Härnösand

Härnösand
Storgatan in Härnösand
Härnösand
Coordinates: 62°38′10″N 17°56′28″E / 62.63611°N 17.94111°E / 62.63611; 17.94111Coordinates: 62°38′10″N 17°56′28″E / 62.63611°N 17.94111°E / 62.63611; 17.94111
Country	Sweden
Province	Ångermanland
County	Västernorrland County
Municipality	Härnösand Municipality
Area[1]
– Total	10.90 km2 (4.2 sq mi)
Population (2005-12-31)[1]
– Total	28,003
– Density	1,652/km2 (4,278.7/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Härnösand is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 18,003 inhabitants in 2005.^[1] It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape rises just some miles north of Härnösand. Härnösand is the seat of the Diocese of Härnösand.

History

Härnösand is probably most known to the uninitiated for its history as a big and important harbor town and its beautiful locations.

Härnösand circa 1700, from Suecia antiqua et hodierna.

Today

Härnösand cathedral

The Governor's residence in Härnösand

Härnösand is a fairly small town and some of the activities young people engage in are Kåken (Ungdomens Hus), a youth centre provided by the municipality. The city also has an extensive selection of outdoor activities in the summer and wintertime. Wintertime people can go skiing (cross country and downhill), ice skating, etc. Summertime activities include climbing, kayaking, trekking, etc. The town also features a summertime beach Smitingen, which occasionally gets some surfable waves. Härnösand is each summer the site of one of the world's largest airsoft events, Berget.

Industry

Call centers

One of the biggest employers in Härnösand is the cable-TV and Cable internet service provider Com Hem. Com Hem in Härnösand takes care of all incoming support calls and therefore hire mostly young adults with an interest in technology. Other notable employers include the Resultat Contact Center, a call center focusing on selling telephone services by phone. The Interview Institute of Scandinavia and Intervjubolaget are also employers seated in Härnösand focusing on call center activities, although their focus lies in doing interviews by phone or "face to face".

Sports

The women's team of the bandy club Härnösands AIK plays in the highest division and the men's team has done.

Their handballteam plays in division 2 and is called Brännans IF.

The football club IF Älgarna play in Division 2 Norrland.

Notable natives

Panorama of Härnösand, March 2005.

• Anders Jonas Ångström, physicist
• Albert Atterberg, soil mechanics
• Bo Holmberg, politician
• Carl Gustaf Nordin, statesman
• Anette Norberg, women's curling Olympic gold medalist
• Lubbe Nordström, writer/poet
• Frideborg Winblad, educator and administrator
• Lena Endre, Actor
• Lasse Lindh, Musician

See also

• Mid Sweden University

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km² 2000 och 2005" (in Swedish) (xls). Statistics Sweden. http://www.scb.se/statistik/MI/MI0810/2005A01B/T%c3%a4torternami0810tab1.xls. Retrieved 2009-05-09. 

External links

• Härnösand official site
• Webcam from the harbour

Härnösand is one of 133 places with the historical city status in Sweden.