Ångermanland

Ångermanland, landskap (province) in northeastern Sweden. It is bounded on the east by the Gulf of Bothnia, on the south and west by the landskap (provinces) of Medelpad and Jämtland, and on the north by those of Lappland and Västerbotten. The northeastern corner of Ångermanland is included for administrative purposes in the län (county) of Västerbotten, and the remainder in Jämtland and Västernorrland. One of the traditional landskap making up the region of Norrland (q.v.), it consists of vast forests and large rivers, such as the Fax and Angerman rivers.

Archaeological finds indicate that Ångermanland was inhabited as early as the Stone Age. During the Middle Ages, settlements increased along the coast and in the river valleys, where the people engaged in agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Iron mining was important from the 17th century to the end of the 19th. Forestry flourished throughout the 19th century, particularly after 1850. The major towns are Härnösand (q.v.), Sollefteå, and Örnsköldsvik.