Älvsbyn “a pearl of Norrbotten”:

The Municipality of Älvsbyn is located in the county of Norrbotten, north Sweden and is called “a pearl of Norrbotten”.

From the height of the bird's flight the municipality reminds a jewel on the azure sparkling tape, framed by massive mountain ridges. These places shake by the pictures vividness. Here you will find boundless valleys and mountains, ancient woods and lakes, various natural landscapes.

In Älvsbyn you will always be in immediate proximity by nature, fauna, mountains and the rivers but what is the most important, you will feel here affinity between people.

Watercourse Pitealven, both quiet and silent, and prompt and fast is a reflection of life in Älvsbyn. On the rough rivers spotted by foaming thresholds selectors of unforgettable adventures will feel superb and fans of silence and serene rest will feel themselves on the ground of Älvsbyn comfortably and reliably.

The most remarkable place of Pitealven is the most stretched waterfall in Europe called Storforsen. Its extent is made with 5 km, height - 81 m. The recreational zone with museums, hotel and gallery of arts - a fine place for productive leisure and tourism has been established closed to the waterfall.

According to statistics from 2006 the population of Älvsbyn is 8 689 inhabitants and its area is 1713 km2, which is almost 2 % of the region.

Älvsbyn enters into so-called "quadrangle" of municipalities in the southern part of Norrbotten, equidistant from each other and forming a figure, from height reminding a quadrangle.

Alongside with Älvsbyn this quadrangle is formed by municipalities Boden, Lulea, Pitea. Due to the developed transport infrastructure it is extremely simply to reach the municipality, in an hour of driving, nearby to the city of Lulea there is airport Kallax supporting both internal, and international flights, in particular to Finland and the North of Russia.

The railway is also passing through the municipality.

365 enterprises, including individual businessmen are registered in Älvsbyn. The most widespread fields of activity are trade, forestry and agriculture. Woodworking industry, food-processing industry, development of transport infrastructure and development of tourism are considered as the most perspective branches.

Älvsbyn is famous for a range of large enterprises Polarbageriet, Alvsbyhus and RFN.

Polarbageriet is known over Europe as bread-baking plant producing 1,5 million bread units per day and distributing their production not only in Sweden but in Finland, Denmark, England, Germany and France.

Alvsbyhus is the largest in Scandinavia producer of prefabricated wooden houses. For the 40 years of operation more than 24 000 families in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark have been supplied with prefabricated houses.

RFN is the largest test site in Sweden. Examples of the different tasks are integration testing of the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile on the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft. Another example is the development testing of the Bamse surface-to-air missile from Bofors.

It is not only the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish defense industry that uses the test range, but foreign armed forces, agencies, and defense industries as well. RFN owns the largest shooting-ground, its area is equal area of three southern regions in Sweden Skane, Blekinge, Smaland.