Örnsköldsvik Municipality
Encyclopedia
Örnsköldsvik Municipality (Örnsköldsviks kommun) is one of Sweden's 290 municipalities
, in Västernorrland County
in northern Sweden
. Its seat is in the town Örnsköldsvik
. The present municipality was created in 1971 by the amalgamation of the City of Örnsköldsvik with seven former rural municiplities.
and has the third longest suspension bridge in Europe, the Höga Kusten Bridge
.
The city is located around 100 km south of Umeå
and 550 km north of Stockholm
. The area is dominated by forest, but it also contains minor areas of agriculture
.
Parish (town) number of citizens
Total: 54,943
. The Örnsköldsvik Airport
provides daily flights to and from the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
courtesy of SAS
, and also charter flights to Turkey
courtesy of Pegasus Airlines
. Railway transportation will in the future be provided by high-speed railway Botniabanan
, which is currently under construction. There is also a harbour, where cargo ships load and unload timber
and other merchandise. In North America the town is known for its excellent hockey players, a number of whom play with the NHL.
and exploring the scenery of the High Coast is popular in the area. In the wintertime, skiing is popular. Both cross-country skiing
, alpine skiing
and even ski jumping
is practiced almost in the downtown area. Since Örnsköldsvik is a coastal town, there are also beaches near town, as well as campsite
s. There's also an indoor water park
called Paradisbadet, with one of the longest water slides in Europe.
Sports is also popular, the main spectator sport in town is ice hockey
, with the local team Modo Hockey
in Elitserien
, the main league for ice hockey in Sweden. The local football
teams are not quite as successful, but still pretty popular, on the men's side especially the teams Friska Viljor FC
from central Örnsköldsvik and Anundsjö IF
from Bredbyn outside of town, and women's Själevads IK
. A couple floorball
teams from town have also had some success.
players, including Peter Forsberg
, Markus Näslund
, Niklas Sundström
, and twins Daniel
and Henrik Sedin
. Samuel Påhlsson
, also an ice hockey player, lived there for a long time but was born in Ånge. Many stars from hockey's previous generation, including Anders Hedberg
, Thomas Gradin
and Anders Kallur
, were also either Örnsköldsvik natives (Hedberg) and/or played in the town for the Modo Hockey
club.
are: - Äänekoski
, Finland
- Sigdal
, Norway
- Hveragerði
, Iceland
- Brande
, Denmark
- Tarp, Germany
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
, in Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
in northern 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 in the town Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik is a locality and the seat of Örnsköldsvik Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 28,617 inhabitants in 2005.Its natural harbour and archipelago is in the Gulf of Bothnia and the northern boundaries of the High Coast area. It is well known as an exporter of paper products...
. The present municipality was created in 1971 by the amalgamation of the City of Örnsköldsvik with seven former rural municiplities.
Geography
Örnsköldsvik is situated near the northern end of the "High Coast", which is a UNESCO World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
and has the third longest suspension bridge in Europe, the Höga Kusten Bridge
Höga Kusten Bridge
The High Coast Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing the mouth of the Ångermanälven river near Veda, on the border between the Härnösand and Kramfors municipalities in the province of Ångermanland in northern Sweden. The area is often referred to as The High Coast, hence its name...
.
The city is located around 100 km south of Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
and 550 km north 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...
. The area is dominated by forest, but it also contains minor areas of 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...
.
Population distribution (31 December 2005)
The municipality of Örnsköldsvik is built up from a number of parishes, within which are towns and villages. The population is distributed as follows:Parish (town) number of citizens
- Örnsköldsvik: 9,123
- Arnäs: 7,653
- AnundsjöAnundsjö-History:The Anundsjö church is located in the community of Bredbyn in Örnsköldsvik Municipality and has a detached belltower.-Notable inhabitants:*Peter Artedi or Petrus Arctaedius *Frideborg Winblad, educator and administrator-References:...
: 4,100- Bredbyn: 1,216
- Mellansel: 821
- Skorped: 667
- SidensjöSidensjöSidensjö is a locality situated in Örnsköldsvik Municipality, Västernorrland County, Sweden with 399 inhabitants in 2005. It is also a parish in the Nätra Court District.-History:...
: 1,192 - Nätra: 5,402
- Bjästa: 1,777
- Köpmanholmen: 1,263
- Själevad: 18,960
- Domsjö
- Gullänget
- Sund
- Gene
- Mo: 1,309
- Grundsunda: 3,214
- Gideå: 1,215
- Björna: 1,586
- Trehörningsjö: 522
Total: 54,943
Transportation
Main road transportations are provided by the European route E4European route E4
European route E 4 passes from north to south through Sweden from the border with Finland, total length . The Finnish part lies entirely within Tornio in northern Finland, and is actually only long...
. The Örnsköldsvik Airport
Örnsköldsvik Airport
Örnsköldsvik Airport , is a regional airport located northeast of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, at Husum, built in 1961. The airport had 132,468 passengers in 2007.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:...
provides daily flights to and from the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport , is an international airport located in the Sigtuna Municipality of Sweden, near the town of Märsta, north of Stockholm and nearly , by road, south-east of Uppsala....
courtesy of SAS
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
, and also charter flights to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
courtesy of Pegasus Airlines
Pegasus Airlines
Pegasus Airlines is a low-cost airline headquartered in the Halkalı area of Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey. Formerly a charter airline in partnership with Aer Lingus, Pegasus is now completely controlled by Esas Holding.- History :...
. Railway transportation will in the future be provided by high-speed railway Botniabanan
Botniabanan
The Bothnia Line is a high-speed railway line in northern Sweden. The long route, from Kramfors airport via Örnsköldsvik to Umeå, was opened in 2010 and will carry trains at speeds up to .-Introduction:...
, which is currently under construction. There is also a harbour, where cargo ships load and unload timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and other merchandise. In North America the town is known for its excellent hockey players, a number of whom play with the NHL.
Recreation and sports
Due to the hilly surroundings, hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and exploring the scenery of the High Coast is popular in the area. In the wintertime, skiing is popular. Both cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and even ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
is practiced almost in the downtown area. Since Örnsköldsvik is a coastal town, there are also beaches near town, as well as campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
s. There's also an indoor water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
called Paradisbadet, with one of the longest water slides in Europe.
Sports is also popular, the main spectator sport in town is ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, with the local team Modo Hockey
MODO Hockey
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...
in Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, the main league for ice hockey in Sweden. The local football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
teams are not quite as successful, but still pretty popular, on the men's side especially the teams Friska Viljor FC
Friska Viljor FC
Friska Viljor FC is a Swedish football club located in Örnsköldsvik in Örnsköldsvik Municipality, Västernorrland County.-Background:The club was formed in February 1994 but was previously the football section of the multi-sport club IF Friska Viljor. From 1995 to 1998 the new club progressed...
from central Örnsköldsvik and Anundsjö IF
Anundsjö IF
Anundsjö IF is a Swedish football club located in Bredbyn outside Örnsköldsvik. The club, formed in 1921, is currently playing in the fourth highest Swedish league, Division 2. The club is affiliated to the Ångermanlands Fotbollförbund.-Season to season:...
from Bredbyn outside of town, and women's Själevads IK
Själevads IK
Själevads IK is a football club from Själevad, 5 kilometres west of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The season of 2004 was the first in the Women's premier division for the club....
. A couple floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
teams from town have also had some success.
Notable natives
Örnsköldsvik is the birthplace of many world-famous ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
players, including Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
, Markus Näslund
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
, Niklas Sundström
Niklas Sundström
Lars Niklas Sundström is a professional ice hockey player who started his professional career in Modo Hockey. He was drafted eighth overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. He was also on Wayne Gretzky's line. He was not known for his goal scoring ability, but for his...
, and twins Daniel
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
and Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
. Samuel Påhlsson
Samuel Påhlsson
Samuel Påhlsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League .-Professional:...
, also an ice hockey player, lived there for a long time but was born in Ånge. Many stars from hockey's previous generation, including Anders Hedberg
Anders Hedberg
Anders Hedberg is a retired former professional ice hockey player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America...
, Thomas Gradin
Thomas Gradin
Thomas Kjell Gradin was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1978 to 1987. He is best remembered for the 8 seasons he spent with the Vancouver Canucks, and remains one of the top players in that franchise's history.-NHL career:Gradin was already one of the top...
and Anders Kallur
Anders Kallur
Anders Kallur is a Swedish retired professional ice hockey player.Kallur played for Modo Hockey and Södertälje SK before moving to Djurgårdens IF in 1978. He was awarded Guldpucken as the best player of the 1978–79 season...
, were also either Örnsköldsvik natives (Hedberg) and/or played in the town for the Modo Hockey
MODO Hockey
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...
club.
- Malin MoströmMalin MoströmMalin Sofi Moström is a Swedish former football player , from 2001 to 2006 she was the captain of the Sweden women's national football team...
, captain and key player in the Sweden women's national football teamSweden women's national football teamSweden women's national football team are a football team officially representing Sweden in women's football. They won the unofficial European Championships in 1984, a success the team has not managed to repeat, it has however won one World Cup-silver as well as three European Cup-silvers...
is also a native of Örnsköldsvik. - Magdalena ForsbergMagdalena ForsbergMagdalena "Magda" Forsberg is a former Swedish cross country skier and biathlete. She was the dominating female biathlete from 1997 to 2002, when she retired, winning the Biathlon World Cup for six years straight...
, cross-country skierCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and biathleteBiathlonBiathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
. - Hans HedbergHans HedbergHans Hedberg was a Swedish sculptor who resided in Biot in southern France until his death. Born in Köpmanholmen, Örnsköldsvik Municipality, Västernorrland County, Sweden, he was mostly known for his gigantic ceramic fruit and has installations in several countries, especially in his native Sweden...
, sculptor known for his gigantic ceramic fruit. - Märta Norberg, outstanding cross-country skierCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
in the end of the 1940s and beginning of 1950s. - Thomas HammarbergThomas HammarbergThomas Hammarberg is a Swedish diplomat and human rights defender.He is currently the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg...
, diplomatDiplomatA diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist.
Sister cities
Örnsköldsvik's sister citiesTown 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 :...
are: - Äänekoski
Äänekoski
Äänekoski is a town and municipality of Finland.-Geography:It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Finland region. It is neighboured by Kannonkoski, Konnevesi, Laukaa, Saarijärvi, Uurainen, Vesanto and Viitasaari. The town has a population of and covers an area...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
- Sigdal
Sigdal
Sigdal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestfoss. -Background:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
- Hveragerði
Hveragerði
Hveragerði is a town and municipality in the south of Iceland located 45 km to the east of Reykjavík on Iceland's main ringroad, Route 1.The river Varmá runs through the town. The population was 2,316 on 1 January 2011.-Overview:...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
- Brande
Brande
Brande is a railway town with a population of 6,959 located at the railroad between Vejle and Herning in Ikast-Brande municipality in Region Midtjylland in the central area of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
- Tarp, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Etymology
- The original town was named after County Governor Per Abraham ÖrnsköldPer Abraham ÖrnsköldPer Abraham Örnsköld was a Swedish nobleman, with the title of count, whose notability in his country's history stems from his dedication to the able management of Sweden's regional subdivisions which he administered in his capacity as governor.In 1762, the year of his forty-second birthday, he...
- The name Örnsköldsvik is sometimes unofficially translated into English as Eagleshieldsbay.
Notable residents
- Markus NäslundMarkus NäslundSten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
, and twin brothers DanielDaniel SedinDaniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
and Henrik SedinHenrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
, are all from Örnsköldsvik Municipality; Nazzy played for the Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
from 1996-2008 and his number was retired by the team in honour of his many accomplishments in December 2010, while the Sedins are captain and deputy captain of the team in 2010-11.
External links
- Örnsköldsvik - Official site
- Örnsköldsvik Tourist Information (available in English, German and Swedish)
- Mid-Sweden University College at Örnsköldsvik
- Campus Örnsköldsvik at Umeå UniversityUmeå UniversityUmeå University is a university in Umeå in the mid-northern region of Sweden. The university was founded in 1965 and is the fifth oldest within Sweden's present borders....
Örnsköldsvik airport article Örnsköldsvik from Nordisk FamiljebokNordisk familjebokNordisk 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...
(1922).