SMALAND

landskap (province), southern Sweden, extending from the Baltic Sea on the east to the provinces of Halland and Vstergtland on the west and from stergtland on the north to Skne and Blekinge on the south. Smland is the largest traditional province in southern Sweden and is composed mostly of three administrative ln (counties): Jnkping, Kronoberg, and Kalmar. Its name means many small lands, referring to the many small provinces from which the present one grew. The undulating surface of the north, rising to wooded heights of up to about 1,000 feet (300 metres), gives way in the south to plateaulike land, some of which is less than 330 feet (100 metres). Even the steep, deeply indented, island-fringed coastline of the north changes south of Oskarshamn to a low one with shallow bays and few islands. There are large areas of forestland, heaths, peat bogs, and swampland, and lakes are numerous. Coniferous trees and birch predominate, but beech is common in the south and oak and elm in the coastal region and in the northwest, near Lake Vttern. In spite of poor soil, agriculture is practiced, together with cattle raising, especially in the eastern part, which produces most of the province's wheat; other crops include oats, rye, and potatoes. Fruit growing is prevalent in the Urshult area on the southern shore of Lake snen and around Grnna, a small town on the shores of Lake Vttern famous for pears and peppermint candy called polkagrisar. The leading industries, based largely on forest products, include the manufacture of furniture, matches, and paper. Smland is also famous for its glassworks, those at Orrefors, Boda, and Kosta being world renowned. Besides Jnkping and Kalmar, the seats of their respective counties, and Vxj, the seat of Kronoberg, Smland's principal towns include Ljungby, Nssj, Nybro, Oskarshamn, Vrnamo, Vstervik, Vetlanda, and Huskvarna, known for the manufacture of home appliances. Area 11,324 square miles (29,330 square km). Pop. (1997 est.) 714,659.