Hisingen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eriksberg (Gothenburg), the northern bank of Göta älv where housing areas have replaced the shipyards.

Hisingen is the fourth largest island of Sweden, at 199 km², forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. Formed by Göta älv in the south and the east, Nordre älv in the north and Kattegat in the west. The northern part, with harbours, industries and suburbs, of the city of Gothenburg is located on the island, which is divided between the two historical provinces of Västergötland and Bohuslän.

The island was divided into a Swedish and a Norwegian part until it was ceded from Denmark-Norway in 1658, by the Treaty of Roskilde. The division continued in the official name of the provincial districts of Swedish and Norwegian Hisingen or "Svenska Hisingens härad" and "Norska Hisingens härad", until 1681 when they were renamed into the Eastern and Western districts.

Volvo has its main office and production facility on Hisingen. The northern bank of Göta älv (Göta River), on Hisingen, has undergone major expansion over the last 20 years - housing areas, university buildings and high tech industry have, to a great extent, replaced the shipyards.

Göteborg City Airport is located at Säve on the northern part of Hisingen. The population figure of the island is around 125,000, making it the most populated island in Sweden, before Södermalm and Gotland.