Botkyrka Municipality facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Botkyrka Municipality Botkyrka kommun
Municipality
Coat of arms Logotype
Country	Sweden
County	Stockholm County
Seat	Tumba
Area
• Total	223.59 km2 (86.33 sq mi)
• Land	194.83 km2 (75.22 sq mi)
• Water	28.76 km2 (11.10 sq mi)
	Area as of January 1, 2010.
Population  (June 30, 2012)
• Total	81,801
• Density	365.853/km2 (947.554/sq mi)
Demonyms	Botkyrkan
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	SE
Province	Södermanland
Municipal code	0127
Density is calculated using land area only.

Botkyrka Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in central Sweden. It's located not far from the capital city, Stockholm. The main town and administrative center of Botkyrka is Tumba.

In 1971, the area of Grödinge became part of Botkyrka. Later, in 1974, Salem was also added. However, in 1983, Salem became its own separate municipality again. Today, Botkyrka Municipality has a population of about 95,592 people.

Botkyrka church

History of Botkyrka

How Botkyrka Got Its Name

Botkyrka Municipality is named after Saint Botvid. He was a Christian missionary who lived in the 12th century. You can see Saint Botvid on the official seal and coat of arms of Botkyrka Municipality. He is shown holding an axe and a fish. The old Botkyrka church, made of stone, is another reminder of the area's Christian history from the medieval times.

Local Politics

For a long time, the Social Democratic Party has been in charge of Botkyrka's local government. They have governed for many years, except for a short period in the early 1990s. Now, they work together with The Green Party and The Left Party to lead the municipality.

There have also been local political groups. One party, called Botkyrkapartiet (The Botkyrka Party), has held seats for many years. Another party was active from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Their main goal was to stop a small airfield in Tullinge from becoming a big commercial airport. In the 2010 election, a local party from the Tullinge area gained seats because they wanted Tullinge to become its own separate municipality.

News and Culture

Botkyrka has two local newspapers that come out every week. They are called "Mitt i Botkyrka" (Middle of Botkyrka) and "Södra Sidan" (South side). These newspapers are delivered for free to all homes in the area.

The Swedish hip hop group The Latin Kings often sing about what life is like in Botkyrka in their songs.

Battle of Botkyrka

A historic battle took place in Botkyrka on August 31st. It was fought between King Eric XIV and his brothers, John III and Duke Charles. Even though Eric XIV had fewer soldiers, his army won the battle. This forced John and Charles to escape.

People and Population

Where People Live

The northern and eastern parts of Botkyrka Municipality are connected to the larger Stockholm urban area. The town of Tumba is its own community, though part of it is also in Salem Municipality. Vårsta is located in the central part of Botkyrka. The southern half of the municipality is mostly countryside.

Population Growth

The chart below shows how the population of Botkyrka Municipality has grown over the years.

People from Different Backgrounds

Botkyrka is known for being a very diverse community. Many people living here have family roots from other countries. More than half of the population has at least one parent who was born outside of Sweden. This makes Botkyrka a multi-cultural place. For example, there is a large Syriac Orthodox Church in Hallunda and a mosque in Fittja.

In 2017, Botkyrka was one of only three municipalities in Sweden where most of the population had a foreign background. On December 31, 2017, about 58.56% of the people in Botkyrka had a foreign background. This means they were either born outside of Sweden or had two parents born outside of Sweden.

Getting Around Botkyrka

Botkyrka is well-connected by the public transport system of Stockholm. The Stockholm metro has four stations within the municipality, making it easy to travel by subway. There are also two Stockholm commuter rail stations. In addition, a large network of SL buses helps people get around.

Companies in Botkyrka

Botkyrka is home to several well-known companies:

• Alfa Laval: This company makes special products that are used to heat, cool, separate, and move different things like oil, water, chemicals, drinks, food, and medicines. They also own a lot of land in Botkyrka for their farming business.
• DeLaval: This company is a top producer of machines used in dairy farms and other types of farming.
• Crane AB: This company designs and produces paper for banknotes.

Interestingly, Lars Magnus Ericsson, who started the famous LM Ericsson company (now known as Ericsson), also owned land in Botkyrka. One of his properties, Hågelby gård, is now a popular place for conferences and family trips. It has gardens, animals, a Stone Age village, and more.

Hågelby Gård

Areas in Botkyrka

Botkyrka is made up of several different areas, or districts:

• Fittja
• Alby
• Hallunda
• Norsborg
• Eriksberg
• Tumba
• Tullinge
• Vårsta

Sports Clubs

Here are some of the sports clubs located in Botkyrka:

• Arameiska-Syrianska Botkyrka IF
• Konyaspor KIF
• Assyriska Botkyrka FF
• IFK Tumba FK

See also

In Spanish: Municipio de Botkyrka para niños