Zinkgruvan

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Zinkgruvan


image_caption = Zinkgruvan zink mine
pushpin_

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Sweden
subdivision_type1 = Municipality
subdivision_name1 = Askersund Municipality
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Örebro County
subdivision_type3 = Province
subdivision_name3 = Närke
area_footnotes = cite web |title=Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km² 2000 och 2005 |publisher=Statistics Sweden |url=http://www.scb.se/statistik/MI/MI0810/2005A01B/T%E4torternami0810tab1.xls |format=xls |language=Swedish |accessdate=2008-05-15]
area_total_km2 = 2.27
population_as_of = 2005-12-31
population_footnotes =
population_total = 383
population_density_km2 = 169
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd=58 |latm=49 |lats= |latNS=N
longd=15 |longm=05 |longs= |longEW=E
website =

Zinkgruvan is a small village located in Askersund Municipality, Örebro County in mid Sweden close to Sweden's second largest lake, Vättern. The village is famous for its mining industry, hence the name Zinkgruvan (literally "zinc mine" in English). Zinkgruvan was originally founded around the mine in the 1860s, and the history of the village is closely tied to the history of the mine. The people living in Zinkgruvan are mostly mine workers.

Zinkgruvan also contains several ski facilities, including an illuminated cross country ski track. The ski association in Zinkgruvan uses snow cannons to ensure that the ski-track is provided with snow during the entire winter. An old ice hockey rink in the village is filled with ice in the winter for public entertainment. Zinkgruvan is home to a museum that documents the history of the mining industry in the town.

Geography

In addition to Vättern, the area around Zinkgruvan contains several minor lakes. Zinkgruvan, as many small villages in Sweden, is popular with German tourists during the summer. Tourist attractions include the natural surroundings of the town and the elk that live nearby. Selling accessories and souvenirs to tourists is a major source of income for residents of Zinkgruvan. The headframe of the mine, containing the elevators that move miners and ore in the mine shaft, is a major landmark in the village and is well over 70m high. While some residents regard it as a unique feature of the town, it has been criticized for its Soviet-style architecture.

See also

* Mining

References