Gothenburg

Gothenburg (also Göteborg), city in south-west Sweden, capital of Göteborg och Bohus County, at the mouth of the Göta River. With a generally ice-free harbour, Gothenburg is the principal port and second-largest city in Sweden. Industries include car manufacturing, the production of bearings, ship maintenance and shipbuilding, brewing and distilling, cabinet-making, timber processing, and the processing of textiles, leather, and tobacco. The city is connected with the interior by rail and by the Göta Canal, opened in 1832. The airport at Landvetter, about 20 km (about 12 mi) east of the city, serves both domestic and international airlines.

The city is the site of the University of Göteborg (1891), the Chalmers University of Technology (1829), and several other schools and museums. The Gustavii Domkyrka (cathedral) was built in 1633. The city was founded in 1619 by King Gustav II Adolph. It is noted for the Göteborg System, a plan of municipal licensing of liquor sales introduced in 1865 under which profits are used for public projects. Population 478,055 (2004 estimate).