SYDSVERIGE - Geography and history
Sydsverige (Southern Sweden) is the southernmost region in Sweden and has common borders with Western Sweden and Småland and Islands. Denmark is discernible across the narrow Öresund strait.
Southern Sweden consists of the counties of Blekinge and Skåne, and comprises 38 municipalities. It has the highest population density (92.7 inhabitants per km2 on the 1st of January 2002) of any region except Stockholm. Malmö is the largest town with a population of 265 500 on the 1st of January 2003.
About one seventh of the country's total population live in Southern Sweden but the region comprises only 3.4% of the national territory.
Almost half of the area (43%) is farmland while 40% is forested. The southwestern and western parts of the region and the area around Kristianstad, in the northeast, consist of flat land, which provides the best agricultural soil in the country. As a result, Southern Sweden is the nation's most important farming area. The northern parts of the region are covered by forests. There is thus tremendous variety in the geography of the region. In spite of the relatively high population density there are ample opportunities to practice various outdoor activities.
Southern Sweden was a part of Denmark for several centuries, and the cultural and trade contacts with Denmark are still strong. This part of Sweden has long been a typical agricultural region but during the first half of the 20th century it became rapidly industrialised and now has a diversified economy.
Good prospects for future economic growth
The region's location near the European mainland is a great asset and it has close contacts with Denmark and to some extent with Germany and other countries on the Baltic Sea.
The new bridge over the strait of Öresund between Malmö and Copenhagen has already increased the contacts with Denmark and the European mainland. Expectations are high that the bridge will continue to spur economic activity in the region. Southern Sweden also has frequent ferry services with Denmark and Germany.
The geographical proximity to the European mainland, in combination with a well-developed infrastructure and education system, offer good prospects for future economic growth in Southern Sweden.
Different development determined by different conditions
For centuries, agriculture and forestry were the main economic activities in the region. The conditions for agriculture, however, were much more favourable in the fertile flatlands in the southwestern and western parts and in the areas surrounding Kristianstad than in the rest of the region. It was therefore also natural that the population tended to concentrate in the fertile flatlands. Even today, Southern Sweden is characterised by the differences between its flatland and woodland areas. The southwestern and western parts of Southern Sweden were industrialised before the rest of the region. In the northeast, significant industrialisation occurred only after 1950.
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