APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R00200090020-4
block, cobblestone, crushed stone, or gravel surfaces; however, a few short sections are unsurfaced. In most of Sweden, highway traffic is restricted by snow and ice in the winter months and by flooding and soft surfaces during the spring thaw. Other restrictions in highway traffic include many sharp curves and steep graves, narrow roadways, narrow, low-capacity bridges, and low vertical clearance at bridges and underpasses. Many miles of roads throughout the country have no shoulders. Most of the railroads are electrified, single track, 4'8½" gage, and have numerous bridges and tunnels. The rail lines are mostly in fair to good condition and have high capabilities and could support sustained traffic. Extended periods of heavy snow, flooding, and frost heaving during the spring thaw present difficult maintenance problems for both roads and railroads. Data on internal routes are shown in Figure 11.
E. Approaches
The perimeter of Sweden, including the islands of Gotland and Oland, is about 3,365 miles. Land boundaries total 1,365 miles, and the coastline excluding the numerous small islands, islets, and minor indentations, is about 2,000 miles in length. Territorial waters extend 4 nautical miles seaward from the coast except in The Sound where 2 nautical miles are claimed. In The Sound the boundary with Denmark is aligned along the main navigational channel. (U/OU)
The 1,030-mile border with Norway, longest of the land boundaries, extends for most of its length along mountain ridges and across rounded hills. In the extreme south there are small areas of plains. Vegetation consists mostly of low shrubs, grasses, and lichens on the mountains and forest on the hills and plains. The border is demarcated and undisputed. (U/OU)
The 335-mile border with Finland is marked by deep, wide streams, which flow through the hills in the extreme north and across plains elsewhere. Vegetation consists mainly of needleleaf evergreen forest. The boundary is defined and undisputed. (U/OU)
1. Land (C)
Conditions for movement are unfavorable in the border areas. Cross-country movement would be difficult because of the extensive areas of rugged highlands, dense forests, wet areas, and wide streams. In winter, movement would be possible locally on frozen water bodies and frozen ground but would be severely hindered in many placed by deep snow. Only a few widely spaced roads and railroads cross the borders. The approaches shown on Figure 10 are the best means of land access in Sweden. Data on the land approaches are given in Figure 12.
2. Sea (C)
Sea approaches are from the North Sea, through the Skagerrak, Kattegat, and The Sound to the west coast and through the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea to the east and south coast. Conditions are generally unfavorable for large-scale amphibious operations because of mostly obstructed and channelized approaches, flat nearshore gradients, poor or unusable exits and cross-country movement conditions, and adverse weather conditions during most of the year. Offshore approaches for most of the east and west coasts are partly obstructed by islands, and numerous islets, rocks, and shoals which extend as far as 20 nautical miles offshore. Nearshore approaches are severely encumbered by shoals, islets, rocks, sandbars, and scattered wrecks. These obstructions are also present in the more shallow offshore and nearshore approaches to the southern coast, but they are widely scattered, and approaches to some parts are relatively clear. Sea ice, forming first in the Gulf of Bothnia, may be present along the coast during October through June. In the Baltic Sea, icebreakers would be needed to aid navigation through drift and shelf ice from the end of December to early April. In the Gulf of Bothnia, ships would be stopped or severely hampered by ice for long periods, particularly in the northern part, from about the end of December to early May. During all except very mild winters the head of the Gulf of Bothnia and the narrow north-central part freeze sufficiently to support troop movement, and in some winters, the ice is thick enough to support 1½-ton trucks. In addition to the ice, other winter hazards are long periods of darkness and frequent fogs and storms. High sea and swell are most common during autumn and winter, and highest occurrence along parts of the west coast. Nearshore bottom slopes range from gentle to flat; bottom materials are primarily sand, with varying amounts of mud, gravel, and stones; seaweed is found in some places. Surf 4 feet or higher is infrequent throughout the year in most areas but may occur at anytime along unprotected stretches of coast. Tides are negligible, but water-level fluctuations up to 6 feet may be caused by winds, river discharges, and changes in atmospheric pressure, and, on the west coast, there are highly variable currents. The only beaches usable for large-scale amphibious operations are along the southern part of the coast. In general,
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R00200090020-4
