Piteå

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Piteå (or Pite in the local dialect) is a city in Norrbotten in northern Sweden. It has 22,500 inhabitants, with 40,800 in the Piteå Municipality (kommun).

1 Geography
2 History
3 Notablilty
- 3.1 Notable natives
4 External links

[edit] Geography

The city square

Piteå is a large municipality with an appealing nature located at the mouth of Pite river, at the shore of the Gulf 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 elevation in northern Sweden is up to 9 mm/year).

Piteå has a pretty archipelago, which is one of the reasons it is a popular place for tourism both in summer and winter. It proudly boosts a beach resort area, which is often labelled "The Riviera of Norrbotten" (or Norrland), around which there is a spa, a long sandy beach, a popular restaurant and a golf course. The nature is also suitable for fishing and outdoor activities. In the winter snow activities, such as skiing and winter bathing, set the mark.

[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 strong forestry industry: papermills, sawmills, and also its harbour is of some importance.