Sweden (Konungariket Sverige) is the third largest country in Western Europe, and is governed by a constitutional parliamentary monarchy. It occupies the eastern side of the Scandinavian peninsula and bordered to the west and north with Norway, northeast with Finland; is washed by the Kattegat to the southwest, from the Baltic Sea to the southeast and the Gulf of Bothnia to the east. Among cities beyond the capital Stockholm are important Gothenburg and Malmö.
The coasts are characterized by deep creeks, a mountain range, the Scandinavian Alps, acts as a border with Norway reaching the highest peak of the country with Mount Kebnekaise, 2117 meters, placed at the extreme north of the country near Kiruna. The northern regions are mountainous and covered with vast forests, while the southern regions are dominated by large plains. Most of the territory is made up of plateaus, partly covered by glaciers and lakes and by large coastal plains. The lakes cover 8,5% of the area and are located mainly in the center and south, the largest lake in Sweden is the Vänern, the third of Europe (5.585 sq. km). The main rivers are the Torne, Lule, Ume, Ångerma and Indals. In the Baltic Sea are the two main islands of Öland (1.344 sq. km) and Gotland (3.001 sq. km).