Economy, Transportation

Sweden’s transportation facilities are concentrated in the southern third of the country. Sweden has about 212,402 km (about 131,980 mi) of roads, of which 14,577 km (9,058 mi) are national roadways. In the early 1990s about 4 million motor vehicles, including about 3.6 million passenger cars, were in use. Railroad trackage totals 9,978 km (6,200 mi), virtually all of which is state owned; approximately three-quarters, including the principal rail lines, is electrified. Inland waterways include the Gota Canal, which connects the east and west coasts of Sweden; although the canal is important chiefly as a tourist route, it serves some local commerce. The Swedish merchant marine has a total displacement of 3 million gross registered tons. Stockholm and Goteborg are the leading seaports. Numerous ferries ply the waters between Sweden and its neighboring countries. In 1999 work was completed on a bridge and tunnel linking Sweden and Denmark. The 15-km (9.5-mi) link connects the Swedish city of Malmo with the Danish city of Copenhagen via an artificial island. The bridge and tunnel opened to traffic in July 2000.

The Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), operated jointly with Denmark and Norway, provides international service. Linjeflyg, a subsidiary of SAS, offers domestic flights within Sweden. The principal international airports are at Arlanda (near Stockholm), Landvetter (near Goteborg), and Sturup (near Malmo).