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Dalarna

Coordinates:60°52′N14°44′E/ 60.867°N 14.733°E/60.867; 14.733
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"Dalecarlia" redirects here. For other uses, seeDalecarlia (disambiguation).
"Dalecarlians" redirects here. For the film, seeDalecarlians (film).
Dalarna
Historical province
Coat of arms of Dalarna
Coat of arms
Coordinates:60°52′N14°44′E/ 60.867°N 14.733°E/60.867; 14.733
Sovereign StateSweden
LandSvealand
CountiesDalarna County
Gävleborg County
Jämtland County
Värmland County
Area
• Total29,086 km2(11,230 sq mi)
Population
(31 December 2023)[1]
• Total283,814
• Density9.8/km2(25/sq mi)
Ethnicity
• LanguageSwedish
• DialectDalecarlian
Culture
• FlowerHarebell
• AnimalEagle owl
• Bird—
• FishMinnow
Time zoneUTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2(CEST)

Dalarna(Swedish pronunciation:[ˈdɑ̂ːlaɳa]ⓘ;lit. 'the Dales'or'the Valleys'), also referred to by the EnglishexonymsDalecarlia[2][3](US:/ˌdɑːləˈkɑːrliə/DAH-lə-KAR-lee-ə)[4]andthe Dales,[5]is alandskap(historical province) in centralSweden.

Dalarna adjoinsHärjedalen,Hälsingland,Gästrikland,VästmanlandandVärmland.It is also bordered byNorwayin the west. The province's borders mostly coincide with the modern administrativeDalarna County(län).

The area is a holiday destination for Swedes from the south, who often travel there in the summer, drawn by its fishing lakes, campgrounds, and forests.[citation needed]Some Swedes own or rent a second home in Dalarna, where they are likely to have a vegetable garden and apple trees.[citation needed]In mid-June, midsummer celebrations and dances are held in many of the small villages and in the larger cities. Dalarna is a region full of historical associations, and both its products and its people have strong local characteristics.[3]In the western districtLima,some people in villages speak a traditionaldialect,Dalecarlian,while inÄlvdalen,they speakElfdalian,a dialect which is very distinct fromSwedish,NorwegianorDanish.[6]Historically, the people of Dalecarlia – called Dalecarlians, or Dalesmen (dalkarlar, masar) and Daleswomen (kullor) – have been famous for their independent nature toward authority.[3]

TheOld Norseform of the province name isJárnberaland,[7]which means "the land of the iron carriers."[8][9][10]

Dalarna is roughly the size of the whole ofJutland(Denmark).

Administration[edit]

Theprovinces of Swedenserve no administrative or political purposes, but function as historical and cultural entities. In the case ofDalarnaa corresponding administrativeDalarna Countyhas almost, but not exactly, the same boundaries as the province, except for a part of the northeast (Hamraparish, also known as Orsa Finnmark) which forms part ofLjusdal Municipality,Gävleborg County.

Heraldry[edit]

Dalarna's coat of arms dates from 1560; the use of two crossed arrows as a symbol precedes this. ADuchy of Dalecarliaalso exists, and the provincial arms include a ducal coronet.

Blazon: "Azure, two Dalecarlian Arrows Or in saltire point upwards pointed Argent and in chief a Crown of the first".

As early as 1525, the arrows appeared in use on a seal. Dalarna County uses the same coat of arms, granted for the then Kopparberg County in 1936.[11]

Geography[edit]

The northern part of the province is dominated by mountains and the vastOrsa Finnmarkarea. The southern part of the province is part of theBergslagenregion, and consists mostly of plains, hills and forested areas. There are several copper mines in the southern part, most notorious of which being theFalun Mine.The highest point isStorvätteshågna,at 1,204 meters above sea level. The lowest point is in the southeast, at 55 meters above sea level.

Lakes[edit]

Cities[edit]

Dalarna was historically divided intochartered citiesand districts:

Since 1971, the cities are seats of their respectivemunicipalities.

Other towns[edit]

National parks[edit]

Lake Runn (Runnsjön) close to Torsång (Borlänge)

History[edit]

The province of Dalarna formed part ofSvealandbefore theformation of Swedenin the 11th century.

Three historically notorious rebellions started in the Dalarna province:

  • In 1434, led byEngelbrekt Engelbrektsson,the miners rose against the oppression of the officers ofEric of Pomerania.
  • In 1519–1523Gustav Vasafound his first and staunchest supporters among the minersin his revoltagainst theKalmar UnionunderKing Christian II.
  • In 1524–1533 the Dalecarlians and local nobles rebelled against Gustav's increasingly autocratic rule andreformistreligious policies; three uprisings were brutally suppressed. Some of the leaders were executed as alleged collaborators of King Christian during the liberation war.
  • In 1743, theDalecarlian Rebellionagainst theHats,which was the last major peasants' uprising in Sweden.

Culture[edit]

A Daleswoman fromLeksandin traditional folk dress, 1911.
A giant Dala horse in centralAvesta.

Historically, Dalarna has enjoyed a rich and unique folk culture, with distinct music, paintings, and handicrafts.[citation needed]The province preserved longer than any other the use of theRunic Alpha bet,a local dialect of which, the so-calledDalecarlian runesor Dalrunes, survived into the 19th century.[12]

A symbol of the province is theDalecarlian horse,in SwedishDalahäst,a painted and decorated wooden horse.Sulkyracing is common in the region. The high level of calcium in the soil favours horse breeding.

UNESCOhas named the mining area of theStora Kopparberg( "Great Copper Mountain" ) inFalunaWorld Heritage Site.

Notable natives[edit]

Districts[edit]

The Swedish provinces were subdivided into theHundreds of Sweden,in effect until the early 20th century.

In some provinces, the sub-dividing was throughdistricts.Dalarna had only onechartered hundred;the others were court districts.

Sports[edit]

Skiing is popular in Dalarna.Vasaloppet,across-country skiingrace (the world's longest) of 90 km, takes place annually, usually on the first Sunday of March, betweenSälenandMora.It commemorates the ski-borne escape of Gustav Ericson, who would later become KingGustav I of Sweden,fromDanishtroops in 1520.

Football in the province is administered byDalarnas Fotbollförbund.Brage and Dalkurd are examples of football teams in Dalarna. Ice hockey is also popular in Dalarna. The two ice hockey teams and rivals from Dalarna are Leksands IF and Mora IK, both frequently in the highest ice hockey division.

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Folkmängd 31 december; ålder".Statistikdatabasen.Retrieved1 June2024.
  2. ^Eric Linklater.The Life of Charles XII.pp. 53–54 and throughout.
  3. ^abcChisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Dalecarlia".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 764.)
  4. ^"Dalecarlia".Merriam-Webster Dictionary.RetrievedApril 14,2019.
  5. ^Robert Nisbet Bain(1970) [1894].Gustavus III and His Contemporaries.Vol. Two. New York [London]. pp. 33–35 and throughout.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^Älvdalska - eget språk eller värsting bland dialekter? | Språktidningen,spraktidningen.se
  7. ^Asernes Æt, Hunnerhæren mod Kong Frode I.'s danske styrker - 2 personer ved navn "Hun", og 2 personer ved navn "Hunding",verasir.dk
  8. ^járn,islex.is
  9. ^bera,islex.is
  10. ^land,islex.is
  11. ^"Heraldiskt register / vapen".Riksarkivet(in Swedish).Retrieved2022-12-21.
  12. ^ "Yair Sapir Elfdalian, the Vernacular of Övdaln"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on April 6, 2008.RetrievedJune 29,2007.
  13. ^Yodamo (April 12, 2023)."Tradfest: Interviews with Alicia Eidelweiss and Fredy Clue".Mumble Music.Archived fromthe originalon June 4, 2023.RetrievedMarch 2,2024.

External links[edit]

Media related toDalarnaat Wikimedia Commons Dalarnatravel guide from Wikivoyage

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