The traditional provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities.

However, Finnish Västerbotten is not recognized enough as its own historical province, so it's usually merged instead with Ostrobothnia, however leaving out Muonio to Laponia.

During the Middle Ages, the area was sparsely populated by Sami people, who lived on hunting, fishing and reindeer herding.

Settlers from the then eastern half of Sweden, Finland – the most important of which were known as Birkarls ~ controlled the trade and even the taxing on the area long into the 16th century.

[clarification needed] An important sign of Swedish control was the large Nederluleå stone church from 1492.

As recently as 1995, after decades of debate, Norrbotten was granted a coat of arms, thus at last being fully recognized as one of provinces of Sweden.

Some Meänkieli speakers have gradually been considering themselves part of the Kven people, which supposedly arrived to the area much earlier than the Swedish settlers.