BOTHNIA, an ancient province of Sweden which was divided into East and West by the gulf of the same name. The eastern division, which was bounded on the N. by Lapland, E. by Archangel and Olonetz, and S. by Finland, is now incorporated with the last-mentioned district, having been ceded to Russia in 1809. The western division now forms part of the Swedish province of Norrland, two departments of which are still known, the one as Vesterbotten or West Bothnia, and the other as Norrbotten or North Bothnia. The name is probably derived from the Scandinavian bottιι, a lake.

BOTHNIA, Gulf of, the northern part of the Baltic, so called from the above province. See Baltic Sea.