Gällivare facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gällivare
|
|
|---|---|
The main street (Storgatan) with snow and Christmas lights in Gällivare at about noon in December 2005.
|
|
 Gällivare
Location in Norrbotten
Gällivare
Location in Sweden
|
|
| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Lapland |
| County | Norrbotten County |
| Municipality | Gällivare Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.48 km2 (2.89 sq mi) |
| Population
(31 December 2010)
|
|
| • Total | 8,449 |
| • Density | 1,130/km2 (2,900/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Gällivare is a town in Sweden. It is located in Norrbotten County, which is part of the Lapland region. In 2010, about 8,449 people lived here.
The town was founded in the 1600s. Gällivare is very close to other towns like Malmberget and Koskullskulle. Together, these towns form a larger area with about 15,000 people. This makes it the second most northern big town in Sweden, after Kiruna.
Gällivare is at the end of the Inlandsbanan railway line. It is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. This area is famous for its large iron ore mines.
Right next to Gällivare, about five kilometers away, is Malmberget. This town is well-known for its deep iron ore mines run by a company called LKAB.
Outside Gällivare, you can find the Dundret ski resort. It has six ski lifts and ten groomed slopes. There is also a conference center and a hotel. The ski season here is very long, from late October until early May. Gällivare has even hosted big World Cup skiing events.
Gällivare is also an important center for the Firstborn Laestadian religious movement. The town hosted the 2008 VIVA World Cup, a football tournament. It was also a filming location for Avicii's song "Addicted to You". Sweden's second-largest fast food chain, Max Hamburgers, started in Gällivare. However, its main office has since moved to Luleå.
Contents
What is the History of Gällivare?
Gällivare's story as a town began in the 1690s. This was when iron ore was first found in a mountain called Illuvare. This mountain later became known as Gällivare malmberg. The ore was discovered in the area that is now Malmberget. People started testing the mining there in 1735.
At that time, many Sámi people lived in the area. They were part of the Kaitum Sámi community. Their church had been in Jokkmokk since 1605. In the early 1700s, the Swedish parliament heard that the Sámi might not be fully Christianized.
How the Church and Town Grew
In 1738, the parliament decided to build a new church closer to the Kaitum Sámi. Every household in Sweden gave one silver coin to help pay for it. In 1742, missionaries met with the Sámi near Gällivare malmberg. They decided to build the church there. This church was finished two years later and was called Ettöreskyrkan (Gällivare Old Church).
As the church was built, Gällivare started to grow as a settlement. This happened as mining for ore began in Malmberget in the 1740s. The town really grew when the Malmbanan railway was built in the late 1800s. This railway made it much easier to transport the ore. In 1910, a hospital was also built in Gällivare.
What is the Climate Like in Gällivare?
Gällivare has a cold climate because it is so far north. It is known as a subarctic climate. Winters are very cold, but warm air from the North Atlantic Ocean makes them a bit milder. For example, some cities in North America that are further south can have colder Januarys than Gällivare.
The winter temperature can change a lot. It might be -30°C (-22°F) one day and 0°C (32°F) the next. This is because Gällivare is between the open ocean and a large, snowy land area.
Midnight Sun and Summer Heat
Gällivare experiences the midnight sun for a long time in summer. This means the sun stays visible for 24 hours a day. Even in winter, during the shortest days, there are some glimpses of daylight. This is because Gällivare is not right on the Arctic Circle, but a bit south of it.
Because of the long hours of daylight in summer, and Gällivare's inland location, it can get quite warm. The highest temperature ever recorded was 34.5°C (94.1°F).
| Climate data for Gällivare (averages 2002–2018; extremes since 1901) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) |
7.5 (45.5) |
12.5 (54.5) |
19.0 (66.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
30.6 (87.1) |
34.5 (94.1) |
31.4 (88.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
9.6 (49.3) |
8.0 (46.4) |
34.5 (94.1) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
5.9 (42.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
21.2 (70.2) |
24.5 (76.1) |
25.7 (78.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
19.2 (66.6) |
11.2 (52.2) |
4.6 (40.3) |
3.4 (38.1) |
27.1 (80.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −8.2 (17.2) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
4.5 (40.1) |
11.1 (52.0) |
16.2 (61.2) |
20.1 (68.2) |
17.3 (63.1) |
11.6 (52.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
5.0 (41.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.1 (8.4) |
−11.9 (10.6) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
5.9 (42.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
14.7 (58.5) |
12.2 (54.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
0.1 (32.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −18.0 (−0.4) |
−17.1 (1.2) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
0.7 (33.3) |
5.7 (42.3) |
9.2 (48.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −31.8 (−25.2) |
−31.4 (−24.5) |
−26.5 (−15.7) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−14.6 (5.7) |
−24.1 (−11.4) |
−28.5 (−19.3) |
−34.9 (−30.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −43.3 (−45.9) |
−40.0 (−40.0) |
−36.5 (−33.7) |
−33.5 (−28.3) |
−20.0 (−4.0) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−24.0 (−11.2) |
−33.5 (−28.3) |
−39.1 (−38.4) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 40.8 (1.61) |
32.6 (1.28) |
21.9 (0.86) |
26.9 (1.06) |
50.3 (1.98) |
65.7 (2.59) |
97.8 (3.85) |
76.0 (2.99) |
69.2 (2.72) |
42.8 (1.69) |
49.9 (1.96) |
48.4 (1.91) |
622.3 (24.5) |
| Source 1: SMHI Open Data | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: SMHI climate data 2002–2018 | |||||||||||||
What Sports Teams are in Gällivare?
Gällivare is home to several sports clubs. One of the main sports clubs in Gällivare is:
- Gällivare Malmbergets FF
See also
In Spanish: Gällivare para niños
