Götaland, Gothia, Gothland [1] (http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Volsunga/), Gotland (AHD), Gautland or Geatland, is a historical land of Sweden, and was a separate kingdom, before Sweden was unified. The inhabitants were called Gautar in Old Norse. It is generally accepted that the inhabitants of Götaland were the same as the Geatas, the people of the hero Beowulf in England's national epic by the same name. There is, however, a long-standing dispute whether the Goths emigrated from Götaland. Geographically it is located in the south of Sweden, bounded to the north by Svealand. Deep woods (Tiveden, Tylöskog and Kolmården) constitute the borders to Svealand in the North, like Finnveden did to Danish Terra Scania in the South.

Provinces

Götaland is made up of the following ten provinces:

History

Westrogothia and Ostrogothia, once rival kingdoms themselves, constitutes Götaland proper. The Geatish kings, however, belong to the domain of Norse mythology. The small countries to the south of Finnveden, Kind, Möre, Njudung, Tjust, Tveta, Värend, Ydre where merged into the province of Smalandia. Off the coast of Småland was the island of Öland, which became its own province. Dal to the north west became the province of Dalia. Smalandia, Oelandia and Dalia were early on seen as lands belonging to Götaland.

In the Treaty of Roskilde (1658), the Danish kingdom ceded Terra Scania and Bahusia to Sweden. Skåneland, which had constituted the eastern part of Denmark, became the Swedish provinces of Scania, Hallandia and Blechingia. The new provinces are also seen as belonging to Götaland.

The island of Gotland shifted hands between Sweden and Denmark several times. Although the island may be perceived to have closer links to Svealand, it's actually counted to Götaland.

In the early 19th century the province of Wermelandia did for a time belong to the Court of Appeal for Svealand. Even though Värmland historically was a part of Götaland, it is now by custom counted to Svealand.

See also: Norrland, Götaland theory