Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - I. Physical Geography. Introd. by [G. Sundbärg] Gunnar Andersson - 1. Configuration. By Gunnar Andersson
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
It)
I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.
make their appearance, almost always preceded on the Norrland coast by a belt
of speckled alder (Alnus incana), usually some tens of meters in breadth.
B) The Lowlands of Central Sweden. The marine-deposit district
with its plains and easily cultivated clay soil extends from the Norrland
littoral across the whole of the Lowlands of Central Sweden; the
dissimilarity of the two regions is, nevertheless, very great. If the
contour-lines for 100 and 200 m be traced on the map on p. 6, and the
accompanying sketch-map be placed alongside for comparison, it will be
seen that the immediate continuation of the Norrland coast belt runs
through the southern districts of Dalarne and Värmland, where deep valleys
penetrate the more elevated, moraine-covered primary-rock regions. Here,
then, as in Norrland, forest-clad hills occupy the larger part of the country,
while in the lowlands proper the greater part of the country consists of
leveller ground, principally formed of marine deposits. Out of this there rise
in different parts more or less numerous hills, of varying elevation but
seldom exceeding from 50 to 100 m above the sea. Exceptions are the
Silurian mountains of Västergötland, of which Kinnekulle is 302 m in
height, Halleberg 148 m, Hunneberg 142 m, Billingen 298 m, and
Omberg, a remnant of Archaean röck still preserved on the east side of
Lake Vättern, 263 m. Wherever the Archæan röck summits have been
much exposed to the action of waves and winds, they have for the most
part lost the finer elements in their soils, which renders them but poor
as forest land; on them Norway spruces and Scotch pine, with some few
birches and aspens here and there, carry on a hard struggle for existence,
often intensified by the molestations of man. The soil in these parts
is but ill-adapted for tillage.
As pointed out above, it is the faults in the underlying rocks that,
following along certain defined lines, originated the Lowlands of
Central Sweden in the first instance, the marine deposits later spreading over
the surface in a thick layer and producing greater fertility and uniformity
of level. These formations more especially afford an exceedingly
arable and fertile soil in those parts where there exists a fairly large
admixture of lime, such as Uppland, Närke, Östergötland, and
Västergötland; in former times the finer species of foliferous trees, such as the
oak, maple, ash, lime, hazel, etc., grew here, forming continuous stretches of
forest that encompassed the dark patches of coniferous trees on the higher
ground. It was on these inviting plains that the first settlers in Central
Sweden took up their abode, brought the soil under cultivation and laid
the foundations of the Swedish national power. Large sections of
Archæan rocks, remaining as "Horsts" above the plains created by the faults,
as for instance Kolmården and the ridge of hills north of Lake Vättern,
form the large forest-clad districts that long prevented the inhabitants
of the adjacent plains from uniting to form one political unit.
Though the differences of elevation in the extensive Lowlands of
Central Sweden are not very great, yet the process of depression was so
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
