- Södertälje
Infobox Settlement
official_name = Södertälje
image_caption = Södertälje
pushpin_
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =Sweden
subdivision_type1 = Municipality
subdivision_name1 =Södertälje Municipality
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 =Stockholm County
subdivision_type3 = Province
subdivision_name3 =Södermanland
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 = 25.29
population_as_of = 2005-12-31
population_footnotes =
population_total = 60,279
population_density_km2 = 2383
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
latd=59 |latm=11 |lats= |latNS=N
longd=17 |longm=38 |longs= |longEW=E
website =Audio|sv-Södertälje.ogg|Södertälje is a city in
Södermanland in east centralSweden about 30 km south ofStockholm , and is the seat ofSödertälje Municipality ,Stockholm County . The city has a population of about 62,000 out of a municipal total of 81,000. Södertälje has received worldwide attention because of the large influx of Iraqi refugees - Södertälje has taken in more Iraqi refugees than the United States and Canada combined. [http://www.thelocal.se/11040/20080411/0] Södertälje has the largest group ofAssyrian /Aramean-Syriac people than any other city in world, with around 22,000Assyrians/Syriacs living in Södertälje, and around 40,000Assyrians/Syriacs living inStockholm county.History
Prior to
600 AD, the lakeMälaren was connected to the sea, but due toland elevation , the lake was slowly cut off and boats had to be ported over land to and from the lake.The name "Telje" is mentioned in the 11th century. To resolve a name conflict with another town that was founded North of Stockholm in the 17th century, "Söder" (meaning "south") was added to create "Södertälje" and "Norr" was added to the other to create "
Norrtälje .In the 18th century Södertälje had a
charter , but due to theGreat Northern War and a series of plague epidemics, the population of the city dipped to barely above 200.Today, Södertälje has Europe's largest exile communities of
Assyrians andAramean-Syriacs with more than 22,000 inhabitants. In the city, Syriacs also have 5 churches, two bishops, two soccer teams, and the headquarter of TV Channels ofSuroyo TV andSuryoyo Sat that is shown worldwide.Business
Truck manufacturer Scania has its main location in Södertälje. It is also one of the main sites for pharmaceutical company
AstraZeneca . Theport of Södertälje is the second in theStockholm region.Volkswagen has its Swedish headquarter located in Södertälje and Lantmännen Axa Foodservice AB is located inJärna 10 km south of Södertälje.A large share of the population are immigrants or have parents that are immigrants from various countries which reflects in the business structure of Södertälje as Södertälje has a large share of small family businesses.Sports
The city has
Södertälje SK , anice hockey team in the highest league – Elitserien and plays their matches inAXA Sports Center (aka Scaniarinken).Assyriska FF andSyrianska FC are also two successful football clubs started in 1974 and 1977. They play in the same arena,Södertälje Fotbollsarena . Inbasketball ,Södertälje BBK is one of the best in the country, and became Swedish Champions in the 2004/2005 season.Canal
The town is beautifully situated on a bay of Lake Mälaren, which is here connected with the
Baltic Sea by theSödertälje Canal , 3,5 miles (5,5 km) in length, with a minimum depth of 20 ft (6,5 m). This is on the route followed by theGöta Canal steamboat s betweenStockholm andGothenburg . It was opened in1819 and much enlarged in 1924, though acanal was begun here in the first half of the15th century at the instigation of the patriotEngelbrekt Engelbrektsson .Public transport
Södertälje is served by the Stockholm public transport system, but has also a main line railway station for connections outside
Stockholm County . The mainrailway station isSödertälje Syd ("South") and located some 5 km outside of the city center where most national trains stops. From Södertälje Syd it is possible to take the Stockholm public transport to all stations in the Södertälje area.Notable natives
*
Björn Borg , tennis player
*Jan Guillou , author and journalist
*Bengt Westerberg , former leader of the Liberal People's Party
*Richard, Louis and Per Herrey., the group that won theEurovision Song Contest 1984 with the song "Diggi-loo diggi-ley "
*Johan Edlund , guitarist and vocalist ofTiamat (band) See also
*
International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships (1989)
*Vabis References
*sv icon [http://runeberg.org/nfch/0111.html article "Södertälje"] from
Nordisk Familjebok (1919)Official web of [http://www.sodertalje.se/ "Södertälje"]
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