Gothenburg, Sweden

Gothenburg Göteborg
From left to right: First row: Göta älv with Barken Viking to the left. Second row: The Göteborg Opera and Gunnebo House. Third row: Poseidon at Götaplatsen and Gothia Towers including Svenska Mässan. 4th row: Gothenburg heritage tram and Elfsborg Fortress. 5th row: Ullevi stadium.
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Little London Gbg New Amsterdam The front side of Sweden
Gothenburg Show map of Sweden Gothenburg Show map of Västra Götaland
Coordinates: 57°42′N 11°58′E / 57.700°N 11.967°E / 57.700; 11.967Coordinates: 57°42′N 11°58′E / 57.700°N 11.967°E / 57.700; 11.967
Country	Sweden
Province	Västergötland and Bohuslän
County	Västra Götaland County
Municipality	Gothenburg Municipality
Charter	1621
Area
• City	447.76 km2 (172.88 sq mi)
• Water	14.5 km2 (5.6 sq mi)  3.2%
• Urban	203.67 km2 (78.64 sq mi)
• Metro	3,694.86 km2 (1,426.59 sq mi)
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population (2016 (urban: 2010))
• City	549,789
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi)
• Urban	549,839
• Urban density	2,700/km2 (7,000/sq mi)
• Metro	982,360
• Metro density	270/km2 (690/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Gothenburger (Göteborgare)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	40xxx – 41xxx – 421xx – 427xx
Area code(s)	(+46) 31
Website	www.goteborg.se

Largest groups of foreign residents
Nationality	Population (2013)
Somalia	4,466
Finland	3,509
Poland	2,878
Iraq	2,588
Norway	2,567
Iran	2,395
Morocco	2,112
China	1,724
United Kingdom	1,654
Germany	1,530
Denmark	1,509
Romania	1,358
India	1,274

Gothenburg (English pronunciation: /ˈɡɒθənbərɡ/;Swedish: Göteborg, pronounced [jœtɛˈbɔrj]) is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, the city has a population of approximately 550,000 in the urban area and 990,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area.

Gothenburg was founded as a heavily fortified, primarily Dutch, trading colony, by royal charter in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. In addition to the generous privileges (e.g. tax relaxation) given to his Dutch allies from the then-ongoing Thirty Years' War, the king also attracted significant numbers of his German and Scottish allies to populate his only town on the western coast. At a key strategic location at the mouth of the Göta älv, where Scandinavia's largest drainage basin enters the sea, the Port of Gothenburg is now the largest port in the Nordic countries.

Gothenburg is home to many students, as the city includes the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Volvo was founded in Gothenburg in 1927. The original, parent Volvo Group and the now separate Volvo Car Corporation are still headquartered on the island of Hisingen in the city. Other key companies are SKF and Astra Zeneca.