Because of its large area and latitudinal extent, Sweden has a number of climate regimes. A cold, maritime climate dominates the country's west coast. The northern two-thirds of the country has a continental climate marked by severe winters. The south central areas experience the long, rather cold winters of the north, but they enjoy milder summers. The mountain regions remain cool in summer.
Forest covers two thirds of the land area.
It consists of a summer-green forest of beeches, oaks, and other deciduous trees in the south, a mixed forest of deciduous and coniferous trees in central Sweden, and a predominantly coniferous forest of mainly pines and spruce in the north. Mountain birch and dwarf birch grow in colder upland areas, and tundra covers the highest elevations. Bears, wolves and lynxes are now found only in isolated woodlands, elk and deer are the common large animals found elsewhere. The concepts of landskap and h rad are ancient, mirroring how people in pre-historic times identified and knew each others. The h rader play no role in the Swedish society any more - except for folk costumes.