Jonkoping County

For the culture, geography and history of the larger Småland region, which includes Jönköping County, see Småland.

Jönköping County (Swedish: Jönköpings län) is a county or län in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Halland, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Kalmar and Kronoberg. The total county population was 337,013 inhabitants in March 2011. The capital and largest city is Jönköping. About one quarter of the total county population lives in the combined Jönköping-Huskvarna urban area around the southern point of Lake Vättern.

Provinces and administrative history

Despite being commonly used to indicate the geographical, cultural and historical region, the larger historical province (landskap) of Småland, which most of Jönköping County is part of, has no administrative or political significance today. Jönköping County has existed as an administrative division since the 17th century, and constitutes the north-western part of Småland, the other parts being Kronoberg County in the south-west and Kalmar County in the east. Jönköping County was periodically united with neighbouring Kronoberg County until 1687. Until the 18th century the administration was housed in the renaissance fortress at Jönköping Castle, which was demolished in the 19th century; the former site of the castle is still the site of the County Administrative Board building and the Governor's residence.

Habo Municipality and Mullsjö Municipality, from the south-eastern part of the historical province of Västergötland, are since the dissolution of Skaraborg County in 1998 also part of Jönköping County; both municipalities joined Jönköping County as the results of local referendums in 1997.

Governor

The present government-appointed Governor (landshövding) of Jönköping County is Minoo Akhtarzand, appointed by the Reinfeldt Cabinet in 2010.

Localities in order of size

The ten most populous localities of Jönköping County in 2010:

# Locality Population 1 Jönköping 89,396 2 Värnamo 18,696 3 Nässjö 16,678 4 Tranås 14,197 5 Vetlanda 13,050 6 Gislaved 10,037 7 Eksjö 9,701 8 Bankeryd 8,107 9 Habo 6,883 10 Mullsjö 5,452

Heraldry

Jönköping County was formally granted its arms in 1942. By custom it used a combination of the lesser state arms of Sweden and the arms for the town of Jönköping. Blazon for the town of Jönköping: "Gules, a Castle with three towers Argent massoned windowed and gated Sable issuant from a Base wavy Azure".

References and notes

1. ^ "Kvartal 1 2011". Statistics Sweden. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
2. ^ "Tätorter 2010 (Localities 2010)". Statistics Sweden (in Swedish). 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2014.