Map of Närke, 1740s

This historical map of Närke was published in the 1740s by the surveyor Jacob Nordencreutz. In 1734 Nordencreutz received permission from King Frederick I (confirmed by privilege in 1738) to have provincial maps of Sweden printed, including the glorious province of Närke.

Närke is one of Sweden's smallest regions, but that doesn't make its history any poorer. Närke has had a settled, agricultural population belonging to the Nordic cultural circle for thousands of years. There are 5,200 preserved ancient monuments in the region, such as rings of cathedrals, royal mounds and even rune stones like the Nasta rune stone. There are also a number of ancient castles around the plains, such as Tarstaborg in Sköllersta, which is very large and well built.

The present-day boundaries of Närke are similar to the boundaries that prevailed in the 14th century, from which the earliest information on the extent of Närke comes. Närke was originally divided into three tri-units, had its own law saga and a law book, which was confirmed by Magnus Ladulås but later lost. During the 14th century, the county councils were held in Mosås and Kumla, and later in Örebro.