Lands of Sweden

The lands of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges landsdelar) are three traditional and historical regions of the country, each consisting of several provinces. The division into lands goes back to the consolidation of Sweden, when Götaland, the land of the Geats, merged with Svealand, the land of the Swedes, to form the country, while Norrland and Österland (the latter now Finland) were added later.^{[citation needed]} The lands have no administrative function but are still seen by many Swedes as an important part of their identity, and they are regularly mentioned in televised weather reports.^{[citation needed]}

The lands have no administrative functions or coats of arms, but are in common use when referring to different parts of the country, including in all nationwide weather reports in Swedish media.

Areas and populations of the lands:

Sweden was historically divided into the four lands: Götaland, Svealand, Norrland and Österland.

In the Second Treaty of Brömsebro (1645) Denmark-Norway ceded the Norwegian provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen to Sweden. These provinces are part of Norrland. In the Treaty of Roskilde (1658), Denmark-Norway ceded Scania, Blekinge and Halland (Skåneland) and Bohuslän to Sweden. These provinces are since then part of Götaland.

After the Finnish War (1808–1809), the eastern part of Sweden was ceded to Russia, thus becoming the Imperial Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, with Norrland divided between these two states. The Swedish portion of Norrland still represents more than half of Sweden's territory; it remains, however, sparsely populated compared to the south and middle.

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