Location
Northern Europe, Scandinavian Peninsula, 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 nautical miles (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 Öresund and the Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas.
See also: National parks of Sweden
References
- CIA World Factbook 2001