Småland
Encyclopedia
is a historical province
(landskap) 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 latin
ized form Smolandia
has been used in other languages. The highest summit in Småland is Tomtabacken
with its 377 m.
serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. The province is divided into the three administrative counties
: Jönköping County
, Kalmar County
and Kronoberg County
, which roughly cover the entire Småland province. Smaller areas of Småland, however, are situated in Halland County
and Östergötland County
.
The current coat of arms was granted in 1569 and pictures a rampant red lion on a golden shield carrying a crossbow. The arms is represented with a dukal coronet. Blazon: "Or a lion rampant Gules langued and armed Azure holding in front paws a Crossbow of the second bowed and stringed Sable with a bolt Argent."
The geography is dominated by a forest
ed high plain where the soil
is mixed with sand and small boulders, making it barren in all except the coastal areas, and unsuited for agriculture
except in certain locations, notably the Kalmar
Plains. The province is rich in lakes and bogs. The coast consists of an archipelago of islands and bays in the north and cultivated flatlands in the south. In total, cultivated land covers 14%, meadows 7% and forest 50%.
Largest towns are Jönköping
in the north-west, Växjö
in the south, and Kalmar
on the east coast near Öland
Island.
from the south, by people moving along the coast up to Kalmar
. Småland was populated by Stone Age peoples by at least 6000 BC, since the Alby People are known to have crossed the ice bridge
across the Kalmar Strait
at that time.
The name Småland ("small lands") comes from the fact that it was a combination of several independent lands, Kinda (today a part of Östergötland
), Tveta, Vista, Vedbo, Tjust
, Sevede, Aspeland, Handbörd, Möre
, Värend
, Finnveden
and Njudung. Every small land had its own law in the Viking age and early middle age and could declare themselves neutral in wars Sweden was involved in, at least if the King had no army present at the parliamentary debate. Around 1350, under the king Magnus Eriksson
a national law was introduced in Sweden, and the historic provinces lost much of their old independence.
The city of Kalmar
is one of the oldest cities of Sweden, and was in the medieval age the southernmost and the third largest city in Sweden, when it was a center for export of iron, which, in many cases, was handled by German merchants.
Småland was the center of several peasant rebellions, the most successful of which was Dackefejden led by Nils Dacke
in 1542–1543. When officials of king Gustav Vasa
were assaulted and murdered, the king sent small expeditions to pacify the area, but all failed. Dacke was in reality the ruler of large parts of Småland during the winter, though heavily troubled by a blockade of supplies, before finally being defeated by larger forces attacking from both Västergötland
and Östergötland
. Dacke held a famous battle defence at the (now ruined) Kronoberg Castle
, and was shot while trying to escape to then Danish-ruled Blekinge
.
In the 19th century, Småland was characterized by poverty, and had a substantial emigration to North America, which additionally hampered its development. The majority of emigrants ended up in Minnesota
, with a geography resembling Sweden, combining arable land
with forest and lakes.
IKEA
was also founded in the Småland city of Älmhult.
Overnight between 8 and 9 January 2005 the province suffered serious damage from Storm Gudrun
were: Eksjö
(chartered around 1400), Gränna
(1652), Huskvarna
(1911), Jönköping
(1284), Kalmar
(approximately 1100), Ljungby
(1936), Nybro
(1932), Nässjö
(1914), Oskarshamn
(1856), Sävsjö
(1947), Tranås
(1919), Vetlanda
(1920), Vimmerby
(approximately 1400), Värnamo
(1920), Västervik
(approximately 1200), Växjö
(1342)
In terms of Lutheran
ecclesiastical boundaries, most of the province encompasses the diocese of Växjö. Parts of northern Småland are in the diocese of Linköping.
Småland is also known for its free churches.
Politically Småland is the strongest province for Kristdemokraterna (the Swedish Christian Democratic Party)
, and both the current leader Göran Hägglund
and his predecessor Alf Svensson
live in Jönköping Municipality
in northern Småland.
The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus
, sw. Carl von Linné, (1707–1778), often called the father of taxonomy
or "The flower-king", was born in Älmhult
in Småland. He gave the Twinflower
its Latin name based on his own (Latin: Linnaea borealis), because of his particular fondness of it. The flower has become Småland's provincial flower.
Another notable person from Älmhult is Ingvar Kamprad
, the founder of the global concern IKEA
. The name "Småland" is used as the name of the children's play areas at some IKEA stores.
, which is also the basis for the musical Kristina from Duvemåla
created by Benny Andersson
and Björn Ulvaeus
of ABBA
fame.
In her writing, children's book author Astrid Lindgren
often portrayed scenes from her own childhood, growing up on a farm in Småland.
This is how the old Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok
described the people:
A running joke, or stereotype, in Sweden, is that of the Smalandian being very economical, or even cheap. Ingvar Kamprad
said that the Smalandian are seen as the Scotsmen of Sweden
dialect
known as Småländska
(Smalandian). This may in turn be separated in two main branches, with the northern related to the Götaland
dialects and the southern to the Scanian dialects.
After the unification of Sweden, around 800-1200 AD, Småland was for consistency divided into chartered cities and into hundreds.
(Swedish: härad). These were Småland's hundreds:
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....
(landskap) in southern 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....
.
Småland borders Blekinge
Blekinge
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea.The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term for "dead calm"....
, Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
or Skåne, Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
, Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
, Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
and the island Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. . The latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ized form Smolandia
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....
has been used in other languages. The highest summit in Småland is Tomtabacken
Tomtabacken
Tomtabacken is a hill in the province of Småland, Sweden.It is situated in the southern part of the Nässjö Municipality, about 22 km southwest from the main city of Nässjö...
with its 377 m.
Administration
The traditional provinces of SwedenProvinces 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....
serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. The province is divided into the three administrative counties
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...
: Jönköping County
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 County
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....
and Kronoberg County
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...
, which roughly cover the entire Småland province. Smaller areas of Småland, however, are situated in Halland County
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....
and Östergötland County
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...
.
Heraldry
For details, see: Heraldry of SmålandHeraldry of Småland
Småland, is a province of Sweden and at the funeral of Gustav Vasa in 1560 the province was granted its arms. Today there are also county arms that are based on the arms of Småland.-Småland:...
The current coat of arms was granted in 1569 and pictures a rampant red lion on a golden shield carrying a crossbow. The arms is represented with a dukal coronet. Blazon: "Or a lion rampant Gules langued and armed Azure holding in front paws a Crossbow of the second bowed and stringed Sable with a bolt Argent."
Population
The population of Småland was 720,358 as of December 31, 2009, distributed over five counties as follows:| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Jönköping County 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 :... , largely |
318,343 |
| Kalmar County 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.... , largely |
208,999 |
| Kronoberg County 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... , entirely |
183,162 |
| Halland County 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.... , peripherally |
7,081 |
| Östergötland County 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... , peripherally |
2,773 |
Geography
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed high plain where the soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
is mixed with sand and small boulders, making it barren in all except the coastal areas, and unsuited for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
except in certain locations, notably the Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
Plains. The province is rich in lakes and bogs. The coast consists of an archipelago of islands and bays in the north and cultivated flatlands in the south. In total, cultivated land covers 14%, meadows 7% and forest 50%.
Largest towns are Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
in the north-west, Växjö
Växjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
in the south, and Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
on the east coast near Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...
Island.
History
The area was probably populated in the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
from the south, by people moving along the coast up to Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
. Småland was populated by Stone Age peoples by at least 6000 BC, since the Alby People are known to have crossed the ice bridge
Ice bridge
An ice bridge is a frozen natural structure formed over seas, bays, rivers or lake surfaces. They facilitate migration of animals or people over a water body that was previously uncrossable by terrestrial animals, including humans. The most significant ice bridges are formed by glaciation, spanning...
across the Kalmar Strait
Kalmar Strait
The Kalmar Strait, Kalmarsund, is a strait in the Baltic Sea, located between the Swedish island of Öland and the province of Småland of the Swedish mainland...
at that time.
The name Småland ("small lands") comes from the fact that it was a combination of several independent lands, Kinda (today a part of Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
), Tveta, Vista, Vedbo, Tjust
Tjust
thumb|300px|Tjust has a rich archipelago on the [[Baltic Sea]].Tjust was one of the small lands of Småland, Sweden. It was divided into the hundreds of Tjust Northern Hundred and Tjust Southern Hundred. It corresponds to Västervik Municipality and the southern part of Valdemarsvik Municipality....
, Sevede, Aspeland, Handbörd, Möre
Möre
Möre is one of the original small lands of Småland, a historical province in southern Sweden. It corresponds to the south-eastern part of modern Kalmar County. Möre was divided into two hundreds: Möre Northern Hundred and Möre Southern Hundred.Möre is mentioned c...
, Värend
Värend
Värend was in the Middle Ages the most populous of the constituent small lands of the province Småland, in Sweden. Early on, Växjö became its center. Around 1170, Värend broke out of the diocese of Linköping, and formed its own diocese of Växjö...
, Finnveden
Finnveden
Finnveden or Finnheden is one of the ancient small lands of Småland. It corresponded to the hundreds of Sunnerbo Hundred, Östbo Hundred and Västbo Hundred. Finnveden had its own judicial system and laws as the other small lands. Finnveden is situated around lake Bolmen and the river Lagan. Most...
and Njudung. Every small land had its own law in the Viking age and early middle age and could declare themselves neutral in wars Sweden was involved in, at least if the King had no army present at the parliamentary debate. Around 1350, under the king Magnus Eriksson
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
a national law was introduced in Sweden, and the historic provinces lost much of their old independence.
The city of Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
is one of the oldest cities of Sweden, and was in the medieval age the southernmost and the third largest city in Sweden, when it was a center for export of iron, which, in many cases, was handled by German merchants.
Småland was the center of several peasant rebellions, the most successful of which was Dackefejden led by Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke was the leader of a 16th century peasant revolt in Småland, southern Sweden called the Dacke War , fought against the Swedish king Gustav I. It was the most widespread and serious civil war in Swedish history and almost toppled the king.-Background:Gustav Vasa had come to power at the...
in 1542–1543. When officials of king Gustav Vasa
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
were assaulted and murdered, the king sent small expeditions to pacify the area, but all failed. Dacke was in reality the ruler of large parts of Småland during the winter, though heavily troubled by a blockade of supplies, before finally being defeated by larger forces attacking from both Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
and Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
. Dacke held a famous battle defence at the (now ruined) Kronoberg Castle
Kronoberg Castle
Kronoberg Castle is a medieval ruin located on an island in lake Helgasjön, north of the town of Växjö in Småland, Sweden. Kronoberg County, in which it is located, was named after the castle....
, and was shot while trying to escape to then Danish-ruled Blekinge
Blekinge
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea.The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term for "dead calm"....
.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, with a geography resembling Sweden, combining arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
with forest and lakes.
IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
was also founded in the Småland city of Älmhult.
Overnight between 8 and 9 January 2005 the province suffered serious damage from Storm Gudrun
Erwin (storm)
Erwin was a powerful storm which hit Denmark and Sweden on 8 January 2005. The name Erwin was chosen by the German Weather Service, while the storm was named Gudrun by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and was the name used in Sweden...
Historical cities
Towns with former city statusCity status in Sweden
Stad is a Swedish term which nominally means town but can also encompass the English word "city". Since 1971 stad has had no administrative or legal significance in Sweden and there exists no commonly accepted definition of the term.-History :...
were: Eksjö
Eksjö
Eksjö is a locality and the seat of Eksjö Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 9,676 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Eksjö most likely appeared sometime in the medieval ages when it was the centre for the thing, a regional council. Its first mentioned is from the 14th century...
(chartered around 1400), Gränna
Gränna
Gränna is a locality situated in Jönköping Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 2,578 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated in Småland on the eastern shores of the lake Vättern, about 35 km north of Jönköping....
(1652), Huskvarna
Huskvarna
Huskvarna constitutes the eastern part of Jönköping, the municipal seat of Jönköping Municipality, Sweden and has a population of about 21,500. The distance to central Jönköping is about 5 km....
(1911), Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
(1284), Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
(approximately 1100), Ljungby
Ljungby, Sweden
Ljungby is a locality and the seat of Ljungby Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden, with 14,810 inhabitants in 2005.Ljungby was originally a köping , which did not become a municipality of its own when the first local government acts took effect in 1863, but retained part of the surrounding rural...
(1936), Nybro
Nybro
Nybro is a city and the seat of Nybro Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 12,598 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:The name Nybro literally means New Bridge. It was founded as a market town in the 19th century, but rapidly transformed into an industrial town. In 1865 the town became a municipality...
(1932), Nässjö
Nässjö
Nässjö is a locality and the seat of Nässjö Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 16,463 inhabitants in 2005.-History:Nässjö was for a long time only a rural village with agriculture as the dominant occupation. The turning point was the construction of the Swedish railway system. The southern...
(1914), Oskarshamn
Oskarshamn
Oskarshamn is a coastal city and the seat of Oskarshamn Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 17,258 inhabitants in 2010.-History:The location of Oskarshamn was known as Döderhultsvik since the Medieval age...
(1856), Sävsjö
Sävsjö
Sävsjö is a locality and the seat of Sävsjö Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 5,068 inhabitants in 2005.-Geography:Sävsjö is located on the main line railway between Stockholm and Malmö...
(1947), Tranås
Tranås
Tranås is a locality and the seat of Tranås Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 14,017 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:It is close to the lake Sommen in the north of Småland. Its main commercial center is located along the main street, Storgatan. The symbol of the town is the crane as...
(1919), Vetlanda
Vetlanda
Vetlanda is a locality and the seat of Vetlanda Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden with 12,691 inhabitants in 2005.-History:Vetlanda was still nothing more than a village for several centuries. With the 1840s population boom in Småland, and the industrial revolution winning grounds in Sweden,...
(1920), Vimmerby
Vimmerby
- External links :* - Official site* - Theme Park...
(approximately 1400), Värnamo
Värnamo
Värnamo is a locality and the seat of Värnamo Municipality, Jönköping County, Sweden, with 18,696 inhabitants in 2010.-History:Värnamo traces its history back to a village in the medieval age; the first written mention of it stems from the 13th century...
(1920), Västervik
Västervik
Västervik is a city and the seat of Västervik Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 20,694 inhabitants in 2005.- History :Västervik was first mentioned in 1275. The town was then located at the current location of Gamleby. In 1433 Eric of Pomerania decided to give it a charter and move it to its...
(approximately 1200), Växjö
Växjö
Växjö is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 64 200 inhabitants in 2010. It is the administrative, cultural and industrial centre of Kronoberg County. Furthermore it is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Växjö. It has a population of about 64 200, out of a...
(1342)
National Parks
Småland has three national parks:- Store Mosse
- Norra KvillNorra KvillNorra Kvill is a small national park near Vimmerby in Kalmar county, Småland, southeastern Sweden. A few kilometers from the park is the Rumskulla oak, Europe's largest English oak with a circumference of about 14 meters. The oak is thought to be about 1 000 years old.-External links:* from the...
- Blå JungfrunBlå JungfrunBlå Jungfrun, or "Blåkulla", is a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. More precisely, it is situated in Kalmar Strait, between the provinces Småland and Öland. Administratively, it belongs to the municipality Oskarshamn. It is uninhabited and has an area of only about 0.7 km², though it rises 86...
Religion
In comparison with much of Sweden, Småland has a higher level of religious intensity and church participation.In terms of Lutheran
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
ecclesiastical boundaries, most of the province encompasses the diocese of Växjö. Parts of northern Småland are in the diocese of Linköping.
Småland is also known for its free churches.
Politically Småland is the strongest province for Kristdemokraterna (the Swedish Christian Democratic Party)
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
, and both the current leader Göran Hägglund
Göran Hägglund
Bo Göran Hägglund is a Swedish politician and the current leader of the Christian Democrats of Sweden . He was elected Party Leader on 3 April 2004, succeeding Alf Svensson...
and his predecessor Alf Svensson
Alf Svensson
Alf Robert Olof Svensson is a Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament from 2009. Alf was the leader of the Christian Democrats in Sweden between 1973 and 3 April 2004. He was a Member of Parliament from 1985 to 1988 and again from 1991 until his election to the European Parliament...
live in Jönköping Municipality
Jönköping Municipality
Jönköping Municipality is a municipality in Jönköping County, southern Sweden. The city Jönköping is the municipal seat. The municipality is situated by the southern end of lake Vättern.-Historical background:...
in northern Småland.
Culture
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, sw. Carl von Linné, (1707–1778), often called the father of taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
or "The flower-king", was born in Älmhult
Älmhult
Älmhult is a locality and the seat of Älmhult Municipality in Kronoberg County, Sweden with 8,518 inhabitants in 2005.It was in Älmhult that the first IKEA store was built, and IKEA still has a large corporate presence here....
in Småland. He gave the Twinflower
Twinflower
Linnaea is a plant genus in the family Caprifoliaceae . The genus includes a single, generally boreal to subarctic woodland subshrub species, Linnaea borealis, commonly known as Twinflower .This plant was a favorite of Carl Linnaeus, founder of the modern system of biological nomenclature, for...
its Latin name based on his own (Latin: Linnaea borealis), because of his particular fondness of it. The flower has become Småland's provincial flower.
Another notable person from Älmhult is Ingvar Kamprad
Ingvar Kamprad
Ingvar Feodor Kamprad is a Swedish and the founder of IKEA, a retail company.According to Forbes magazine, as of 2011 he is the 162nd wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of around US$6 billion in 2011...
, the founder of the global concern IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
. The name "Småland" is used as the name of the children's play areas at some IKEA stores.
Literature
The Swedish emigration to North America during the 19th century, is best depicted in a suite of novels by author Vilhelm MobergVilhelm Moberg
Karl Artur Vilhelm Moberg was a Swedish author and historian, most commonly associated with his four novels known as The Emigrants Series.-Early life:...
, which is also the basis for the musical Kristina from Duvemåla
Kristina från Duvemåla
Kristina från Duvemåla is a Swedish musical written by former ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson , based on a series of four novels by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg detailing a family's poverty-driven migration from Sweden to America in the mid-19th century: The Emigrants, Unto a Good...
created by Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
and Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus is a Swedish songwriter, composer, musician, writer, producer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
of ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
fame.
In her writing, children's book author Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
often portrayed scenes from her own childhood, growing up on a farm in Småland.
Smalandians
In the 20th century, Småland has been known for its high level of entrepreneurship and low unemployment, especially in the Gnosjöregion. Some suggest the harsh conditions have throughout history forced the inhabitants of the region to be cunning, inventive and cooperative.This is how the old Swedish encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...
described the people:
- the Smalandian is by nature awake and smart, diligent and hard-working, yet compliant, cunning and crafty, which gives him the advantage of being able to move through life with little means.
A running joke, or stereotype, in Sweden, is that of the Smalandian being very economical, or even cheap. Ingvar Kamprad
Ingvar Kamprad
Ingvar Feodor Kamprad is a Swedish and the founder of IKEA, a retail company.According to Forbes magazine, as of 2011 he is the 162nd wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of around US$6 billion in 2011...
said that the Smalandian are seen as the Scotsmen of Sweden
Language
The local language is a SwedishSwedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
known as Småländska
Småländska
Småländska is a general term for the accents of Swedish spoken in the historical province of Småland in southern Sweden. The northeastern accents are mainly influenced by the Central Swedish accents while the southwest has been more influenced by Southern Swedish accents, like that of Halland and...
(Smalandian). This may in turn be separated in two main branches, with the northern related to the Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
dialects and the southern to the Scanian dialects.
Small lands
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After the unification of Sweden, around 800-1200 AD, Småland was for consistency divided into chartered cities and into hundreds.
Hundreds
The historical sub-divisions of all Sweden's provinces were through hundredsHundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
(Swedish: härad). These were Småland's hundreds:
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External links
- Visit Småland - Official tourist site (Kronoberg and Jönköping counties)
- Eastern Småland and Öland - Official tourist site (Kalmar County)
- VisitSweden - Sweden's official website for tourism and travel information
- Travel Smaland