Västergötland
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Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative
provinces of Sweden The provinces of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges landskap) are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces; they have no administrative function (except for in some cases as sport districts), but remain historical legacies and ...
(''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. Västergötland is home to Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden, which is situated along a short stretch of the
Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...
strait. The province is bordered by Bohuslän,
Dalsland Dalsland () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, and ...
,
Värmland Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are '' ...
,
Närke Närke () is a Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwe ...
, Östergötland, Småland and
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Brömseb ...
, as well as the two largest Swedish lakes
Vänern Vänern ( , also , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake of all Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland i ...
and
Vättern Vättern ( , ) is the second largest lake by surface area in Sweden, after Vänern, and the sixth largest lake in Europe. It is a long, finger-shaped body of fresh water in south central Sweden, to the southeast of Vänern, pointing at the tip of ...
.
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée; born 14 July 1977) is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expec ...
is Duchess of Västergötland.


Administration

The
provinces of Sweden The provinces of Sweden ( sv, Sveriges landskap) are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces; they have no administrative function (except for in some cases as sport districts), but remain historical legacies and ...
serve no administrative function. Instead, that function is served by
counties of Sweden The counties of Sweden (Swedish: ''Sveriges län'') are the top-level geographic subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is today divided into 21 counties; however, the number of counties has varied over time, due to territorial gains/losses and to d ...
. From the 17th century up until 31 December 1997, Västergötland was divided into
Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( sv, Skaraborgs län ) was a county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County. The count ...
,
Älvsborg County Älvsborg County ( sv, Älvsborgs län) was a county of Sweden until 1997, when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg & Bohus and Skaraborg to form Västra Götaland County. The county corresponded to the traditional province of Dals ...
and a minor part of
Gothenburg and Bohus County Gothenburg and Bohus County ( sv, Göteborgs och Bohus län) was a county of Sweden until 1997, when it was merged with Skaraborg County and Älvsborg County to form Västra Götaland County. The county was named after the city of Gothenburg a ...
. From 1 January 1998 nearly all of the province is in the newly created
Västra Götaland County Västra Götaland County ( sv, Västra Götalands län) is a county or '' län'' on the western coast of Sweden. The county is the second most populous of Sweden's counties and it comprises 49 municipalities (''kommuner''). Its population of 1 ...
, with the exception of
Habo Municipality Habo Municipality ( sv, Habo kommun) is a municipality in Jönköping County, southern Sweden, where the locality of Habo is seat. The present municipality was formed in 1974 when a part of the dissolved rural municipality of ''Fågelsås'' wa ...
and
Mullsjö Municipality Mullsjö Municipality ( sv, Mullsjö kommun) is a municipality in Jönköping County, southern Sweden. Its seat is in the locality of Mullsjö. The municipality was formed in 1952 by the amalgamation of four former entities. In 1998 it was tran ...
, which were transferred to
Jönköping County Jönköping County ( sv, Jönköpings län) is a county or '' län'' in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The total county population was 356,291 inhabitants in Sept ...
, and smaller parts of the province which are in
Halland County Halland County ( sv, Hallands län, link=no, ) is a county (''län'') on the western coast of Sweden. It corresponds roughly to the cultural and historical province of Halland. The capital is Halmstad. It borders the counties of Västra Götal ...
and
Örebro County Örebro County ( sv, Örebro län) is a county or '' län'' in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland. It is frequently culturally divided into the hilly ...
.


Heraldry

Västergötland was granted its arms at the time of the funeral of King
Gustav Vasa Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksför ...
in 1560. The province is also a duchy and the arms can be represented with the ducal coronet. Blazon: "Per bend sinister Sable and Or, a Lion rampant counterchanged langued and armed Gules between two Mullets Argent in the Sable field."


Geography

The southern and eastern part of the province is dominated by hills, belonging to the southern Swedish highlands. In
geological Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other E ...
terms southern Västergötland is made up of northward tilted surfaces of the Sub-Cambrian peneplain making up the flank of the Southern Swedish Dome. The northern and western portions of the province belong to the
Central Swedish lowland The Central Swedish lowland ( sv, Mellansvenska sänkan, Mellansvenska låglandet) is a large region of low relief and altitude in Sweden spanning from the Swedish West Coast at Bohuslän to Stockholm archipelago and Roslagen at the Baltic Sea. T ...
, which in this part is referred to as the Västgöta-plains or . Characteristic for these lowlands in Västergötland is that they contain hills made up Silurian-aged
sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
. These are;
Kinnekulle Kinnekulle is a flat-topped mountain in the county of Västergötland, Sweden, on the eastern shore of lake Vänern. Its highest point is above sea level. The mountain is long and wide at the top. Geology Despite its enormous size, Kinneku ...
,
Halleberg Halleberg is a table mountain by lake Vänern in Vänersborg Municipality, Västergötland, Sweden. Halleberg, part of which protrudes into Lake Vänern is separated in the south by about wide valley from the adjacent Hunneberg (also a ...
,
Hunneberg Hunneberg is a Sweden, Swedish mountain just east of Vänersborg and ...
and Billingen. Along the
Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...
lies the archipelago usually known as the
Gothenburg archipelago The archipelago of Gothenburg ( sv, Göteborgs skärgård) comprises northern and southern archipelagoes. The southern archipelago is part of Gothenburg municipality located in the province of Västergötland while the northern archipelago is Öc ...
. The southern part of it, belonging to Gothenburg Municipality, is part of Västergötland. The northwestern border is demarcated by Sweden's largest lake
Vänern Vänern ( , also , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake of all Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland i ...
, and the north-eastern border is demarcated by Sweden's second largest lake
Vättern Vättern ( , ) is the second largest lake by surface area in Sweden, after Vänern, and the sixth largest lake in Europe. It is a long, finger-shaped body of fresh water in south central Sweden, to the southeast of Vänern, pointing at the tip of ...
. Within the province the shoreline of Lake Vänern is long, and along Vättern it is . The largest river is
Göta älv The Göta älv (; "River of (the) Geats") is a river that drains lake Vänern into the Kattegat, at the city of Gothenburg, on the western coast of Sweden. It was formed at the end of the last glaciation, as an outflow channel from the Baltic Ic ...
which drains
Vänern Vänern ( , also , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake of all Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland i ...
to the east shore and the
Kattegat The Kattegat (; sv, Kattegatt ) is a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden ...
strait; along the river several important cities and towns have been situated for centuries. The average rainfall is near the coast and in the plains. The average temperature is in January and in July. * Highest mountain: Galtåsen 362 meters * National parks:
Tiveden Tiveden is a long and wide densely forested rocky ridge in Sweden, throughout history notorious for its wilderness and dangers; historically a hiding place for outlaws. In historic times it, along with Tylöskog and Kolmården, formed the bord ...
, Djurö


Population

As of 31 December 2016, Västergötland had a population of 1,328,128 distributed over four counties:


History


Prehistory and middle ages

There are many ancient remains in Västergötland. Among the most notable of these remains are the
dolmen A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...
s from the
Funnelbeaker culture The Funnel(-neck-)beaker culture, in short TRB or TBK (german: Trichter(-rand-)becherkultur, nl, Trechterbekercultuur; da, Tragtbægerkultur; ) was an archaeological culture in north-central Europe. It developed as a technological merger of lo ...
, in the
Falköping Falköping is a locality and the seat of Falköping Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 16,350 inhabitants in 2010. History The town of Falköping was first spoken of in the Icelandic ''Rimbegla'' (around 1100 A.D.), and ...
area south of lake
Vänern Vänern ( , also , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake of all Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland i ...
.
Finnestorp Finnestorp is an archaeological site in Västergötland, Sweden, where many objects from the Migration Period have been found. The site was discovered in 1902 and excavated in 2000–2004 and 2008–2012. It has been interpreted as a cult site wh ...
, near
Larv Larv is a village situated in Vara Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 216 inhabitants in 2005. It was the birthplace of the botanist Adam Afzelius Adam Afzelius (8 October 175020 January 1837) was a Swedish botanist and an apo ...
, was a weapons sacrificial site from the
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
. The population of Västergötland, the '' Geats'' appear in the writings of the Greek
Ptolemaios Ptolemy is a name derived from Ancient Greek. Common variants include Ptolemaeus (Latin), Tolomeo (Italian) and Talmai (Hebrew). Etymology Ptolemy is the English form of the Ancient Greek name Πτολεμαῖος (''Ptolemaios''), a derivative o ...
(as ''Goutai''), and they appear as ''Gautigoths'' in
Jordanes Jordanes (), also written as Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th-century Eastern Roman bureaucrat widely believed to be of Gothic descent who became a historian later in life. Late in life he wrote two works, one on Roman history ('' Romana'') a ...
' work in the 6th century. The province of Västergötland represents the heartland of
Götaland Götaland (; also '' Geatland'', '' Gothia'', ''Gothland'', ''Gothenland'' or ''Gautland'') is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises ten provinces. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand, wit ...
, once an independent
petty kingdom A petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or "petty" (from the French 'petit' meaning small) by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into ...
with a long line of
Geatish kings Geatish kings ( la, Rex Getarum/Gothorum; sv, Götakungar), ruling over the provinces of Götaland (Gautland/Geatland), appear in several sources for early Swedish history. Today, most of them are not considered historical. This list follows t ...
. These are mainly described in foreign sources (Frankish) and through legends. It is possible that Västergötland had the same king as the rest of Sweden at the time of the monk
Ansgar Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...
's mission to Sweden in the 9th century, but both the date and nature of its inclusion into the Swedish kingdom is a matter of much debate. Some date it as early as the 6th century, based on the Swedish-Geatish wars in '' Beowulf'' epos; others date it as late as the 12th century. Västergötland received much early influence from the
British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
and is generally considered to be the
bridgehead In military strategy, a bridgehead (or bridge-head) is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge or other place of possible crossing over a body of water which at time of conflict is sought to be defended or taken over ...
of
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
's advance into Sweden. Recent excavations at
Varnhem Varnhem is a locality situated in Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 707 inhabitants in 2010. Varnhem is the location of the oldest known stone church in Sweden outside of Scania, erected in the 1040s at the latest. It is ...
suggest that at least its central parts were Christian in the 9th century. Around 1000, King Olof Skötkonung is held to have received
baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
in
Husaby Husaby is a village, near Kinnekulle, belonging to Götene Municipality in the province of Västergötland, Sweden. Husaby Church Husaby is most known for Husaby Church (''Husaby kyrka'') a medieval stone church. During the early 11th centu ...
, near lake
Vänern Vänern ( , also , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake of all Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland i ...
. However, the Christianization was met with heavy opposition in the rest of his kingdom, and so Olof had to restrict the Christian activities to Västergötland. The Christian faith spread, and by the time the provincial law ''
Västgötalagen ( or ) or the Westrogothic law is the oldest Swedish text written in Latin script and the oldest of all Swedish provincial laws.The Scanian law is older, but Scania was not incorporated into Sweden until late 17th century, and it is thus count ...
'' was written in the 13th century, Västergötland had 517 churches. The seat of the area's
diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
seems to originally have been Husaby, but since 1150 the city of
Skara Skara is a locality and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 18,580 inhabitants in 2013. Despite its small size, it is one of the oldest cities in Sweden, and has a long educational and ecclesiastical history. O ...
(just some 20 kilometers south) held that distinction. From the election of King Stenkil in the 11th century, Swedish and Geatish dynasties vied for the control of Sweden during long civil wars. For instance, the Swedish king
Ragnvald Knaphövde Ragnvald Knaphövde was a King of Sweden whose reign is estimated to have occurred in the mid-1120sRagnvald knaphövde'' at the site of the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities, retrieved January 20, 2007. or c. 1130.Ragnvald Knaphöfde' in ''Nord ...
was elected king by the Swedes, but when he entered Västergötland, he chose not to demand hostage from the powerful Geatish clans and was slain by the Geats near Falköping. Several times, Västergötland was independent from Sweden with kings such as
Inge I of Sweden Inge the Elder ( Swedish: ''Inge Stenkilsson''; Old Norse: ''Ingi Steinkelsson''; died c. 1105–1110) was a king of Sweden. In English literature he has also been called ''Ingold''. While scant sources do not allow us to paint a full picture of ...
and
Magnus the Strong Magnus the Strong ( sv, Magnus Nilsson; da, Magnus Nielsen Bricka, Carl Frederik, ''Dansk Biografisk Lexikon'', vol. XI aar – Müllner 1897, pp.45Available online/ref>) (about 1106 – 4 June 1134 in the Battle of Fotevik) was a Danish duke wh ...
. In later years the area was progressively tied more closely to the Swedish kingdom. Being in peace with the rest of Sweden did not mean being in peace. Located along the borders of Denmark (with the so-called
Scanian lands The term Scanian (, or ) can refer to: * A person born or living in the province of Scania proper (Skåne) * The people and language of the historical provinces of Scania (Terrae Scaniae, Skånelandene (Danish), Skåneland (Swedish) * Scanian dia ...
) and Norway (with Bohuslän), the area was often involved in armed disputes and invaded by hostile armies. Some places and dates of early battles were the
Battle of Älgarås The Battle of Älgarås took place at the royal estate of Älgarås in northernmost Västergötland in November 1205 between the House of Sverker and the House of Eric who were fighting for the Swedish crown. The four sons of the former king Can ...
(1205), the
Battle of Lena The Battle of Lena occurred on 31 January 1208, and probably took place near Kungslena, which is located in the Tidaholm Municipality in Västergötland, Sweden. It was an important battle between the Danish-backed King Sverker II of Sweden and ...
(1208), the Battle of Hova (1275), the
Battle of Gälakvist A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
(1279) and the
Battle of Falköping A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
(1389). Thereafter, Sweden was involved in the Sweden-Danish wars; some notable years 1452, 1511, 1520, 1566, 1612, 1676. In 1658, the current borders of Sweden were established when Sweden annexed both the Scanian lands and Bohuslän. Västergötland became less exposed as it was further from the country borders. Seaside battles at the end of Scanian War in the 1670s was the last combat on Västergötland soil. Sources: * Nordisk Familjebok (link below).


16th century and after

In 1634, the province was modernized with the establishment of two counties:
Skaraborg County Skaraborg County ( sv, Skaraborgs län ) was a county of Sweden from 1634 until 1997. It was disestablished at the end of 1997 when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus and Älvsborg to form Västra Götaland County. The count ...
(with Skara as capital) and
Älvsborg County Älvsborg County ( sv, Älvsborgs län) was a county of Sweden until 1997, when it was merged with the counties of Gothenburg & Bohus and Skaraborg to form Västra Götaland County. The county corresponded to the traditional province of Dals ...
(Capital first in Gothenburg but after 1679 in
Vänersborg Vänersborg () is a locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,591) Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. Sin ...
).


Culture


Language

In Västergötland, the Götamål dialect of
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
is spoken. The dialect has several varieties like the ones spoken in Gothenburg and Sjuhärad, but the main dialectal variety is the Western Götaland dialect, ''Västgötska''. The dialect was first dealt with as early as 1772, by S. Hofs in his ''Dialectus vestrogothica'', which was a vocabulary with a grammar introduction.


Sights

Läckö Castle Läckö Castle (Swedish language, Swedish: '':sv:Läckö slott, Läckö Slott'' ) is a medieval castle in Sweden, located on Kållandsö island on Lake Vänern, 25 kilometers north of Lidköping in Västergötland, Sweden. History Brynolf Algo ...
is situated on the island ''Kållandsö'' in the
Vänern Vänern ( , also , ) is the largest lake in Sweden, the largest lake in the European Union and the third-largest lake of all Europe after Ladoga and Onega in Russia. It is located in the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, and Värmland i ...
lake. It is generally regarded as one of Sweden's finest
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
castles. The island was actually the location of a fortress as early as 1298, but the current building was begun in 1615, supervised first by
Jacob De la Gardie Field Marshal and Count Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie ( Reval, 20 June 1583 – Stockholm, 22 August 1652) was a statesman and a soldier of the Swedish Empire, and a Marshal from 1620 onward. He was Privy Councilor from 1613 onward, Governo ...
and then finished by his son Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie.
Karlsborg Fortress Karlsborg Fortress ( sv, Karlsborgs fästning) is situated on the Vanäs peninsula in Karlsborg by lake Vättern, the province of Västergötland, Sweden. Construction on the fortress began 1819 to realize the so-called ''central defense idea'' ad ...
, the largest fortress in Europe, is situated in the town of Karlsborg. It is a testament to the "Central Defence Principle" of the 19th century, a reaction to the loss of Finland as a buffer state in 1809.
Bjurum The Bjurum manor, also known as ''Stora Bjurum'' (Grand Bjurum) or ''Stora Bjurum herrgård'' (Grand Bjurum manor), is a Swedish manor located in Västergötland. It is one of the largest in the country. Renowned lake Hornborgasjön is located in ...
manor, one of the largest
Swedish manor Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used ...
s in the country, is located in Västergötland.
Skara Cathedral Skara Cathedral ( sv, Skara domkyrka) is a church in the town of Skara, Sweden. The cathedral is the seat for the bishop of the Diocese of Skara of the Church of Sweden . History Its history is traced from the 10th century, but its current ap ...
is the oldest cathedral in the original parts of Sweden, i.e. if
Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...
is not included.


Hundreds

Hundreds of Sweden A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in northern Germanic countries and related colonies, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions. The equivalent term in Swedish is (in Uppland als ...
were sub-divisions of the Swedish provinces until the early 20th century. Several of Västergötland's hundreds were already described in the first written law for the province (''
Västgötalagen ( or ) or the Westrogothic law is the oldest Swedish text written in Latin script and the oldest of all Swedish provincial laws.The Scanian law is older, but Scania was not incorporated into Sweden until late 17th century, and it is thus count ...
'') in the 13th century. Västergötland's hundreds were: * Ale *
Askim Askim () is a town and a former municipality in (from January 1, 2020) Indre Østfold Kommune in the former county of Østfold county (from January 1, 2020 a part of Viken county), Norway. The administrative centre of the Askim municipality wa ...
* Barne * Bjärke * Bollebygd * Eastern Hisingen * Flundre * Frökind *
Gudhem Gudhem is a locality situated in Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 427 inhabitants in 2010. ''Gudhem Hundred'', or ''Gudhems härad'', was a hundred of Västergötland in Sweden. Gudhem Abbey, initially a Benedict ...
* Gäsene * Kåkind * Kålland * Kind * Kinne * Kinner Quarter * Kulling * Laske *
Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * F ...
* Mo * Redväg * Skånings * Vadsbo *
Valle Valle may refer to: * Valle (surname) Geography *"Valle", the cultural and climatic zone of the dry subtropical Interandean Valles of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina *University of Valle, a public university in Cali, Colombia ...
*
Vartofta Vartofta is a locality situated in Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 540 inhabitants in 2010. ''Vartofta Hundred'', or ''Vartofta härad'', was a hundred divided between Småland and Västergötland Västergö ...
* Veden *
Vilske A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in northern Germanic countries and related colonies, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions. The equivalent term in Swedish is (in Uppland also ...
* Viste * Väne * Vätle * Ås * Åse


Cities

The cities of Sweden were formerly chartered entities with certain privileges. Today they are municipalities. *
Alingsås Alingsås () is a locality and the seat of Alingsås Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 24,482 inhabitants in 2010. Geography Geographically the city is situated by the outlet of the small rivulet Säveån into lake Mjö ...
(1619) *
Borås Borås ( , , ) is a city (officially, a locality) and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 66,273 inhabitants in 2010. Geography Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them th ...
(1622) *
Falköping Falköping is a locality and the seat of Falköping Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 16,350 inhabitants in 2010. History The town of Falköping was first spoken of in the Icelandic ''Rimbegla'' (around 1100 A.D.), and ...
(approximately 1200) * Gothenburg/Göteborg (1621) *
Hjo Hjo () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Hjo Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 6,094 inhabitants in 2010. The town is located on the west coast of Vättern. Etymology The place is named after Hjoån 'Hjo r ...
(approximately 1400) *
Lidköping Lidköping () is a locality and the seat of Lidköping Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had about 40 000 inhabitants in 2021. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Vänern and sometimes refers to itself as "Lidkö ...
(1446) *
Mariestad Mariestad () is a locality and the seat of Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 16,611 inhabitants in 2019. Until 1997 it was the capital of the former Skaraborg County and an episcopal see in the Church of Sweden be ...
(1583) *
Mölndal Mölndal () is the seat and administrative centre of Mölndal Municipality, located just south of Gothenburg on the west-coast of Sweden. About 40,000 of the municipality's 60,000 inhabitants live in Mölndal proper. Geography Mölndal is locate ...
(1922) *
Skara Skara is a locality and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 18,580 inhabitants in 2013. Despite its small size, it is one of the oldest cities in Sweden, and has a long educational and ecclesiastical history. O ...
(approximately 988) *
Skövde Skövde () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and urban centre in Skövde Municipality and Västra Götaland County, in the Västergötland, Västergötland (Western Gothland region) in central Southern Sweden. Skövde is situated some 150  ...
(approximately 1400) *
Tidaholm Tidaholm () is a locality and the seat of Tidaholm Municipality in Västergötland Province within Västra Götaland County, Sweden. The city consists of 520 square kilometers, or a little more than 200 square miles. It is located on the Tidan Rive ...
(1910) *
Trollhättan Trollhättan () is the 23rd-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is situated by Göta älv, near the lake Vänern, and has a population of approximately 50,000 in the city proper. It is loc ...
(1916) *
Ulricehamn Ulricehamn is a locality and the seat of Ulricehamn Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden, with 9,787 inhabitants in 2010. History Ulricehamn, originally known as ''Bogesund'', has been populated at least since the Middle Ages. The town h ...
(approximately 1400) *
Vänersborg Vänersborg () is a locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,591) Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. Sin ...
(1644) The largest city, Gothenburg, is located by the western shore with a significant harbour commerce.


Sports

Football in the province is administered by
Västergötlands Fotbollförbund The Västergötlands Fotbollförbund ''(Västergötland Football Association)'' is one of the 24 district organisations of the Swedish Football Association. It administers lower tier football in the historical province of Västergötland. Back ...
.


See also

*
Göta Canal The Göta Canal ( sv, Göta kanal) is a Swedish canal constructed in the early 19th century. The canal is long, of which were dug or blasted, with a width varying between and a maximum depth of about .Uno Svedin, Britt Hägerhäll Anianss ...
*
Götaland theory The Götaland theory (or "Westrogothian School", Swedish language, Swedish ''Västgötaskolan'') is a view which challenges established history and archaeology, and claims that the foundation of Sweden occurred not (as traditionally assumed) in Eas ...


References


Other sources

* Nordisk familjebok, Owl edition, volume 33, p. 373
373–374 (Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 33. Väderlek – Äänekoski)
.


External links


Västergötland
– Tourist site

from Nordisk familjebok (in Swedish).
Map of VästergötlandFinnestorp website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vastergotland Provinces of Sweden Geats