or Gothenburg
City (pop., 2001 est.: 471,267), southwestern Sweden.
The country's chief seaport and second largest city, it lies along the Göta River estuary, about 5 mi (8 km) above the Kattegat . Founded in 1603, the city was destroyed in the Kalmar War with Denmark (1611–13) but was refounded in 1619. Many of the early inhabitants were Dutch, who built urban canals and laid out the city centre. A prosperous period began with the completion of the Göta Canal (1832) and the start of a transoceanic shipping service. It retains some historic architecture, and a moat still encircles the old part of the city. The port's principal exports are automobiles (Volvo), ball bearings, and paper.