Sotenäs Municipality

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**Sotenäs Municipality (*Kommun*)**
Sotenäs in north-western V. G. County in Sweden Map outlining municipalities of Sweden	Coat of arms
	Municipal facts
	Seat	Kungshamn
	{{{locationReadable}}}
	County	Västra Götaland County
	Province	Bohuslän
	Area Rank	139 km² 268th of 290
	Population Rank (2005)	9,336 x of 290
	Density	67/km²

Sotenäs Municipality is a Swedish municipality in eastern Sweden. It is located in the province of Bohuslän, belonging to Västra Götaland County, and the municipal seat is located in Kungshamn with around 3,500 inhabitants.

1 Population figures
2 History
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Population figures

Approximate inhabitants of the larger population centres in the municipality. Source: SCB statistics from 2002. They are here ordered after size.

Ulebergshamn 300
Bohus-Malmön 400
Väjern 900
Bovallstrand 1,100
Smögen 1,400
Hovenäset 1,500
Hunnebostrand 2,000
Kungshamn 3,000

municipal map

[edit] History

Västergötland has been inhabited for several thousands of years. The province, Bohuslän, is among the internationally most known because of its pre-historical remains. The oldest remains in Sotenäs are from around 6000 BCE. From the younger Stone Age are several burial monuments (dolmens). From the Bronze Age and Iron Age are many rock carvings, which the province also otherwise is noted for (especially the northern municipality Tanum).

The name Sotenäs is believed to have originated from around 1000 AD, when also the first steps from the historical hundred, Sotenäs Hundred (or Härad in Swedish), can be traced.

With the Christianization of Sweden several churches were erected, starting in the 11th century. The first ones were the churches in Askum and Tossene.

Later, in the 16th century, the industry became dominated by fishing of herring. It dominated the industry for centuries; herring was used in large amounts in Bohuslän -- as a basic food but also in the making of oil, wax candles, etc.

In the 19th century the island Malmön was started as a quarry. (Note that "Malm" means "rock" in Swedish). The quarry was kept alive and was of industrial significance until the 1930s.