NORRKPING

town and port, ln (county) of stergtland, Sweden. It lies along the Motala River southwest of Stockholm. Hllristningar, or rock carvings, from the Late Bronze Age are found in the area. The town was founded about 1350 and received its charter in 1384. Medieval churches remain at stra Eneby and Tingstad. Frequent fires, notably in 1719 during the Northern War, cleared the way for the town to be rebuilt on modern lines. The falls in the river provided power for the textile industry, which dominated the town from the 1660s to the 1950s. Since 1950 engineering has been Norrkping's principal industry. The Lind Canal, completed in 1961, permits the harbour to take vessels of up to 30-foot (9-metre) draft. Norrkping is a focus for both rail and road transport between Stockholm and the south and west of Sweden, and there is an airport on the outskirts. Pop. (1993 est.) mun., 120,798.