Editing Mälaren (section)

{{Short description|Third largest lake in Sweden}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Mälaren
| image              = Mälarsee.jpg
| caption            = Lake Mälaren at dusk
| alt                = View of Mälaren
| image_bathymetry   = 
| caption_bathymetry = 
| location           = [[Sweden]]
| coords             = {{coord|59|30|N|17|12|E|region:SE_type:waterbody_scale:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map        = Sweden
| pushpin_map_alt    = Location in Sweden
| type               = 
| inflow             = 
| outflow            = [[Norrström]]
| catchment          = 
| basin_countries    = [[Sweden]]
| length             = 
| width              = 
| area               = {{convert|1,140|km2|abbr=on}}
| depth              = {{convert|13|m|abbr=on}}
| max-depth          = {{convert|64|m|abbr=on}}
| volume             = {{convert|14|km3|acre.ft|abbr=on}}
| residence_time     = 
| shore              = 
| elevation          = {{convert|3|m|ft}}
| islands            = [[Selaön]], [[Svartsjölandet]] (''see [[#Larger islands|list]]'')
| cities             = 
}}

'''Mälaren''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|m|ɛ|l|ər|ɛ|n}} {{respell|MEL|ər|en}}, {{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|m|eɪ|l|ɑːr|ə|n}} {{respell|MAY|lar|ən}},<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Mälaren|access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190414110106/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/M%25C3%25A4laren "Mälaren"] (US) and {{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/M%C3%A4laren |title=Mälaren |dictionary=[[Lexico|Oxford Dictionaries]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] }}{{Dead link|date=September 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{dead link|date=September 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Mälaren|access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|sv|ˈmɛ̂ːlarɛn|lang|sv-Mälaren.ogg}} <small>or</small> {{IPA|sv|ˈmɛ̂ːlaɳ|}}),<ref>{{cite book|url=https://runeberg.org/ortnamn/0021.html|author1=Jöran Sahlgren|author2=Gösta Bergman|title=Svenska ortnamn med uttalsuppgifter|language=sv|year=1979|page=17|access-date=2023-12-26|archive-date=2021-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128031255/https://runeberg.org/ortnamn/0021.html|url-status=live}}</ref> historically referred to as '''Lake Malar''' in English, is the third-largest freshwater lake in [[Sweden]] (after [[Vänern]] and [[Vättern]]). Its area is {{cvt|1,140|km2}} and its greatest depth is 64 m (210 ft). Mälaren spans {{cvt|120|km|1}} from east to west. The lake drains, from south-west to north-east, into the [[Baltic Sea]] through its natural outlets [[Norrström]] and [[Söderström (Stockholm)|Söderström]] (as it flows around [[Stadsholmen]] island) and through the artificial [[Södertälje Canal]] and [[Hammarbyleden]] waterway. The easternmost bay of Mälaren, in central [[Stockholm]], is called [[Riddarfjärden]]. The lake is located in [[Svealand]] and bounded by the provinces of [[Uppland]], [[Södermanland]] and [[Västmanland]]. The two largest islands in Mälaren are [[Selaön]] ({{cvt|91|km2|1}}) and [[Svartsjölandet]] ({{cvt|79|km2|1}}). Mälaren is low-lying and mostly relatively shallow.

Being a quite narrow and shallow lake, Mälaren has bridge crossings between [[Eskilstuna]] and [[Västerås]] with two crossings on the western end at [[Kvicksund]] and three separate bridges between [[Strängnäs]] and [[Enköping]] in the central part of the lake. On the eastern end, the entirety of [[Ekerö Municipality]] is set on islands within Mälaren. That urban area also has a bridge connection to the mainland in Stockholm along with bridges between various islands in the municipality.

The [[Viking Age]] settlements [[Birka]] on the island of [[Björkö (Ekerö)|Björkö]] and [[Hovgården]] on the neighbouring island [[Adelsö]] have been a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] since 1993, as has [[Drottningholm Palace]] on the island of [[Lovön]].
The barrow of [[Björn Ironside]] is on the island of Munsö, within the lake.
[[File:Beorn Ironside barrow 2009 (7).jpg|right|thumb|300px|The barrow of Björn Ironside (''Björn Järnsidas hög'') on the island of Munsö, in lake Mälaren, [[Sweden]]. The barrow is crowned by a stone containing the fragmented [[Uppland Runic Inscription 13]].]]