Piteå
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| Piteå | |
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  Piteå
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| Coordinates: 65°20′N 21°30′E / 65.333°N 21.5°ECoordinates: 65°20′N 21°30′E / 65.333°N 21.5°E | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Norrbotten |
| County | Norrbotten County |
| Municipality | Piteå Municipality |
| Area [1] | |
| - Total | 24.87 km2 (9.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2005-12-31)[1] | |
| - Total | 22,650 |
| - Density | 911/km2 (2,359.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Piteå (or Pite in the local dialect) is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 22,650 inhabitants in 2005.[1]
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[edit] Geography
Piteå is located at the mouth of the Pite River (Swedish: Piteälven), at the shore of the Bay of Bothnia. The central part is located on an islet called Häggholmen, which due to land elevation almost has become a part of the mainland; the land in northern Sweden rises at a rate of up to 9 mm (0.35 in) per year.
Piteå has an attractive archipelago, which is one of the reasons it is a popular place for tourism both in summer and winter. It features a beach resort area that is often labelled "The Riviera of Norrbotten" (or Norrland), around which there is a spa, a long sandy beach, a restaurant and a golf course. The area is also suitable for fishing and outdoor activities. In the winter, snow activities such as skiing and winter bathing are common.
[edit] History
Piteå received its city privileges on May 12, 1621.
In July, 1666, the entire town burnt down. Afterwards it was rebuilt in the 17th century. The only building remaining from that time is the town church, as it was the only spared building when the town was demolished by plundering Russians in 1721.
The town square, where the town hall is located, has however kept its structure from the 17th century, and is today one of only two squares in Sweden with closed corners; the other one is in Uppsala.
The population has increased rapidly since the 19th century. In the years 1870-1920, Piteå had a population of only 2,500 people. Part of the early population increase is attributed to the 1911 opening of the Älvsbyn-Piteå railway branch, as well as industrial establishments and the harbour.
Piteå has traditionally had a strong forestry industry; papermills, sawmills, and its harbour are of some importance.
[edit] Culture
Piteå is known for its pitepalt, a food dish consisting of potato dumplings with chopped pork filling. The area is also known for its dialect, called Pitemål.
A local fast food drive-thru in Piteå is commonly used by snowmobilers.[2] The restaurant was a McDonald's until 2007, but closed after competition from Max Hamburgers.[3] The restaurant has since become part of the Frasses hamburger chain. The drive-thru has been seen around the world, including on The Travel Channel in a feature called "Most Unique McDonald's".[citation needed]. Pitea has a sister city in the Caribbean, Gustavia, capital of St. Barthelemy the formerly Swedish possession that is now part of France.
[edit] Sport
Piteå IF is playing in the fourth highest Swedish division, Division 2 for men; and the Piteå IF ladies team is, for their first time, playing in the highest league in football, Damallsvenskan.
Ice hockey is the big sport in town, even though Piteå HC only plays in third highest league in Sweden. The club has provided many good players to the NHL and national team: examples are Tomas Holmström, Mikael Renberg, Mattias Öhlund, Lars Lindgren, Stefan Persson, Henrik Tallinder, Jan Sandström and Mats Lavander.
In cross country skiing, the town has one of the must successful clubs in Sweden,[citation needed] Piteå Elit, with skiers like Lina Andersson.
[edit] People from Piteå
- Nils Edén
- Tomas Holmström — NHL player with the Detroit Red Wings
- Liza Marklund
- Peter Mattei, Swedish baritone opera singer
- Mattias Öhlund — NHL player with the Tampa Bay Lightning
- Stefan Persson — but born in Umeå
- Mikael Renberg
- Daniel Solander
- Christopher Jacob Boström
[edit] References
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Want snow with that?". American Snowmobiler. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing Co.. 2008-01-14. http://www.amsnow.com/sno/default.aspx?c=a&id=3709. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ Ulrika Vallgårda Kristina Edblom (2007-11-23). "Max vinnare i det stora burgerkriget" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. http://www.aftonbladet.se/matvin/article1313686.ab. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Piteå |
- Official website of Piteå
- (Swedish) Piteå in the 1915 Nordisk familjebok, with images on following page
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Piteå is one of 133 places with the historical city status in Sweden. |
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