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I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.
As is the case in most countries, the administrative and the historical
divisions of Sweden are not coincident. The old, historical division into
Provinces or Shires (Landskap) is shown on the accompanying map
which also marks the three ancient "main divisions" of the country,
Svealand, Götaland, and Norrland. The last-named includes in accordance
with rule the administrative district Gävleborg Län. With this addition
the area of Norrland amounts to 261 300 sq. km; that of Svealand to 85 100
sq. km and that of Götaland to 92 600 sq. km. To obtain the intire area of
Sweden there must be added to this those of the four great lakes of Central
Sweden (9 100 sq. km altogether), they not being ordinarily included in
the area of the läns adjacent to them.
1. CONFIGURATION.
The backbone of the Scandinavian Peninsula consists of a very ancient
mountain range which was thrown up in a remote geological period along
the NE boundary of what is now the Atlantic Ocean. This upheaval
in the earth’s crust can be traced from the North of Ireland, across
northwestern Scotland to the Scandinavian Peninsula, where it is first visible
in the Norwegian mountains that stretch from Stavanger on the W coast
to the boundary in Härjedalen and thence along the frontier itself in a
broad belt, embracing sections of both countries, until it reaches the great
mountain lake, Torne Träsk, whence it vanishes into the ocean to appear
once more along the western coast of Spitzbergen.
This elevated stretch of country, running principally SSW to NNE,
has been the determining factor in the general geographical development
of Sweden through a long series of geological epochs. Down from the
watershed of the interior of the ancient continent streams of water found
their way to the extreme edge of the land, excavating as they did so the
deep and characteristic river-valleys in the Highlands of Upper Sweden.
Owing to a series of faults, chiefly running from N to S and from
W to E, large areas of the country at a later period of its geological
history were depressed below their earlier level. This tectonic
movement was the origin of the Baltic, the Gulf of Finland and the large
lakes and plains which are to be found in the Lowlands of Central
Sweden. There still exists a remnant of the ancient continental plateau
further south in the Småland Highlands, which are bordered on the south
by the Plains of Skåne: the latter are characterized by more recent,
sedimentary formations which have given rise to natural features and scenery
very different in general character to those of the Scandinavian-Finnish
Archaean röck area. The four regions named constitute the main
oro-graphical sub-divisions of Sweden; they stand out with considerable
clearness on the accompanying hypsographical map.
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