Arvidsjaur Municipality
Encyclopedia
Arvidsjaur Municipality is a municipality
in Norrbotten County
in northern Sweden. Its seat
is located in Arvidsjaur
.
. They were back then a hunting
people, living off the abundance of fish
and wildlife
in the area. Archaeological
discoveries suggest that people have been moving through the area for several thousands of years. The name Arvidsjaur itself comes from a Sami
word which means "generous water" and was originally the name of the adjacent lake.
In the 14th and 15th century some farmer
s settled in the area. They acquired fur
s and skins from the hunters, and traded them off to southern regions, allegedly in vast numbers.
The Christianization
of Arvidsjaur Municipality was slow, as it was in Norrland
as a whole, because of the low population, the harsh climate and the long distances. It was also commonly believed that Norrland was inhabited by magicians.
Not until 1577 did the first settler, Per Käck, settle in Arvidsjaur. The settlers built the first chapel
at the marketplace
at the time, in 1560. The first church was inaugurated in 1604.
The Swedish minister and missionary
Petrus Læstadius (1802–1841; brother
of Lars Levi Læstadius
, founder of the largest Christian revival
movement in Norrland) collected old stories and myths in the area in the 19th century, which create the basis for our knowledge from that time.
, in the center of the northernmost land
, Norrland
. It is also part of the geographic
area Lapland
, which consists of the northern parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland. Sami people
are an indigenous minority group
who mainly live on breeding reindeer
s. Arvidsjaur Municipality still contains several Sami villages, and as a tribute to the Sami people a reindeer is the basis for the municipal coat of arms
.
(or urban areas) in Arvidsjaur Municipality:
The municipal seat in bold
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
in Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
in northern Sweden. Its seat
Administrative centre
An administrative centre is a term often used in several countries to refer to a county town, or other seat of regional or local government, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located....
is located in Arvidsjaur
Arvidsjaur
Arvidsjaur is a locality and the seat of Arvidsjaur Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 4,644 inhabitants in 2005.Arvidsjaur is a large centre for the European car industry. During the winter months major car-manufacturers perform arctic trials in the Arvidsjaur Municipality area...
.
History
Arvidsjaur Municipality was for a long time only inhabited by the Sami peopleSami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
. They were back then a hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
people, living off the abundance of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
in the area. Archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
discoveries suggest that people have been moving through the area for several thousands of years. The name Arvidsjaur itself comes from a Sami
Sami languages
Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe. Sami is frequently and erroneously believed to be a single language. Several names are used for the Sami...
word which means "generous water" and was originally the name of the adjacent lake.
In the 14th and 15th century some farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s settled in the area. They acquired fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
s and skins from the hunters, and traded them off to southern regions, allegedly in vast numbers.
The Christianization
Christianization
The historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...
of Arvidsjaur Municipality was slow, as it was in Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
as a whole, because of the low population, the harsh climate and the long distances. It was also commonly believed that Norrland was inhabited by magicians.
Not until 1577 did the first settler, Per Käck, settle in Arvidsjaur. The settlers built the first chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
at the marketplace
Marketplace
A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...
at the time, in 1560. The first church was inaugurated in 1604.
The Swedish minister and missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Petrus Læstadius (1802–1841; brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
of Lars Levi Læstadius
Lars Levi Læstadius
Lars Levi Læstadius was a Swedish Lutheran pastor of partly Sami ancestry. From the mid 1840s and onward he became the leader of the Laestadian movement...
, founder of the largest Christian revival
Christian revival
Christian revival is a term that generally refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or many churches, either regionally or globally...
movement in Norrland) collected old stories and myths in the area in the 19th century, which create the basis for our knowledge from that time.
Geography
Arvidsjaur Municipality is located about 110 kilometres south of the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
, in the center of the northernmost land
Lands of Sweden
The lands of Sweden are three traditional parts, essentially three collectives of provinces, in Sweden. These "lands" have no administrative function, and there is no official designation for this subdivision level...
, Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
. It is also part of the geographic
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
area Lapland
Lapland (region)
Lapland is a region in northern Fennoscandia, largely within the Arctic Circle. It streches across Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula . On the North it is bounded by the Barents Sea, on the West by the Norwegian Sea and on the East by the White Sea...
, which consists of the northern parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland. Sami people
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
are an indigenous minority group
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
who mainly live on breeding reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
s. Arvidsjaur Municipality still contains several Sami villages, and as a tribute to the Sami people a reindeer is the basis for the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
.
Localities
There are three localitiesUrban areas in Sweden
Urban area is a common English translation of the Swedish term tätort. The official term in English, used by Statistics Sweden, is, however, locality. There are 1,940 localities in Sweden . They could be compared with census-designated places in the United States.A tätort in Sweden has a minimum of...
(or urban areas) in Arvidsjaur Municipality:
| # | Locality | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arvidsjaur Arvidsjaur Arvidsjaur is a locality and the seat of Arvidsjaur Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 4,644 inhabitants in 2005.Arvidsjaur is a large centre for the European car industry. During the winter months major car-manufacturers perform arctic trials in the Arvidsjaur Municipality area... |
4,644 |
| 2 | Glommersträsk Glommersträsk Glommersträsk is a locality situated in Arvidsjaur Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 306 inhabitants in 2005.... |
306 |
| 3 | Moskosel Moskosel Moskosel is a locality situated in Arvidsjaur Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 299 inhabitants in 2005.... |
299 |
The municipal seat in bold
Emphasis (typography)
In typography, emphasis is the exaggeration of words in a text with a font in a different style from the rest of the text—to emphasize them.- Methods and use :...
External links
- Arvidsjaur Municipality - Official site
- Arvidsjaur.eu - Arvidsjaur in Swedish Lapland