1786 Sweden's first hot baths were opened in the city. By 1917, its population was 2,949 inhabitants. Geography The municipality of Strömstad is located in the Bohuslän province of Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. It has an international border to Norway near Svinesund in the north. It has a total area of 472 km2 and is a coastal municipality. Strömstad is the administrative centre of the municipality, while minor towns include Skee, Kebal, and Svinesund. European route E6 traverses the municipality. Strömstad is the home of the Koster Islands. This archipelago consists of two main islands: North Koster (3.9 km2) and South Koster (7.6 km2). The islands are popular tourist destinations and the rural South Koster brags one of western Sweden's largest sandy beaches. The nearby Kosterhavet National Park is home to the country's largest seal colony. The islands are home to many vacation homes and various hotels. They are Sweden's westernmost populated islands. Notability As the Norwegian alcohol taxes are higher than the Swedish ones, Norwegian shoppers have caused the Swedish alcohol retailing monopoly Systembolaget to open an extra store to cater for demand. When only one shop existed, the Systembolaget shop had the highest sales in Sweden, causing traffic congestion near the shop in the inner city. The Norwegians have been notoriously known for causing havoc on Maundy Thursday as this is a public holiday in Norway but not in Sweden. For Easter 2008 the city council decided to keep Systembolaget closed on Maundy Thursday. The city is known for its yachting harbor, which can be very crowded in the summer. From Strömstad is ferry line over to Sandefjord, Norway, at the west side of the Oslofjord and local ferries to the Koster Islands. Strömstad is the setting for the play The Creditors by August Strindberg. Black Metal band Dissection are from the city. Author Emelie Flygare Carlén was born in the city in 1807. As a source of life in Bohuslän during the first half of the 19th century, she is invaluable. During the 1840s she was at the peak of her career, and was then Sweden's most read novelist and the most well known abroad. Economy Tourism It was an 18th-century spa resort, and currently sees a large influx of tourists from Norway. Strömstad has a long tradition as a bathing city; it was home to Sweden's first facilities for sea bathing, which was established