Country Sweden County Västra Götaland County Time zone CET (UTC+1) Population 6,288 (31 Dec 2010) | Province Bohuslän Municipality Strömstad Municipality Area 3.4 km² Local time Wednesday 10:50 PM | |
Weather 5°C, Wind E at 6 km/h, 69% Humidity | ||
Strömstad is a locality and the seat of Strömstad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 6,288 inhabitants in 2010.
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Map of Str%C3%B6mstad, Sweden
For historical reasons, Strömstad is called a city despite its small population.
History
Originally, the province Bohuslän, where Strömstad is situated, was Norwegian territory, which was transferred to Sweden according to the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658.
At Strömstad, there was a small fishing village known as Strömmen. The town got small privileges as a merchant town (köping) shortly thereafter, which seems to have made it expand, because it is documented to have gotten a charter in 1676 by King Charles XI of Sweden, although some documents show it was already considered a city in 1672. As it was the seat for a merchant navy, the coat of arms was designed with such a ship, and has remained that way even after the use of sailing ships was discontinued in the 19th century.
The city was a seat for Sweden's warfare against the Dano-Norwegians, and more than once it was conquered and reconquered throughout the centuries. The warlike King Charles XII of Sweden, for instance, used it as his outpost for his campaign against Norway in 1716–1718.
At the time it had a population of 300 inhabitants. But soon the fishing blossomed, and its population increased to 1,100 by 1805. The late 18th century also saw the spa and bathing attract visitors, a position it kept throughout the 19th century. By 1917, its population was 2,949 inhabitants.
Notability
As the Norwegian alcohol taxes are higher than the Swedish ones, Norwegian shoppers have caused the Swedish alcohol retailing monopoly Systembolaget to open an extra store to cater for demand. When only one shop existed, the Systembolaget shop had the highest sales in Sweden, causing traffic congestion near the shop in the inner city. The Norwegians have been notoriously known for causing havoc on Maundy Thursday as this is a public holiday in Norway but not in Sweden. For Easter 2008 the city council decided to keep Systembolaget closed on Maundy Thursday.
The city is known for its yachting harbor, which can be very crowded in the summer. From Strömstad is ferry line over to Sandefjord, Norway, at the west side of the Oslofjord and local ferries to the Koster Islands.
Strömstad is the setting for the play The Creditors by August Strindberg.
Black Metal band Dissection are from the city.
Sports
The following sports clubs are located in Strömstad:
Strömstad is the host for 2016 World Orienteering Championships in August 20-28.