9781422278079

SWEDEN’S GEOGRAPHY & LANDSCAPE

Kebnekaise Situated in northern Sweden, Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in the country. The Kebnekaise massif lies within the Scandinavian mountain range and covers 200 square miles (500 square km). The mountain has two main peaks, the higher one is Mount Kebne at 6,926 feet (2,111 meters).

Kebnekaise is very wild and uninhabited. It is known for its outstanding natural beauty. Kebnekaise is a popular tourist destination and is climbed by thousands each year. Some routes, however, require mountaineering equipment and other skills.

Norrland accounts for almost 70 percent of Sweden’s land area but is home to only about 15 percent of the population. Far to the north, inside the Arctic Circle, is Samiland, a region inhabited by the Sami people. The land is largely treeless and barren, with extensive stretches of highlands that hold rich mineral deposits. Sweden’s highest peak, Kebnekaise, rises to 6,926 feet (2,111 meters) in Samiland. The central area of Norrland is relatively flat and marked by marshlands, peat bogs, and dense stands of forest—mostly Scotch Pine and Norwegian Spruce. Long narrow lakes, rough stretches of river, and rocky glacial hills known as moraines interrupt the landscape. Further to the south, the land is more developed, and features agricultural and industrial regions with richer soils and Sweden’s most important iron ore deposits. 14