Malmö

Malmö, city in southern Sweden, on the Öresund strait, across from Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the capital of the county of Skåne. Malmö is an important transportation center and a major seaport. Malmö’s most noted building is Malmöhus Castle, a 15th-century structure, which now houses the Malmö Museum. Malmö was founded in the 12th century. It remained part of Denmark until 1658, when it was seized by King Charles X Gustav of Sweden.

Once noted for shipbuilding, Malmö today is the center of Sweden’s pharmaceuticals industry. The city’s state-of-the-art fiber optic cable network supports a vigorous information technology sector. Malmö University opened in 1998 and is popular with foreign students. The school is part of the Öresund University system, which combines educational institutions in Denmark and Sweden across the Öresund strait. In 2000 Malmö and Copenhagen were linked by a 16-km (10-mi) bridge-and-tunnel complex spanning the strait. Population (2004 estimate) is 267,171.