Alno

Alnön is an island in the Gulf of Bothnia just outside Sundsvall in Medelpad, Sweden. It has an area of 67.79 km2 and a permanent population of 8,417 (as of 31 December 2010), although its summertime inhabitants are about twice that number. Most of the island's inhabitants work in Sundsvall and other towns on the mainland. The island is 15 km long and 6 km wide on the widest spot. It is connected to the mainland by a 1,042-meter-long (3,419 ft) bridge, which was the longest bridge in Sweden when it was opened in 1964. Evidences of habitation on the island predate the Viking Age, and there are several tumuli on the island from that period. The old stone church near the modern bridge was built in the 12th century. The island saw a population boom in the second half of the 19th century, due to the development of steam-driven sawmills. In 1850 the island had 950 inhabitants, mainly farmers and fishermen, but by 1900 the population had grown to almost 7,000, following the establishment of 18 sawmills between 1860 and 1897. As result of decreased foreign trade during World War II apatite was mined in Alnön from 1943 to 1945. Apatite was separated by flotation but results were meager. While the separation process had improved in 1945 the end of the war the same year meant also apatite mining became unprofitable.