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: 410,928 sq km
water: 39,036 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 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 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

NOTE: The information regarding Sweden on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sweden Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sweden Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.