Quicknation    Sweden Mariestad

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Mariestad (coor 58°42′N 13°49′E; pop. 15,000 ; area 10 km²). Mariestad was once the seat for the Skaraborg County (deestablished with the new year 1998). Instead it is now part of the giant cluster called Västra Götaland County.

The city was founded in 1583 by Duke Charles, who later became King Charles IX of Sweden. His wife Marie of Pfalz gave the city her name. The coat of arms for Mariestad, an oxe stepping out of water, is said to be what Marie of Pfalz saw by the bay Tidan in Mariestad when she arrived there.

Mariestad is one of two swedish cities with a cathedral but no bishop's seat (the other being Kalmar). Mariestad only had a bishop in the 17th century, but the diocese was later merged with Diocese of Skara.

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Mariestad is located by lake Vänern and is visited by many tourists in the summer. The municipality has something comparable to a small archipelago, where Torså and Brommö are the largest islands.