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Falun
Stora torget, the Great Square in central Falun
Coat of arms
Falun
Coordinates: 60°36′N 15°38′E / 60.6, 15.633
Country	Sweden
Municipality	Falun Municipality
County	Dalarna County
Province	Dalarna
Charter	1641
Area [1]
- Total	26.40 km2 (10.2 sq mi)
Population (2005-12-31)[1]
- Total	36,447
- Density	1,380/km2 (3,574.2/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Sweden
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, v
Reference	1027
Region**	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2001  (25th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Falun in Sweden

Falun (pronounced [ˈfɑːlʉn]) is a city in Dalarna, central Sweden, the seat of Falun Municipality and the capital of Dalarna County. The city is the home of 36,500 of the municipality's 55,000 inhabitants. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with close to 100,000 inhabitants.

Falun was originally famous for its copper mine, and is today an important service and industrial city even though the mine is closed (since 1992).

[edit] History

The town of Falun is known to have existed in the 14th century as a market place for the surrounding lands. Mining for copper had been a local business since the mid-1200s, or possibly as early as 1000,^[2] and the organisation for the extracting of copper and gold from the Great Copper Mountain (Stora Kopparberg) is believed to be the oldest still-existing enterprise in the world, proved active since 1347, when its charter was granted by King Magnus IV of Sweden. The first share in the company is dated as early as 1288.

However, an enterprise at that time was nothing more than a cooperation among the owners, each contributing with a share of money for constructions, tools, etc., necessary to run the organisation. Depending on their contribution they could use the facilities and share the profit according to the relative share they contributed.

The city of Falun received its privileges in 1641. By then Falun was already one of the largest cities in Sweden.

Falun is located in the Bergslagen district, and the mining area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stora Kopparberg (Great Copper Mountain), which also was the name of the mining company of Falun, is today a part of Stora Enso.

[edit] Today

For education, the city holds part of the University College of Dalarna (Högskolan Dalarna).

In sports, Falun hosts the annual Swedish Ski Games at its skiing arena Lugnet, Falun. The city's most successful sport team is the bandy team Falu BS which has played in the Swedish top division for many years. Also, IBF Falun, the floorball male and female teams have been very successful.

Lugnet, Falun Stadion has also hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships three times: 1954, 1974, and most recently in 1993.

The city lost out to Calgary, Canada in 1981 for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Again, Falun applied for the 1992 Winter Olympics but lost out to Albertville, France in 1986. The city lost despite the best efforts of one of ABBA's singers who recorded a single in support of the bid.

Falun is the hometown of The Battle, one of the world's most famous snowboard competitions.

Iron and Copper byproducts from the mine are still used as a paint ingredient, in the production of the nationally well known and culturally important Falu Red paint, particularly used on wooden houses.

[edit] Natives from Falun

• Georg Stiernhielm, civil servant, linguist and poet
• Ferdinand Boberg, architect
• Ernst Rolf, actor and singer
• Mattias Flink, Mass murderer
• Thomas Quick, Serial murderer
• Gunnar Säve-Söderbergh, palaeontologist
• Putte Wickman, jazz clarinetist
• Tomas Jonsson, ice hockey player
• Susanna Kallur, Athlete holding the world indoor record on 60 m hurdles
• Jenny Kallur, Athlete, Susanna's sister
• Maria Hjorth, golfer
• Marcus Ljungqvist, road bicycle racer
• Mattias Ekström, racing driver
• Ulf Stenlund, tennis player
• Björn Dixgård, musician
• Sabaton, Heavy Metal band
• Lina Leandersson, actress

[edit] See also

• Biathlon World Championships
• Thomas Quick
• Mattias Flink
• Falukorv
• Sabaton

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Falun

• Falun - Official site
• World Heritage profile

Falun is one of 133 towns with the historical City status in Sweden.

Coordinates: 60°36′N 15°38′E / 60.6, 15.633

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Sweden Agricultural Landscape of Stora Alvaret (Southern Öland) · Birka and Hovgården · Church Village of Gammelstad, Luleå · Engelsberg Ironworks · High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago (with Finland) · Naval Port of Karlskrona · Laponian Area · Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain, Falun · Rock Carvings in Tanum · Royal Domain of Drottningholm · Skogskyrkogården · Struve Geodetic Arc (with nine other countries) · Varberg Radio Station (Grimeton VLF transmitter) · Hanseatic Town of Visby