Origins of Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden, built on islands and peninsulas where Lake Malaren meets the Baltic Sea. Its origins are usually traced to the twelfth century, when a fortified settlement was established on the island now known as Gamla stan, the Old Town, controlling the trade route into the lake. The name first appears in written sources in the thirteenth century, and the city is traditionally credited to the regent Birger Jarl. Stockholm grew through trade with the Hanseatic League, became the Swedish royal seat in the seventeenth century, and now has a large metropolitan area.

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