Sundsvall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sundsvall
Top: Panorama view of downtown Sundsvall, Stenstaden and South Stadsberget, 2nd left: Mid Sweden University (Mittuniversitetet), 2nd right: Court of Appeal for Lower Norrland in Bunsouska Pond, 3rd left: North Gate Arena and Gustav Adolf Church, 3rd right: Sundsvall Theater, Bottom: Kulturmagasinet, Sundsvall Museum and Library
Sundsvall Location in Västernorrland Show map of Västernorrland Sundsvall Location in Sweden Show map of Sweden
Country	Sweden
Province	Medelpad
County	Västernorrland County
Municipality	Sundsvall Municipality
Area
• City	27.46 km2 (10.60 sq mi)
Population  (31 December 2020)
• City	58,807
• Density	1,847/km2 (4,780/sq mi)
• Urban	99,825
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)

Sundsvall is a city in Sweden. It is the main town of Sundsvall Municipality in Västernorrland County. In 2020, about 58,807 people lived in the city. More than 95,000 people live in the wider municipal area. This makes Sundsvall the 21st largest city in Sweden by population. The old part of Sundsvall is called Stenstan, which means "stone city". This name comes from the many stone buildings built there in the late 1800s.

History of Sundsvall

Sundsvall around 1700, from an old book called Suecia antiqua et hodierna

Sundsvall became a town in 1621. Its first town plan was likely made by Olof Bure in 1642. The city has a port on the Gulf of Bothnia. It is located about 395 kilometers (245 miles) north of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.

The city has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt four times. The first time was in 1721. The Russian army set it on fire during a conflict known as the Russian Pillage of 1719-1721.

The Great Fire of 1888

The city was burnt on 25 June 1888.

On June 25, 1888, a huge fire swept through Sundsvall. Strong winds and very dry weather made the fire spread quickly. This fire was the largest in Sweden's history. It is believed that a spark from a steamship caused it.

After the fire, the city decided to rebuild using stone instead of wood. This is why Sundsvall's center is now called Stenstaden (the stone city). Building with stone made the city safer from fires. However, it also meant that only wealthier people could afford to live in the city center.

Sundsvall's Industries

In the mid-1800s, Swedish industry began in Sundsvall. The Tunadal sawmill bought a steam-powered saw in 1849. In the early 1900s, Sundsvall was a very important center for the forestry industry in Sweden.

The first big strike in Sweden happened in Sundsvall in 1879. Because of its industrial past, many people in the Sundsvall area have social democrat and socialist beliefs.

Today, Sundsvall is still known for its pulp and paper industry and aluminum production. But it also has many banks, insurance companies, and telecommunication services. Large government data centers, like the national social insurance board, are also located here. The main campus of Mid Sweden University (Mittuniversitetet) is in Sundsvall. This university started in 1993.

Storgatan, the main street in Sundsvall in the heart of Stenstaden ("The stone city")

Population Changes

Culture and Events

Sundsvall hosts several fun events. From 1987 to 2013, there was a summer music festival called Gatufesten. Since 2014, a new festival called Hamnyran takes place.

The city has two theaters and many places where you can enjoy music. There is also a small guitar festival and a larger heavy metal festival called Nordfest every autumn. Sundsvall is also home to a special festival called Musikschlaget. This is a song contest for groups from all over Sweden who have disabilities.

Getting Around

Sundsvall has its own airport, called Sundsvall-Timrå Airport. It is also known as Midlanda.

Sports Teams

Sundsvall is home to many sports teams, including:

• Alnö IF, a football (soccer) team
• GIF Sundsvall, another football team
• IF Sundsvall Hockey, an ice hockey team
• IFK Sundsvall, a football team
• Sundsvalls AIK (sv), a wrestling club
• Sundsvalls DFF, a women's football team
• Kovlands IF, a club with different sports, including:
  • Kovlands Ishockeyförening, an ice hockey team
• Selånger SK, another multi-sport club, with:
  • Selånger FK, a football team
  • Selånger SK Bandy, a bandy team
• Sidsjö-Böle IF, a football team
• Sund IF, a football team
• Sundsvall Dragons, a basketball team
• Sundsvall Flames, an American football team
• Njurunda MK, for motocross, enduro, and trial sports

Former Sports Teams

• IBK Sundsvall, a floorball team (1986–2006)

Famous People from Sundsvall

Many notable people have come from Sundsvall, including:

• Otto Wallin, a boxer
• Garmarna, a folk music band
• The Same, a punk band
• Sigrid Hjertén (1885–1948), a painter
• Gina Dirawi (1990–), a television presenter
• Fredrik Ericsson (1975–2010), an extreme skier
• Jessica Falk (1973–), a singer-songwriter
• Anders Graneheim (1962–), a bodybuilder
• Stan Hasselgård (1922–1948), a musician
• Bengt Lindström (1925–2008), an artist
• Fredrik Modin (1974–), an ice hockey player
• Helen Sjöholm (1970–), a singer and actress
• Hanna Glas (1993–), a football player
• Henrik Zetterberg (1980–), an ice hockey player
• Yohio (1995–), a singer and guitarist
• Kevin Walker (1989–), a football player and winner of Idol 2013
• Charlotte Kalla (1987–), a cross-country skier
• Emil Forsberg (1991–), a football player
• Elias Pettersson (1998–), an ice hockey player and 2019 Calder Trophy winner
• MyAnna Buring (1979–), an actress (born in Sundsvall)

Images for kids

• 

  Sundsvall viewed from above

• 

  Sundsvall City Centre

• 

  Gustav Adolfskyrkan

• 

  A bandy field

Climate

Sundsvall has a climate that is usually cold and humid. It is on the edge between a subarctic climate and a cold humid continental climate. The weather is made milder by the Gulf Stream, which is a warm ocean current. The weather station is a bit inland, so the city center itself might be slightly warmer.

See also

In Spanish: Sundsvall para niños