SWEDEN : Geography

size="2 Sweden   has an area of 450,000 km and is situated in a geologically very stable portion of the great Eurasian land mass. East of Sweden is the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline, and mellowing the climate further yet. To the west is the Scandinavian mountain chain, a range that separates Sweden from Norway. The southernmost part of the country (Skåne, or Scania) is a continuation of the fertile plains of Denmark and northern Germany. Further north is a heavily wooded highland region (Småland) with soils that are less rich. The rest of southern Sweden consists of a fairly level but fragmented landscape of primary rock with a varied terrain of fields, hills and lakes that is especially typical of the broad zone between the cities of Stockholm and Göteborg (Gothenburg)

Sweden enjoys a mostly temperate climate despite its northern latitude, mainly due to the Gulf Stream. In the south of Sweden leaf-bearing trees are prolific, in the north pines and hardy birches dominate the landscape. In the mountains of northern Sweden a sub-arctic climate predominates. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets during the summer, and in the winter night is unending.

Gotland and Öland are the two largest Islands of Sweden.

Sweden is divided into 21 counties or län. In each county there is a County Administrative Board or länsstyrelse which is appointed by the Government. In each county there is also a separate County Council or landsting, which is the municipal representation appointed by the county electorate. Each county further divides into a number of municipalities or kommuner, making a total of 290 municipalities, in 2004.