Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🗺️

Malmö

geography Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Malmö is the third-largest city in Sweden.

A view of Malmö from a plane window, August 2015
A view of Malmö from a plane window, August 2015

It is also the seventh-largest city in the entire Nordic region. The city sits on the southwestern coast of Sweden in Scania. It is located along the Öresund strait. This strait separates Sweden from Denmark. Malmö is the largest city in Scania and serves as the seat for Skåne County. The city is a major part of the transnational Öresund Region. This large region includes both Malmö and Copenhagen. Together, these areas are home to four million people.

Oresund bridge
Oresund bridge

A vital connection exists between Sweden and continental Europe. This link is the Öresund Bridge, which was completed in 2000. The bridge spans the water to connect Sweden to Denmark. It carries both road traffic and rail traffic across the strait.

Øresundståg
Øresundståg

This connection makes the city a central hub for movement. The bridge is a massive engineering project. It measures 16 kilometers in total length. The pylons of the bridge reach high into the sky. This link has changed how people travel between the two countries.

The history of Malmö stretches back many centuries. The earliest written mention of the city dates to 1275. Its original name was Malmhaug. This name means "Gravel pile" or "Ore Hill."

1594 map of Elbogen
1594 map of Elbogen

In the 15th century, Malmö was one of Denmark's largest cities. It had about 5,000 inhabitants at that time. The city was a very important marketplace for the German Hanseatic League. It was famous for its flourishing herring fishery. In 1437, King Eric of Pomerania granted the city its arms. These arms featured a red griffin on a silver background.

The city has changed political hands over time. For a long period, Malmö was part of Denmark. In 1658, the Treaty of Roskilde brought the region under Swedish control. The city was once very heavily fortified. A fortress called Malmöhus was built in 1434. While many other fortifications existed, only Malmöhus remains today. In the 16th century, Malmö was also a leader in religious change. It was one of the first Scandinavian cities to convert to Protestantism. This happened between 1527 and 1529 during the Reformation.

Sodergatan-1913
Sodergatan-1913

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Malmö became a major industrial center. In 1840, Frans Henrik Kockum founded a workshop. This workshop grew into the Kockums shipyard. It became one of the largest shipyards in the world. The construction of the Southern Main Line between 1856 and 1864 helped this growth. Malmö became a center for mechanical and textile industries. The population grew rapidly during this era. It reached 100,000 people by 1915 and 200,000 by 1952.

Meeting of Scandinavian kings 2
Meeting of Scandinavian kings 2

The city faced significant economic challenges later in the 20th century. A recession in the mid-1970s hit the industrial sector hard. Shipbuilding eventually ceased in 1986 when the Kockums shipyard closed. This caused many people to lose confidence in the city's future. By 1994, Malmö had a financial deficit of 1.3 billion Swedish krona. This was the highest deficit ever seen in a Swedish municipality. However, the city began a major transformation in the 1990s. It shifted from manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy. This new economy focuses on biotech, IT, and logistics.

TurningTorsoMalmö
TurningTorsoMalmö

Today, Malmö is a modern and diverse city.

Västra hamnen skyview, Malmö
Västra hamnen skyview, Malmö

The Turning Torso is a famous landmark and the tallest skyscraper in Scandinavia. The city is also a center for higher education. Malmö University is located there. The population is very international. People from 187 different countries live in the city. As of 2024, almost half of the residents have a foreign background. The city continues to grow. Experts expect the population to reach 395,000 by 2035. It may reach 500,000 residents by the year 2050.

Stortorget in Malmö, Sweden
Stortorget in Malmö, Sweden

Life in Malmö is influenced by its mild oceanic climate. The Gulf Stream helps keep temperatures warmer than other places at this latitude. Summers are mild, while winters are cold and windy. However, snow cover rarely lasts for a long time.

Malmö Arena ESC2013 01
Malmö Arena ESC2013 01

Sports are also a major part of the local culture. Malmö FF is a very successful football club. It has won the Allsvenskan series 27 times. The club is also the only Nordic club to reach a European Cup final. The city also hosts the successful women's club FC Rosengård. These teams bring much energy to the community.

713 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (23)
File:Malmo Vapenbrev.png
Malmo Vapenbrev.png
File:1594 map of Elbogen.jpg
1594 map of Elbogen.jpg
File:Sodergatan-1913.jpg
Sodergatan-1913.jpg
File:Meeting of Scandinavian kings 2.jpeg
Meeting of Scandinavian kings 2.jpeg
File:A_view_of_Malmö_from_a_plane_window,_August_2015.jpg
A_view_of_Malmö_from_a_plane_window,_Augus...
File:Vattentornet_vid_Pildammarna.jpg
Vattentornet_vid_Pildammarna.jpg
File:Oresund bridge.jpg
Oresund bridge.jpg
File:Øresundståg.JPG
Øresundståg.JPG
File:Malmoexpressen Malmo Central 20140618 0005 (14270129978).jpg
Malmoexpressen Malmo Central 20140618...
File:Malmö rådhus, Stortorget, Malmö.jpg
Malmö rådhus, Stortorget, Malmö.jpg
File:Malmö population pyramid in 2022.svg
Malmö population pyramid in 2022.svg
File:SCB Malmo taxable income as percentage of national average 1995 2016.png
SCB Malmo taxable income as percentage of...

+ 11 more

More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.