Sweden vs. Norway
Geography
| Sweden | Norway | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway | Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden |
| Geographic coordinates | 62 00 N, 15 00 E | 62 00 N, 10 00 E |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Area | total: 450,295 sq km land: 410,335 sq km water: 39,960 sq km | total: 323,802 sq km land: 304,282 sq km water: 19,520 sq km |
| Area - comparative | almost three times the size of Georgia; slightly larger than California | slightly larger than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,211 km border countries (2): Finland 545 km, Norway 1666 km | total: 2,566 km border countries (3): Finland 709 km, Sweden 1666 km, Russia 191 km |
| Coastline | 3,218 km | 25,148 km (includes mainland 2,650 km, as well as long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations 22,498 km; length of island coastlines 58,133 km) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas) exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 10 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north | temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast |
| Terrain | mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west | glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Kebnekaise South 2,100 m lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.4 m mean elevation: 320 m | highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m mean elevation: 460 m |
| Natural resources | iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 7.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 6.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1.1% (2018 est.) forest: 68.7% (2018 est.) other: 23.8% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 2.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.5% (2018 est.) forest: 27.8% (2018 est.) other: 69.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 1,640 sq km (2012) | 900 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic | rockslides, avalanches volcanism: Beerenberg (2,227 m) on Jan Mayen Island in the Norwegian Sea is the country's only active volcano |
| Environment - current issues | marine pollution (Baltic Sea and North Sea); acid rain damage to soils and lakes; air pollution; inappropriate timber harvesting practices | water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas; Sweden has almost 100,000 lakes, the largest of which, Vanern, is the third largest in Europe | about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much-indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of the most rugged and longest coastlines in the world |
| Total renewable water resources | 174 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 393 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most Swedes live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated | most Norweigans live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the North Sea coast in the southwest, and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated |
Source: CIA Factbook
