Skellefteå
Skellefteå (, locally ) is a city and the seat of Skellefteå Municipality in Västerbotten County, Sweden, with 32,775 inhabitants in 2010. The municipality had approximately 72,000 inhabitants at the end of 2013.

The city is a historically industrial city with mining being a large industry, especially for gold – hence the nickname "Gold Town". Politically it is a Social Democratic stronghold. The city is a well-known ice hockey town, with its main team Skellefteå AIK playing in the Swedish top division: the SHL, which they have won on several occasions.

The city was incorporated in 1845 and grew to its current population size mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, growing only slowly since. It is the second largest city in Västerbotten after Umeå and is located roughly halfway between it and Luleå. The Skellefte River passes through the city and it is located around  from the Bothnian Bay open sea. Skellefteå is served by Skellefteå Airport, abbreviated as SKF locally known as Falmark because of the village nearby, also around  from the city centre to the south.

History
The name Skellefteå is recorded to having been spelled as Skelepht in 1327.  On Carta marina the name is spelt Skellitta. The origin of the name remains unknown, but is assumed to be of Sami origin.

From the 14th century on, attempts were made to christianize Skellefteå. A parish was formed and a church built. However, – for the most part – the entire large Northern Swedish territory of Norrland was not christianized until several hundred years after the rest of Sweden, and many northern areas such as Skellefteå remained unexplored well past the Middle Ages.

Not before the very end of the 17th century did the indigenous Sami people of Northern Sweden begin turning to Christianity, much due to the efforts by the Northern Swedish superintendent Mathias Steuchius, who worked hard to accomplish this. Several Sami priests were killed for this reason.

Eventually, the reason for the sudden awakened interest towards Skellefteälven and the surrounding areas were the great northern fishing grounds of salmon.  The increased demand for fish was sparked by a stricter enforcement of the annual month-long fasting by the Catholic Church, whereby meat was substituted by fish. 

The actual city of Skellefteå is one of the youngest cities of Norrland. It was founded in 1845 by the vicar Nils Nordlander.

Today
In the 20th century, Skellefteå evolved to an industrial and mining city and many wooden houses were demolished to make room for brick buildings. Skellefteå is now trying to become a leading city in education with the construction of Floraskolan, a school that mostly focuses on entrepreneurial learning.

It will become the home of a massive battery plant made by Northvolt by circa 2023.

The largest private employer in Skellefteå is the mining company Boliden AB, with about 1,200 employees. The mine's copper ore contains particles of gold, silver and platinum. Skellefteå is still referred to as the "Goldtown". 

During the 1990s, the computer industry flourished, subsidiaries of Ericsson and Tieto Enator becoming important employers.

Industry
Boliden AB, a big mining and smelting company
Skellefteå Kraft, largest power company in Skellefteå

Sports
Skellefteå AIK, an ice hockey team in the highest Swedish league, Swedish Hockey League(SHL). 1978, 2013 and 2014 Swedish Champions.
Morön BK, football club playing in Division 2  Norrland
Skellefteå FF, football club playing in Division 2  Norrland
Sunnanå SK, women's football (soccer)
The Skellefteå Kraft Grandmaster Chess Cup 1999, one of the strongest all Swedish chess tournaments was won by IGM (International Grandmaster (chess)) Ulf Andersson. The event took place from March 26th – April 4th, 1999. An international chess tournament, the final of the two-year World Cup series was held in Skellefteå from August 12th to September 3rd, 1989. The final sixteen grandmasters participating included three former World Chess Champions Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov and Mikhail Tal. The activities organized around the World Cup final included two performances in Skellefteå of Chess (musical), with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of the pop group ABBA.

Notable natives

People

Sportspeople 
Anders Andersson, ice hockey player
Johan Alm, ice hockey player
Viktor Arvidsson, ice hockey player for the Nashville Predators
Johan Backlund, ice hockey player
Evy Berggren, Gymnast, Olympic and World Champion
Niclas Burström, ice hockey player
Robert Dahlgren, racing driver
Jimmie Ericsson, ice hockey player
Jan Erixon, ice hockey player
Tim Erixon, ice hockey player
Toini Gustafsson-Rönnlund, skier
Jonathan Hedström, ice hockey player
Adam Larsson, ice hockey player
Oscar Lindberg, ice hockey player for the Vegas Golden Knights
Mats Lindgren, ice hockey player
Joakim Lindström, ice hockey player
Hanna Marklund, football player
Hardy Nilsson, ice hockey player and later coach
Joakim Nyström, tennis player
David Rundblad, ice hockey player
Patrik Wallón, ice hockey player

Other 
Per Olov Enquist, writer
Tore Frängsmyr, historian
Ingrid García-Jonsson, Spanish-Swedish actress
Peter Haber, actor
Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund, musician
Thomas Idergard, political commentator
Stig Larsson, writer
Stieg Larsson, writer
David Lindgren, musician
Anna Nordlander, painter
Victoria Silvstedt, supermodel
Henning Sjöström, lawyer
Margot Wallström, former first Vice President of the European Commission and current Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict with the UN. Foreign Secretary of Sweden 2014-2019.
Helena Helmersson, CEO of H&M since 2020

Artists
Moon Safari, a symphonic rock band.
The Wannadies, an alternative rock band formed in 1988.
Vintersorg, a metal band.
Amber Oak, a pop-rock band.

Climate
Skellefteå has subarctic climate that is borderline continental with mild summers and cold and snowy winters. The climate is somewhat moderated by the Bothnia Bay, although marine effects are limited, ensuring very mild summer temperatures for a coastal area so far north. The surrounding municipality has an all-time high of  during the 2014 Swedish heat wave, which is very hot given the latitude and proximity to a major body of water. Although summer highs traditionally averaged just below  it has been warmer in recent decades.