National Parks of Sweden

National parks of Sweden are managed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Swedish: Naturvårdsverket) and owned by the state. The goal of the national park service is to create a system of protected areas that represent all the distinct natural regions of the country. In 1909, Sweden became the first country in Europe to establish such parks when nine were opened following the Riksdag passing of a law on national parks that year. This was followed by the establishment of seven parks between 1918 and 1962 and thirteen between 1982 and 2009, with the latest being Åsnen National Park in 2018. As of 2020 there are 30 national parks in Sweden, comprising a total area of 743,238 hectares (1,836,580 acres).