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Närke

Närke
Coat of arms of Närke
Coat of arms
Sverigekarta-Landskap Närke.svg
Country Sweden
Land Svealand
Counties Örebro County
Västmanland County
Södermanland County
Area
 • Total 4,122 km2 (1,592 sq mi)
Population (2009)
 • Total 195,414
 • Density 47/km2 (120/sq mi)
Ethnicity
 • Language Swedish
Sveamål
Culture
 • Flower Cowslip
 • Animal Hazel Dormouse
 • Bird Yellow bunting
 • Fish Pike
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Närke (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈnærkɛ]) is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest. Närke has a surface area of 4,126 km² and a total population of 195,414.

The name of the province (Neeric 1165-81) comes from an old word när (narrow) which refers to the narrow ridge where the church of Norrbyås (Nerboahs 1275) is situated. What the rest of the name means is not clear. In English sometimes also Nerike (an archaic spelling of the province) and Nericia (the Latin name) is used for the province.

The traditional provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. In the case of Närke, the province makes up the southern part of Örebro County.

Arms granted in 1560, and revised a decade or so later with the current one. The arms is represented with a ducal coronet. At the centre there are two crossbow bolts was - the crossbow being the favourite weapon of the peasants. Blazon: "Gules between four Roses Argent two Arrows in saltire Or points upward pointed Argent." The Närke arms is one of the components of the coat of arms for Örebro County, granted in 1944.

The oldest city in Närke was Örebro, receiving its privileges around 1200. After that, Askersund was chartered in 1643 and Kumla in 1942. City status in Sweden was discontinued as of 1971, so these are historical titles.


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