Västerbotten
| Västerbotten | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Country |
 Sweden
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| Land | Norrland | |
| County | Västerbotten County | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 15,093 km2 (5,827 sq mi) | |
| Population (2014) | ||
| • Total | 262,362 | |
| • Density | 17/km2 (45/sq mi) | |
| Ethnicity | ||
| • Language | Westrobothnian | |
| Culture | ||
| • Flower | Moor-king lousewort | |
| • Animal | Curlew | |
| • Bird | Hen harrier | |
| • Fish | Lamprey | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
Västerbotten (Swedish: [²vɛstɛrˌbɔtːɛn]), known in English as West Bothnia or Westrobothnia, is a province (landskap) in the north of Sweden, bordering Ångermanland, Lapland, North Bothnia and the Gulf of Bothnia. It is known for the cheese named after the province.
The traditional provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. The administrative county, Västerbotten County, consists of the province and the southern part of Swedish Lappland.
On 18 January 1884 all provinces gained the rights to the rank of duchy and the arms can be represented with a ducal coronet. Blazon: "Azure Seme of Mullets Or a Reindeer in full course and hoofed Gules."
Västerbotten was historically divided into chartered cities and districts.
The historical province Västerbotten was divided in court districts.
Up until the Finnish War 1808-1809 and the Treaty of Fredrikshamn the province of Västerbotten also included a small portion of the extreme north of current Finland. This part has later been integrated in Lapland, Finland. The Österbotten, Eastern Botten or Ostrobothnia lay on the Finnish side of the sea and this province name still survives.
Following the Fredrikshamn treaty, which redefined the outlines and orientation of Sweden, in 1810 Västerbotten County was split in two parts. The northern portion became Norrbotten County, and the Swedish-speaking locals of Norrbotten (which in itself is a multi-lingual area) soon began referring to themselves as Norrbothnians. The county borders thus gradually led to a local provincial identity. Nowadays Norrbotten is considered a separate province, even though provinces had ceased to have any administrative or legal significance hundreds of years before 1810.
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Wikipedia