Örnsköldsvik Municipality facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Örnsköldsvik Municipality
Örnsköldsviks kommun
|
||
|---|---|---|
Örnsköldsvik former city hall, now a school.
|
||
|
||
 |
||
| Country | Sweden | |
| County | Västernorrland County | |
| Seat | Örnsköldsvik | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 8,484.87 km2 (3,276.03 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 6,420.97 km2 (2,479.15 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 2,063.9 km2 (796.9 sq mi) | |
| Area as of January 1, 2010. | ||
| Population
(June 30, 2012)
|
||
| • Total | 55,209 | |
| • Density | 8.8/km2 (23/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | |
| ISO 3166 code | SE | |
| Province | Ångermanland | |
| Municipal code | 2284 | |
| Density is calculated using land area only. | ||
Örnsköldsvik Municipality is a cool place in northern Sweden. It's one of 290 municipalities in the country, located in Västernorrland County. The main town, where the local government is, is called Örnsköldsvik. This municipality was formed in 1971 when the old City of Örnsköldsvik joined together with seven smaller towns and villages.
Contents
Geography of Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik is located near the northern part of the "High Coast". This area is so special that it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's also home to the Höga Kusten Bridge, which is one of Europe's longest suspension bridges.
The city is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Umeå and 550 kilometers (340 miles) north of Stockholm. The area has lots of forests, but you can also find some smaller farming areas.
Towns and Villages in Örnsköldsvik Municipality
The municipality of Örnsköldsvik includes many different towns and villages. Here are some of the main ones and their populations as of December 31, 2005:
- Örnsköldsvik: 9,123 people
- Arnäs: 7,653 people
- Anundsjö: 4,100 people, including smaller places like Bredbyn (1,216) and Mellansel (821).
- Nätra: 5,402 people, including Bjästa (1,777) and Köpmanholmen (1,263).
- Själevad: 18,960 people, including Domsjö, Gullänget, Sund, and Gene.
- Other villages include Skorped, Sidensjö, Mo, Grundsunda, Gideå, Björna, Trehörningsjö, and Gottne.
In total, the municipality had 54,943 residents at that time.
Getting Around Örnsköldsvik
You can travel to and from Örnsköldsvik in several ways.
Road and Air Travel
The main road for cars and trucks is the European route E4. If you want to fly, the Örnsköldsvik Airport has daily flights to and from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. Sometimes, you can even find charter flights to places like Turkey from here.
Train and Sea Transport
Soon, a new high-speed railway called Botniabanan will make train travel even easier. Örnsköldsvik also has a busy harbor. Here, large cargo ships load and unload timber and other goods.
Fun Things to Do in Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik offers many activities, especially if you love the outdoors and sports!
Outdoor Adventures
Because the area has many hills, hiking and exploring the beautiful scenery of the High Coast is very popular. In winter, skiing is a favorite activity. You can enjoy cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and even ski jumping very close to the city center. Since Örnsköldsvik is on the coast, there are also beaches and campsites nearby.
Water Fun and Sports
For some indoor water fun, check out Paradisbadet, a water park with one of Europe's longest water slides.
Sports are a big deal here, especially ice hockey. The local team, Modo Hockey, plays in the top Swedish league, the Swedish Hockey League. While the local football teams like Friska Viljor FC and Anundsjö IF (for men) and Själevads IK (for women) might not be as famous, they are still very popular. Some local floorball teams have also done very well.
Famous People from Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik is known for being the hometown of many world-famous ice hockey players.
- Nils Johansson
- Per Svartvadet
- Peter Forsberg
- Markus Näslund (played for the Vancouver Canucks from 1996 to 2008, his number was retired by the team)
- Niklas Sundström
- Andreas Salomonsson
- Magnus Wernblom
- Mattias Timander
- Victor Hedman (plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning)
- Tobias Enström
- The twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin (top players for the Vancouver Canucks, Daniel was captain and Henrik was deputy captain)
- Anders Hedberg
- Thomas Gradin
- Anders Kallur
- Frida Östberg, footballer
- Malin Moström, footballer
- Miah Persson, soprano
- Magdalena Forsberg, cross country skier and biathlete
- Hans Hedberg, sculptor known for his ceramic fruit
- Märta Norberg, cross country skier
- Tomas Haake and Mårten Hagström, musicians, members of Meshuggah
- Thomas Hammarberg, diplomat and human rights activist
- Niklas Edin, curling player
- Fredrik Lindström, biathlete
- Mikael Bohman, ice hockey player
- Maud Olofsson, politician, former leader of the Swedish Centre Party and Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
- Åsa Domeij, politician and agronomist
- Solveig Hellquist, politician
- Emma Nordin, ice hockey player
- Peter Artedi, naturalist, known as the "father of ichthyology"
- Malin Hållberg-Leuf, figure skater, Swedish national champion
- Eilert Pilarm, Elvis impersonator
- Kristina Lundberg, ice hockey player, Olympic medalist
Sister Cities of Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik has "sister city" relationships with several towns around the world. This means they share cultural and educational ties.
Äänekoski, Finland
Hveragerði, Iceland
Ikast-Brande, Denmark
Sigdal, Norway
Tarp, Germany
What's in a Name?
The town of Örnsköldsvik was named after a County Governor named Per Abraham Örnsköld. Sometimes, people unofficially translate the name Örnsköldsvik into English as Eagleshieldsbay.
