The mountain system on the Scandinavian peninsula of Northern Europe, with a total length of 1700 km and a width of 1300 km, is called the Scandinavian mountains. The western part of the mountain slopes approaches the North Sea, forming steep and steep shores, peninsulas, capes, islands. The steepness and inaccessibility of the mountains is proved by 178 tunnels laid on the section of the Oslo-Bergen railway line (Norway).
The eastern part gradually decreases and passes into the Norland plateau. The Scandinavian mountains are a highland that consists of individual elongated ridges, plateaus, and intramontane depressions. In many places, there are flattened surfaces intersected by deep fjords and valleys. The modern relief was formed due to water erosion, the activity of ice, wind and snow.
The mountain massif forms numerous fjords, which were formed under the action of glacier movement. These are sea bays, deeply cutting into land, with high rocky shores. As a rule, the depth of the Scandinavian fjords reaches one kilometer.
It is believed that the Scandinavian mountains are low. The maximum peak - Mount Galhepiggen with a height of 2469 m - is located on the southern slope of the mountain system, in Norway. The highest point in Sweden - Mount Kebnekaise (2111 m) - is located in the northern part of the peninsula. The mountain system of Scandinavia is covered with glaciers, which are considered the largest in the European part. The climate in these parts is temperate, only in the strip of the far north - subarctic.
On the territory of Sweden, in the Scandinavian mountains (in Lapland), there is a large Sarek National Reserve. It was founded in 1909 and covers an area of 194,000 hectares. On this square there are over 90 mountain peaks with a height of 1800 meters. Among them are mountain rivers, waterfalls, gorges and 100 glaciers.
The Scandinavian mountains are permeated by a dense river network, which is formed by the predominance of a humid marine climate and the intense ruggedness of the mountain range. Rivers, as a rule, are short and full-flowing, saturated with waterfalls and countless rapids. Their maximum filling begins in the spring, mainly from melting snow and heavy rains, less often - from glaciers. Due to the high flow rate, ice does not form on rivers in winter. These mountains in Europe have a large number of lakes of tectonic-glacial origin.
Where the height of the mountains reaches 1000 meters in the southern part and up to 500 meters in the northern part, the slopes are covered with coniferous taiga forests. The forests of the western slopes alternate with shrubs and peatlands. Pines and spruces predominate in these parts. Outside of these heights, a belt of birch woodlands is spread to a height of 200 m, which is replaced by a zone of mountain tundra. Locals use this area for grazing livestock in the summer.
Broad-leaved and mixed forests predominate in the eastern part of the mountains . The fauna of the Scandinavian mountains is represented by hares, foxes, moose, reindeer, squirrels, roe deer, and seals. Among birds in the forests there are grouse, black grouse, capercaillie, waterfowl on the coast and lakes. There are many commercial fish in sea and river waters.
The Scandinavian mountains are rich in ore deposits of pyrites, copper, iron, lead and titanium. In the North Sea, in the offshore section, there are oil reserves.