Location: Nordic State, Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Norway and Finland

Map references: Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 449,964 sq km
land area: 410,928 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries: total 2,205 km, Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline: 3,218 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

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

Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 64%
other: 27%

Irrigated land: 1,120 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
natural hazards: ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with navigation
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

NOTE: The information regarding Sweden on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sweden Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sweden Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.