Short facts about the geography of Sweden

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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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:  Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:

strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

Source: World Factbook