Åmål facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Åmål
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Central Åmål
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 Åmål
Location in Västra Götaland
Åmål
Location in Sweden
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| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Dalsland |
| County | Västra Götaland County |
| Municipality | Åmål Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.54 km2 (2.91 sq mi) |
| Population
(31 December 2010)
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| • Total | 9,065 |
| • Density | 1,203/km2 (3,120/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Climate | Dfb |
Åmål is a town in Sweden. It is located in Västra Götaland County. About 9,000 people lived there in 2010. The town sits on the western side of Vänern, which is a large lake.
In 2005, Åmål won second place in a global contest. This contest was called The International Awards for Liveable Communities. It celebrates places that are great to live in. Åmål also has a fun blues festival. It has happened every year since 1992.
History of Åmål
Åmål was started in the 1600s. Queen Christina founded the town. It became a city on April 1, 1643. Åmål was the only city in the old area called Dalsland.
The town was close to the border of Denmark-Norway. This made it easy to attack. Åmål was almost completely destroyed in 1645. It was attacked again in 1676 and 1679. The Danes took over the town for a short time in 1788.
Åmål also had big fires. Fires happened in 1777, 1809, 1846, and 1901. The fire in 1901 was very bad. It burned down one-third of the city. About 1,000 people lost their homes.
After this big fire, the town was rebuilt. The new streets were wider. The new houses were larger. They were built in a style called Jugend. An area with old wooden houses was saved from the fire. This area is called Plantaget. It is south of the Åmålsån river. Today, it is known as the "old town."
Sports Clubs in Åmål
Many sports clubs are located in Åmål. Here are some of them:
- IF Viken
- IFK Åmål
Famous People from Åmål
Many interesting people have come from Åmål.
- Anders Fryxell (1795–1881) was a historian and writer.
- Amy Segerstedt (1835–1928) was a teacher and helped many people.
- Rut Berglund (1897–1984) was a singer who performed in operas.
- Karl Gustav Jöreskog (born 1935) is a famous statistician.
- Egzon Binaku (born 1995) is a footballer. He plays for IFK Norrköping.
See Also
In Spanish: Åmål para niños
