Sweden rarely came on my radar, so when I discovered I was moving there, I became curious about the country’s geography. I wanted to know the different regions of Sweden, major cities, and how big it is, really?
Read about 11 iconic winter activities to do in Sweden.
Sweden vs California
So naturally, my mind went to comparing it to somewhere in the U.S., and California was that place. When you examine a map, you will see that both places are similarly shaped like a long peninsula.
Looking at the numbers, Sweden has 173,860 sq miles of landmass with a relatively low population of ~10 million. On the other hand, California has a slightly smaller landmass of 163,695 square miles but has a population of ~39 million.
This gives you a good reference for Sweden’s landmass. The population difference between an entire country and a state is pretty crazy.
Sweden within Europe
However, the U.S. is massive, so a more fair comparison is within its own continent. In Europe, Sweden is the largest (by area) of the Nordic countries. Overall, it is the fifth largest (by area) country in Europe, behind Russia, Ukraine, France, and Spain.
The 3 Main Regions
Sweden has 21 regions and 290 municipalities. Traditionally, it is categorized into three distinct, bigger regions: Norrland, Svealand, and Götaland. These regions translate very simply to the northern, central, and southern regions.
Norrland
This is the biggest and least populated region of Sweden. After all, part of this region is in the Arctic Circle – so, as you can imagine, it would be a harsh winter to live in. It is, however, home to the Sámi people, which are Ingenious Peoples spread between Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Russia. They have a long culture and history that you are encouraged to learn about while visiting.
This region has vast amounts of nature – from mountains, glaciers, lakes, and river valleys. This is where to go to see the untouched and beautiful wilderness.
This region is where the Northern Lights are most visible, and you can participate in some iconic Swedish winter activities like dog sledding and snowshoeing until mid-May.
Some cities in Norrland include Umeå, Kiruna and Sundsvall. These cities have a population of ~ 130,000 or less.
Svealand
Svealand has archipelagos, agriculture, forests, and lakes. It is the smallest of the three regions, yet it is home to the biggest city, Stockholm. The city of Stockholm is situated on 14 archipelagos with more than 50 bridges that connect the islands.
Just 20 minutes outside of Stockholm city are more than 30,000 archipelago islands and the Stockholm Archipelago Trails. There are over 270 km of hiking trails on over 20 archipelago islands. You can hike, camp, eat, see wildlife, and stay at hotels.
In addition, there is Lake Mälaren, which is an arm of the Baltic Sea. It connects Stockholm and Västerås and is one of the best lakes to ice skate in the winter when it freezes over.
Other cities in this region are Uppsala, Västerås, and Köping.
Götaland
Götaland has fertile agriculture, long beaches, canoeing, and fishing. Major agricultural crops in this region are grains, potatoes, and beets.
There are popular and picturesque fishing villages on the west coast of the region, like Smögen. These are popular vacation spots for Swedes and other tourists alike.
The major cities in this region include Gothenburg, Malmö, and Lund.
