Republic of Jamtland
Encyclopedia
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
, Herjeådalen
Härjedalen
' is a historical province or landskap in the centre of Sweden. It borders the country of Norway as well as the provinces of Dalarna, Hälsingland, Medelpad, and Jämtland...
and Ravund (often shortened to the Republic of Jamtland) is a part serious part humorous culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
, with regionalist
Regionalism (politics)
Regionalism is a term used in international relations. Regionalism also constitutes one of the three constituents of the international commercial system...
and historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
elements based in the Swedish County
Counties of Sweden
The Counties of Sweden are the first level administrative and political subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The counties were established in 1634 on Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, superseding the historical provinces of Sweden to introduce a modern administration...
of 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...
, located in the middle of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
.
History
The Republic of Jamtland was founded in 1963 as a reaction to the out-migration from the county, though the actual event that triggered its foundation was the centralistCentralization
Centralisation, or centralization , is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, become concentrated within a particular location and/or group....
plans among Swedish officials that sought to merge Jämtland County with Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
. The initiators organized themselves in the association The Liberation Movement and mobilized the people in the "freedom festival" Storsjöyran
Storsjöyran
Storsjöyran, or just Yran is an annual Swedish musical event going back to the early sixties.-Festival history:...
. TV-entertainer Yngve Gamlin
Yngve Gamlin
Yngve Gamlin was a Swedish actor and film director. His 1965 film The Chasers was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize.-Selected filmography:...
was "elected" president and Jamtland was proclaimed a republic of its own, within the Kingdom of Sweden.
In the long run, the Liberation Movement's goal is to restore Jamtland's ancient freedom and independence. However, as an independence movement, the Liberation Movement was described by the second president, the comedian Moltas Eriksson, as "51% in jest and 49% in earnest". It's largely seen as a humorous hoax and the actual support for an independent state among the locals is low. The movement's main focus is to preserve and promote the Jamtlandic culture, language
Jamtlandic
Jamtlandic or Jamtish is a well-defined group of dialects of Scandinavia. It is spoken in the [Swedish] province of Jämtland...
and way of life.
The current president and the third overall is Ewert Ljusberg, also a man from the world of show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
. Once a year he makes a beloved speech at the city festival Storsjöyran in Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
where he agitates towards, and mocks the "Big-Swedes", the Swedish government and 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...
, in a joking manner.
National symbols
Aside from the flag, the republic also boasts its own national anthem, entitled "Jämtlandssången". Versions of the song exist in both Swedish and JamtlandicJamtlandic
Jamtlandic or Jamtish is a well-defined group of dialects of Scandinavia. It is spoken in the [Swedish] province of Jämtland...
, the official language of the republic.
Presidents of the Republic of Jamtland
- Yngve Gamlin (1963-1983)
- Moltas Ericsson (1983-1988)
- Ewert Ljusberg, (1988-present)