Lidingö Municipality Facts for Kids

Lidingö Municipality (also called Lidingö stad or "City of Lidingö") is a special area in Sweden. It's located east of Stockholm in Stockholm County. The main part of Lidingö Municipality is on the island of Lidingö.

This municipality is mostly on the island of Lidingö. But it also includes some smaller islands nearby, like the Fjäderholmarna islands. Lidingö is an island municipality, which means it hasn't joined with other areas.

Lidingö was first a rural area. Then it became a market town in 1910, a city in 1926, and a single municipality in 1971. The local government decided in 1992 to call itself Lidingö stad, which means "the City of Lidingö".

Did you know that Raoul Wallenberg, a hero who saved many people during World War II, was born in Lidingö on August 4, 1912?

Exploring Lidingö's Geography
A Look at Lidingö's History
Lidingö's Economy and Work
Population and People of Lidingö
Exciting Sporting Events
Culture and Art in Lidingö
Lidingö's International Friends
- Twin Towns and Sister Cities
See also

Exploring Lidingö's Geography

The two bridges connecting Lidingö with Stockholm. The old bridge is on the right. This view is towards Ropsten.

The island of Lidingö is connected to the city of Stockholm by two bridges. These are called Lidingöbron. One bridge is for cars, and the other is for the Lidingöbanan tram and people walking. These bridges lead straight to Ropsten, which is a station on the Stockholm Metro subway system.

For counting purposes, Lidingö is divided into three main areas. These are Lidingö, Brevik, and Sticklinge udde. Even though it's very close to Stockholm, Lidingö is counted separately. This is because the strait called Lilla Värtan separates the island from central Stockholm.

A Look at Lidingö's History

Lidingö has a long history, with signs of people living there from at least 600 BC. There's a story that Vikings used to gather here before sailing to eastern lands. However, there's no solid proof for this legend.

When Lidingö chose its city symbol in 1928, they picked a Viking ship. It was colored like the Swedish flag. Lidingö was first written about in 1328. Back then, it was called Lydhingö. The whole island and its farms were owned by a person named Bo Johnsson Grip. On a map from 1661, the island was called Lijdingeöö.

Lidingö's Economy and Work

Dalénum, where AGA has had its main office since 1912.

Lidingö island doesn't have many big factories. One well-known company here is AGA AB, which started making products on the island in 1912.

Many people in Lidingö live in single-family houses. About 36% of the people, which was 17,020 in 2006, live in these homes. A lot of these residents travel to work in Stockholm or other nearby areas.

There are also many places for meetings and conferences on the northern parts of the island. These places are an important part of Lidingö's businesses.

Population and People of Lidingö

How the Population Has Grown

The number of people living in Lidingö Municipality has changed over the years. You can see how it has grown in the chart below.

Population development in Lidingö Municipality 1970–2019
Year	Population
1970	36,174
1975	36,727
1980	37,390
1985	38,271
1990	38,399
1995	39,042
2000	40,584
2005	41,892
2010	44,017
2015	46,302
2017	47,185
2019	48,123

Wealth and Education

Lidingö is known as one of the wealthiest municipalities in Sweden. It has the fourth highest average income per person. Also, many people in Lidingö have a high level of education. About 46% of adults have gone to college or university for three years or more. This is also the fourth highest in the country.

People from Different Backgrounds

On December 31, 2017, about 10,065 people in Lidingö had a foreign background. This means they were born outside Sweden or had two parents born outside Sweden. This was about 21.33% of the total population. In 2002, this number was lower, around 15.59%.

Many people living in Lidingö were born in other countries. On December 31, 2017, about 8,265 people (17.52%) were born outside Sweden. People come from many different places, including other European countries, Asia, South America, and Africa.

Exciting Sporting Events

Lidingö hosts some fun sporting events:

Lidingöloppet: This is a famous cross-country running race that covers 30 kilometers.
Round Lidingö Race: This is a sailing race that goes around the island of Lidingö. It's about 13.5 nautical miles long.

Culture and Art in Lidingö

Millesgården art museum.

Millesgården is a famous art museum and sculpture garden on Lidingö island. It was created by the well-known artist Carl Milles and his wife Olga Milles. It's a great place to see beautiful sculptures and art.

Lidingö's International Friends

Lidingö has special friendships with cities in other countries. These are called twin towns or sister cities.

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

In 1942, Lidingö started helping people in Lohja (also called Lojo) in southern Finland. These people were going through a tough time during World War II. Lidingö opened a home for children who had lost their parents and sent money to Lohja. Even though the children went back to Finland in 1943, Lidingö and Lohja are still close friends today.

Another sister city is Alameda, California in the United States. This friendship started in 1959. It was part of a program by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to help people from different countries understand each other better after World War II. Both Alameda and Lidingö are islands connected to a big city by a bridge.

When the Baltic countries became free from the Soviet Union in 1990-1991, Lidingö looked for a new sister city there. They chose Saldus in Latvia. Over the years, they have worked together on projects about the environment, culture, and more.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lidingö also became a sister city with Slawuta in Ukraine in 2023.

Lidingö Municipality facts for kids

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