Gothenburg, Sweden

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county of Göteborg and Bohus, it has a university and a college of technology and is the see of a Lutheran bishop. Cultural life in Göteborg is found through the art museum, annual film festival, amusement park Liseberg and free theatres. Its economy is largely dependent on a number of major industries including motor vehicles (Volvo), the manufacture of ball bearings and the chemical industry. There are ferry services to Kiel in Germany and Frederikshavn in Denmark.

History

Göteborg is a relatively young town, having received its municipal charter from Gustavus Adolphus only in 1621. There had been four earlier settlements in the area, but all had been destroyed either by war or by fire. The early development of the town was much influenced by the Dutch settlers who had been brought in: the first town council consisted of 10 Dutchmen, seven Swedes and one Scot.The town quickly grew into Sweden's largest port, engaged particularly in the shipment of timber and iron. During Napoleon's continental blockade (1806) it was the focal point for British trade with northern Europe. This period saw the rise of the commercial aristocracy (East India Company founded 1731) from whose munificence the city frequently benefited.

Göteborg's heyday as an international port began in the early 20th century with the development of transatlantic traffic, and it is now the base of about a quarter of the Swedish merchant fleet. With over 20km/12.5miles of quays, the port - which is rarely ice-bound - is the largest in northern Europe, and can accommodate tankers of up to 225,000 tons. The people of Göteborg are open-minded and liberally disposed, and have always looked towards the West: in their eyes Stockholm is in Siberia. A favorite Swedish joke declares that when it rains in London the people of Göteborg put up their umbrellas.

Some of the main sites of interest in Göteborg are the Kungsportsavenyn, main boulevard; Gothenburg Museum of Art, Göteborg Botanical Garden, Natural History Museum and the most popular destination - Southern Gothenburg Archipelago, only accessible by boat.