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Sweden, officially Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden),
constitutional monarchy in northern Europe,
occupying the eastern portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula.
It is bounded on the north and west by Norway,
on the northeast by Finland, on the east by the Gulf of Bothnia
and the Baltic Sea, and on the southwest by the Öresund (Øresund),
the Kattegatt, and the Skagerrak.
Sweden includes the islands of Gotland and Öland in the Baltic Sea. It is the fourth largest country in Europe. The total area of Sweden is 449,964 sq km (173,732 sq mi). Stockholm is the country's capital and largest city. The extreme distance from north to south in Sweden is about 1575 km (about 980 mi), and from east to west about 500 km (about 310 mi). The coastline totals about 7565 km (about 4700 mi) in length. The population of Sweden is approx. 9,000,000. Giving the country an overall population density of about 19 people per sq km (about 50 persons per sq mi). The great majority of the population lives in the southern half of Sweden, especially in the central lowlands, the plains of Skåne (Scania), and the coastal lowlands. Large areas of the northern mountains are sparsely inhabited. |
