Västerbotten (), sometimes called West Bothnia or Westrobothnia, is a
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
(''landskap'') in northern
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, located by the
Gulf of Bothnia
The Gulf of Bothnia (; ; ) is divided into the Bothnian Bay and the Bothnian Sea, and it is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea, between Finland's west coast ( East Bothnia) and the northern part of Sweden's east coast ( West Bothnia an ...
. It borders the provinces of
Ã…ngermanland
Ångermanland ( or ) is a historical province (''landskap'') in the northern part of Sweden. It is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Swedish Lapland, Västerbotten, the Gulf of Bothnia, Medelpad and Jämtland.
The name is derived from the ...
,
Lapland and
Norrbotten
Norrbotten (), sometimes called North Bothnia, is a Swedish province (''landskap'') in northernmost Sweden. It borders south to Västerbotten, west to Swedish Lapland, and east to Finland.
Administration
The traditional provinces of Swede ...
. The region is famous for
Västerbotten cheese.
Administration
The traditional
provinces of Sweden
The 25 provinces of Sweden () are historical, geographical and cultural regions. They have no administrative function, but retain their own cultural identities, dialects and folklore.
Several were administrative subdivisions until 1634, when t ...
have no administrative or political functions; instead, they are purely historical and cultural entities. The administrative units are the
counties
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
.
Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County (), sometimes called Westrobothnia, is a county or '' län'' in the north of Sweden. It shares the borders with the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the ...
encompasses the province of Västerbotten as well as the southern part of
Swedish Lapland.
Heraldry
On 18 January 1884, all Swedish provinces were granted the status of duchies, allowing their coats of arms to be displayed with a ducal coronet. The coat of arms for Västerbotten is described as: "Azure Seme of Mullets Or a Reindeer in full course and hoofed Gules."
Geography
Västerbotten was historically divided into
chartered cities and districts.
Cities
*
Umeå
Umeå ( , , , locally ; ; ; ; ) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County.
Situated on the Ume River, Umeå is the largest Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Norrland and the t ...
(1622)
*
Skellefteå
Skellefteå (, locally ) is a Cities in Sweden, city in Västerbotten County, Sweden, with a population of 36,388. It is the seat of Skellefteå Municipality, which had 77,322 inhabitants in 2024.
The city is historically industrial, with mining ...
(1845)
Municipalities in Västerbotten County
Towns and villages
*
Björksele
Facts
*Highest mountain: Ã…mliden (550 meters)
*Largest lake: Bygdeträsket
History

Until the
Finnish War
The Finnish War (; ; ) was fought between the Gustavian era, Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established a ...
of 1808–1809 and the
Treaty of Fredrikshamn
The Treaty of Fredrikshamn, or the Treaty of Hamina, was a peace treaty concluded between Sweden and Imperial Russia on 17 September 1809. The treaty concluded the Finnish War and was signed in the Finnish town of Fredrikshamn ( Hamina). Russia ...
, the province of Västerbotten included a small portion of what is now northern
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. This area was later incorporated into
Finnish Lapland
Lapland is the largest and northernmost Regions of Finland, region of Finland. The 21 municipalities in the region cooperate in a Regional Council. Lapland borders the Finnish region of North Ostrobothnia in the south. It also borders the Gul ...
. The province of
Ostrobothnia (, ), was located on the Finnish side of the Gulf of Bothnia, and its name is still in use today.
Following the treaty of Fredrikshamn, which redefined the outlines and orientation of Sweden,
Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County (), sometimes called Westrobothnia, is a county or '' län'' in the north of Sweden. It shares the borders with the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the ...
was split in 1810. The northern part became
Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County (, Meänkieli/, ) is the northernmost county or '' län'' of Sweden. It is also the largest county by land area, almost a quarter of Sweden's total area. It shares borders with Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf ...
. The Swedish-speaking residents of Norrbotten, a multilingual region, began identifying as ''norrbottningar'', with the new county borders fostering a local identity. Today,
Norrbotten
Norrbotten (), sometimes called North Bothnia, is a Swedish province (''landskap'') in northernmost Sweden. It borders south to Västerbotten, west to Swedish Lapland, and east to Finland.
Administration
The traditional provinces of Swede ...
is considered a separate province, even though provinces had lost their administrative and legal significance hundreds of years before 1810.
Västerbotten Regiment
The Västerbotten Regiment (), designations I 19, I XIX, I 20 and I 20/Fo 61, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Västerbott ...
served as the provincial regiment.
Dukes of Västerbotten
Since the 13th century, Swedish princes from certain dynasties have been created dukes of various provinces. Since 1772, these titles have been purely nominal.
*
Prince Gustaf Adolf (1906–1947)
**
Princess Sibylla (1932–1972)
*
Princess Ines (2025–)
Geography
Lakes and watercourses
Sports
Regional football in the province is administered by
Västerbottens Fotbollförbund. Ice hockey is also popular, with
IF Björklöven and
Skellefteå AIK.
References
External links
Västerbotten.seVästerbotten.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasterbotten
Provinces of Sweden