Sala, Sweden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sala | |
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  Sala
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Sweden |
| Municipality | Sala Municipality |
| County | Västmanland County |
| Province | Västmanland |
| City status | 1624 |
| Area [1] | |
| - Total | 10.95 km² (4.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2005-12-31)[1] | |
| - Total | 12,059 |
| - Density | 1,101/km² (2,851.6/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Website: www.sala.se | |
Sala is a town (pop. 12,000) in Västmanland, Sweden and the seat of Sala Municipality, Västmanland County.
[edit] History
The small town is best known for its historical silver mine, which dates back to at least Medieval times, and was in operation until 1908. In 1624, the city Sala was moved to its current location close to the mine, receiving its royal charter from King Gustavus Adolphus.
The silver was important for Sweden's economy and the base for coin production. A total of 400 metric tons of silver was extracted, and 40,000 tons of lead; with at most 3-5 tons silver during a year.
The mine eventually reached a depth of 300 meters, and a total heading length of 20 kilometers. It is today a popular attraction.
The Swedish impressionist painter Ivan Aguéli was born in Sala in 1869. There is a small museum and a park dedicated to his memory in the centre of the town.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km2 2000 och 2005 (xls) (Swedish). Statistics Sweden. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
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Sala, Sweden is one of 134 towns with the historical City status in Sweden. |
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