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Sweden

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                            Konungariket Sverige
   Kingdom of Sweden

   Flag of Sweden Coat of arms of Sweden
   Flag           Coat of arms
   Motto: (Royal) För Sverige - I tiden ^a
   "For Sweden - With the times"
   Anthem: Du gamla, du fria
   "Thou ancient, thou free"
   Royal anthem: Kungssången
   "The King's song"
   Location of Sweden
   Capital
   (and largest city) Stockholm
                      59°21′N 18°4′E
   Official languages none
                      ( Swedish de facto)^b
   Government         Representative parliamentary democracy
                      under a constitutional monarchy
    - King            Carl XVI Gustaf
    - Prime Minister  Fredrik Reinfeldt
     Consolidation    prehistoric
    Accession to EU   January 1, 1995
                                    Area
    - Total           449,964 km² ( 55th)
                      173,732 sq mi
    - Water (%)       8.67
                                 Population
    - 2006 estimate   9,103,551 (September 2006) ( 85th)
    - 1990 census     8,587,353
    - Density         20/km² ( 185th)
                      52/sq mi
       GDP ( PPP)     2005 estimate
    - Total           $270.516 billion ( 35th)
    - Per capita      $29,898 ( 19th)
     GDP (nominal)    2005 estimate
    - Total           $358,819 billion ( 20th)
    - Per capita      $39,694 ( 9th)
      HDI  (2006)     0.951 (high) ( 5th)
        Currency      Swedish krona ( SEK)
       Time zone      CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST)   CEST ( UTC+2)
      Internet TLD    .se^c
      Calling code    +46
   ^a För Sverige - I tiden has been adopted by Carl XVI Gustaf as his
   personal motto. Former king Gustaf VI Adolf's motto was Plikten framför
   allt, "Duty above all".
   ^b The Swedish language is de facto the national language. Five other
   languages are officially recognized as minority languages.
   ^c The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European
   Union member states.

   The Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish: Konungariket Sverige ) is a Nordic
   country in Scandinavia. It is bordered by Norway in the west, Finland
   in the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait and the Kattegat Strait in the
   southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia in the east. It
   is connected to Denmark in the southwest by the Oresund Bridge.

   Sweden has a low population density except in its metropolitan areas,
   with most of the inland consisting of forests. The country has large
   natural resources of water, timber, and iron ore. Its citizens enjoy a
   high standard of living in a country that is generally perceived as
   modern and liberal.

   Following the end of the Viking Age, Sweden became part of the Kalmar
   Union together with Denmark and Norway (Finland at this time was a part
   of the Swedish kingdom). Sweden left the union in the beginning of the
   16th century, and more or less constantly battled its neighbours for
   many years, especially Russia and the still united Denmark-Norway,
   which never completely accepted Sweden leaving the union. In the 17th
   century Sweden extended its territory through warfare and became a
   Great Power, twice its current size. By 1814 Sweden had lost its empire
   as well as Finland, previously an integral part of the Kingdom of
   Sweden. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned
   foreign policy in peacetime and neutrality in wartime.

   Sweden has been a major European exporter of iron, copper and timber
   since the Middle Ages. However, improved transportation and
   communication allowed it to utilize natural assets from different parts
   of the country on a far larger scale, most notably timber and iron ore.
   Economic liberalization as well as universal schooling contributed to
   the rapid industrialization and by the 1890s the country had begun to
   develop an advanced manufacturing industry. In the 20th century a
   welfare state emerged. Sweden usually ranks among the top nations in
   the UN Human Development Index.

History

Prehistory

   The three large "royal mounds" at Gamla Uppsala.
   Enlarge
   The three large "royal mounds" at Gamla Uppsala.

   Soon after the end of the last ice age, Sweden became populated by
   hunter-gatherers and then farmers during the Stone Age (10 000 BC –
   1700 BC). This was followed by the Bronze Age (1700 - 500 BC) and Iron
   Age (500 BC - AD 1050). Societies in Sweden remained on the preliterate
   tribal and chiefdom levels to the 1st millennium AD.

   Sweden was first mentioned in the 1st century, by Roman historian
   Tacitus, who wrote that the Suiones tribe lived out in the sea and were
   powerful in both arms and ships. This referred to the inhabitants of
   eastern Sweden: Svealand, primarily around lake Mälaren. From this
   tribe, Sweden derived its name (see Etymology of Sweden). The southern
   parts, on the other hand, were inhabited by the Geats in the Götaland
   territory, and Beowulf speaks of semi-legendary Swedish-Geatish wars in
   the 6th century. The northern part, Norrland, was sparsely populated by
   Sami and possibly different tribes/people related to the Finns.

   During the Viking Age of the 9th and 10th century, Swedish vikings
   travelled east setting their mark on the Baltic countries and Russia,
   whose name probably comes from the Slavic name for these Vikings: Rus.
   This name is probably derived from Roslagen, and is also reflected in
   the modern Finnish and Estonian name for Sweden: Ruotsi and Rootsi,
   respectively. Their routes passed the rivers of Russia down south to
   Constantinople and southern Europe.

Middle Ages

   Gripsholm Castle outside Mariefred.
   Enlarge
   Gripsholm Castle outside Mariefred.

   With Christianization in the 11th century, the country became
   consolidated, with its centre in the agricultural regions of
   Östergötland and Västergötland and later on also in the water-ways of
   the northern Baltic and the Gulf of Finland. In the 14th century
   Sweden, like the rest of Europe, was struck by the Black Death (the
   Plague), with all its effect.

   During the Middle Ages, the expansion of Sweden into the northern
   wilderness of Laplandia and Norrbotten, the Scandinavian peninsula, and
   present-day Finland continued. Area of present day Finland was a part
   of Sweden proper from the early thirteenth century until 1809.

   In 1389, Norway, Denmark and Sweden were united under a single monarch
   in a treaty known as the Kalmar Union. After several wars and disputes
   between these nations, King Gustav I of Sweden ( House of Vasa) broke
   free in 1521 and established a nation state, considered the foundation
   of modern Sweden. Shortly afterwards he rejected Catholicism and led
   Sweden to the Protestant Reformation. Gustav I is considered to be
   Sweden's " Father of the Nation".

Great power

   The Swedish Empire in 1658 (yellow) overlaid by present day Sweden
   (orange).
   Enlarge
   The Swedish Empire in 1658 (yellow) overlaid by present day Sweden
   (orange).

   The 17th century saw the rise of Sweden as one of the Great Powers in
   Europe, because of successful participation, initiated by King Gustav
   II Adolph, in the Thirty Years' War and by Carl X Gustav of Sweden in
   the The Deluge of Poland. During this time Sweden was a power of some
   importance in northern Europe, but its overall standing was not
   comparable to that of Europe's leading nations. Sweden also acquired
   several mighty enemies and the great power status crumbled in the 18th
   century. Imperial Russia took the reins of northern Europe in the Great
   Northern War, and finally in 1809 when the autonomous Grand Duchy of
   Finland was created out of the eastern half of Sweden.

   After Denmark was defeated in the Napoleonic wars, Norway was ceded to
   Sweden in the Treaty of Kiel. Norway had meanwhile declared itself
   independent and this led to the Campaign against Norway, which was
   fought in 1814. It ended with the Convention of Moss, which forced
   Norway into a union with Sweden that was not dissolved until 1905. But
   the campaign also signified the last of the Swedish wars and its 200
   years of peace are arguably unique in the world today.

Modern history

   The 18th and 19th centuries saw a significant population increase,
   which the writer Esaias Tegnér in 1833 famously attributed to "the
   peace, the (smallpox) vaccine, and the potatoes" , with the population
   doubling between 1750 and 1850. Many looked towards America for a
   better life, and although not affluent, many Swedes had sufficiently
   high incomes to be able to afford the boat tickets necessary to make
   the journey across the Atlantic. It is believed that between 1850 and
   1910 more than one million Swedes moved to the United States. In the
   early 20th century, more Swedes lived in Chicago than in Gothenburg
   (Sweden's second largest city). Most Swedish immigrants moved to the
   Midwest United States, with a large population in Minnesota. Some
   Swedes also moved to Canada.

   Sweden was traditionally less developed than Western Europe (though
   more affluent than much of Eastern and Southern Europe);
   industrialization began in earnest after 1870. During the late 19th
   century, Sweden was influenced by Protestant temperance movements,
   mainly of American origin. As a result of their intense propaganda, it
   is often claimed that alcohol consumption was unusually high in Sweden
   at this time. However, there is no factual ground for believing that
   alcohol consumption was higher than in other comparable countries.

   Strong grassroots movements sprung up during the latter half of the
   19th century (unions, temperance groups, and independent religious
   groups). They were all based on democratic principles and built a
   strong base for Sweden's migration into a modern parliamentary
   democracy, achieved by the time of World War I. As the Industrial
   Revolution progressed during the century, people gradually began moving
   into cities to work in factories, and became involved in Socialist
   unions. A Socialist revolution was avoided in 1917, following the
   re-introduction of Parliamentarism, and the country was democratized.

Recent history

   By the 1930s Sweden had achieved one of Europe's highest living
   standards.

   Sweden remained neutral during World War I and World War II as claimed
   by itself, although its neutrality during World War II has been highly
   debated and not accepted by most of the world. Sweden was forcibly
   under German influence for most of the war, as ties to the rest of the
   world were cut off through blockades. The Swedish government felt that
   it was in no position to openly disagree with Germany, but it did
   attempt to help the Allies in secret. Many refugees were saved partly
   because of Sweden's neutrality, among them many Jews. (See further
   Sweden during World War II).

   Following the war, Sweden took advantage of intact industrial base,
   social stability and its natural resources, making it possible to
   expand its industry to supply the rebuilding of Europe, leading it to
   be one of the richest countries in the world by 1960. Sweden was part
   of the Marshall Plan but continued to stay non-aligned during the Cold
   War, and is still not a member of any military alliance. During most of
   the post-war era, the country was governed by the Swedish Social
   Democratic Party and established a welfare state, striving for a "well
   being for all"-policy.

   Sweden joined the European Union in 1995. During the Cold War, Europe's
   non-aligned Western countries, except Ireland, had considered
   membership unwise as the then European Community, although not involved
   in military co-operation, was strongly associated with NATO countries;
   following the end of the Cold War, Sweden, Austria and Finland joined.
   However, in a 2003 consultative referendum, Swedish citizens declined
   to adopt the Euro. Sweden remains non-aligned militarily although it
   participates in some joint military excercises with NATO (and other)
   countries and has extensive cooperation with other European countries
   in the area of defence technology and defence indstry. Sweden has a
   long history of participating in international military operations,
   including most recently, Afghanistan, where Swedish troops are under
   NATO command, and in EU sponsored peace keeping operations in Kosovo
   and Bosnia.

   Sweden's economic performance worsened beginning in the 1970s.
   Following a recession in the early 1990s as a result of global economic
   slowdown, measures were taken to liberalize the economy. Although the
   basis of the welfare state have been maintained a number of economic
   reforms have been implemented, including a reform of the pension
   system, privatization of state-owned companies and liberalization of
   markets. The economic situation has improved significantly since then
   with growth rates outpacing those of the Eurozone.

   Sweden has had two political murders in recent history. Prime Minister
   Olof Palme in 1986, and foreign-minister Anna Lindh in 2003.

Geography

   A map of Sweden with largest cities and lakes and most important roads
   and railroads, from a printed CIA World Factbook
   Enlarge
   A map of Sweden with largest cities and lakes and most important roads
   and railroads, from a printed CIA World Factbook
   View of Gamla Stan in Stockholm
   Enlarge
   View of Gamla Stan in Stockholm

   At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the 55^th largest
   country in the world and the 5^th largest in Europe. The country is
   somewhat larger than the U.S. state of California, and in 2006 it had a
   population of 9.1 million people.
   Laponia is the largest tract of unspoiled natural land in Europe
   Enlarge
   Laponia is the largest tract of unspoiled natural land in Europe

   East of Sweden lies the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, providing a
   long coastline, and mellowing the climate. To the west is the
   Scandinavian mountain chain (Skanderna), a range that separates Sweden
   from Norway.

   The southern part of the country is predominantly agricultural, with
   forests covering a larger percentage of the land the further north one
   goes. Population density is also higher in southern Sweden, with
   centres being in the valley of lake Mälaren and the Öresund region.

   Gotland and Öland are the largest islands of Sweden.

   Sweden enjoys a mostly temperate climate despite its northern latitude,
   mainly because of the Gulf Stream. In the south of Sweden, leaf-bearing
   trees are prolific, further north pines, spruces and in the very north
   hardy birches dominate the landscape. In the mountains of northern
   Sweden a sub-Arctic climate predominates. North of the Arctic Circle,
   the sun never sets for part of each summer, and in the winter, night is
   unending for a corresponding period.

Administrative divisions

Counties

   Image near Kebnekaise from Lappland in northern Norrland.
   Enlarge
   Image near Kebnekaise from Lappland in northern Norrland.

   Sweden is divided into 21 counties or län. They are Stockholm County,
   Uppsala County, Södermanland County, Östergötland County, Jönköping
   County, Kronoberg County, Kalmar County, Gotland County, Blekinge
   County, Skåne County, Halland County, Västra Götaland County, Värmland
   County, Örebro County, Västmanland County, Dalarna County, Gävleborg
   County, Västernorrland County, Jämtland County, Västerbotten County and
   Norrbotten County.

   Each has a County Administrative Board or länsstyrelse (the first
   Swedish County Administrative Board was made up by the Swedish Prime
   minister Axel Oxenstierna in 1634), which is appointed by the
   Government. In each county there is also a separate County Council or
   landsting, which is the municipal representation appointed by the
   county electorate. Each county further divides into a number of
   municipalities or kommuner, making a total of 290 municipalities, in
   2004. There are also older historical divisions of Sweden, primarily
   into the 25 provinces and three lands. These divisions are still
   significant.

Largest municipalities

   Image from Göteborg archipelago in northern Götaland.
   Enlarge
   Image from Göteborg archipelago in northern Götaland.
   Image from Skåne in southern Götaland.
   Enlarge
   Image from Skåne in southern Götaland.

   Denotes inhabitants in the municipality (kommun) area. Area is in km².
   The figures are as of March 31, 2006.
   Rank Municipality Population Land Area  Density
      1 Stockholm       774,411    187.74 4,124.91
      2 Göteborg        487,028    450.71 1,080.58
      3 Malmö           272,634    155.56 1,752.60
      4 Uppsala         183,911  2,189.10    84.01
      5 Linköping       137,949  1,435.80    96.08
      6 Västerås        132,344    962.78   137.46
      7 Örebro          128,170  1,380.11    92.87
      8 Norrköping      124,729  1,503.61    82.95
      9 Helsingborg     122,349    346.25   353.35
     10 Jönköping       121,229  1,488.75    81.43
     11 Umeå            110,919  2,331.39    47.58
     12 Lund            102,452    430.27   238.11
     13 Borås            99,645    915.22   108.88
     14 Sundsvall        94,121  3,208.70    29.33
     15 Gävle            92,257  1,615.07    57.12

Demographics

   Sweden has one of the world's highest life expectancies. As of
   approximately August 12, 2004, the total population of Sweden for the
   first time exceeded 9,000,000, according to the SCB. As of February
   2006, the population was 9,060,430. About 86.7% of the population is
   ethnic Swedish. The largest non-ethnically Swedish groups are the
   Finns, who make up about 2% of the population. Other significant ethnic
   groups are from the other Scandinavian countries, the former
   Yugoslavia, and the Middle East. An additional group that has a strong
   say based on tradition is the indigenous Sami people, mostly living in
   rural Lapland and amounting to about 17,000 people.

   Sweden has been transformed from a nation of emigration ending after
   World War I to a nation of immigration from World War II onwards.
   Currently, almost 12% of the residents were born abroad, and about one
   fifth of Sweden's population are either immigrants or the children of
   immigrants. The largest immigrant groups are from Finland, the former
   Yugoslavia, the Middle East and other Nordic Countries, in that order.
   This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labour
   immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration.

   Soviet intervention against the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the 1968
   Czechoslovak liberalization resulted in the first surges of
   intellectual political refugees. Some American deserters from the
   Vietnam War also found refuge among the Swedes, who in international
   politics took a clear stand against what they typically viewed as
   imperialism executed by both the Soviet Union and the United States.
   Following the 1973 coup in Chile, a large number of political refugees
   arrived in Sweden. Others came from South American countries like
   Argentina and Uruguay following the rise of military dictatorships.
   Sweden has also taken in refugees from Iran, Iraq and Palestine.

Language

   Swedish is a North Germanic language, related and very similar to
   Danish and Norwegian, but differing in pronunciation and orthography.
   Sweden has no official language but Swedish holds a de facto status as
   such. The dominant language has always been Swedish and there has
   previously never been a political need to make it an official language.
   However, with the recognition of five minority languages of Sweden (
   Finnish, Meänkieli, Sami, Romani and Yiddish) on April 1, 2000, the
   issue of whether Swedish should be declared the official language was
   raised. On December 7, 2005, the parliament voted on this issue, but
   with a count of 147 to 145 because of voting errors by some members of
   parliament the proposal to make Swedish the official language failed.
   It was, however, strengthened as the principal language in that same
   proposal.

   A majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, are
   able to understand and speak English thanks to trade links, the
   popularity of overseas travel, a strong Anglo-American influence and
   the tradition of subtitling rather than dubbing foreign television
   shows and films. English became a compulsory subject for secondary
   school students studying natural sciences as early as 1849 and has been
   a compulsory subject for all Swedish students since the late 1940s.
   Depending on the local school authorities, English is currently a
   compulsory subject from third until ninth grade, and all students
   continuing in secondary school study English for at least another year.
   Most students also learn one and sometimes two additional languages;
   the most popular being Spanish, German, French. Some Norwegian is also
   taught as a part of the Swedish course taught to native speakers of
   Swedish to empasize differences and similarities between the two
   languages.

Politics

Political system

   Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, in which King Carl XVI Gustaf is
   head of state, but royal power has long been limited to official and
   ceremonial functions.

   The nation's legislature is the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag), with 349
   members. Parliamentary elections are held every four years.

   Sweden has been a monarchy for almost a millennium, with its taxation
   controlled by the Riksdag (parliament). It consisted of two chambers,
   made up by representatives from the 4 estates: clergy, nobility,
   townsmen and peasants, until 1866 when Sweden became a Constitutional
   monarchy with a bicameral parliament. Its First Chamber was indirectly
   elected by local governments, and the Second Chamber directly elected
   in national elections every four years.
   The Riksdag from outside.
   Enlarge
   The Riksdag from outside.
   Inside the Riksdag
   Enlarge
   Inside the Riksdag

   Legislative power was (symbolically) shared between king and parliament
   until 1975. In 1971 the Riksdag became unicameral. Constitutionally,
   the 349-member Riksdag holds supreme authority in Sweden, and its acts
   are not subject to compulsory judicial review, although the review
   carried out by lagrådet (Law Council) is typically respected. Acts of
   the parliament must be made inapplicable at every level if they are
   obviously against constitutional laws.

   Legislation may be initiated by the Cabinet or by members of
   Parliament. Members are elected on the basis of proportional
   representation for a four-year term. The Constitution of Sweden can be
   altered by the Riksdag, which requires a supermajority and confirmation
   after the following general elections. Sweden has three other
   constitutional laws: the Act of Royal Succession, the Freedom of Press
   Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression.

   Executive power was shared between the King and a noble Privy Council
   until 1680, followed by the King's autocratic rule initiated by the
   common estates of the Parliament. As a reaction to the failed Great
   Northern War, Parliamentarism was introduced in 1719, followed by three
   different flavours of Constitutional Monarchy in 1772, 1789 and 1809,
   the latter granting several civil liberties. The monarch remains as the
   formal, but merely symbolic head of state with ceremonial duties.

   The Swedish Social Democratic Party has played a leading political role
   since 1917, after Reformists had confirmed their strength and the
   revolutionaries left the party. After 1932, the Cabinets have been
   dominated by the Social Democrats. Only four general elections (1976,
   1979, 1991 and 2006) have given the centre-right bloc enough seats in
   Parliament to form a government. It is considered the reason for the
   Swedish post-war welfare state, with government expenditure of slightly
   more than 50% of the gross domestic product. In the 2006 general
   election the Moderate Party, allied wih the Centre Party, Liberal
   People's Party, and the Christian Democrats, with a common political
   platform, won a majority of the votes. Together they have formed a
   majority government under the leadership of the Moderate party's leader
   Fredrik Reinfeldt.

   The following political parties hold seats in the Riksdag (the most
   recent elections were held in September 2006; the next elections will
   be held in September 2010):
     * Socialdemokraterna (s, Social Democrats): 130 seats, 35.0% (2002:
       39.8% of votes, 144 seats)
     * Moderaterna (m, Moderates): 97 seats, 26.2% (2002: 15.2% of votes,
       55 seats)
     * Centerpartiet (c, Centre Party): 29 seats, 7.9% (2002: 22 seats,
       6.1% of votes)
     * Folkpartiet liberalerna (fp, Liberal Party): 28 seats, 7.5% (2002:
       13.3% of votes, 48 seats)
     * Kristdemokraterna (kd, Christian Democrats): 24 seats, 6.6% (2002:
       33 seats, 9.1% of votes)
     * Vänsterpartiet (v, Left Party): 22 seats, 5.8% (2002: 28 seats,
       8.3% of votes)
     * Miljöpartiet (mp, Greens): 19 seats, 5.2% (2002: 17 seats, 4.6% of
       votes)
     * Other parties (SD, FI, Piratpartiet, Junilistan, Sjukvårdspartiet)
       5.7%

   Sweden has a history of strong political involvement by ordinary people
   through its "popular movements" ( Folkrörelser in Swedish), the most
   notable being trade unions, the women's movement, the temperance
   movement, and - more recently - sports movement. Election turnout in
   Sweden has always been high in international comparisons, although it
   has declined in recent decades, and is currently around 80% (80.11 in
   Sweden general election, 2002).

   Some Swedish political figures that have become known worldwide include
   Raoul Wallenberg, Folke Bernadotte, Dag Hammarskjöld former Secretary
   General of the United Nations, Olof Palme, former Prime Minister, Carl
   Bildt former Prime Minister and currently Foreign minister, Jan
   Eliasson the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations
   and Hans Blix former IAEA inspector in Iraq.

Energy politics

   The 1973 oil crisis strengthened Sweden's commitment to decrease
   dependence on imported fossil fuels. Since then, electricity has been
   generated mostly from hydropower and nuclear power. Among other things,
   the accident of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station ( USA)
   prompted the Swedish parliament to hold a referendum on nuclear power.
   The referendum led to a decision that no further nuclear power plants
   should be built and that a nuclear power phase-out should be completed
   by 2010. As of 2005, the use of renewables amounted to 26% of the
   energy supply in Sweden, most important being hydropower and, on a far
   smaller scale, biomass. In 2003, electricity from hydropower accounted
   for 53 TWh and 40% of the country's production of electricity with
   nuclear power delivering 65 TWh (49%). At the same time, the use of
   biofuels, peat etc. produced 13 TWh of electricity.

   In March 2005, an opinion poll showed that 83% supported maintaining or
   increasing nuclear power. Since then however, reports about radioactive
   leakages at a nuclear waste store in Forsmark, Sweden, have been
   published. This does not seem to have changed the public support of
   continued use of nuclear power.

   Sweden decided to phase out nuclear fission before 2020, although it is
   very unlikely that this will happen.

Foreign policy

   Throughout the 20th century, Swedish foreign policy was based on the
   principle of non-alignment in peacetime and neutrality in wartime.

   Sweden has been known as one, if not the most diplomatically neutral
   state during times of war. Dating back to World War II Sweden did not
   favour any one side. This has been disputed by many since in effect
   Sweden allowed the Nazi regime to use its railroad system to transport
   troops and goods, especially iron ore from the rich mines in northern
   Sweden, something the German war machine was in desperate need of. This
   also carries on to Cold War era politics in which Sweden was not under
   the Warsaw Pact and received only minimal aid from the Marshall Plan
   and remained neutral for quite some time. Sweden was also known to be
   the first western nation to detect unusually high radiation levels in
   the atmosphere, which later was confirmed to have been the residual
   nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl accident.

   During the early Cold War era, Sweden combined its policy of
   non-alignment with a low profile in international affairs. At the same
   time, the country maintained relatively close informal connections with
   the Western bloc, especially in the realm of intelligence exchange. In
   1952 a Swedish DC-3 was shot down over the Baltic sea by a Soviet
   Fighter. Later investigations revealed that the plane was actually
   gathering information for NATO. Another plane, a Catalina search and
   rescue craft, was sent out a few days later and shot down by the
   Soviets as well.

   Beginning in the late 1960s, Sweden for a period attempted to play a
   more significant and independent role in international relations. This
   involved significant activity in international peace efforts,
   especially through the United Nations, and in support to the Third
   World. Since the murder of Olof Palme in 1986 and the end of the Cold
   War, this has been significantly toned down, although Sweden is still
   comparatively active in peace keeping missions and maintains a generous
   foreign aid budget.

   In 1981 a Soviet Whiskey class submarine ran aground close to the
   Swedish naval base at Karlskrona in the southern part of the country.
   It has never been clearly established whether the submarine ended up on
   the shoals through a navigational mistake or if it was a matter of
   espionage against Swedish military potential. The incident triggered a
   diplomatic crisis between Sweden and the Soviet Union.

   Since 1995 Sweden has been a member of the European Union, and as a
   consequence of a new world security situation the country's foreign
   policy doctrine has been partly modified, with Sweden playing a more
   active role in European security co-operation as well.

Economy

   Swedens economy is in a phase of growth (2006) and features a modern
   distribution system, excellent internal and external communications,
   and a skilled labour force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute
   the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade.
   The country has announced its intention to end its dependency on oil by
   2020.

   The engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports.
   Telecommunications, the automotive industry and the pharmaceutical
   industries are of great importance. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of
   GDP and 2% of the jobs.

   Sweden's industry is overwhelmingly in private control; unlike some
   other industrialized Western countries, such as Austria and Italy,
   publicly owned enterprises were always of minor importance. 80% of the
   workforce is organized through the trade-unions which have the right to
   elect two representatives to the board in all Swedish companies with
   more than 25 employees. The public and the trade-union controlled
   pension funds, non-profit organizations and the reserve funds of the
   trade-unions own more than 50% of Sweden capital.

   The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a
   substantial budgetary surplus in 2001; however, this was cut by more
   than half in 2002 because of the global economic slowdown and a decline
   in revenue coupled with an increase in government spending. The Swedish
   Riksbank is focusing on price stability with its inflation target of
   2%. Growth is expected to reach 3.3% in 2006. High taxes have however
   ensured a higher degree of government influence on household
   consumption decisions than in most other Western nations. Public sector
   spending amounts to 53% of the GDP; the high figure primarily reflects
   the large transfer payments of the Swedish welfare state.

   Swedish unemployment figures are highly contested, with the
   Social-Democrats defending the official figure of 5.4% (as of 2006) and
   the centre-right Alliance for Sweden claiming a much higher figure.
   These numbers do not, however, include unemployed people in government
   programmes (about 2% of the workforce), people on extended sick-leave,
   those in early retirement or those outside the unemployment system.
   Unemployment is higher amongst younger people. Some analysts speculate
   that the unemployment rate for younger people can be as high as 45%.
   Many Swedes work abroad in Denmark, Norway and even the UK, where they
   are desired and viewed as a skilled workforce. Because of the
   contradiction - unemployment and a growing commercial enterprise
   economy, politicians and analysts often speak of the "jobless growth".

   Sweden is known for having an even distribution of income, with a Gini
   coefficient at 0.21 in 2001 (one of the most even income distributions
   in the industrialized world). However Sweden still bears scars from the
   economic crisis in the 1990s, induced by a glitch in the economic
   system and poor leadership. The crisis resulted in thousands of people
   unemployed and a great national debt. Two remains of the event are the
   great economic segregation in the country and the national debt of
   approximately 1245 billion Swedish Krona (approx. 133 billion €,
   2006.09).

Welfare state

   Hjalmar Branting, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of
   Sweden
   Enlarge
   Hjalmar Branting, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of
   Sweden

   In recent years, economic liberalization has ensured that Sweden is now
   more similar to other high tax European countries. However, some still
   claim that the Scandinavian model is mid-way between socialism and
   capitalism, or the most developed form of capitalism.

   Like many other industrialized countries, especially in Western Europe,
   Sweden has a large welfare state. However, it is unusually extensive in
   Sweden. The state provides for tax-funded childcare, parental leave, a
   ceiling on health care costs, tax-funded education (all levels up to,
   and including university), retirement pensions, tax-funded dental care
   up to 20 years of age and sick leave (partly paid by the employer).
   Parents are entitled to a total of 480 days partly paid leave between
   birth and the child's eighth birthday, with 60 days reserved
   specifically for each parent, in effect providing the father with two
   so called "daddy-months". In addition, the ceiling on health care costs
   makes it easier, relative to other nations, for Swedish workers to take
   time off for medical reasons.

   The Swedish welfare system remains extensive, but a recession in the
   1990s forced an introduction of a number of reforms, such as education
   vouchers in 1992 and decentralization of some types of healthcare
   services to municipal control.

   The welfare state requires high taxes. Since the late 1960s, Sweden has
   had the highest tax quota (as percentage of GDP) in the industrialized
   world, but today the difference is only a couple of percentage points
   of GDP above that of other high-tax countries such as France, Belgium
   and Denmark. Sweden has a two step progressive tax scale with a
   municipal income tax of about 30% and an additional high-income state
   tax of 20-25% when a salary exceeds roughly 300 000 SEK per year. The
   employing company pays an additional 32% of an "employer's fee". In
   addition, a national VAT of 25% or 18% is added to many things bought
   by private citizens, with the exception of food (12% VAT),
   transportation, and books (6% VAT). Certain items are taxed at higher
   rates, e.g. petrol/diesel and alcoholic beverages.

Education

   As part of its social welfare system, Sweden provides an extensive
   childcare system that guarantees a place for all young children from
   1-5 years old in a public day-care facility (förskola or dagis).
   Between ages 6-16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school,
   divided in three stages. After completing the ninth grade, 90% continue
   with a three year upper secondary school (gymnasium) leading sometimes
   to a vocational diploma and sometimes to the qualifications for further
   studies at a university or university college (högskola).

Religion

   Before the 11th century, people of Sweden adhered to Norse paganism,
   worshipping Æsir gods, with its centre at the Temple in Uppsala. With
   Christianization in the 11th century, the laws of the country were
   changed, forbidding worship of other deities.

   After the Protestant Reformation in the 1530s the Church and State were
   united, abolishing the authority of the Roman Catholic bishops, and in
   the long run allowed only Lutheranism to prevail. This process was not
   completed until the Uppsala Synod 1593. During the era following the
   Reformation, usually known as the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy, in the
   17th century, small groups of non-Lutherans, especially Calvinist
   Dutchmen and Walloons who played a significant role in trade and
   industry, were quietly tolerated as long as they kept a low religious
   profile. The Sami originally had their own shamanistic religion, but
   they were converted to Lutheranism by Swedish missionaries in the 17th
   and 18th centuries.

   Not until liberalization in the late 18th century, were believers of
   other faiths, including Judaism and Catholicism, allowed to openly live
   and work in Sweden, although it remained illegal until 1860 for
   Lutheran Swedes to convert to another religion. The 19th century saw
   the arrival of various evangelical free churches, and, towards the end
   of the century secularism began attracting attention, leading people to
   distance themselves from Church rituals. Leaving the Church of Sweden
   became legal with the so-called dissenter law of 1860, but only under
   the provision of entering another denomination. The right to stand
   outside any religious denomination was established in the Law on
   Freedom of Religion in 1951. Today about 78% of Swedes belong to the
   Church of Sweden, but the number is decreasing by about one per cent
   every year, and Church of Sweden services are sparsely attended
   (hovering in the single digit percentages of the population). The
   reason for the large number of inactive members is that until 1996, all
   children became members automatically at birth, if at least one of
   their parents were a member. Since 1996, all children that are baptised
   become members. Some 275,000 Swedes are today members of various free
   churches (where congregation attendance is much higher), and, in
   addition, immigration has meant that there are now some 92,000 Roman
   Catholics and 100,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians living in Sweden. Due
   to immigration, Sweden also has a significant Muslim population. As
   many as 500,000 are Muslims by tradition and between 80,000 - 400,000
   of these are practising Muslims. (See also Islam in Sweden)

   According to the most recent Eurostat "Eurobarometer" poll, in 2005,
   only 23% of Swedish citizens responded that "they believe there is a
   god", whereas 53% answered that "they believe there is some sort of
   spirit or life force" and 23% that "they do not believe there is any
   sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Culture

   Traditional Swedish houses in the rural countryside, painted in the
   traditional Swedish Falu red.
   Enlarge
   Traditional Swedish houses in the rural countryside, painted in the
   traditional Swedish Falu red.

   Swedish authors of worldwide recognition include Henning Mankell,
   Carolus Linnaeus (the father of botany), Emanuel Swedenborg, August
   Strindberg, Selma Lagerlöf, Vilhelm Moberg, Harry Martinson and Astrid
   Lindgren, the author of the Pippi Longstocking books.

   Sweden made its first noticeable contributions to Western culture and
   science in the mid 18th century. The nation's most well-known artists
   are painters Carl Larsson, Anders Zorn, and Alexander Roslin, and the
   sculptors Tobias Sergel and Carl Milles.
   The award winning Turning Torso skyscraper in Malmö, is 190 metres tall
   and is the highest skyscraper in Sweden and the second highest in
   Europe.
   Enlarge
   The award winning Turning Torso skyscraper in Malmö, is 190 metres tall
   and is the highest skyscraper in Sweden and the second highest in
   Europe.

   Some well-known inventions and discoveries, historical and modern, were
   made by Swedes. Some notable figures are Alfred Nobel, Anders Celsius,
   Baltzar von Platen, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, John
   Ericsson, Anders Jonas Ångström, Lars Magnus Ericsson, Svante
   Arrhenius, Arvid Carlsson, Håkan Lans.

   Swedish 20th century culture is noted by pioneering works in the early
   days of cinema, with Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sjöström. In the
   1920s–1980s, the filmmakers Ingmar Bergman and Bo Widerberg received
   Academy Awards, and actresses Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Ann-Margret,
   Lena Olin, Zarah Leander, and Anita Ekberg made careers abroad. The
   actors Max von Sydow, Stellan Skarsgård, Dolph Lundgren and Peter
   Stormare are also worth mentioning. More recently, the films of Lukas
   Moodysson and Lasse Hallström have received international recognition.

   Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Sweden was perceived as an international
   leader in what is now referred to as the " sexual revolution", with
   gender equality particularly promoted. In present time the rate of
   single-people is one of the highest in the world. Some Swedish films
   reflected a liberal view of sexuality, including scenes of love making
   that caught international attention, and introduced the concept of the
   "Swedish sin". However, Sweden was at that time not as sexually liberal
   as people believed. Sweden has also become, in recent decades, fairly
   liberal regarding homosexuality, as is reflected in the popular
   acceptance of films such as Fucking Åmål (In English: Show Me Love),
   and the popular writer Jonas Gardell, among others. In Sweden many gay
   and lesbian celebrities live openly without causing a stir, much as in
   many other Western countries. Sweden has a civil union for same sex
   couples ("registered partnership"), but unlike some countries, such as
   the Netherlands and Norway, Sweden does not yet allow same sex
   marriages.

Music

   Sweden has a rich musical tradition, ranging from medieval folk ballads
   to house music. The music of the Vikings has been lost to history,
   although there have been historical attempts to recreate how it could
   have sounded based on instruments found in Viking sites. Instruments
   used were the lur (a wooden trumpet), simple string instruments, wooden
   flutes and drums. It is possible that the Viking musical legacy lives
   on in some of the old Swedish folk music.

   Carl Michael Bellman, Wilhelm Stenhammar, Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Hugo
   Alfvén, Franz Berwald, and Johan Helmich Roman are among Sweden's great
   classical composers. The best-known opera singers are the 19th century
   soprano Jenny Lind and the 20th century tenor Jussi Björling, who had
   great success abroad. Björling is considered by many to be the epitome
   of a great tenor. Also sopranos Christina Nilsson, Birgit Nilsson, and
   tenor Nicolai Gedda, baritone Håkan Hagegård and the contemporary
   mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter have become known in the world of
   opera.

   Evert Taube, Povel Ramel, Cornelis Vreeswijk are all popular modern
   trubadors, considered to be classics in Swedish music.

   ABBA is without a doubt the most well-known popular music group from
   Sweden, and the only one that ranks among the most well-known in the
   world. ABBA was made up of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid
   Lyngstad, and Benny Andersson, whose names form the word ABBA. With
   ABBA, Sweden entered into a new era, in which Swedish pop music gained
   international prominence. Sweden is, after the US and the UK, the
   largest producer of music in the world. Some of the most successful
   post-ABBA popular music artists from Sweden are Roxette, Ace of Base,
   Carola Häggkvist, Army of Lovers, Robyn, A*Teens, The Cardigans,
   Europe, Alcazar, and guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. The Boppers A number
   of bands with less emphasis on pop music have come out of the country
   in recent years, including Eskobar, Clawfinger, The Sounds, José
   González, The Hives, Hardcore Superstar, Millencolin, Sahara Hotnights,
   The Hellacopters, Kent, The Ark, Infinite Mass, Love is All, and
   Looptroop. Such has been the success of music abroad that clubs
   specializing in Swedish music have sprung up in major cities like,
   Berlin, Barcelona and London where the likes of Tack!Tack!Tack! the
   Monthly Swedish Music club is produced.

   In underground circles, Sweden is known for a large number of heavy
   metal (mostly death metal and melodic death metal), as well as
   Progressive bands. Prominent metal acts include Dark Tranquillity,
   Opeth, Hypocrisy, In Flames, Meshuggah, The Haunted, At the Gates,
   Soilwork, Scar Symmetry, Evergrey, Ravaged, Katatonia, Pain Of
   Salvation, Hammerfall, Arch Enemy, Blindside, Jerusalem, Unleashed,
   Amon Amarth, Vintersorg, Entombed, Mister kite, Lost Horizon and
   Deathstars.

   In the synth world, the band S.P.O.C.K is still active after 18 years.
   Sweden is also responsible for the Swechno scene, offering a distinct
   house and techno sound, of which artists like Adam Beyer is famous.
   More recently, the so-called Swedish House Mafia including Steve
   Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, and Eric Prydz have topped the
   house music charts and DJ top 10s around the world. Also worth
   mentioning is Joakim Thåström and his punk band Ebba Grön. Sweden is
   also home to several influential emo and hardcore punk bands, such as
   Fireside, The Last Days Of April, Kelly 8 and landmark post-hardcore
   band Refused.

   In the world of jazz, Monica Zetterlund achieved international renown,
   both as a singer and as an actress. Other names worth mentioning are
   Alice Babs, Jan Johansson, Arne Domnerus, George Riedel, Putte Wickman,
   George Wadenius, Bengt Hallberg, Lars Gullin, Ulf Wakenius, Magnus
   Lindgren, and Esbjörn Svensson Trio.

   Some groups and artists who are not as well-known internationally but
   have been well-known in Sweden are Peter Jöback, Lill-Babs Svensson,
   Ted Gärdestad, Gyllene Tider, Helen Sjöholm, and Patrik Isaksson.

   Sweden also has a significant folk-music scene, both in the traditional
   style as well as more modern interpretations which often mix in
   elements of rock and jazz. Väsen is more of a traditionalist group,
   using a unique traditional Swedish instrument called the nyckelharpa
   while Garmarna, Nordman, and Hedningarna have more modern elements.
   Lena Willemark is a popular folk musician. There is also Saami music,
   called the joik, which is actually a type of chant which is part of the
   traditional Saami animistic spirituality but has gained recognition in
   the international world of folk music as well.

   ABBA-members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have been very
   successful in musical theatre, with their international hit Mamma Mia!,
   as well as Chess, and Kristina från Duvemåla, which was a huge success
   in Sweden and an English version is expected to hit Broadway in 2007.

Holidays

   Midsummer's Eve, painting by Anders Zorn.
   Enlarge
   Midsummer's Eve, painting by Anders Zorn.

   Apart from traditional Protestant Christian holidays, Sweden also
   celebrates some unique holidays, some of a pre-Christian tradition.
   They include Midsummer, celebrating the summer solstice; Walpurgis
   Night on April 30 lighting bonfires; Labour Day on May 1 is dedicated
   to socialist demonstrations; and December 13, the day of Saint Lucia
   the lightgiver. June 6 is National Day of Sweden and as of 2005 a
   public holiday. Furthermore, there are official flag day observances
   and a Namesdays in Sweden calendar. In August many Swedes have
   kräftskivor (crayfish dinner parties). More regional variants are the
   surströmming parties in Northern Sweden (surströmming is a type of
   fermented fish), and ålegillar (eel parties) in Skåne. The Sami, one of
   Sweden's indigenous minorities, have their holiday on February 6th.

Cuisine

   Swedish cuisine, like that of the other Scandinavian countries (
   Denmark and Norway), is traditionally simple. Fish, meat and potatoes
   play prominent roles. Spices are sparse. Famous dishes include Swedish
   meatballs (köttbullar — traditionally served with gravy, boiled
   potatoes and lingonberry jam), plättar (Swedish pancakes, served with
   jam), lutfisk, the smörgås (open-faced sandwich), and the famous '
   Smörgåsbord'.

Public health

   Sweden ranks in the best five countries with respect to infant
   mortality. It also ranks high in life expectancy and in safe drinking
   water. Healthcare in Sweden is viewed as very developed. The university
   hospital of Lund, Karolinska hospital in Solna, Salgrenska university
   hospital in Gothenburg are examples of worldclass hospitals in Sweden,
   with a worldwide reputation.

Sports

   Sport activities are a national movement with half of the population
   actively participating, much thanks to the heavy government subsidies
   of sport associations ("föreningsstöd"). The two main spectator sports
   are football (soccer) and ice hockey. Some notable Swedish football
   stars include Fredrik Ljungberg, Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
   Swedish hockey players have often been regarded as some of the best in
   their sport. Famous Swedish hockey players include: Bengt-Åke
   Gustafsson, Håkan Loob, Peter Forsberg, Henrik Zetterberg, Markus
   Näslund, Mats Sundin, Daniel Alfredsson, Nicklas Lidström, Tomas
   Holmström, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Börje Salming, Mattias Norström,
   Tomas Sandström, Pelle Lindbergh, and Henrik Lundqvist.

   Second to football, horse sports have the highest number of
   practitioners, mostly women. Thereafter follow golf, track and field,
   and the team sports of handball, floorball, basketball and bandy.
   American sports such as baseball and American football are also
   practiced but have no widespread popularity.

   Successful tennis players include former world No. 1's Björn Borg, Mats
   Wilander and Stefan Edberg; in skiing sports, Ingemar Stenmark,
   Pernilla Wiberg and Anja Pärson have all had dominating periods in
   alpine skiing, as have Sixten Jernberg, Gunde Svan, Per Elofsson and
   Thomas Wassberg in cross country skiing. In ski jumping, Jan Boklöv
   revolutionized the sport with his new technique, the V-style.

   A number of Swedes have been internationally successful in athletics.
   In the 1940s runner Gunder Hägg dominated middle distance. In recent
   years, stars include high jumpers such as the European record holder
   Patrik Sjöberg, Kajsa Bergqvist, and Athens Olympic gold medallist
   Stefan Holm. Two other Swedish athletes won gold medals in the 2004
   Olympic Games: heptathlete Carolina Klüft and triple jumper Christian
   Olsson.

   Other famous Swedish athletes include the heavyweight boxing champion
   Ingemar Johansson, golfers Annika Sörenstam and Henrik Stenson, former
   five times World table tennis Champion Jan-Ove Waldner, the World
   Speedway Champion Tony Rickardsson and Magnus Wislander a player who
   has been voted as the Handball Player of the Century.

   Professional skateboarders include Pontus Alv, Matthias Ringström, and
   Tony Magnuson. In schools, on meadows and in parks, the game brännboll,
   a sport similar to baseball, is commonly played for fun. Other leisure
   sports are the historical game of kubb and boules among the older
   generation.

   Sweden hosted the 1912 Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in 1958.
   Other big sports events held here include 1992 UEFA European Football
   Championship, FIFA Women's World Cup 1995, and several championships of
   ice hockey, athletics, skiing and bandy.

International rankings

     * Sweden Summary Amnesty Report 2005
     * CIA World Factbook - GDP - PPP per capita
          + 2005: 19th of 232 countries
     * Save the Children: State of the World's Mothers (2004) Report ( PDF
       file)
          + Mothers' index rank: 1st of 119 countries
          + Women's index rank: 1st of 119 countries
          + Children's index rank: 10th of 119 countries
          + Infant mortality rate: 2nd lowest
          + % seats in the national government held by women: 50%
            (highest)
     * UN Human Development Index (2006)
          + 5th of 177 countries
     * World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report (2006-2007)
          + 3rd of 125 countries
     * Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2005:
          + 12th of 167 countries
     * The Economist Intelligence Unit's worldwide quality-of-life index
       2005:
          + 5th of 111 countries
     * Nation Master's list by economic importance:
          + 19th of 25 countries
     * Nation Master's list by technological achievement:
          + 4th of 68 countries

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Norway  Norway Flag of Finland  Finland
   Flag of Norway  Norway North Gulf of Bothnia  Image:Template
   CanadianCityGeoLocation East.png   Flag of Finland  Finland
   Baltic Sea  Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation East.png   Flag of
   Estonia  Estonia
   Baltic Sea  Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation East.png   Flag of
   Latvia  Latvia
   Baltic Sea  Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation East.png   Flag of
   Lithuania  Lithuania
   Baltic Sea  Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation East.png   Flag of
   Russia  Russia
   West    Flag of Sweden  Sweden     East
   South
   Skagerrak •  Kattegat
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation South.png
   Flag of Denmark  Denmark Baltic Sea
   Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation South.png
   Flag of Germany  Germany •  Flag of Poland  Poland

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