Norway–Sweden border
Encyclopedia
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Geography
Most of the border follows the drainage divide in the Scandinavian MountainsScandinavian Mountains
The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes, in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen or Kölen , in Finnish Köli and in Norwegian Kjølen, with the three latter meaning The Keel, are a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula...
. In Norway, the border lies along the counties, from south to north, of Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
, Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
, Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
, Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
, Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
, Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
and Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
. In Sweden, the border lies along the counties, from south to north, of Västra Götaland
Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
, Värmland
Värmland County
Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
, Dalarna
Dalarna County
Dalarna County is a county or län in middle Sweden. It borders the counties of Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It is also bordered by the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Sør-Trøndelag in the west...
, Jämtland
Jämtland County
Jämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
, Västerbotten
Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It borders the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Provinces :...
and Norrbotten
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...
. The northernmost border point is Treriksröset
Treriksröset
Treriksröset , Treriksrøysa , Kolmen valtakunnan rajapyykki is the point at which the borders of Sweden, Norway and Finland meet....
(Swedish) or Treriksrøysa (Norwegian), which is also a border to Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
In war and conflict
The border was changed several times because of war; in the Treaty of Brömsebro (1645), the Treaty of RoskildeTreaty of Roskilde
The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...
(1658) and the Treaty of Copenhagen. After the Treaty of Kiel
Treaty of Kiel
The Treaty of Kiel or Peace of Kiel was concluded between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of Sweden on one side and the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway on the other side on 14 January 1814 in Kiel...
and the Convention of Moss
Convention of Moss
The Convention of Moss was a cease fire agreement, signed August 14, 1814, between the Swedish King and the Norwegian Storting. It followed the Swedish-Norwegian War due to Norway's claim to sovereignty...
(1814) the union between Sweden and Norway
Union between Sweden and Norway
The Union between Sweden and Norway , officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, consisted of present-day Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union....
was established, and the Norway–Sweden border became a border between two union partners. In the Negotiations in Karlstad which led up to the dissolution of the union in 1905, Norway was obliged to tear down several fortresses along the border.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Norway was occupied by Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
and Sweden was neutral, many Norwegians became refugees and were transported or fled over the border. The regulation of Norwegian immigrants was strict between 1940 and 1941; several would-be-refugees were declined.
Control
Both countries are members of the Schengen AreaSchengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
, and there are therefore no immigration controls. However, only Sweden is part of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, so there are custom controls. These are performed by the Norwegian Customs and Excise Authorities and the Swedish Customs Service
Swedish Customs Service
The Swedish Customs Service is the customs service of Sweden. It is a department of the Government of Sweden.-History:Customs duties have existed in Sweden since the twelfth century, and the current organisation was created in 1636. During this period, the Swedish administration was being...
.
Transport
There are four railway crossings, at RiksgränsenRiksgränsen Station
Riksgränsen Station is a railway station located on the Norway–Sweden border at Riksgränsen, one kilometer into Sweden. The station opened in 1902 as part of the Ofot Line and Malm Line, and was the location of the switching between Norwegian and Swedish operations.-External links:* at the...
on the Ofoten Line and the Ore Line
Malmbanan
The Iron Ore Line is a long railway line between Riksgränsen and Boden in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The line contains two branches, from Kiruna to Svappavaara and from Gällivare to Koskullskulle. The term is often colloquially used to also include the Ofoten Line, from Riksgränsen to Narvik in...
, at Storlien
Storlien Station
Storlien Station is a railway station located at Storlien in Åre Municipality municipality, Sweden. Located east of the Norway–Sweden border, it serves as the name-change between the Norwegian Meråker Line and the Swedish Central Line. The altitude is , the highest station in Sweden...
on the Meråker Line and Middle Line
Mittbanan
The Central Line is a long railway line between Sundsvall and Storlien in Sweden. It continues as the long Meråker Line through Norway to Hell Station and onwards to Trondheim. The railway shares line with Inland Line between Brunflo and Östersund while the line between Ånge and Bräcke is double...
, at Charlottenberg
Charlottenberg Station
Charlottenberg Station is a railway station located on the Kongsvinger Line and the Värmland Line at Charlottenberg in Eda, Sweden. The station is located from the Norway–Sweden border and was opened in 1865 for changing crew on international trains between Sweden and Norway.-References:...
on the Kongsvinger Line and the Värmland Line
Värmlandsbanan
The Värmland Line , previously known as the Northwestern Main Line is a long railway line between Laxå and the Norway–Sweden border at Charlottenberg Station. In Norway, the line continues as the Kongsvinger Line....
, and at Kornsjø
Kornsjø Station
Kornsjø Station is a railway station located at Kornsjø in Halden, Norway, on the Østfold Line. The station is located from the Norway–Sweden border and was opened in 1879 for changing crew on international trains between Sweden and Norway...
on the Østfold Line and the Norway/Väneren Line
Norge/Vänerbanan
Norway/Vänern Line is a Y-shaped railway line in Sweden. The main section runs from Gothenburg Central Station to Kil Station, mostly along the west shore of Vänern. There is a branch from Erikstad to Kornsjø, which continues as the Østfold Line in Norway. The lengths of the line are from...
. All four both serve passenger and freight trains.
Biological exchange
Animals, notably wolvesEurasian Wolf
The Eurasian Wolf , also known as the, European, Common or Forest Wolf is a subspecies of grey wolf which has the largest range among wolf subspecies and is the most common in Europe and Asia, ranging through Mongolia, China, Russia, Scandinavia, Western Europe and the Himalayan Mountains...
and Brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, have been known to wander across the border. Reflecting the fact that the population is to a degree shared, a Norwegian–Swedish research project named Skandulv exists since 2000 and is administered by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Hedmark University College
Hedmark University College
Hedmark University College is a høgskole, a Norwegian state institution of higher education, in the county of Hedmark, Norway. The college's four campuses are located in Hamar, Elverum, Åmot and Stor-Elvdal...
and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences or Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet is a university in Sweden. Although its head office is located in Ultuna, Uppsala, the university has several campuses in different parts of Sweden, the other main facilities being Alnarp in Lomma Municipality, Skara,...
.