[citation needed] The traditional provinces of Sweden have no administrative or political functions; instead, they are purely historical and cultural entities.

[citation needed] On 18 January 1884, all Swedish provinces were granted the status of duchies, allowing their coats of arms to be displayed with a ducal coronet.

The coat of arms for Västerbotten is described as: "Azure Seme of Mullets Or a Reindeer in full course and hoofed Gules.

[citation needed] [2] Until the Finnish War of 1808–1809 and the Treaty of Fredrikshamn, the province of Västerbotten included a small portion of what is now northern Finland.

The Swedish-speaking residents of Norrbotten, a multilingual region, began identifying as norrbottningar, with the new county borders fostering a local identity.