The country of Sweden

The first chapter of Sverige i fokus is the most concrete in the whole study material. It’s about the country as a place: where Sweden lies, what it looks like, what natural resources exist here, and what Sweden is doing about climate change. The chapter covers pages 5–9 of the study material.

Where Sweden lies and why the climate is mild

Sweden lies in the Nordic region, which is part of northern Europe. The northernmost part lies north of the Arctic Circle, in the Arctic area. The country is elongated: from Treriksröset in the north to Smygehuk in the south is about 1,600 kilometers.

The sea east of Sweden is called the Baltic Sea, and it’s also home to the country’s two largest islands, Gotland and Öland. West of Sweden lie Skagerrak and Kattegatt.

A detail that often comes up in questions: despite the northerly location, the climate is mild compared to other places at the same latitude. The explanation is the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Current, which carry warm water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic toward Europe. The seawater warms the air, and the winds carry that milder, more humid air over the country.

The Nordic region consists of five countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — and Sweden is the largest of them.

The landscape was shaped by the ice

About 10,000 years ago, Sweden lay under several kilometers of ice. The period is called the Ice Age. When the ice melted, it had shaped the landscape: the lakes, the archipelagos with their thousands of islands, and the plains with their arable soil are all traces left behind.

The mountain range along the border with Norway is called the Scandes, but is commonly known as “fjällen” (the mountains). There it’s too cold and windy for trees to grow, so the landscape is open — rock, grass, and low-growing plants. Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise, is in this range and is about 2,000 meters tall.

More than half of Sweden’s area is covered by forest. In the north, where it’s colder, conifers such as spruce and pine dominate; further south, deciduous trees become more common. The three largest lakes are Vänern, Vättern, and Mälaren, and the largest rivers run in the north, from the mountains down toward the sea.

A figure worth remembering: Sweden has around 250,000 islands — more than any other country in the world.

The divisions: regions of the country, provinces, counties, and municipalities

This is where it’s easy to mix up the terms, and the material draws careful distinctions between them.

• Three regions of the country: Götaland in the south, Svealand in the middle, and Norrland in the north. Norrland alone covers more than half the country’s area.
• 25 provinces (landskap). These used to be areas with their own laws. Today they have no role in how Sweden is governed — but many people still feel a sense of belonging to their province.
• 21 counties (län) and 290 municipalities (kommuner). This is the division that actually governs the country today, and it comes back in Chapter 3.

Almost eleven million people live in Sweden, but not evenly distributed: most live in the south and along the coasts. About 85 percent live in cities, and in and around Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö live around four million.

Natural resources

The material highlights four: iron ore and other minerals, forest, farmland, and water.

Ore and minerals are mined, and the largest deposits are in Norrbotten County — Kiruna and Malmberget. Iron is used to make steel, and iron and steel have long been important to the Swedish economy. The mines also produce copper, zinc, lead, and gold. The ore is transported onward by rail.

Water is plentiful, and it’s used as drinking water, in agriculture, and in industry. It’s also a source of energy: several rivers have hydroelectric power plants, and hydropower accounts for a large share of the country’s electricity production.

Agriculture is adapted to the climate. Because it’s harder to farm in the north, most agriculture is located in the south.

Forestry produces pulp, paper, cardboard, and construction timber. Forestry products are sold to many countries, and the forestry industry is one of Sweden’s most important sectors.

Climate and sustainability

The Earth’s climate has always changed, but the warming is now happening faster than before. Scientists and the UN’s climate panel point to human emissions of greenhouse gases — from transport, industry, and agriculture — as the main cause.

The consequences are that polar ice is melting and sea levels are rising, and that extreme weather is becoming more common: heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and drought. For Sweden, this could mean more flooding, but also more and more intense periods of heat leading to drought and wildfires.

Sweden has a climate act with climate policy targets. One of them is that greenhouse gas emissions should be as close to zero as possible by 2045 — meaning Sweden should not emit more than nature can absorb. The country also cooperates internationally on wind, water, and solar energy technology.

Sustainable development is about using natural resources in a way that lets future generations live well too. The concept covers three parts: environment, society, and economy. States, companies, and individuals can all contribute — through decisions and regulations, through reduced climate impact, and in everyday life by using public transport, saving electricity and heat, sorting waste, and recycling.