Norrbotten

Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or lan of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast. The name Norrbotten is also used for a province of the same name. Norrbotten province covers only the eastern part of Norrbotten County – the inland mostly belongs to the Swedish Lapland province. The northern part of Norrbotten lies within the Arctic Circle.

During the Middle Ages, Norrbotten was considered to be terra nullius The area was sparsely populated by Sami, Kvens and different tribes people related to the Finns. From the Middle Ages on, the Swedish kings tried hard to colonise and Christianise the area. This took time, however; even today, there are Finnish and Sami minorities living in the area, who have maintained their own culture and customs.