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Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf
of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 15 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km
water: 39,030 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 2,205 km
border countries: Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km
Coastline: 3,218 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion
of straits to high seas)
Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and
cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains
in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m
Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver,
timber, uranium, hydropower
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: 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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location along Danish Straits
linking Baltic and North Seas
Geography
Sweden, country in northern Europe, occupying the eastern portion
of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Sweden has a total area of 449,964
sq km (173,732 sq mi). Stockholm is the capital and largest city.
Sweden's topography consists of high mountains in the northwest,
bounded on the east by a plateau that slopes down to lowlands and
plains in the east and south. Many rivers flow southeast from the
mountains to the Gulf of Bothnia, providing abundant waterpower.
One-seventh of Sweden is above the Arctic Circle, where daylight
is continuous for about two months in the summer and darkness is
continuous for about two months in the winter.
Despite the northern latitude, warm ocean winds keep temperatures
moderate, except in the north, where mountains block the moderating
influence. The principal natural resources are the forests, which
cover about two-thirds of the country. Most of Sweden's cultivated
land is in the south.
Sweden has large deposits of iron and other minerals and an estimated
15 percent of the world's uranium deposits. Alpine and arctic vegetation
prevail in the north and at higher altitudes.
Climate
The climate is comparatively moderate, considering that Sweden is
located at a very northern latitude. The principal moderating influences
are the Gulf Stream and the prevailing westerly winds, which blow
in from the relatively warm North Atlantic Ocean.
In winter these influences are offset by cold air masses that
sweep in from the east. The climate of northern Sweden is considerably
more severe than that of the south primarily because it has higher
altitudes and because the mountains cut off the moderating marine
influence.
The average temperature in February, the coldest month, is below
freezing throughout Sweden, with an average temperature range in
Stockholm of -5° to -1°C (22° to 30°F), in Göteborg of -4° to 1°C
(25° to 34°F), and in Piteĺ, in the northern part of the country,
of -14° to -6°C (6° to 22°F).
In July, the warmest month, the average temperature range is 14°
to 22°C (57° to 71°F) in Stockholm, 14° to 21°C (57° to 70°F) in
Göteborg, and 12° to 21°C (53° to 69° F) in Piteĺ.
The proportion of daylight hours increases in the summer and decreases
in the winter as the latitude becomes more northerly. In the one-seventh
of Sweden above the Arctic Circle, daylight is continuous for about
two months in the summer, and continuous darkness occurs for about
two months in the winter.
Background:
Having long lost its military prowess of the 17th century, Sweden
has evolved into a prosperous and peaceful constitutional monarchy
with a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements.
As the 20th century comes to an end, this long successful formula
is being undermined by high unemployment; the rising cost of a "cradle
to the grave" welfare state; the decline of Sweden's competitive
position in world markets; and indecision over the country's role
in the political and economic integration of Europe.
A member of the European Union, Sweden chose not to participate
in the introduction of the euro on 1 January 1999.
Sweden is a prosperous industrial nation in northern Europe. The
people of Sweden have developed highly prosperous industries based
on their country's three most important natural resources--timber,
which makes up about a fifth of the country's exports, a very high
grade iron ore, and water power.
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