Småland

Småland, or Smalandia, is a traditional province in southern Sweden. It borders to Blekinge, Skåne, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island province of Öland, which is in the Baltic Sea.

Counties For current affairs see: The Counties of Kronoberg, Kalmar or Jönköping

The province of Småland is divided into the County of Kronoberg, the County of Kalmar and the County of Jönköping.

History Main article: History of Småland[?]

Chartered cities before 1971:

• Eksjö (approximately 1400)
• Gränna[?] (1652)
• Huskvarna[?] (1911)
• Jönköping (1284)
• Kalmar (approximately 1100)
• Ljungby (1936)
• Nybro (1932)
• Nässjö (1914)
• Oskarshamn (1856)
• Sävsjö (1947)
• Tranås (1919)
• Vetlanda (1920)
• Vimmerby (approximately 1400)
• Värnamo (1920)
• Västervik (approximately 1200)
• Växjö (1342)

During mideval times the town of Kalmar was the largest town in Sweden, when it was a center for export of iron, which in many cased was handled by German merchants.

In the 19th century, Småland was characterized by poverty, and had a larger portion of emigrants than other parts of Sweden. The majority of emigrants ended up in Minnesota, which has a geography resembling that of the homeland, mixing arable land with forest and lakes. The emigration/immigration venture is best depicted in the suite of novels by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg, which is also the basis for the musical Kristina from Duvemåla by ex-ABBA musicians/composers Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

In the 20th century, Småland has been known for its high level of entrepreneurship and low unemployment. Maybe the hard conditions has forced the inhabitants of the region to invent and cooperate. Most notably, the worldwide furniture store chain IKEA was started here in the 1950s by Ingvar Kamprad, who still owns and controls the privately held venture.

Geography Main article: Geography of Småland

The geography is dominated by a forested high plain where the soil is mixed with sand and small boulders, making the area less suited for agriculture than the surrounding parts of Sweden.

Traditionally a historical province is representative of a separate country before the unification of Sweden. Småland however consists of several smaller countries in one single province. The name Småland litterally means small countries.

The historical small countries of Småland:

• Finnveden[?]
• Kind[?]
• Möre[?]
• Njudung[?]
• Tjust[?]
• Tveta[?]
• Värend
• Ydre[?]

Culture Main article: Culture of Småland[?]

The Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus or Carl von Linné (1707-1778), often called the father of taxonomy or king of flowers, was born in Småland. The provincial flower Linnea (Latin: Linnea Borealis, English: Twinflower[?]) is named after him.

Heraldry Main article: Heraldry of Småland

The current coat of arms was granted in 1569 and pictures a rampant red lion on a golden shield carrying a crossbow. The arms is represented with a dukal coronet. Blazon: "Or a lion rampant Gules langued and armed Azure holding in front paws a Crossbow of the second bowed and stringed Sable with a bolt Argent."

External Links

• Småland (http://www.visit-smaland.com/) - Tourist site