Norrbotten County covers almost one quarter of Sweden's land area, but is sparsely inhabited.

However, the long summer days allow crops to ripen within two to three months, and agriculture is traditionally important, particularly near the coast and along the lower reaches of the Torne River.

Grains, particularly barley, potatoes and turnips are grown to some extent, but the most important crop is hay for livestock.

The table details all Riksdag election results of Norrbotten County since the unicameral era began in 1970.

However; even today, Tornedalians and Sami people still live in the area and maintain their own culture and customs.

[24][25][26] Following the Finnish War in 1809, Västerbotten County was split between Sweden and Finland, with the larger part remaining within the Swedish borders.

The natural resources (hydroelectricity, timber, and minerals, especially iron) of Norrbotten have played a key role in the industrialization of Sweden.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the drainage of (mostly young) workers due to high unemployment was considerable, and people in the area began to voice feelings of being misunderstood or economically abused by the south and especially the capital Stockholm.

These contrasts are well known throughout Sweden and often appear in TV, films, literature and folklore connected to Norrbotten, for characterizing, satiric or dramatic purposes (e.g. some characters in the books of Eyvind Johnson or the police detective Einar Rönn in the crime novels of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö).

Luleå's Gammelstad ("Old town"), which is 10 km north of the present downtown, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Apart from the Swedish language, Sami, Meänkieli, and Finnish may be used in dealing with government agencies, courts, municipalities, preschools and nursing homes in parts of Norrbotten County.

Meänkieli and Finnish have the same status in Gällivare, Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala, and Övertorneå, Luleå and Kalix municipalities.

Meänkieli and Finnish have the same status in Gällivare, Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala, and Övertorneå, Luleå and Kalix municipalities.

Stambanan genom övre Norrland connects Norrbotten with central and southern Sweden.

Malmbanan connects Luleå with the iron mines in Gällivare and Kiruna and the ice-free port of Narvik.

Malmbanan has highest amount of freight traffic in Scandinavia, especially the part between Kiruna and Narvik.