�stersund is an urban area (city) in J�mtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of �stersund Municipality and the capital of J�mtland County. �stersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsj�n, opposite the island Fr�s�n, and is the only city in J�mtland. �stersund is the region's cultural and economical centre and by tradition a city of trade and commerce. �stersund had one of the most extensive garrisons in Sweden prior to its close down in the early 21st century. The city is the Mid Sweden University's largest campus site with approximately 7 000 students. With a total population of roughly 60,000 �stersund is the 24th most populous city in Sweden, the 46th most populous city in Scandinavia, and by far the largest inland city in Northern Sweden.
The city was the only Swedish city founded and chartered in the 18th century. �stersund was founded in order to create a trade monopoly over J�mtland whose inhabitants' lucrative trade annoyed the Swedish crown. The intention was to pursue the local farmers to deliver merchandise to middlemen in �stersund, but the population opposed this economic philosophy, and �stersund long remained small. It took until the end of the 19th century for �stersund to truly become a city, after the arrival of the rail road and the economic liberalization of that time.
�stersund is situated in inland Scandinavia and connected to Sundsvall in the east at the Swedish coast, and Trondheim in the west at the shores of the Norwegian sea. �stersund is located in the middle of Scandinavia, in the middle of Sweden, in the middle of J�mtland County and in the middle of �stersund Municipality. As the most centrally located city in Sweden, the city credits itself as the centre of Sweden.
�stersund is marketed as Vinterstaden � Winter City. Winter City as a project is run by the Municipality together with city enterprises. �stersund has had a long history as a centre of outdoor activities with a
