Mariestad, in Lugnås

Lugnås

Lugnås is a locality situated in Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 648 inhabitants in 2005....

, you find Nimbus Produktion AB who manufactures Nimbus boat

Boat

A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...

s.

Twin towns — sister cities

Mariestad Municipality is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with: Pakruojis

Pakruojis

Pakruojis is a city in Lithuania. It is situated on the Kruoja River, which has a dam above the city. 43 buildings of the manor, mentioned in 1531, survived to this day....

, Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

External links

• Mariestad Municipality - Official site