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CONFIGURATION. 39
The -North-Swedish mountain chain is intersected, as mentioned above
by numerous valleys. The passes from one side to the other are numerous
and form deep incisions in the mountains; thus, in some score of places
they do not rise to 900 m in height. The lowest points are situated
north of Lake Torne Träsk (412 m) and near Tnnsjon (351 m.) west
of the Ström River Yalley. These valleys, owing to the character of the
rocks through which the rivers have had to make their way, are of two
types: broad, open excavations that slope down gradually towards the sea
and deep gorge-like incisions with more or less precipitous sides; the
former is the type most largely represented. In many instances the
broad valleys are partially occupied by long-shaped lakes, whose origin is
to be traced to changes brought about during the Glacial Period in the
old river-courses. The valleys that the rivers had cut through the rocks
were at that time frequently dammed up by immense masses of morainic
and fluvio-glacial material; moreover, it is possible that a diversiform
upheaval of the land may have contributed towards altering the drainage
of the area. As the divide had an elevation of from 400 to 800
m, there was no possibility of the water finding an outlet to the West,
and hence the origin of the great lakes. These lakes, which are so
characteristic of the interior of Norrland, have many features in common. Thus
they are all situated at elevations varying only by about 100 m; their
greatest depth is, as a rule, at the western end, where, too, their character
of mountain lakes is most clearly evident. The chief of these lakes, from
North to South, are as follows:
Lakes Height above Area
Sea Level. Meters, sq. km
Torne träsk ..... 345 326
Langas-Stora Lule Lake 375—370 227
Saggat-Skalka..........303-295 83
Hornavan-Storavan . . 425—419 713
Storuman ...... 348 166
Vojmsjön....... 413 78
JIalgomaj-Volgsjön . . 341—333 104
Flåsjön........ 265 130
Ströms vattendal . . . 286 96
Hotagen..............313 50
Kallsjön..............381 151
The rocks forming the higher portions of the mountain chain are, in
general, quartzites and hard eruptive rocks, such as gabbro and diabase,
whereas softer rocks, such as mica and other schists, appear very largely
in the valley-courses and at lower levels. Along the eastern limit of
the mountain area are to be found unmetamorphosed Silurian schists,
limestones, sandstones, etc.; this zone attains its greatest breadth in the
fertile and extensive plains of Jämtland.
Very considerable sections of the mountain regions, such as those about
Kebnekaise, Sarek, and Sulitelma, are covered with r/laciers. The most
southerly glacier in Sweden is the small one on the northern slopes of
the Helagsfjället, 62° 54’ 19" N Lat. and 5° 36’ 3" W Long, of
Stockholm. The total number of glaciers is somewhat over 200 and their
entire area is approximately 350 sq. km. In other places the
surface-covering of the mountains is that of a mountain moorland, characterized
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