The University of Umeå — The University of Northern Sweden

Abstract

In government reports as well as in weather forecasts the northern part of Sweden is commonly referred to as Norrland. Norrland has always been seen as something a bit different from the rest of Sweden. It differs from the southern regions of the country with respect to its ecology, economy, politics and culture. Even though many of these differences can be ascribed to popular stereotypes, facts and figures still paint a distinctive portrait. To start with there is the size of the area. Norrland covers almost 60 per cent of the total land area of Sweden, but within this vast domain, there are few people – just 13 per cent of the total Swedish population. The climate is also somewhat distinctive and challenging. It has short, cool summers and long, dark winters. It represents in the minds of most Swedes a remote and harsh land. It also has the reputation of being a frontier area in terms of its economic and social development. Historically, it was settled later than other parts of the country. It has traditionally had a natural resource-based economy. It has confronted a number of social and economic problems associated with its peripheral status. It is within this distinctive context that post-secondary education has emerged in northern Sweden.