The kingdom of Sweden is situated in north west Europe and occupies about 60% of the Scandinavian Peninsula, covering 450,000 sq kms. 15% of the country lies above the Arctic Circle. 10% of the land is lakes and almost 60% is forested. Most of the population lives in the area between Stockholm and Malmahus in the south.
The climate is generally continental with cold winters and mild summers, although colder in winter and drier than Norway. Continuous daylight in the summer in the north is balanced by a freeze which can last up to 250 days. In the south, temperatures vary between minus 3°C in January and 17°C in July.