Information AboutStockholm |
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is the Capital of Sweden , located on the south east coast of Sweden. It is the largest city in Sweden, with an Urban Area population of 1.2 million and a Metropolitan Area population of 1.7 million. As the capital, Stockholm is the site of the Government and the Parliament of Sweden. It is also the residence of the Head Of State , King Carl XVI Gustaf . Stockholm is ranked as a 5 points Gamma World Class City .
History See Also: History of Stockholm Origins The earliest mention of Stockholm in writing dates from 1252 , when it was an important post in the iron trade from the mines in Bergslagen . The first part of the name (''stock'') means log, while the second (''holm'') means islet or small island. The full origin of the name is disputed. The city is said to have been founded by Birger Jarl in order to protect Sweden from invasion from the sea by foreign navies, and to stop pillage of the cities such as Sigtuna on Lake Mälaren . The first building at Stockholm was a fortification for the purpose of controlling the traffic between the Baltic Sea and Mälaren. Under the leadership of Magnus Ladulås Stockholm developed into an important trade city in the following decades, advanced through relations with Lübeck of the Hanseatic League . In 1270 Stockholm appears in historical documents as a city and in 1289 it was described as the most populated city in the Swedish region. The first trustworthy estimate of the size of city comes from the middle of the 15th century, giving Stockholm about one thousand households and five to six thousand residents. Kalmar Union The strategic and economic importance of the city made Stockholm an important factor in relations between the Danish Kings of the Kalmar Union and the national independence movement in the 15th century. On October 14 , 1471 Sweden under Sten Sture , with the support of the people of Stockholm, achieved a dramatic victory over the Danish king Christian I . His grandson Christian II occupied the city in 1518 in vain, but was able to secure the city in 1520 . On November 8 , 1520 , massive executions of opposition figures, called the Stockholm Bloodbath , took place. This massacre set off further uprisings, which eventually led to the break-up of the Kalmar Union . Vasa Period With the accession of Gustav Vasa in 1523 and construction of a royal power, Stockholm developed into a larger city. The city island no longer offered enough space, and in 1529 Södermalm and Norrmalm were incorporated into the city. The city continued to grow and by 1600 reached a population of ten thousand. 1600–1800 The 17th century saw the rise of Sweden into a major European power, which was reflected in the development of the city. From 1610 to 1680 the population multiplied sixfold. ''Ladugårdslandet'', today's Östermalm , and the island Kungsholmen were also incorporated. 1628 the Vasa Ship sank in Stockholm. In 1634 Stockholm became the official capital of the Swedish empire. Trading rules were also created that gave Stockholm an essential monopoly over trade between foreign merchants and other Swedish and Scandinavian territories. In this period, great palaces and castles were built, including the House Of Knights and later, in the early 18th century, the Royal Palace . Between 1713 – 1714 , Stockholm suffered from the Black Death . After the end of the Great Northern War and the destruction of several areas of the city in 1721 , the city stagnated. Population growth halted, and the rapid economic growth slowed. However, Stockholm maintained its role as the political centre of Sweden and under Gustav III it continued to develop culturally. The royal opera is a good architectual expression of this era. 1800–1900 In the beginning of the 19th century, the economic importance of Stockholm declined further. Norrköping became the greatest manufacturing city of Sweden and Göteborg developed into the key trading port because of its location on the North Sea . In the second half of the century, Stockholm regained its leading economic role. New industries emerged, and Stockholm transformed into an important trade and service centre, as well as a key gateway point within Sweden. The population grew dramatically in the second half of the 19th century, especially through immigration. At the end of the century, not even 40% of the residents were born in Stockholm. Settlement began to expand outside of the city limits and also created dense poor districts, but also new districts in the countryside and on the coast. During this period, Stockholm further developed as a cultural and educational center. In the 19th century, a number of scientific institutes opened in Stockholm, for example the Karolinska Institute . 20th century , the centre of the Stockholm nightlife, is also part of the most expensive shopping district in the city.]] In the late 20th century, Stockholm became a modern, technologically-advanced and ethnically diverse city. Throughout the century, many industries shifted away from work-intensive activities into more high-technology and service-industry knowledge-based areas. The city continued to expand and new districts were created, for example Rinkeby , Tensta , and Sollentuna , some with high proportions of immigrants. In 1923 the Stockholm municipal government moved to a new building, the Stockholm City Hall . In 1967 the city of Stockholm was integrated into Stockholm County . The city is home to many multinational corporations and prides itself as the business and cultural capital of Scandinavia, at title which is disputed by many Danes, who see Copenhagen as the "capital" of Scandinavia. Recent Key Events On February 28 , 1986 , Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot on the street, and the murderer was never found. On September 10 , 2003 , foreign minister Anna Lindh was mortally wounded in a stabbing attack that took place in the shopping mall Nordiska Kompaniet . The murderer was found to be Mijailo Mijailović . He was mentally unstable at the time, but was considered healthy enough by the High Court to receive a life sentence. Stockholm was also named the European Capital Of Culture of 1998 . Politics See Also: Politics of Stockholm Stockholm is governed through the municipalities and the Stockholm County . The latter is mainly responsible for Healthcare , Public Transport , including the Stockholm Metro , and some cultural institutions. Stockholm Municipality is further subdivided geographically into 18 district councils or Boroughs , which carry responsibility for primary school, social, leisure and cultural services within their respective areas. The current Mayor (since 2002) is Annika Billström (b. 1956), of the Swedish Social Democratic Party . Twin Cities Geography See Also: Geography of Stockholm The central parts of the city comprise fourteen islands and the banks of the Archipelago where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. They are joined together by 53 bridges. The city centre is virtually situated on the water, in the bay Riddarfjärden . (Coordinates: .) Institutions of higher education See Also: Universities in Sweden Stockholm might be best known for the Nobel Prize s and the prize ceremony held each year, but the city also houses the largest concentration of universities with research and Higher Education in Sweden.
Culture See Also: Culture of Stockholm with Kulturhuset]] Apart from being a large city with an active cultural life, Stockholm as a capital also houses many of the national cultural institutions of Sweden, including theatre, opera and museums. There are two and a large cemetery, Skogskyrkogården , which include some well-known examples of the architecture of Gunnar Asplund . During 1998 Stockholm was designated as the European City Of Culture . Sites of interest See Also: Tourism in Stockholm Image:Schloss Drottningholm Stockholm.jpg| Drottningholm Palace Image:Grona lund 20050902 001.jpg| Gröna Lund amusement park Image:Riksdagen-fran-vattnet-2004-05-09.jpg|The Riksdag parliament Image:Stockholms_Stadshus.jpg| Stockholm City Hall Image:Stockholm ship Vasa.jpg| Vasa Museum with the Ship Vasa Image:Rosenbad Stockholm.jpg| Rosenbad the seat of Sweden's government Image:Sergels torg stockholm sweden 20040512.jpg|The Sergels Torg square Image:Stockholm, Skansen, 1890s.jpg|The Open Air Museum Skansen . Image:Royal-Palace-Stockholm.jpg|The Royal Palace Image:Kaknastornet03.jpeg|The Kaknästornet TV Tower , 155 meters, offers a splendid view. Image:Street in Gamla Stan, Stockholm.jpg| Gamla Stan – the old town section Image:Stockholm_Globe_Arena.jpg| Stockholm Globe Arena Sports teams Sporting events are popular, with Football and Ice Hockey being the most popular Sport s. The city hosted the 1912 Summer Olympics , as well as all but one of the Nordic Games , a winter Multi-sport Event that predated the Winter Olympics . The three most popular men's football teams in the Stockholm region are AIK , Hammarby IF and Djurgårdens IF . The clubs also all have ice hockey teams, but currently (2005–2006 season) only Djurgården plays in the highest division, Elitserien . Hammarby also have teams in the highest leagues in Bandy , Handball , Speedway , Goalball and Rugby . Notable natives Public transport See Also: Public transport in Stockholm Stockholm has an extensive public transport system, consisting of a large amount of bus lines; a metro, Stockholm Metro (''Tunnelbanan''); three regional/suburban rail systems, Commuter Rail (''pendeltåg''), Roslagsbanan , Saltsjöbanan ; and three light rail systems, Nockebybanan , Lidingöbanan , Tvärbanan ; and a heritage tram line Djurgården Line . The huge Stockholm Archipelago is serviced by the Waxholmsbolaget archipelago boats. All the land-based public transport, except the airport buses/trains and partly the Djurgården line, is organised by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (''SL'') and has a common ticket system. From all the airports there are Flygbussarna bus lines to and from central Stockholm, and between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm there is Arlanda Express , a train-to-the-plane service. Airports International and Domestic Only international See also References Sister cities External links |