Stockholm County
Encyclopedia
Stockholm County is a county
or län
(in Swedish
) 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 (Roslagen
) and Södermanland (Södertörn
). More than one fifth of the Swedish population lives in the county. Stockholm County is also one of the statistical riksområden
(national areas) according to NUTS:SE
, Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
within the EU.
, Södermanland
, Roslagen
, Södertörn
, and Metropolitan Stockholm
The Stockholm County was established in 1714. The City of Stockholm
constituted its own administrative entity under the Over-Governor of Stockholm
, and was not a part of Stockholm County. The City of Stockholm, yet outside the Stockholm County, was the seat of the last mentioned county.
On 1 January 1968, the Stockholm County was united with the City of Stockholm. At the same time, the borders were redrawn in other directions too; Upplands-Bro Municipality
was transferred from Uppsala County
and a large part of the modern day Östhammar Municipality
was transferred to Uppsala County
.
, Södermanland
and the City of Stockholm. When it is shown with a royal crown it represents the County Administrative Board.
. The City was instead under the Over-Governor's Office
, and the County included the surrounding countryside. The County had its separate Governor of Stockholm County.
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 a Government Agency
headed by a Governor.
See List of Stockholm Governors.
of Stockholm County in Sweden. Its main responsibilities are for the public healthcare system
and public transport
.
The County Council
has 149 members elected by proportional representation through elections held in conjunction with the national parliamentary elections
every four years. The County Council itself elects the county's executive committee.
The president of the committee also holds the title Commissioner of Finance. The commissioner is Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd
, of the Moderate Party. The members of the executive committee (landstingsstyrelsen) represent both the political majority and the opposition, with responsibility for implementing policies approved by the County Council.
makes up the first constituency while the second makes up the rest of the county.
The council election results for 2010:
Election results for 2006:
Election results for 2002:
. The main organizer of the transportation system is two corporations owned by the county. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
, SL, handles the bus, tram and train services while the boat traffic is handled by Waxholmsbolaget
. The operation and maintenance of the public transport systems is delegated by the companies to several contractors.
The county is also responsible for paratransit
services and Närtrafiken, a number of share taxi
routes.
. The police department is headed by a County Police Commissioner.
The principal agency for the police department is the Stockholm County Police Authority
(Polisstyrelsen i Stockholms Län), a government-appointed body consisting of local councillors from the county, and the Commissioner.
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...
or län
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
(in Swedish
Swedish 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...
) on the Baltic sea coast of 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....
. It borders 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...
and Södermanland County
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....
. It also borders 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...
and 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 city 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...
is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland (Roslagen
Roslagen
Roslagen is the name of the coastal areas of Uppland province in Sweden, which also constitutes the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago....
) and Södermanland (Södertörn
Södertörn
Södertörn is a roughly triangular peninsula in eastern Södermanland, Sweden, which is bordered by:*Lake Mälaren and the inlet of Saltsjön to the north,*Himmerfjärden and Hallsfjärden to the west and...
). More than one fifth of the Swedish population lives in the county. Stockholm County is also one of the statistical riksområden
National Areas of Sweden
The National Areas of Sweden are 8 second level subdivisions of Sweden, created by the European Union for statistical purposes.- Subdivision :The 8 riksområden includes the 21 counties of Sweden...
(national areas) according to NUTS:SE
NUTS:SE
In the NUTS codes of Sweden , the three levels are:-NUTS codes:...
, Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
within the EU.
History
For History, Geography and Culture see also: UpplandUppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
, Roslagen
Roslagen
Roslagen is the name of the coastal areas of Uppland province in Sweden, which also constitutes the northern part of the Stockholm archipelago....
, Södertörn
Södertörn
Södertörn is a roughly triangular peninsula in eastern Södermanland, Sweden, which is bordered by:*Lake Mälaren and the inlet of Saltsjön to the north,*Himmerfjärden and Hallsfjärden to the west and...
, and Metropolitan Stockholm
The Stockholm County was established in 1714. The City of Stockholm
Stockholm Municipality
Stockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
constituted its own administrative entity under the Over-Governor of Stockholm
Over-Governor of Stockholm
The Over-Governor, or Överståthållaren of Stockholm was the highest official for the City between 1634 and 1967. The Office was instituted by the Instrument of Government of 1634, which divided Sweden into Counties and the Over-Governorship of Stockholm...
, and was not a part of Stockholm County. The City of Stockholm, yet outside the Stockholm County, was the seat of the last mentioned county.
On 1 January 1968, the Stockholm County was united with the City of Stockholm. At the same time, the borders were redrawn in other directions too; Upplands-Bro Municipality
Upplands-Bro Municipality
Upplands-Bro Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Kungsängen....
was transferred from 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...
and a large part of the modern day Östhammar Municipality
Östhammar Municipality
Östhammar Municipality is a municipality in Uppsala County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Östhammar....
was transferred to 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...
.
Heraldry
Arms granted in 1968. The arms for the County of Stockholm is a combination of the arms of UpplandUppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
and the City of Stockholm. When it is shown with a royal crown it represents the County Administrative Board.
Municipalities
|
|
|
County Administrative Board
Prior to 1968 the County of Stockholm did not include the City of StockholmStockholm
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...
. The City was instead under the Over-Governor's Office
Over-Governor of Stockholm
The Over-Governor, or Överståthållaren of Stockholm was the highest official for the City between 1634 and 1967. The Office was instituted by the Instrument of Government of 1634, which divided Sweden into Counties and the Over-Governorship of Stockholm...
, and the County included the surrounding countryside. The County had its separate Governor of Stockholm County.
The main aim of the 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...
is to fulfil the goals set in national politics by the Parliament
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
and 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...
, 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 a Government Agency
Government agencies in Sweden
The Government agencies in Sweden are state controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Swedish Government. The Government Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct...
headed by a Governor.
See List of Stockholm Governors.
| County officials | ||
| Governor | Per Unckel Per Unckel Per Carl Gustav Unckel was a Swedish former Moderate Party politician and at the time of his death the Governor of Stockholm County.... |
1 January 2002 |
| Deputy Governor | Bo Hansson Bo Hansson Bo Hansson was a Swedish musician best known for his four instrumental albums released in the 1970s.-Early life and musical career:... |
1 January 2002 |
| Commissioner of Finance | Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd Catharina Sabine Maria Laurine Elmsäter-Svärd is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. She held the positions as Commissioner of Finance and Chief Commissioner in of Stockholm County Council. She became Minister for Infrastructure on October 5, 2010.She was a member of the Riksdag 1997 to... |
12 February 2008 |
| Police Commissioner | Carin Götblad Carin Götblad Carin Götblad is Police Commissioner of Stockholm County since May 5, 2003. She received her law degree in 1987.- References :... |
5 May 2003 |
| President of the County Council | Inger Linge | 7 November 2006 |
County Council
Stockholm county council (Stockholms läns landsting) is the County CouncilCounty Councils of Sweden
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...
of Stockholm County in Sweden. Its main responsibilities are for the public healthcare system
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...
and public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
.
The County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
has 149 members elected by proportional representation through elections held in conjunction with the national parliamentary elections
Elections in Sweden
Elections in the Kingdom of Sweden are held every four years, and determine the makeup of the legislative bodies on the three levels of administrative division in the country. At the highest level, these elections determine the allocation of seats in the Riksdag, the national legislative body of...
every four years. The County Council itself elects the county's executive committee.
The president of the committee also holds the title Commissioner of Finance. The commissioner is Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd
Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd
Catharina Sabine Maria Laurine Elmsäter-Svärd is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. She held the positions as Commissioner of Finance and Chief Commissioner in of Stockholm County Council. She became Minister for Infrastructure on October 5, 2010.She was a member of the Riksdag 1997 to...
, of the Moderate Party. The members of the executive committee (landstingsstyrelsen) represent both the political majority and the opposition, with responsibility for implementing policies approved by the County Council.
Elections
Stockholm County contains two multi-seat constituencies for county council elections, the Stockholm MunicipalityStockholm Municipality
Stockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
makes up the first constituency while the second makes up the rest of the county.
The council election results for 2010:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Moderate Party Moderate Party The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament... |
57 |
| Liberal Party Liberal People's Party (Sweden) The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006... |
15 |
| Christian Democratic Party | 7 |
| Centre Party | 6 |
| Social Democrats | 39 |
| Leftist Party | 10 |
| Environmental Party | 15 |
| Total | 149 |
Election results for 2006:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Moderate Party Moderate Party The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament... |
55 |
| Liberal Party Liberal People's Party (Sweden) The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006... |
16 |
| Christian Democratic Party | 9 |
| Centre Party | 6 |
| Social Democrats | 43 |
| Leftist Party | 10 |
| Environmental Party | 10 |
| Total | 149 |
Election results for 2002:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Social Democrats | 54 |
| Moderate Party Moderate Party The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament... |
37 |
| Liberal Party Liberal People's Party (Sweden) The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006... |
26 |
| Christian Democratic Party | 11 |
| Leftist Party | 14 |
| Environmental Party | 7 |
| Total | 149 |
Hospitals
The county council operates most of the hospitals in the county, some of the major facilities are:- Karolinska University HospitalKarolinska University HospitalThe Karolinska University Hospital is a university hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, with two major sites in the municipalities of Huddinge and Solna....
. The hospital contains two major facilities; one in SolnaSolna MunicipalitySolna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the 'city' of Solna....
and one in Huddinge (since the merger with Huddinge University Hospital in 2004). - SödersjukhusetSödersjukhusetSödersjukhuset is one of the largest hospitals in Stockholm, Sweden. Constructed between 1937 and 1944, it was designed by architects Hjalmar Cederström and H. Imhäuser. Södersjukhuset has the largest emergency department in northern Europe....
- Danderyd Hospital
- SödertäljeSödertäljeSödertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
Hospital - NorrtäljeNorrtäljeNorrtälje is a locality and the seat of Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 17,275 inhabitants in 2010.- History :Norrtälje traces its history to 1219, when the location was first mentioned as Tälje. After some time, the name officially became Norrtälje, to separate it from the...
Hospital - S:t Erik Ocular Clinic
Public transport
The county council is responsible for the public transport in StockholmPublic transport in Stockholm
Public transport in Stockholm consists of bus, metro, regional/suburban rail, light rail, tram and archipelago boat operation in Stockholm County, Sweden. The bus and rail is organized by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik , SL, which is owned by the Stockholm County Council...
. The main organizer of the transportation system is two corporations owned by the county. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
, SL, handles the bus, tram and train services while the boat traffic is handled by Waxholmsbolaget
Waxholmsbolaget
Waxholms Ångfartygs AB, commonly referred to as Waxholmsbolaget, is a shipping company that is owned by Stockholm county council and is responsible for the seaborne public transport in Stockholm archipelago and Stockholm harbour...
. The operation and maintenance of the public transport systems is delegated by the companies to several contractors.
The county is also responsible for paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
services and Närtrafiken, a number of share taxi
Share taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
routes.
Culture and education
The county council operates, besides the health and transportation services, the Stockholm County Museum, and two education institutions; Berga and Säbyholm Agricultural High Schools.Law enforcement
Stockholm County constitutes the area of jurisdiction to the Stockholm County Police Department(Polismyndigheten i Stockholms Län), which is a division of the Swedish Police ServiceSwedish Police Service
The Swedish Police Service is a collection of Government agencies concerned with police matters in Sweden. The Swedish Police Service consists of 28,500 employees of which 39 per cent are women. The staff consists of 20,000 police officers of which 25 per cent are women and 8,500 civilian staff of...
. The police department is headed by a County Police Commissioner.
The principal agency for the police department is the Stockholm County Police Authority
Police authority
A police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...
(Polisstyrelsen i Stockholms Län), a government-appointed body consisting of local councillors from the county, and the Commissioner.
See also
- Stockholm County MuseumStockholm County MuseumStockholm County Museum is a museum covering the history of Stockholm County in central-eastern Sweden except central Stockholm ....
- List of metropolitan areas in Sweden
- Largest metropolitan areas in the Nordic countriesLargest metropolitan areas in the Nordic countriesThe largest metropolitan areas in the Nordic countries are difficult to rank in size because the definition patterns are different from country to country....