It occupies the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and consists of a mountainous zone (on the border with Norway) that slopes down to the Baltic through a series of undulating terraces, carved by long symmetrical valleys that frequently open into lakes, in a monotonous landscape of forests, and, in the southern sector, by a broad expanse of plain (Götaland), which gives way to the three largest lakes of the peninsula (Väner, Vätter, and Mälar). The coastline lacks the exceptional richness of inlets that characterizes the Norwegian coast, and above all the beneficial warmth of the oceanic waters.
The climate is characterized by the long duration of the extreme seasons: winter further increases this duration towards the north (1/7 of Swedish territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle), where even the normally modest precipitation becomes more abundant. Nevertheless, the country benefits to a not inconsiderable extent from the influence of the warm currents of the North Atlantic.
Sweden is above all a land of forests (which cover half the territory and whose products head its exports), while agriculture, despite its high technical level, cannot, due to the limited extent of arable land (8% of the territory, compared to 28% unproductive), meet national needs (more than half of the cereals must be imported). From increasingly flourishing livestock farming, substantial profits are derived (butter, cheese); while another major resource is industry, which, although essentially relying only on domestic timber and iron (central Sweden and Lapland; reserves of silver, copper, arsenic, and zinc are modest), has brought the country to a position of privilege through the excellence of its production of specialized and high-cost articles. Moreover, industrial activity has now established itself in almost every branch: the lack of fuel is largely offset by hydroelectric power, which boasts installations among the most powerful in Europe.
The population, ethnically (few Finns, and very few Lapps) and religiously (Protestant) very homogeneous, numbers about 7 million souls (15 per sq. km.). Its distribution is highly varied, with minimum density in the northern regions and strong urban concentrations in central Sweden and Götaland. The capital, Stockholm (715,000 inhabitants), is by far the most populous settlement; of the others, only Göteborg (346,000) and Malmö (190,000) exceed 100,000 inhabitants.
Sweden is organized as a hereditary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral representative government.