| Geography and Climate |
Sweden is located in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway. Area - comparative: slightly larger than California.
Total land boundary is 2,205 km, border countries are Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km.
Climate is temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north. Terrain consists mostly of flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west .
Elevation extreme has the lowest point in Baltic Sea 0 m and highest point in Kebnekaise 2,111 m. Natural resources are zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential. Land use: arable land: 7%, permanent crops: 0%, permanent pastures: 1%,
forests and woodland: 68%, other: 24% (1993 est.). Irrigated land: 1,150 sq km (1993 est.).
Natural hazards are ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic.
Environment—current issues: acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Geography—note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas.
Ref. Anonymous, 1999 |