Dalarna

Dalarna, formerly Dalecarlia, län (county) and traditional landskap (province), central Sweden. It extends from the Norwegian border in the west nearly to the town of Gävle, on the Gulf of Bothnia in the east. Dalarna county came into being in 1997 when Kopparberg county was renamed; the county capital is Falun. Dalarna province is coextensive with but slightly larger than Dalarna county and includes a small portion of northwestern Gävleborg county.

Dalarna’s undulating terrain descends from an elevation of about 3,900 feet (1,200 metres) in the northwest to less than 1,000 feet (300 metres) in the southeast. The fjäll, or uplands, are characteristically barren. Elsewhere the county is largely forested. Tributaries of the Dal River cut deep valleys through the western portion of the county; one of these, the Österdal River, flows into and out of Lake Siljan, one of Sweden’s largest lakes. Much of the Bergslagen mining region lies within the county.

Dalarna is of historical importance, twice (1434 and 1521) having been instrumental in freeing Sweden from Danish rule. The copper mine at Falun and the iron of Bergslagen helped finance Sweden’s rise to power in the 17th century, climaxed by the military campaigns of Gustav II Adolf in the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48).

The region around Lake Siljan is an agricultural area and a centre of tourism. Bergslagen is one of Sweden’s largest mining regions; although iron is of primary importance, there are deposits of gold, silver, lead, and copper as well. Lumbering, sawmilling, woodworking, and textile weaving are also important industries. Area 11,739 square miles (30,404 square km). Pop. (2005 est.) 276,042.