Norrbärke

Dalarna () is a ''landskap'' (historical province) in central Sweden. English exonyms for it are Dalecarlia () and the Dales.

Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Norway in the west. The province's borders mostly coincide with the modern administrative Dalarna County (''län'').

The word "Dalarna" means "the dales" (valleys). The area is a holiday destination for Swedes from the south, who often travel there in the summer, drawn by its fishing lakes, campgrounds, and forests. Some Swedes own or rent a second home in Dalarna, where they are likely to have a vegetable garden and apple trees. In mid-June, midsummer celebrations and dances are held in many of the small villages and in the larger cities. Dalarna is a region full of historical associations, and both its products and its people have strong local characteristics. In the western district Lima, some people in villages speak a traditional dialect, Dalecarlian, while in Älvdalen, they speak Elfdalian, a dialect as foreign as Norwegian or Danish. Historically, the people of Dalecarlia – called Dalecarlians, or Dalesmen (''dalkarlar, masar'') and Daleswomen (''kullor'') – have been famous for their independent nature toward authority.)

The Old Norse form of the province name is ''Járnberaland'', which means "the land of the iron carriers."

Dalarna is roughly the size of the whole of Jutland (Denmark).

Administration

The provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes, but function as historical and cultural entities. In the case of ''Dalarna'' a corresponding administrative Dalarna County has almost, but not exactly, the same boundaries as the province, except for a part of the northeast ( Hamra parish, also known as Orsa Finnmark) which forms part of Ljusdal Municipality, Gävleborg County.

Heraldry

Dalarna's coat of arms dates from 1560; the use of two crossed arrows as a symbol precedes this. A Duchy of Dalecarlia also exists, and the provincial arms include a ducal coronet.

Blazon: "Azure, two Dalecarlian Arrows Or in saltire point upwards pointed Argent and in chief a Crown of the first".

As early as 1525, the arrows appeared in use on a seal. Dalarna County uses the same coat of arms, granted for the then Kopparberg County in 1936.

Geography

The northern part of the province is dominated by mountains and the vast Orsa Finnmark area. The southern part of the province is part of the Bergslagen region, and consists mostly of plains, hills and forested areas. There are several copper mines in the southern part, most notorious of which being the Falun Mine. The highest point is Storvätteshågna, at 1,204 meters above sea level. The lowest point is in the southeast, at 55 meters above sea level.

Dalarna's largest lake is lake Siljan, in the middle part of Dalarna. There the Västerdal River and Österdal River join the Dal River. Dalarna's second largest lake is Runn, which lies between Falun and Borlänge. With of water and over 50 islands, the lake is a tourist destination.

Cities

Dalarna was historically divided into chartered cities and districts:

* Avesta (1641–1686, renewed 1919)
*Borlänge (1944, as Borlængio by 1390)
* Falun (1641)
* Hedemora (approximately 1400)
* Ludvika (1919)
* Säter (1642)
*Mora

Since 1971, the cities are seats of their respective municipalities.

Other towns

* Vansbro
* Leksand
* Orsa
* Älvdalen
* Rättvik
*Tällberg
* Malung
* Sälen
* Särna (and Idre)
* Smedjebacken
* Gagnef

National parks

* Färnebofjärden
* Fulufjället
* Hamra
* Töfsingdalen

History

The province of Dalarna formed part of Svealand before the formation of Sweden in the 11th century.

Three historically notorious rebellions started in the Dalarna province:

* In 1434, led by Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, the miners rose against the oppression of the officers of Eric of Pomerania.
* In 1519–1523 Gustav Vasa found his first and staunchest supporters among the miners in his revolt against the Kalmar Union under King Christian II.
* In 1524–1533 the Dalecarlians and local nobles rebelled against Gustav's increasingly autocratic rule and reformist religious policies; three uprisings were brutally suppressed. Some of the leaders were executed as alleged collaborators of King Christian during the liberation war.
* In 1743, the Dalecarlian Rebellion against the Hats, which was the last major peasants' uprising in Sweden.

Culture

Historically, Dalarna has enjoyed a rich and unique folk culture, with distinct music, paintings, and handicrafts. The province preserved longer than any other the use of the Runic alphabet, a local dialect of which, the so-called Dalecarlian runes or Dalrunes, survived into the 19th century.

A symbol of the province is the Dalecarlian horse, in Swedish ''Dalahäst'', a painted and decorated wooden horse. Sulky racing is common in the region. The high level of calcium in the soil favours horse breeding.

UNESCO has named the mining area of the Stora Kopparberg ("Great Copper Mountain") in Falun a World Heritage Site.

Notable natives

* Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman, chef
* Jussi Björling, opera singer
*Cryonic Temple, heavy metal band
* Joacim Cans, musician
* Björn Dixgård, musician
*Johan Erik Forsström

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