Ljungby by the Numbers

I recently reconnected with a middle school church friend, with whom I have stayed in rather loose contact with since my family's move from Birmingham to the St. Augustine area. She has since relocated with her husband - which is very weird to say - to South Korea, while I am now living with my boyfriend in Sweden. Despite an 8-hour time difference, we were able to chat for a while on Skype and decided that we needed to learn a bit more about our respective "home towns". Thus the idea to generate a "City by the Numbers" blog, intended to provide our readers, each other, and ourselves with a bit more knowledge. I give you: 

Ljungby by the Numbers.

The Kingdom of Sweden is the 55th largest country in the world with 9.64 million inhabitants. For an American perspective, this country is slightly larger than the state of California, with a population more similar to that of North Carolina. On average, Swedes live to be about 81.3 years, with 87% of adults age 25-65 with a high school degree. The country has an average household income of $26,242 per year; while working just 1,644 hours per year.

Geographically, the country is divided into 3 landsdelar (areas of the country), from north to south. These areas are non-functioning, with their main purposes being that of weather-reports tailored best for the region in which you live.

1. Norrland - "Northlands", 60% of Sweden, with only 1.15 million inhabitants, best known for it's natural wilderness 
2. Svealand - "Sweden Proper", the original Sweden with 3.53 million inhabitants
3. Götaland - "Land of the Goths", the most densely populated at 4.35 million inhabitants within deep forests and farmland 

Culturally, Sweden has twenty-five landskap (provinces), as shown on the colored map. These are meant to preserve historical legacies and allow for cultural identification. I live in Småland ("Small Lands"), alongside 720,358 others. This province is full of forests, lakes and bogs, with mostly barren land.

Politically, Sweden is divided into twenty-one län (counties), in which there is an elected governor and county administrative board to oversee various domestic needs, such as health care, and ensure that the county develops in line with national goals. The governor is appointed every six-years, and assisted by an elected city council. Each county is further divided into kommunes (municipalities), with their own representative in the county council, elected every four-years.

Sweden has 290 kommunes, each with a city council with the responsibilities of managaging facilities and services including housing, roads, water supply and waste-water processing, schools, public welfare, elderly care and childcare. 

Kronobergs Län, where I live, is located within the heart of Småland and has eight kommunes:

1. Älmhult Kommune pop: 15,640
2. Alvesta Kommune pop: 18,766
3. Lessebo Kommune pop: 8,161
4. Ljungby Kommune pop: 27,365
5. Markaryd Kommune pop: 9,608
6. Tingsryd Kommune pop: 12,290
7. Uppvidinge Kommune pop: 9,291
8. Växjö Kommune pop: 82,180

Finally, Ljungby Kommune is comprised of eight urban areas, or localities:

1. Ljungby pop: 15,205
2. Lagan pop: 1,751
3. Ryssby pop: 689
4. Lidhult pop: 635
5. Kånna pop: 365
6. Vittaryd pop: 306
7. Angelstad pop: 276
8. Agunnaryd pop: 215

This has provided me with far more numerical information than I had ever expected, and opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of new blogs that can easily be stemmed from my current research. Although many of you have little, if any desire, to read this, for those of you that HAVE done so, I express much gratitude. Until next time...