Örebro County

Örebro County (Swedish: Örebro län) is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.

Province

Sweden's counties are primarily administrative units, whereas the provinces of Sweden usually fit cultural and historical boundaries. Örebro County consists of the province of Närke, the western half of Västmanland and minor parts of eastern Värmland and northeastern Västergötland. Örebro County is named after its capital city, Örebro, which in 2010 was the sixth largest city of Sweden. Official 2010 numbers sourced in the localities section indicate that 38 % of the county population is living in the city of Örebro alone. Örebro itself contains just as many inhabitants as the 23 other largest localities put together, and has grown significantly ever since the official statistics began in the late 1960s.

Administration

The county was named Närke and Värmland County until 1779 when Värmland County seceded.

Örebro

Örebro [œrəˈbruː] is a city, the seat of Örebro Municipality and the capital of Örebro County in Sweden with 140,599 inhabitants in 2013. It is the sixth largest city in Sweden and one of the largest inland hubs of the country. It is located near the lake of Hjälmaren, although a few kilometres inland along small river Svartån.

History

Örebro received its Royal Charter and city privileges not later than 1404.

Örebro literally means Penny bridge. The geography looks, with a stream Svartån draining into the lake Hjälmaren. The location became a natural seat of commerce in the Scandinavian Middle Ages and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building which has undergone several modifications. The natural center of the city is otherwise the magnificent Örebro Castle, situated on an islet in the Svartån, and dividing the town into a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the stewardship of Birger Jarl during the early 13th century and then modified and enlarged during the reign of King Gustav Vasa in the 1560s.