Umeċ [˘ʉməoː] is a city and a municipality in Västerbotten County, in northern Sweden. The municipality covers an area of 2,316.5 km². Out of a total population of 107,845. The population density of the community is 46 inhabitants per km².
Umeċ is located some 600 km north of Stockholm at 63°50'N 20°15'E. It is situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Bothnia at the mouth of the Ume älv. It is the largest Swedish city north of Uppsala, and is sometimes referred to as the regional centre of Norrland. The nearby town of Holmsund serves as its port.
Umeċ University with its 25,000 students is located there, as is a large hospital serving the region.
Since the establishment of the university in the mid 1960s Umeċ has grown from about 50,000 inhabitants to today's 100,000. The expansion continues and it has made Umeċ a modern, somewhat intellectual town in contrast to the more industrialised ones surrounding it. It does have some notable industries, principally the production of timber, wood-pulp, machines and furniture.
On the 25 June of 1888 a fire devastated the eastern parts of Umeċ and 2300 of the 3000 inhabitants became homeless. In the restorations after the fire, birches where planted along wide avenues to prevent future fires from spreading. Because of this Umeċ is sometimes called the 'City of Birches'.
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