Dalarna

"Dalecarlia" redirects here. For other uses, see Dalecarlia (disambiguation).
"Dalecarlians" redirects here. For the film, see Dalecarlians (film).
Dalarna
Historical province
Coat of arms of Dalarna
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 60°52′N 14°44′E / 60.867°N 14.733°E / 60.867; 14.733
Sovereign State Sweden
LandSvealand
CountiesDalarna County
Gävleborg County
Jämtland County
Värmland County
Area
 • Total
29,086 km2 (11,230 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2023)[1]
 • Total
283,814
 • Density9.8/km2 (25/sq mi)
Ethnicity
 • LanguageSwedish
 • DialectDalecarlian
Culture
 • FlowerHarebell
 • AnimalEagle owl
 • Bird—
 • FishMinnow
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Dalarna (Swedish: [ˈdɑ̂ːlaɳa] ⓘ; lit. 'the Dales' or 'the Valleys'), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia[2][3][a] and the Dales,[6] is a landskap (historical province) in central Sweden.

Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Norway in the west. The province's borders mostly coincide with the modern administrative Dalarna County (län).

The area is a holiday destination for Swedes from the south, who often travel there in the summer, drawn by its fishing lakes, campgrounds, and forests.[7] Some Swedes own or rent a second home in Dalarna, where vegetable gardens and apple trees are commonplace. In mid-June, midsummer celebrations and dances are held in many of the small villages and in the larger cities. Dalarna is a region full of historical associations, and both its products and its people have strong local characteristics.[3] In the western district Lima, some people in villages speak a traditional dialect, Dalecarlian, while in Älvdalen, they speak Elfdalian, a dialect which is very distinct from Swedish, Norwegian or Danish.[8] Historically, the people of Dalecarlia – called Dalecarlians, or Dalesmen (dalkarlar, masar) and Daleswomen (kullor) – have been famous for their independent nature toward authority.[3]

The Old Norse form of the province name is Járnberaland,[9] which means "the land of the iron carriers."[10][11][12]

Dalarna is roughly the size of the whole of Jutland (Denmark).

  1. ^ "Folkmängd 31 december; ålder". Statistikdatabasen. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  2. ^ Eric Linklater. The Life of Charles XII. pp. 53–54 and throughout.
  3. ^ a b c Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dalecarlia" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 764.)
  4. ^ "Dalecarlian". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/4609386545. Retrieved August 28, 2024. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  5. ^ "Dalecarlia". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  6. ^ Robert Nisbet Bain (1970) [1894]. Gustavus III and His Contemporaries. Vol. Two. New York [London]. pp. 33–35 and throughout.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ https://visitsweden.com/where-to-go/middle-sweden/dalarna/ Dalarna – a miniature Sweden rich in nature and culture, visitsweden.com
  8. ^ Älvdalska - eget språk eller värsting bland dialekter? | Språktidningen, spraktidningen.se
  9. ^ Asernes Æt, Hunnerhæren mod Kong Frode I.'s danske styrker - 2 personer ved navn "Hun", og 2 personer ved navn "Hunding", verasir.dk
  10. ^ járn, islex.is
  11. ^ bera, islex.is
  12. ^ land, islex.is


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