Uppland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Uppland (listen ) 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. It has an extremely short and strangely shaped land border with Åland, an autonomous province of Finland, on the small uninhabited island of Märket in the Baltic.
The name literally means up land, a name which is commonly encountered in especially older English literature. Its Latinised form, which is occasionally used, is Uplandia.
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[edit] Counties / Län
In Sweden today, the traditional provinces serve no administrative function. Instead, these are administered by smaller län, or counties of Sweden. Uppland province overlaps mainly with Uppsala County, which occupies the heartland, and Stockholm County, which claims about a third of the territory in the south. Also, minor parts of the counties of Västmanland, Gävleborg and Södermanland are included in the province.
[edit] Population
The population of Uppland was 1,339,154 as of 2004. The provincial population corresponds to the two main counties as follows:
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Stockholm County, partly | 1,023,820 |
| Uppsala County, entirely | 319,925 |
(Note: The population statistics for Uppsala County date from 2007, which is why the population adds up to a larger total sum.)
[edit] History
The earliest unambiguous mention of the province of Uppland comes from the 1296, when it was mentioned that it included the Folklands of Fjärdhundraland, Attundaland, Tiundaland and Roslagen. The Swedish capital of Stockholm is divided between two provinces. The southern half lies in Södermanland and the northern half in Uppland.
[edit] Heraldry
Arms granted in 1560. Historically Uppland ranked as a duchy and the coat of arms is represented with a dukal coronet. Blazon: "Gules, a Royal Orb Or gemmed of the field and Azure with the cross bottoned Argent."
[edit] Dukes
The nominal title Duke of a province has been awarded to Swedish princes since 1772. Dukes of Södermanland were:
- Prince Gustaf (1827-1852)
- Prince Sigvard (from his birth in 1907 until his loss of succession rights in 1934)
[edit] Geography
Uppland was historically divided into chartered cities and districts. Within Roslagen they were called ship districts, and in the rest of the province hundreds.
[edit] Cities
- Enköping (approximately 1300)
- Lidingö (1926)
- Norrtälje (1622)
- Sigtuna (approximately 990)
- Solna (1943)
- Stockholm (1252)
- Sundbyberg (1927)
- Uppsala (1286)
- Vaxholm (1652)
- Öregrund (1491)
- Östhammar (approximately 1300)
[edit] Districts
While the parish of Söderfors belongs to Uplandia it also formed part of Gestricia Eastern Court District.
[edit] Facts
- Highest mountain:: Upplandsberget at Siggeforasjön, 117 metres
- Largest lake: Mälaren
- Archipelago: Roslagen
- National Parks: Ängsö, Färnebofjärden
[edit] Religion
Uppsala is the seat of the only (formerly Catholic) archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Sweden.
[edit] Culture
The archaeological site Birka and the castle of Drottningholm are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
[edit] External links
Ångermanland • Bohuslän • Blekinge • Dalarna • Dalsland • Gästrikland • Gotland • Halland • Hälsingland • Härjedalen • Jämtland • Lapland • Medelpad • Norrbotten • Närke • Öland • Östergötland • Scania • Småland • Södermanland • Uppland • Värmland • Västmanland • Västerbotten • Västergötland
