Kalmar Union: Map & History
The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret I of Denmark.
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The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret I of Denmark. From 1397 to 1523, it joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, together with Norway's maritime colonies.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kalmar Union
At its mapped extent, Kalmar Union covered territory in 9 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Aland1402–1525 CE · nearly all
- Sweden1402–1525 CE · nearly all
- Finland1402–1525 CE · nearly all
- Iceland1402–1525 CE · most
- Denmark1402–1525 CE · most
- Norway1402–1525 CE · most
- Faroe Islands1402–1525 CE · a large part
- Germany1450–1525 CE · a small part
- Russia1402–1525 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kalmar Union's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kalmar Union in Depth
History
The union was the work of Scandinavian aristocracy who sought to counter the influence of the Hanseatic League, a northern German trade league centered around the Baltic and North Seas. Denmark in particular was in a power struggle with the League and had recently suffered a humiliating defeat in the Danish-Hanseatic War (1361-1370) that allowed the League to become even more powerful. On the personal level, the union was achieved by Queen Margaret I of Denmark (1353–1412). She was a daughter of King Valdemar IV of Denmark and had married King Haakon VI of Norway and Sweden, who was the son of King Magnus IV of Sweden, Norway and Scania. Margaret succeeded in having her and Haakon's son Olaf recognized as heir to the throne of Denmark.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kalmar Union (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kalmar Union: Key Facts
| Capitals | Copenhagen, Roskilde, Stockholm, Uppsala |
|---|---|
| Form of government | personal union, aristocratic monarchy |
| Founded | 1397 |
| Dissolved | 1523 |
Facts from Wikidata Q62623 (CC0).
Kalmar Union Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kalmar Union appears, with the other states of the time.
Kalmar Union Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 1,285,990 km² in 1523 CE.
Kalmar Union: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Kalmar Union exist?
Kalmar Union is dated to 1402 CE – 1525 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Kalmar Union?
The capital of Kalmar Union was Oslo.
How large was Kalmar Union at its peak?
At its peak in 1523 Kalmar Union covered about 1,285,990 km².
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