Mälar, Lake

Mälar, Lake

Swedish  Mälaren, 

      lake in eastern Sweden, located just west of Stockholm, which lies at the lake's junction with Salt Bay, an arm of the Baltic Sea. At one time Lake Mälar was a bay of the Baltic, and seagoing vessels using it were able to sail far into the interior of Sweden. Because of movements of the Earth's crust, however, the rock barrier at the mouth of the bay had become so shallow by about 1200 that ships had to unload near the entrance, and the bay became a lake.

      With an area of 440 square miles (1,140 square km) and extending about 75 miles (120 km) across Sweden, it is the country's third largest lake. Together with Lake Hjalmar, it drains an area of 8,160 square miles (21,130 square km). Normally its surface is only 1 foot (0.3 metre) above sea level, and its outflow is sometimes reversed. Navigable channels connect it with Lake Hjalmar to the southwest, while the Södertälje Canal and two channels at Stockholm connect it with the Baltic to the east.

      Its more than 1,200 islands, with a total area of 189 square miles (489 square km), and its deeply indented, wooded shoreline have made the lake area a popular residential and resort region. There are many towns in addition to Stockholm along its shores, a number of them of historical interest. Near Mariefred is the castle of Gripsholm, begun in 1537 by Gustav I Vasa and known today for its portrait collection. In the episcopal palace at Strängnäs, Gustav I Vasa was elected king of Sweden in 1523. The island of Drottningholm (Queen's Island) has a 17th-century palace that is a royal summer residence with a fine park and formal gardens. The château of Skokloster, south of Uppsala, on the northern arm of Lake Mälar, has a remarkable collection of trophies, including an armoury, from the Thirty Years' War (1618–48).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • MÄLAR LAKE —    large and beautiful Swedish lake, stretching 80 m. westward from Stockholm; its shores are deeply indented with bays, and the surrounding hills as well as the thousand islands it contains are well wooded …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Malar — may refer to: Malar, Iran, a city in Iran Malar, Pakistan, a town in Pakistan Malar (Forgotten Realms), a deity in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons Dragons Relating to the cheek (from Latin) Malar rash, a disease sign consisting… …   Wikipedia

  • Malar Balasubramanian — (born November 15, 1976) is an American pediatrician who pleaded guilty on January 30, 2006 to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Contents 1 Education and career 2 Initial Story of Homicide 3 Fir …   Wikipedia

  • Mälar — [mel′ä rənmel′är] lake in SE Sweden: 440 sq mi (1,140 sq km): Swed. name Mälaren [mel′ä rən] …   English World dictionary

  • Lake Mälaren — noun the third largest lake in Sweden Syn: Lake Malar …   Wiktionary

  • Lake Malar — noun the third largest lake in Sweden Syn: Lake Mälaren …   Wiktionary

  • Mälar — /may leuhr, lahr/, n. Lake, a lake in S Sweden, extending W from Stockholm. 440 sq. mi. (1140 sq. km). Swedish, Mälaren /me lah rddeuhn/. * * * …   Universalium

  • Mälar — /ˈmɛla/ (say melah) noun Lake, a lake in southern Sweden, extending about 129 km west from Stockholm. About 1140 km2 …  

  • Меларен — (Mälar, Lake, швед. Mälaren)Malar, озеро, на Ю. В. Швеции, простирающееся в глубь страны от Балтийского моря. Стокгольм расположен на его стоке; пл. 1140 кв.км …   Страны мира. Словарь

  • Sweden — /sweed n/, n. a kingdom in N Europe, in the E part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. 8,946,193; 173,732 sq. mi. (449,964 sq. km). Cap.: Stockholm. Swedish, Sverige. * * * Sweden Introduction Sweden Background: A military power during the 17th… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”