a historical region in central Sweden. Area, 81,000 sq km. Population, 3.1 million (1975). The nucleus of the modern Swedish state took shape in Svealand. The southern and eastern parts of the region, which include the läner (counties) of Uppsala, Södermanland, Västmanland, and Örebro, feature low-lying plains situated around Lakes Mälaren, Hjäl-maren, and Vänern. The northern and western parts, including the läner of Kopparberg and Värmland, have iron-ore deposits (in Grängesberg and elsewhere) and two principal rivers, the Dalälven and Klarälven, with abundant hydroelectric potential. There are vast coniferous forests.
Svealand accounts for approximately two-fifths of Sweden’s population and more than two-fifths of its industrial output. The main branches of industry are machine building (primarily electrical engineering and radio engineering), metalworking, ferrous metallurgy (concentrated in the Bergslagen mining region), and the paper and pulp industry (especially in Värmland Län). The agricultural sector specializes in grain farming and dairy animal husbandry. The major cities and industrial centers are Stockholm, Uppsala, Västerås, Eskilstuna, Örebro, and Karlstad.