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Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of
Bothnia, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 15 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total area: 449,964 sq km
land area: 410,928 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries:
total: 2,205 km
border countries: Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline: 3,218 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool,
partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber,
uranium, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 64%
other: 27%

Irrigated land: 1,120 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the
North Sea and the Baltic Sea
natural hazards: ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in
the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Geographic note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking
Baltic and North Seas

People
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Population: 8,900,954 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 860,940; female 815,967)
15-64 years: 64% (male 2,884,687; female 2,794,593)
65 years and over: 17% (male 654,439; female 890,328) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.56% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 11.55 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 5.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est