City Europe
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a big city in Sweden, by the sea. Canals run through its old center, and ships use its port.
Gothenburg is Sweden's second city, where the Göta älv river meets the Kattegat sea. About 613,278 people lived in the city at the end of 2025. Founded in 1621, it grew into Sweden's first port, and in the 1700s an East India Company was founded here.
Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden's second city, was founded in 1621 to replace the older town of Nya Lödöse. Its ice-free port on the Göta älv estuary became Sweden's first port; the East India Company traded with China from here in the 18th century, and in the 20th century it built ships and Volvo, based here, became Sweden's biggest company.
Photo: Bengt Nyman from Vaxholm, Sweden, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a big city in Sweden. It is on the west coast, where a river flows into the sea.
More than 600,000 people live there.
Gothenburg, called Göteborg in Swedish, is Sweden's second city, Universalis says. It stands on the wide mouth of the Göta älv river, which drains Lake Vänern and flows into the Kattegat sea.
Statistics Sweden estimated 613,278 people in the municipality of Gothenburg at the end of 2025.
Statistics Sweden (via City Population): Gothenburg municipality had 433,042 people at the end of 1990, 466,990 in 2000, 513,751 in 2010, 583,056 in 2020 and an estimated 613,278 on 31 December 2025.
Universalis (Georges Chabot): Sweden's second city, on the estuary where the Göta älv, outlet of Lake Vänern, reaches the Kattegat; several ports came one after another on this estuary before Gothenburg, founded at the start of the 17th century, replaced them all.
- Country
- Sweden (second city)
- People in Gothenburg municipality (estimate, 31 December 2025)
- 613,278
- River and sea
- the Göta älv flows into the Kattegat here
- Founded
- 1621
Beside a canal in the center
Look at the canal in the middle of the city! Pink flags flutter in front of old stone buildings.
A tall brick tower with a green top rises behind them.
This photo was taken in central Gothenburg on 26 July 2016, beside a canal. Old stone and brick buildings line the water, with pink flags on tall poles in front. A tall brick tower with a green copper top rises behind them, and a low bridge crosses the canal under a bright blue sky with white clouds.
Wikidata places the Museum of Gothenburg about 50 meters from the camera's position. The city museum says it stands in the East India House, built by members of the East India Company.
Commons: 'Göteborg Sweden July 2016', 26 July 2016, a stitched panorama by Bengt Nyman (Flickr), CC BY 2.0, license confirmed by FlickreviewR on 1 September 2016; camera location 57.7059° N, 11.9630° E.
Wikidata, distances from the camera point: Museum of Gothenburg (opened 1861) 0.05 km NNE, Stora Hamnkanalen 0.10 km W, the German Church 0.14 km ENE, Gothenburg Central Station 0.69 km ENE.
- Photo
- a canal in central Gothenburg, 26 July 2016
- Stora Hamnkanalen
- a canal in central Gothenburg, about 100 m west of the camera point
- East India House
- built by the East India Company's members; now the city museum
A port city since 1621
Gothenburg was started in 1621. Ships sailed from here all the way to China.
Later, factories made ships and cars.
The Museum of Gothenburg says the city's story begins before 1621, in an older town called Nya Lödöse. Then the king decided its people should move to a new city, Gothenburg, built with high earth banks and a moat. Many merchants from other countries lived there: the first city council had four Swedes, three Dutch, three Germans and two Scots.
In the 1700s an East India Company was founded in Gothenburg and sent ships to China. In the 1800s the population grew tenfold, and in the 1900s the city built ships and became home to Volvo.
Museum of Gothenburg: Nya Lödöse, a late-medieval town roughly where Gamlestaden is now, was moved by the king's decision into the new city of Gothenburg, 'the fortress of the Goths'; as a border city it had high earth banks and a moat; after the 17th-century wars it became the center of Sweden's west coast, with a cathedral, school and governor. In the 18th century the East India Company sent ships to China, and its members built the East India House. In the 19th century boulevards such as Avenyn and Vasagatan were laid out, with textile and sugar factories, steamships, railway, telegraph and telephone; many emigrants sailed from here to America. In the 20th century shipbuilding grew and Volvo became Sweden's biggest company.
Universalis: the Göta Canal later made Gothenburg the outlet of central Sweden.
- Founded
- 1621, replacing the town of Nya Lödöse
- East India Company
- founded in Gothenburg in the 1700s; traded with China
- Growth in the 1800s
- population grew tenfold
Ships, bridges and trains
Ships come and go from Gothenburg's port all year. The water there does not freeze.
Universalis calls Gothenburg Sweden's first port, always free of ice. Universalis also describes a large fishing port. The city stayed for a long time on the left bank of the river, and bridges over the Göta älv had to be built with high arches so that ships could still pass underneath.
Gothenburg Central Station opened in 1858, Wikidata says, and Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, opened in 1977, lies about 20 kilometers east-southeast of the center.
Universalis: traffic has kept growing, making Gothenburg the first Swedish port, always ice-free, with a large fishing port besides; the river crossing was long the main problem, and bridges were given high arches so as not to block shipping.
Wikidata (from the photo's camera point): Gothenburg Central Station (opened 1858-10-04) 0.69 km ENE; Port of Gothenburg 2.07 km WSW; Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport (inception 1977-10-03) 20.16 km ESE.
- Port
- Sweden's first port, always free of ice
- Gothenburg Central Station
- opened 4 October 1858 (Wikidata)
- Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport
- opened 1977; about 20 km east-southeast
Mild and often damp
Gothenburg has cool winters and mild summers. Rain or snow falls on about half the days of the year.
The World Meteorological Organization's averages for Gothenburg (1991–2020) give July an average high of about 22 °C. In winter, average highs are about 3 °C, and February lows average just below freezing, at about −2 °C.
Adding up the monthly averages gives about 912 millimeters of precipitation a year, falling on about 182 days with at least 0.1 millimeter. October is the wettest month, with about 103 millimeters.
WMO World Weather Information Service, Gothenburg (1991–2020): average highs from 3.0 °C in January to 22.4 °C in July; average lows from −1.6 °C in February to 14.4 °C in July. Precipitation sums to 912.0 mm, with October (102.9 mm) the wettest month and April (51.3 mm) the driest; days with at least 0.1 mm total 182.1, from 12.0 in April to 19.0 in December.
Universalis: the port stays free of ice all year.
- July, average high (WMO, 1991–2020)
- 22.4 °C
- February, average low (same table)
- −1.6 °C
- Precipitation in a year (sum of the monthly averages)
- about 912 mm
Museums, a fun park and big companies
Gothenburg has a city museum and an amusement park called Liseberg. Cars and ball bearings were made here too.
The Museum of Gothenburg tells the city's 400-year story, from a medieval silver heart to the world's first Volvo, it says. Liseberg, an amusement park, opened on 8 May 1923, Wikidata says.
Universalis lists the companies that grew in Gothenburg, among them Volvo cars and SKF, a maker of ball bearings founded here in 1907. In the 1900s the city spread over the countryside around it, with new towns from Askim in the south to Rödbo in the north.
Museum of Gothenburg: four permanent exhibitions on the city's history, 'from the mystery of the medieval silver heart to the world's first Volvo'; in the 20th century rural areas from Askim to Rödbo were absorbed and satellite towns built, from which people commuted by car or tram.
Universalis: mechanical industries (Volvo cars, ball bearings: SKF, founded in Gothenburg in 1907), textiles, chemicals, canneries and paper mills grew up; the upper Göta älv valley is a long line of factories tied to Gothenburg. Wikidata: Liseberg (1923-05-08) 1.97 km SE of the camera point.
- Museum of Gothenburg
- opened 1861 (Wikidata), in the East India House
- Liseberg amusement park
- opened 8 May 1923 (Wikidata)
- SKF ball bearings
- founded in Gothenburg in 1907
Gothenburg on the map
Find Sweden on the globe. Gothenburg is on its west coast, by the sea.
Gothenburg lies at about 57.7° north, on the west coast of Sweden, where the Göta älv meets the Kattegat. Measured from where the photo was taken, the city museum is about 50 meters away, the Central Station about 700 meters east-northeast and Liseberg about 2 kilometers southeast.
The port is about 2 kilometers west-southwest, and Landvetter Airport about 20 kilometers east-southeast.
Gothenburg lies at about 57.71° N and 11.97° E (Wikidata). From the photo's camera point (Wikidata coordinates): Museum of Gothenburg 0.05 km NNE, Stora Hamnkanalen 0.10 km W, German Church 0.14 km ENE, Central Station 0.69 km ENE, Liseberg 1.97 km SE, Port of Gothenburg 2.07 km WSW, Landvetter Airport 20.16 km ESE.
Universalis: the city long stayed on the left bank, first inside canals that the slow rise of the land gradually dried and turned into boulevards.
- Latitude
- about 57.7° north
- Longitude
- about 12.0° east
- Setting
- on the Göta älv estuary, facing the Kattegat
Amazing facts
-
Gothenburg's first leaders came from four different countries!
Gothenburg's first city council had four Swedes, three Dutch, three Germans and two Scots, the city museum says.
Museum of Gothenburg: many foreign merchants settled inside the walls, so the first council had four Swedes, three Dutch, three Germans and two Scots.
-
Ships once sailed from Gothenburg all the way to China!
In the 1700s, Gothenburg's East India Company sent trading ships to China, the city museum says.
Museum of Gothenburg: the East India Company, founded in Gothenburg, sent trading vessels to China; its members built the East India House.
-
Gothenburg's port does not freeze, even in winter.
Gothenburg is Sweden's first port, and Universalis says it is always free of ice.
Universalis: Gothenburg, the first Swedish port, is always ice-free.
-
Some old streets in Gothenburg were once canals!
As the land slowly rose, some of Gothenburg's old canals dried up and were turned into boulevards, Universalis says.
Universalis: the town first lay inside canals that the gradual uplift of the land slowly dried and turned into boulevards.
Words to know
- estuary
- the wide mouth of a river where it meets the sea
- canal
- a waterway dug by people
- East India Company
- a trading company that sent ships to Asia to buy goods such as tea and silk
- moat
- a deep ditch, often filled with water, dug around a town or castle for defense
- ball bearing
- a ring of small metal balls that helps wheels and machines turn smoothly
- municipality
- a town or city area with its own local government
Discovery challenge
-
Gothenburg is a city in which country?
Gothenburg is the second city of which country?
Gothenburg became the first port of which country?
- Sweden
- Spain
- Switzerland
Show the answer
Sweden
Sweden!
Sweden.
Sweden.
-
In which year was Gothenburg started?
In which year was Gothenburg founded?
The city museum says Gothenburg's history begins before which year, when Nya Lödöse moved?
- 1521
- 1621
- 1921
Show the answer
1621
1621!
1621.
1621.
-
Ships from Gothenburg once sailed all the way to which country?
Gothenburg's East India Company sent trading ships to which country?
In the 18th century, the East India Company founded in Gothenburg traded with which country?
- China
- Iceland
- Brazil
Show the answer
China
China!
China.
China.
-
What is special about Gothenburg's port in winter?
Universalis says Gothenburg's port is always free of what?
Why can Gothenburg's port work all year, Universalis says?
- It does not freeze
- It has no ships
- It moves to the south
Show the answer
It does not freeze
It does not freeze!
It is always free of ice.
It is always ice-free.
-
Which river flows into the sea at Gothenburg?
Gothenburg stands where which river meets the Kattegat?
Which river, the outlet of Lake Vänern, forms the estuary at Gothenburg?
- The Göta älv
- The Rhine
- The Volga
Show the answer
The Göta älv
The Göta älv!
The Göta älv.
The Göta älv.
Nearby places
-
Watch
Landmark
Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle stands at Helsingør, in Denmark, where the strait between Denmark and Sweden is only 4 kilometers wide. King Frederik II built it from 1574 to 1585, and ships passing by paid a toll here for centuries. It is also known as Elsinore, the castle in Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
-
Watch
City
Copenhagen
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, grew from a small harbor town into a royal city of palaces, canals and towers. Its name means "Merchants' Harbor." It has the Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843, and the Little Mermaid statue, and about 673,000 people lived there in 2026.
-
Watch
Landmark
Øresund Bridge
The Øresund Bridge links Denmark and Sweden across a strait called the Øresund. It is part of a 15.9-kilometer crossing: a bridge, an artificial island called Peberholm, and a tunnel under the sea. Cars drive on its upper deck and trains run on the lower deck. It opened on July 1, 2000.
-
Watch
City
Oslo
Oslo, the capital of Norway, lies at the head of the Oslo Fjord. It was founded about 1050, burned down in 1624 and was rebuilt under a new name, Christiania, before taking back the name Oslo in 1925. About 729,000 people lived there in 2026.
-
Watch
City
Stockholm
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is built on islands and the mainland where Lake Mälaren meets an arm of the Baltic Sea. First mentioned as a town in 1252, it has a medieval Old Town, a royal palace, a 17th-century warship you can visit and subway stations full of art. About 985,000 people lived there in 2022.
-
Watch
Natural wonder
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a small, shallow sea in northern Europe, only 54 meters deep on average. Rivers pour in fresh water and only narrow, shallow straits connect it to the ocean, so its water is brackish: much less salty than the ocean. Part of it freezes every winter.
-
Watch
City
Bergen
Bergen is Norway's second-largest city, on the west coast between a fjord and seven hills. It was founded in 1070 and became an important trading port: its old harbor district, Bryggen, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 1 January 2026, 294,860 people lived in Bergen.
-
Watch
City
Hamburg
Hamburg, in northern Germany, is the country's second-biggest city and one of Europe's largest ports. It grew from a castle built about 825 into a rich trading city on the Elbe River, with canals, a big lake and brick warehouses. About 1.9 million people lived there in 2025.
Explore next
-
Watch
Country
Sweden
Sweden is a country in northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It stretches about 1,600 kilometers from north to south, with forests, many lakes and a rocky coast full of islands. About 10.6 million people live there, and its capital is Stockholm.
-
Watch
City
Stockholm
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is built on islands and the mainland where Lake Mälaren meets an arm of the Baltic Sea. First mentioned as a town in 1252, it has a medieval Old Town, a royal palace, a 17th-century warship you can visit and subway stations full of art. About 985,000 people lived there in 2022.
-
Watch
City
Oslo
Oslo, the capital of Norway, lies at the head of the Oslo Fjord. It was founded about 1050, burned down in 1624 and was rebuilt under a new name, Christiania, before taking back the name Oslo in 1925. About 729,000 people lived there in 2026.
-
Watch
City
Copenhagen
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, grew from a small harbor town into a royal city of palaces, canals and towers. Its name means "Merchants' Harbor." It has the Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843, and the Little Mermaid statue, and about 673,000 people lived there in 2026.
-
Watch
City
Bergen
Bergen is Norway's second-largest city, on the west coast between a fjord and seven hills. It was founded in 1070 and became an important trading port: its old harbor district, Bryggen, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 1 January 2026, 294,860 people lived in Bergen.
-
Watch
City
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. It began as a fishing village beside a dam on the Amstel River, which gave the city its name. Today about 942,000 people live among its rings of canals, hundreds of bridges, houseboats and bicycles.
-
Watch
City
Antwerp
Antwerp is a city in Belgium on the Scheldt river, and Universalis calls it the second port of continental Europe, after Rotterdam. Belgium's statistics office estimated 565,615 people in the city on 1 January 2026. In the 1500s it was one of Europe's great trading cities.
-
Watch
City
Athens
Athens is the capital of Greece and one of the oldest cities in the world. Above it rises the Acropolis, a rocky hill crowned by the marble Parthenon, built about 2,500 years ago. Ancient Athens was home to early democracy, great thinkers and theater.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Gothenburg on Sweden's west coast, where the Göta älv meets the Kattegat.
- Explain why an ice-free port matters for trade.
- Describe how trade with faraway countries shaped a city.
- Read a climate table and find the wettest and driest months.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Gothenburg's first council had people from four countries. Why might a trading city attract people from far away?
- Why would a port that never freezes be useful in a cold country?
- Ships from Gothenburg sailed to China. What might they have brought back?
Try at home or in class
- Ice test: put a cup of fresh water and a cup of salty water in the freezer and compare which freezes first.
- Bearing test: roll a heavy book over marbles or round pencils and feel how much easier it moves.
- Population line: plot Gothenburg's 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020 and 2025 numbers on a line graph.
Key vocabulary: estuary, canal, East India Company, moat, ball bearing, municipality
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Sweden: Counties and Municipalities , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from Statistics Sweden
- Göteborg , Encyclopaedia Universalis (Georges Chabot)
- Discover 400 years of history , Museum of Gothenburg (Göteborgs Stadsmuseum)
- Gothenburg: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (Sweden)
- File:Göteborg 2503 stitch (28573994096).jpg (Bengt Nyman, 26 July 2016) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.