SWEDEN. 



SWEDEN. 



733 



Uifr portion of the Scn liuavian peninsula, Mid it situated between 

 65 20 tod 69' N. lat, 11 and 24 K. long. About one-sixth of the 

 country li< within the Polar I'ircl*. On the out, to 60' N. lat., 

 Sweden U bounded by the Baltic and tha Gulf of Bothnia, t the 

 bead of which it It contiguous to Russia, the boundary running up 

 the Tornea Klf, the Muonio, and th- . a ferder of the Muouio, 



to iu source in the (mail Lake of KolU-jaur, which is on the boundary 

 of Norway. Ou the west Sweden U bounded by Norway, the boundary 

 following for the most part the watershed of the mountain ranges 

 between the two countries, the BulUran Lake, the strait called Bwine- 

 sund. the Kattegat, and the Skageraek. On the south, the Oresund, 

 or Sound, separates Sweden from the Danish island of Zealand, and 

 the western part of the Baltic from Germany. 



The length of this country from south to north ia somewhat more 

 than 900 miles; its width, between 68 and 6S N. Lit, varies from 

 150 to 200 miles, but nouth of 63* and north of OS' it is not so wide. 

 Its area is SS6S Swedish square miles, equal to 169,380 English square 

 mile* The population at the rud of IfiO amounted to 3,482,541. 

 The only foreign possession of Sweden is St Bartholomew's Island, iu 

 the West Indie*. [BAI;TUOLUUI:;V'S, ,Sr.] 



Cxur. The coait of Sweden is somewhat more than 1400 mile*, 

 exclusive of the deep inleU. The coast along the Skagerack, Kattegat, 

 and Sound is near 300 miles : the remainder is washed by the 

 Al<>g, thr Botten Viken, or the most northern part of the Gulf of 

 Bothnia, the coast is low, and consists of sandy alluvial matter 

 brought down by the numerous rivers which fall into this part of the 

 Baltic. The islands which lino this coast iu all its extent are of the 

 same character. The coast begins to rise as it approaches the Quarken, 

 or strait which connects the Botteu Yikeu with the Botten Hafvet, or 

 Sea of Bothnia, and the islands which lie across the strait are rocky. 

 South of the Quarken, as far as the town of Oefle (near CO' 40' X. lat), 

 the coast present* an alternation of low and moderately elevated 

 shores. The islands which line this tract of coast ore less numerous 

 than farther north, but larger, and they resemble the neighbouring 

 coast, many of them being low and sandy, while others are undulating, 

 and contain low rocky hills. The semicircular projection of the Swedish 

 coast between, Oefle on the north (60 40' N. lat.), and Bhivikeu Bay 

 near Norrkoping on the south (55 35' X. lat), has a rocky shore, 

 indented by numerous inlets, which are generally small, with the 

 exception of that which unites Lake Malar with the sea. In conse- 

 quence of these iuleU, this coast consuls of a succession of small 

 peninsula*. Though extremely rocky, the coast in general is of 

 moderate elevation: in a few places it may rise to 100 feet The 

 islands, which are very numerous along the whole coast, but especially 

 to the south of the Alauds Uof (the Sea of Aland), all consist of rocks, 

 but the greater part of them are only a few feet above the sea. These 

 rocky islands and islets are called ' skar*,' and many of them ore sur- 

 rounded by cand-banks. South of the small bay of Briiviken, as 

 far as the parallel of the northern extremity of the island of Uland 

 (57 22' N. lat.), the coast is partly rocky and somewhat elevated, and 

 partly low and sandy. It ia likewise intersected by many inlets, all 

 of which run from east-south-east to west-north-west, so as to give to 

 this part of the coast nearly the appearance of a saw. The rocky 

 islands and cliffs which line it are still more numerous than farther 

 north, and render the access to it very difficult The coast of the 

 Strait of Calmar (which divides the island of Oland from Sweden), is 

 low, and runs in a less broken line. The islands in this strait are 

 comparatively few; and south of Calmar they disappear almost 

 entirely. The Strait of Calmar terminates on the south with Cape 

 Tornhamnsudde or Torrumudde, a low rocky point east of Carlscrona, 

 at which the coast, which up to this point extended nearly due north 

 and south, suddenly turns to the west This is the most broken rocky 

 and elevated part of the coast of Sweden, and it extends to a few miles 

 west of CarUhamn. Nearly the whole of this coast consists of rocks, 

 sometime* rising 50 feet high with a steep ascent : but between the 

 projecting masses, and especially at the mouths of the small rivers, it 

 sinks nearly to the level of the sea ; and such places generally form 

 good harbours and anchorages, being protected from the wind and 

 sea by the numerous inlands which line the coast The largest of 

 these islands are at a short distance from Cape Torrumudde, and form 

 the harbour of Carlscrona. The rocky elevated coast terminates at 

 the peninsula of Solvctsborg ; the shores of the peninsula of Scania, 

 which forms the most southern part of Sweden, being low, sandy, and 

 free from islands and rocks, but in a few places lined with sand-banks. 

 Cape Kulleii, which forms the northern entrance of the Sound on the 

 east, is of moderate elevation, but north of it the coast sinks down 

 nearly to the level of the sea, and continues so to Warberg, up to 

 which place no islands or rocks occur. The coast rise* a little north 

 of Warberg, and the rocky islands reappear and increase in number 

 as we proceed northward: it also gradually rises higher, though 

 the elevation never exceeds 30 feet The coast is very rocky, and 

 intersected by several large inlets, especially north of Qotheborg, 

 where the arms of the uea run up to Uddevalla, and separate from the 

 mainland two largo islands, Tyorn and Orust, which' are rather hilly 

 The other islands are only rocky cliff's of email extent and moderate 

 elevation ; and as we approach the boundary of Norway several of 

 them con.-i.it of sand and other alluvial matter. 



. In that part of Sweden which lies north of 62" N. lat, 



he country rises continually from the Qulf of Bothnia to the boundary 

 of Norway. South of that parallel the KlopeB extend in a dil 



liruotion. Between 62 and 59 N. lat the country slopes to the 

 south, and attains its lowest level at the place where the three great 



akcs of Weuer, Hielmar, and Malar nearly intersect the country: 

 south of these lakes the country rises again, and from 58 to 67 10' 



ST. lat it constitutes on elevated table-land bounded by slopes. This 



able-laud is connected with the mountain region north of <'- X. lat. 



jy a low narrow ridge, which runs nearly due north of it between 



.4 and 15 K long, as far north as 60 N. Ut, aud afterwards declines 

 to the north-west This ridge constitutes the watershed between 

 58 and 62 N. lat 



The most elevated part of Sweden lien along the boundary-line of 



Norway, and is called the Kiolen Mountains, which range extends as 



or south as 04 N. lat The mountainous country continues I' 

 south to 61 N. lat, but this southern portion is a part of 



a'.U-l Nur.-U'i Fi' llun. Both these ranges are noticed under NORSK*. 



1. The Nurthtr* part of the mountain region of Sweden, or that 

 which extends from the banks of the rivers Muonio and Tor: 

 Jl" Xlat., has a great uniformity of surface. The western di 

 jcing occupied by the most elevated portion of tl 



very high mountains, and a considerable tract surrounding 

 Mount Sulitelma is always covered with snow. The lowest parts of 

 the highest portion of the range are probably 4000 feet above the 

 sea-level. From these parU the country slopes towards the Uulf ot 

 Bothnia; but the descent is not regular, being more rapid near th" 

 range, aud more gentle towards the sea. The whole distance l 

 the crest of the range and the gulf is rather more than 200 > 

 About 40 miles from the crest the whole region has descended to about 

 2000 feet. In this highest region all the mountains rise above the 1 1 

 011 which trees grow ; in the valleys some diminutive firs and 

 are found, but the greater part of these valleys are filled with lakes or 

 swamps. Below this mountain region extends the elevated region, in 

 which the country descends from the general level of 2000 l< 

 that of 800 feet above the sea-level. The width of this tract is about 

 60 miles. Numerous branches of the Kioleu Mountains t 

 tract, and their summits are generally above the line of vegetation, 

 being 3000 feet high; between them the valleys are several miles 

 wide in many places, but nearly all of them are occupied by alpine 

 lakes. These lakes are frequently of great extent, 30 or 40 miles long, 

 and from 3 to 5 miles wide. One of them, the Horn Afran, from 

 which the Skelleftca Klf issues, occupies the whole widtli of this 

 tract, and is more than 60 miles long, and in some places 10 miles 

 wide. The inhabitants of this region live chiefly on the produce of 

 their cattle, and on the fish caught iu the lakes, among which an: 

 several kinds of salmon. The forests are useless, except for the local 

 supply of firewood. The rivers do not admit either of navigation or 

 the floating of wood. Nearer the sea is the lower region, the g 

 level of which pinks from 800 to 300 feet. It is wider than the elevated 

 region, measuring from east to west about 70 miles. The ridges 

 which traverse the whole breadth of the elevated region extend to 

 this region, and may even be said to cross it; but they sink into hill*, 

 being, with few exceptions, hardly more than 500 feet above the 

 general level They are generally wooded to their summits. These 

 hills are not usually steep, and there are small level tracts between 

 them which are dry ; but only a email surface is cultivated, owing to 

 the severity of the climate and the poverty of the soil. Potatoes and 

 cabbages, with a little barley and rye, are grown. The inhabitants 

 live mainly on the produce of their cattle. Tlie lakes in this tract nro 

 few, and most of them hardly larger than ponds. The fir and pine 

 cover the greater part of the country, and pitch and tar arj made 

 from them. The regions just described constitute the I. 

 and Uuiea, which contain an area of above liu s. Of 



this the hikes and swamps occupy about one-tenth ; the cultivated 

 tracts do not exceed 06 square miles ; the meadows occupy about 390 

 square miles, and all the remainder is either covered with forests or a 



2. The Central portion of the mountain region, or that which lien 

 between 64 and 62" N. lat., though in some respects it rwei 

 the northern portion, is distinguished by some peculiar features. The 

 average width of Sweden in this part does not exceed 170 miles. The 

 highest part of this region, situated within the KiiiU-n Mountains, vari. s 

 from 20 to 30 miles in breadth. Only a few summits are always c< 

 with snow, among which the most elevated is the Sylfiellen, which U 

 5860 feet above the sea-level. The rivers which originate }; 

 region run only in ravines, and the whole tract is entirely uninl.;. 

 and only visited in summer by a few Laplanders, who liiul g 

 for their reindeer on the mountains. The country adjacent I 

 mountainous tract forms a kind of table-land, extending about 80 

 miles in every direction. In the lowest part of this table-lam 1 

 is the Great Lake, or StorriOn, whose surface is 978 feet above the 

 pea-level; it is 40 miles long from north to eouth, and in some 

 12 miles wide. The river which issues from the north-cast side of the 

 lake is the principal feeder of the Indals Klf. This table-land ( 

 basin, being inclosed by higher land. Krom the Kiiilen range, west 

 of the basin, a branch advances into the basin for a few mile-, and 

 then terminates abruptly with the high summit of Mount Areskutan 



