Difference between revisions of "Sweden" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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==== wrong category ? ====
 
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 EU predecessor, the [[European Community]], had been strongly associated with NATO countries. Following the end of the Cold War, however, Sweden, [[Austria]], and [[Finland]] joined, though in Sweden's case without adopting the [[Euro]]. Sweden remains non-aligned militarily, although it participates in some joint military exercises with [[NATO]] and other countries, in addition to extensive cooperation with other European countries in the area of defense technology and defense industry. Sweden also 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]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], and [[Cyprus]].
 
  
Sweden's economic performance worsened beginning in the 1970s following the [[oil]] embargos of 1973-74 and 1978-79.<ref>Nordstrom, p. 344: "During the last twenty-five years of the century a host of problems plagued the economies of Norden and the West.  Although many were present before, the 1973 and 1980 global oil crises acted as catalysts in bringing them to the fore."</ref> [[Middle-class]] Swedes began to organize in complaints on the mishaps of Socialist "welfare state" policies in the 1980s. Following a [[recession]] in the early 1990s as a result of the global economic slowdown, national measures were taken to liberalize the economy. Although the basic welfare state has been maintained, a number of economic reforms were implemented, including pension system reform, privatization of state-owned companies, and liberalization of markets. The economic situation has since improved significantly with growth rates outpacing those of the "Eurozone."  A country known for very low crime rates compared to other developed countries, especially the [[United States]] due to Sweden's inaccessibility to firearms and historic [[gun control]] laws, Sweden has nevertheless had two political murders in recent history: those of Prime Minister [[Olof Palme]] in 1986, and foreign minister [[Anna Lindh]] in 2003.
 
  
 
== Government and politics ==
 
== Government and politics ==
 
[[Image:Riksdag assembly hall 2006.jpg|thumb|200px|Inside the Riksdag, after the 2006 renovation]]
 
[[Image:Riksdag assembly hall 2006.jpg|thumb|200px|Inside the Riksdag, after the 2006 renovation]]
 +
[[Image:Hjalmar Brantings porträtt av Richard Bergh.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Hjalmar Branting]], the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Sweden]]
 +
 
Popular government in Sweden rests upon ancient traditions. The Swedish Riksdag stems from the ancient court system used by all Germanic peoples, the Ting, and the election of kings in the Viking age. The Government of Sweden has adhered to [[Parliamentarism]] &mdash; ''de jure'' since 1975, ''de facto'' since 1917.  
 
Popular government in Sweden rests upon ancient traditions. The Swedish Riksdag stems from the ancient court system used by all Germanic peoples, the Ting, and the election of kings in the Viking age. The Government of Sweden has adhered to [[Parliamentarism]] &mdash; ''de jure'' since 1975, ''de facto'' since 1917.  
  
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==Economy==
 
==Economy==
[[Image:Image-GRP per capita Sweden.png|thumb|left|250px|[[Gross Regional Product]] (GRP) per capita in thousands of crowns (2004)]]
+
[[Image:Image-GRP per capita Sweden.png|thumb|left|200px|[[Gross Regional Product]] (GRP) per capita in thousands of crowns (2004)]]
Since the [[Middle Ages]], Sweden has been a major European exporter of [[iron]], [[copper]] and [[timber]]. Improved transportation and communications have allowed more remote natural resources to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably timber and [[iron ore]].
+
Sweden is an industrialized country. [[Agriculture]], once accounting for nearly all of the nation's economy, now employs less than 3% of the labor force. Historically, Swedish industrialization was based on [[natural resource]]s such as [[forest]]s, [[iron ore]] deposits, and [[hydroelectric power]]. These retain some importance but today economic activity is concentrated in areas that are not tied to the nation's natural resources base. In particular, the telecommunications, pharmaceutical and automotive industries are of importance.
Sweden is an export oriented market economy featuring a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. [[Timber]], [[hydropower]], and [[iron ore]] constitute the resource base of an [[economics|economy]] heavily oriented toward [[foreign trade]]. Sweden's engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Telecommunications, the automotive industry and the pharmaceutical industries are also of great importance. [[Agriculture]] accounts for 2% of [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]] and employment.
 
  
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. Eighty percent 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.<!---http://www.samhallsguiden.riksdagen.se/sg-295.asp#P1687_231108-—><!--- Link not working ---><ref>[http://www.samhallsguiden.riksdagen.se/default____56.aspx The Swedish Parliament]</ref>
+
=== Welfare system ===
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 welfare" refers to the Swedish variant of the mixed economy welfare state prevalent in much of the industrialized world. Similar systems are found especially in the other [[Nordic countries]].
[[Image:Hjalmar Brantings porträtt av Richard Bergh.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Hjalmar Branting]], the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Sweden]]
+
 
 +
The country has been categorized by some observers as a middle way between a [[Capitalism|capitalist]] and a [[Socialism|socialist]] economy. Supporters of the idea assert that Sweden has found a way of achieving one of the highest levels of social equality in the world, without stifling entrepreneurship. The viewpoint has been questioned by supporters of economic liberalization in Sweden and skeptics of socialism as a viable approach to economic management.
 +
 
 +
The system developed slowly but persistently throughout the 20th century. The development was led by the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the [[trade union]]s. This involved opposition from the business community and the liberal and conservative opposition. However, the opposition eventually came to accept much of the Social Democratic system, and has typically worked to reform it from within.
 +
 
 +
=== Facts and figures ===
 +
'''GDP:'''   
 +
purchasing power parity - $255.4 billion (2004 est.) 
 +
 
 +
'''GDP - real growth rate:  ''' 
 +
3.6% (2004 est.) 
 +
 
 +
'''GDP - per capita: ''' 
 +
purchasing power parity - $28,400 (2004 est.)
 +
 +
'''GDP - composition by sector:''' 
 +
agriculture: 2%
 +
industry: 29%
 +
services: 69% (2001) 
 +
 
 +
'''Labour force:  ''' 
 +
4.46 million (2004 est.
 +
 
 +
'''Labour force - by occupation: '''
 +
agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% (2000 est.) 
 +
 
 +
'''Unemployment rate:'''   
 +
5.6% (2004 est.)
 +
 +
'''Population below poverty line: ''' 
 +
NA 
 +
 
 +
'''Household income or consumption by percentage share:''' 
 +
lowest 10%: 3.7%
 +
highest 10%: 20.1% (1992) 
 +
 
 +
'''Distribution of family income - [[Gini index]]: ''' 
 +
25 (1992) 
 +
 
 +
'''Inflation rate (consumer prices):'''   
 +
0.7% (2004 est.
 +
 
 +
'''Investment (gross fixed):'''   
 +
15.8% of GDP (2004 est.
 +
 
 +
'''Budget:  '''
 +
revenues: $210.5 billion
 +
expenditures: $205.9 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2005 est.
 +
 
 +
'''Public debt:'''   
 +
50.4% of GDP (2005 est.) 
 +
 
 +
'''Agriculture - products:  '''
 +
barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk 
 +
 
 +
'''Industries:  '''
 +
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles 
 +
 
 +
'''Industrial production growth rate:  '''
 +
5.5% (2004 est.
 +
 
 +
'''Electricity:'''
 +
* ''production:'' 142.8 [[TWh]] (2002)
 +
* ''consumption:'' 138.1 TWh (2002)
 +
* ''export:'' 14.8 TWh (2002)
 +
* ''import:'' 20.1 TWh (2002)
 +
 
 +
'''Electricity - production by source:'''
 +
* ''fossil fuel:'' 4%
 +
* ''hydro:'' 50.8%
 +
* ''nuclear:'' 43%
 +
* ''other:'' 2.3% (2001)
 +
 
 +
'''Oil:'''
 +
* ''production:'' 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 +
* ''consumption:'' 328,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 +
* ''exports:'' 203,700 bbl/day (2001)
 +
* ''imports:'' 553,100 bbl/day (2001)
 +
 
 +
'''Natural gas:'''
 +
* ''production:'' 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 +
* ''consumption:'' 949 million cu m (2001 est.)
 +
* ''exports:'' 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 +
* ''imports:'' 968 million cu m (2001 est.)
 +
 +
'''Current account balance:'''   
 +
$24.08 billion (2004 est.)
 +
 
 +
'''Exports:  '''
 +
$121.7 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
 +
 
 +
'''Exports - commodities:  '''
 +
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals 
 +
 
 +
'''Exports - partners: ''' 
 +
US 10.7%, Germany 10.3%, UK 7.2%, Denmark 6.6%, Norway 6.2%, Finland 5.9%, Belgium 5.1%, Netherlands 4.8%, France 4.7% (2004) 
 +
 
 +
'''Imports: ''' 
 +
$97.97 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) 
 +
 
 +
'''Imports - commodities:  '''
 +
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing 
  
In recent years, economic liberalization has ensured that Sweden is now more similar to other European countries with comparatively high tax rates. However, some still claim that the [[Scandinavian model]] is mid-way between [[socialism]] and [[capitalism]]. The Swedish "welfare state" model of the 20th century is arguably an example of effective use of national taxes, although others disagree about its continuing effectiveness. The Swedish welfare system remains extensive, but a recession in the 1990s forced an introduction of a number of reforms, such as [[education voucher]]s in 1992 and decentralization of some types of healthcare services to municipal control.<ref>[http://fcpp.org/main/publication_detail.php?PubID=814 "Law of the Labour Back Benches" - New Statesman September 6, 2004]</ref>
+
'''Imports - partners:  '''
 +
Germany 20.2%, Denmark 8.2%, UK 7.9%, Netherlands 7.2%, Finland 7%, France 6.1%, Norway 5.9%, Belgium 4.5% (2004
  
While similar in form to other governments in Western Europe,Sweden is among the most generous in the scope of government services provided. These include tax-funded childcare, generous 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). The ceiling on health care costs makes it easier, relative to other nations, for Swedish workers to take time off for medical reasons.
+
'''Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: ''' 
 +
$19.99 billion (2003)   
  
Since the late 1960s, Sweden has had the highest tax quota (as percentage of GDP) in the industrialized world, although today the difference between other high-tax countries such as France, Belgium, and Denmark has narrowed. 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 percent when a salary exceeds roughly 300 000 SEK per year. The employing company pays an additional 32 percent of an "employer's fee." In addition, a national [[Value added tax]] of 25 or 18 percent is added to many things bought by private citizens, with the exception of food (12 percent VAT), transportation, and books (6 percent VAT). Certain items are taxed at higher rates, e.g. gasoline/diesel and alcoholic beverages.
+
'''Debt - external:  '''
 +
$66.5 billion (1994)  
 +
 +
'''Economic aid - donor: ''' 
 +
ODA, $1.7 billion (1997)
 +
 +
'''Currency (code):  '''
 +
Swedish krona (SEK)
  
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. As of 2005, the use of [[renewable energy|renewables]] amounted to 26% of the energy supply in Sweden, most important being [[hydroelectricity|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 [[biofuel]]s, [[peat]] etc. produced 13 TWh of electricity.<ref>[http://www.scb.se/templates/tableOrChart____24270.asp SCB figures about energy production and usage 1994-2003 - in Swedish]</ref>
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'''Exchange rates:  '''
 +
Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001), 9.1622 (2000) 
  
In March 2005, an opinion poll showed that 83 percent supported maintaining or increasing nuclear power.<ref>[http://www.uic.com.au/nip39.htm "Nuclear Power in Sweden" - Uranium Information Centre, Australia]</ref> Since then, reports about radioactive leakage at a nuclear waste storage site in Forsmark; Sweden, have been published,<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/finance/feeds/afx/2005/06/29/afx2116521.html "Swedish nuclear power station leaks high levels of radioactive waste into Baltic" - Forbes June 29, 2005]</ref> this does not seem to have changed public support of continued use of nuclear power.  Also in 2005, Sweden garnered international attention by announcing its intention to break its dependence on imported oil within 15 years, with the goal of becoming the world's first oil-free economy.<ref name="Vidal">Vidal, John. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/oil/story/0,,1704954,00.html Sweden plans to be world's first oil-free economy]. The Guardian, 2/8/06. Retrieved 2/13/07.</ref>
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'''Fiscal year:  '''
 +
calendar year
  
 
==Demographics==
 
==Demographics==
 +
 +
=== Statistics ===
 +
*'''Population''':   
 +
:9,016,596 (July 2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Age structure''': 
 +
:0-14 years: 16.7% (male 775,433/female 732,773)
 +
:15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,001,928/female 2,918,242)
 +
:65 years and over: 17.6% (male 689,756/female 898,464) (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Median age''': 
 +
:total: 40.9 years
 +
:male: 39.8 years
 +
:female: 42 years (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Population growth rate''': 
 +
:0.16% (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Birth rate''':   
 +
:10.27 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Death rate''':   
 +
:10.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Net migration rate''': 
 +
:1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Sex ratio''': 
 +
:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
 +
:under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
 +
:15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
 +
:65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
 +
:total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Infant mortality rate''':   
 +
:total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
 +
:male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births
 +
:female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Life expectancy at birth''':   
 +
:total population: 80.51 years
 +
:male: 78.29 years
 +
:female: 82.87 years (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''Total fertility rate''':   
 +
:1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.) 
 +
*'''HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate''':   
 +
:0.1% (2001 est.) 
 +
*'''HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS''':   
 +
:3,600 (2001 est.) 
 +
*'''HIV/AIDS - deaths''':   
 +
:less than 100 (2003 est.) 
 +
*'''Nationality''': 
 +
:noun: Swede(s)
 +
:adjective: Swedish 
 +
*'''Ethnic groups''': 
 +
:indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks 
 +
*'''Religions''': 
 +
:Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13% 
 +
*'''Languages''': 
 +
:Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities 
 +
*'''Literacy''': 
 +
:definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 +
:total population: 99%
 +
:male: 99%
 +
:female: 99% (2003 est.) <ref> [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sw.html#People Sweden; People], ''CIA World Factbook''. Retrieved April 11, 2007. </ref>
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 
As of November 2006, the total population of Sweden was estimated to 9,110,972.<ref>Statistics Sweden.[http://www.scb.se/templates/tableOrChart____25897.asp Preliminary Population Statistics, by month, 2004 - 2006]. ''Population statistics'',1  January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.</ref> The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately August 12, 2004, according to [[Statistics Sweden]].   
 
As of November 2006, the total population of Sweden was estimated to 9,110,972.<ref>Statistics Sweden.[http://www.scb.se/templates/tableOrChart____25897.asp Preliminary Population Statistics, by month, 2004 - 2006]. ''Population statistics'',1  January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.</ref> The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately August 12, 2004, according to [[Statistics Sweden]].   
 
About 20,000 people are [[Sami]], a folk group living in 4 countries.  Sweden has a low [[population density]] except in its [[:Category:Metropolitan areas of Sweden|metropolitan areas]]; 84 percent of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3 percent of the total land area.<ref>Statistics Sweden. ''Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007''. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in [http://www.scb.se/statistik/_publikationer/BO0801_2007A01_BR_BO01SA0701.pdf pdf format].</ref>   
 
About 20,000 people are [[Sami]], a folk group living in 4 countries.  Sweden has a low [[population density]] except in its [[:Category:Metropolitan areas of Sweden|metropolitan areas]]; 84 percent of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3 percent of the total land area.<ref>Statistics Sweden. ''Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007''. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in [http://www.scb.se/statistik/_publikationer/BO0801_2007A01_BR_BO01SA0701.pdf pdf format].</ref>   
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Revision as of 07:52, 11 April 2007


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" [1]
Anthem: Du gamla, du fria
"Thou ancient, thou free"
Royal anthem: Kungssången
"The King's song"
Location of Sweden
Location of Sweden  (dark orange)

– in the European Union  (light orange)
– at the European continent  (EU + clear) — (Legend)

Capital
(and largest city)
Stockholm coa.png Stockholm
59°21′N 18°4′E
Official languages Swedish (de facto)b
Government Representative parliamentary
democracy under a
constitutional monarchy
 - King Carl XVI Gustaf
 - Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt (m)
Consolidation prehistoric 
Accession to EU January 1 1995
Area
 - Total 449,964 km² (55th)
173,732 sq mi 
 - Water (%) 8.67
Population
 - 2006 estimate 9,110,972 (November 2006)[1]
 - 1990 census 8,587,353
 - Density 20/km²
52/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate
 - Total $285.1 billion
 - Per capita $31,600
GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate
 - Total $371.5 billion
 - Per capita $42,694
HDI  (2004) Green Arrow Up (Darker).png 0.951 (high)
Currency Swedish krona (SEK)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD .sec
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 the de facto 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 .nu domain is another commonly used TLD ("nu" means "now" in Swedish).

Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe, bordered by Norway in the west, Finland in the northeast, the Skagerrak and Kattegat straits in the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia in the east. It is connected to Denmark in the southwest by the Öresund Bridge. Its capital city is Stockholm. The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and liberal.

Economic liberalization and universal schooling contributed to rapid industrialization; by the 1890s, the country had begun to develop an advanced manufacturing industry. In the 20th century, Sweden emerged as a welfare state; consequently, it usually ranks among the top countries in the UN Human Development Index or HDI.

During the Middle Ages, Denmark, Norway and Sweden (including the Swedish-controlled areas of what is today Finland), were united through the Kalmar Union, formed in 1397 under Margaret I of Denmark. Sweden left the union in the 16th century, and battled its neighbors for many years, especially Russia and Denmark-Norway. After the death of Charles XII in 1718, the Swedish empire crumbled. In 1809, Finland became an autonomous Duchy of Imperial Russia and by 1814, Sweden had lost all of the conquered territory outside the Scandinavian peninsula. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and neutrality in wartime.

Geography

Situated in Northern Europe, Sweden is bounded on the east by the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline. The Skandarna range forms the western border with Norway.

At 173,720 square miles (449,964 km²), Sweden is the 55th largest country in the world. It is the 5th largest in Europe, and the largest in Northern Europe. The country is slightly larger than the U.S. state of California, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2006.

Sweden has three main regions.

  • Norrland, covering about three-fifths of the country, is mountainous and has vast forests and large ore deposits.
  • Svealand has undulating glacial ridges and contains most of the country's 90,000 lakes.
  • Götaland comprises the stony Småland highlands and the rich Skåne plains.

About 15% of Sweden lies north of the Arctic Circle. Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, with increasing forest coverage northward. The highest population density is in the Öresund region in southern Sweden, and in the valley of lake Mälaren in central Sweden. Gotland and Öland are Sweden's largest islands; Vänern and Vättern are Sweden's largest lakes.

Terrain

The western section of Sweden consists of mountains and hills. Plains and agricultural land fill the south. The mountains fjeld are in the north together with plains and lakes and much snow in the winter. More than 50% of Sweden is forest, dominant in the central parts, comparable to the terrain of Canada.

Climate

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 similarly unending.

Metropolitan areas

The largest city, by population, is the capital Stockholm, to the east, the dominating city for culture and media, with a population of 765,000. The second largest city is Gothenburg, with 500,000, to the west. Third is Malmö in the south, with 250,000. The north is less populated than the southern and central parts, mostly because of its colder climate. The largest city in the north is Umeå with 90,000 inhabitants.

Environmental issues

Laponia is the largest tract of unspoiled natural land in Europe

Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits. It does have significant deposits of precious metals and several minerals.

Nature conservation, environmental protection, and energy efficiency are a priority in government policy. The country pursues a strategy of indirect taxation as an instrument of environmental policy, including energy taxes in general and carbon dioxide taxes in particular. In an effort to phase out dependence on nuclear power and fossil fuels, the Swedish government has launched a multi-billion dollar program to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. [2]

History

The three large "royal mounds" at Gamla Uppsala
A Sami family around 1900
Visby, Medieval city on Gotland

Archeological finds of the Nordic Bronze Age (1700-500 B.C.E.) are believed to be petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what are believed to have been sacrificial sites. Because of its wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came from many surrounding areas, as no recognized borders existed in Scandinavia. Societies in Sweden remained on the preliterate tribal and chiefdom levels until the emergence of writing on rune stones in the Viking Age.

A tribe populating a region of what is today Sweden was first mentioned in 98 C.E. by the Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote about the Suiones who lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. Tacitus expressed concern that these Suiones might ally with neighboring tribes and cause trouble for the Roman Empire. Some scholars believe that Tacitus referred to the inhabitants of present-day eastern Sweden or Svealand, primarily the region around lake Mälaren. The modern name Sweden is likely derived from Old English Sweoðeod, which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse Svíþjóð, Latin Suetidi). This word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas (Old Norse Sviar, Latin Suiones).

The southern region was inhabited by the Geats in the Götaland territory; Beowulf described semi-legendary Swedish-Geatish wars in the 6th century. The northern part, Norrland, was probably mostly populated by the Sami people.

Viking Age

The Swedish Viking Age lasted roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries CE. During this period, it is believed that the Svear expanded from eastern Sweden and incorporated the Geats to the south. [3]

St. Ansgar introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace paganism until the 12th century and onward. Swedish kings also began to expand the Swedish-controlled territory in Finland, creating conflicts with the Rus. These conflicts came to a temporary end through a peace treaty in 1323, dividing the Karelian peninsula and the northern areas between the two countries.


Early Modern History

In the 14th century, Sweden was struck by the Black Death (the Plague).

In 1319, Sweden and Norway were united under Magnus VII, and in 1397 Queen Margaret I of Denmark effected the personal union of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark through the Kalmar Union. However, Margaret’s successors, whose rule was also centered in Denmark, were unable to control the Swedish nobility. King Christian II of Denmark, who asserted his claim to Sweden by force, ordered a massacre in 1520 of Swedish nobles at Stockholm, known as the “Stockholm blood bath.” This stirred the Swedish nobility to new resistance and, in 1523, they made Gustav Vasa their king. He rejected Catholicism and led Sweden to the Protestant Reformation. Gustav Vasa is by some considered to be Sweden's "Father of the Nation."

The Swedish Empire in 1658 (orange) overlaid by present day Sweden (dark orange)

The 17th century saw the rise of Sweden as one of the Great Powers in Europe. Sweden also acquired several mighty enemies, however, and its great power status crumbled in the 18th century after the Great Northern War (1700 - 1721).

Modern history

In 1809, the Swedish territory once named Österland (Eastern district) was ceded to Finland, which itself then became an autonomous Duchy of Imperial Russia.

After Denmark's defeat in the Napoleonic wars, Norway was ceded to Sweden in the Treaty of Kiel. Norway declared itself independent, leading to the "Campaign against Norway" in 1814. The Campaign ended with the Convention of Moss, which forced Norway into a union with Sweden that was not dissolved until 1905.

Between 1750 and 1850, the population in Sweden doubled. According to some scholars, mass emigration to America became the only way to prevent famine and rebellion; over 1 percent of the population, ultimately more than one million Swedes total, emigrated annually during the 1880s. [4] Nevertheless, Sweden remained poor, retaining a nearly entirely agricultural economy even as Denmark and Western European countries began to industrialize. By the early 20th century, more Swedes lived in Chicago than in Gothenburg (Sweden's second largest city). Most Swedish immigrants moved to the Midwestern United States, with a large population in Minnesota.

A map of Sweden with largest cities and lakes and most important roads and railroads, from a printed CIA World Factbook

Despite the slow rate of industrialization into the 19th century, many important changes were taking place in the agrarian economy due to innovations and the large population growth. These innovations included government-sponsored programs of enclosure, aggressive exploitation of agricultural lands, and the introduction of new crops such as the potato. Swedish farming culture began to take on a critical role in the Swedish political process, which evolved into the modern Agrarian party (now called the Center Party). Between 1870 and 1914, Sweden finally began developing into the industrialized economy that exists today.

Twentieth century

Grassroots movements sprung up in Sweden during the latter half of the 19th century in the form of unions, temperance groups, and independent religious groups, creating a foundation of democratic principles. These movements directed Sweden's evolution into a modern parliamentary democracy by World War I. As industrialization increased during the 20th century, people began moving into cities to work in factories, leading to the formation of Socialist unions.

Sweden remained officially neutral during World War I and World War II, although its neutrality during World War II has been highly debated. Sweden was forcibly under German influence for most of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades. For a time virtually all of Sweden's production of industrial goods and raw materials went to Germany in exchange for necessary fuels, food stufs, and manufactured goods.

Towards the end of the war, Sweden played a major role in the humanitarian efforts and many refugees, among them many Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe, were saved partly because of the Swedish involvement in rescue missions at the internment camps and partly because Sweden served as a haven for refugees, primarily from Norden and the Baltic states. By late 1943 Sweden was a haven for some 11,000 refugees from Denmark, including over 7,000 Danish Jews, and about 30,000 Norwegians. Following the war, Sweden took advantage of an intact industrial base, social stability, and its natural resources to expand its industry to supply the rebuilding of Europe.

By the 1960s, Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, had become an affluent consumer society and welfare state. Sweden was part of the Marshall Plan and participated in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (OECD), 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 (Socialdemokraterna) and the welfare state established was built on socialist principles with a strong social safety-net. With steadily increasing tax revenues, many of the policies aiming to improve the quality of life for the general population, in particular Sweden's working class, were successfully implemented. By the 1930s, the living standard in Sweden was ranked as one of Europe's highest and its ranking at or near the top continued into the mid-20th century.


Government and politics

Inside the Riksdag, after the 2006 renovation
Hjalmar Branting, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Sweden

Popular government in Sweden rests upon ancient traditions. The Swedish Riksdag stems from the ancient court system used by all Germanic peoples, the Ting, and the election of kings in the Viking age. The Government of Sweden has adhered to Parliamentarism — de jure since 1975, de facto since 1917.

Swedish politics takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the government, led by the Prime Minister. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, elected within a pluriform multi-party system. The Judiciary is independent, appointed by the government for life.

The Swedish Social Democratic Party has played a leading political role since 1917, after Reformists 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 center-right bloc enough seats in Parliament to form a government. This is considered one reason for the Swedish post-war welfare state, with a government expenditure of slightly more than 50% of the gross domestic product.

Constitution

The Constitution consists of four fundamental laws. The most important is the Instrument of Government of 1974 which sets out the basic principles of political life in Sweden, defining rights and freedoms. The Act of Succession is a treaty between the old Riksdag of the Estates and The House of Bernadotte regulating their rights to accede to the Swedish throne.

The four fundamental laws are:

  • Instrument of Government (1974)
  • Act of Succession (1809)
  • Freedom of the Press Act (1766)
  • Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression (1991)

Executive branch

The executive authority of the government is vested in the cabinet, which consists of a Prime Minister and roughly 20 Ministers who run the government departments. The Ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister without any confirmation of the Parliament. The Prime Minister is first appointed by the Speaker of Parliament and then confirmed by Parliament. The monarch plays no part in this process.

Legislative branch

The unicameral Riksdag has 349 members, popularly elected every 4 years. It is in session generally from September through mid-June.

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 Riksdag can alter the Constitution, but only with approval by a supermajority and confirmation after the following general elections.

Administrative divisions

Sweden is divided into 21 counties. In each there is a County Administrative Board and a County Council. Each county is also divided into several Municipalities, in total 289.

Stockholm is the capital city. The King, the Parliament and the Cabinet all sit in Stockholm.

Foreign relations

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

Beginning in the late 1960s, Sweden attempted to play a more significant and independent role in international relations. This involved 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 reduced, although Sweden remains comparatively active in peace keeping missions and maintains a generous foreign aid budget. 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.

Military

The Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) is a Government agency responsible for the peacetime operation of the armed forces. The primary task of the agency is to train and deploy peace support forces abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to refocus on the defense of the country in the event of war.

The Armed Forces is branched into Army, Air Force, and Navy. As a Government agency, it reports to the Swedish Ministry of Defense.

Sweden's military is built on conscription, and until the end of the Cold War nearly all males reaching the age of military service were conscripted. In recent years, conscription rates have dropped dramatically, while the number of female volunteers has increased slightly.

Swedish units have taken part in peacekeeping operations, in Congo, Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.

In the early 21st century, one of the most important tasks for the Swedish Armed Forces was to form a Swedish-led European Union Battle Group to which Norway, Finland, and Estonia will also contribute. The Nordic Battle Group (NBG) is to have a 10-day deployment readiness by the first half of 2008.

Economy

File:Image-GRP per capita Sweden.png
Gross Regional Product (GRP) per capita in thousands of crowns (2004)

Sweden is an industrialized country. Agriculture, once accounting for nearly all of the nation's economy, now employs less than 3% of the labor force. Historically, Swedish industrialization was based on natural resources such as forests, iron ore deposits, and hydroelectric power. These retain some importance but today economic activity is concentrated in areas that are not tied to the nation's natural resources base. In particular, the telecommunications, pharmaceutical and automotive industries are of importance.

Welfare system

"Swedish welfare" refers to the Swedish variant of the mixed economy welfare state prevalent in much of the industrialized world. Similar systems are found especially in the other Nordic countries.

The country has been categorized by some observers as a middle way between a capitalist and a socialist economy. Supporters of the idea assert that Sweden has found a way of achieving one of the highest levels of social equality in the world, without stifling entrepreneurship. The viewpoint has been questioned by supporters of economic liberalization in Sweden and skeptics of socialism as a viable approach to economic management.

The system developed slowly but persistently throughout the 20th century. The development was led by the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the trade unions. This involved opposition from the business community and the liberal and conservative opposition. However, the opposition eventually came to accept much of the Social Democratic system, and has typically worked to reform it from within.

Facts and figures

GDP: purchasing power parity - $255.4 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.6% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,400 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 29% services: 69% (2001)

Labour force: 4.46 million (2004 est.)

Labour force - by occupation: agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 20.1% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 25 (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.7% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 15.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $210.5 billion expenditures: $205.9 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2005 est.)

Public debt: 50.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products: barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk

Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2004 est.)

Electricity:

  • production: 142.8 TWh (2002)
  • consumption: 138.1 TWh (2002)
  • export: 14.8 TWh (2002)
  • import: 20.1 TWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source:

  • fossil fuel: 4%
  • hydro: 50.8%
  • nuclear: 43%
  • other: 2.3% (2001)

Oil:

  • production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
  • consumption: 328,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
  • exports: 203,700 bbl/day (2001)
  • imports: 553,100 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas:

  • production: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
  • consumption: 949 million cu m (2001 est.)
  • exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
  • imports: 968 million cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance: $24.08 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $121.7 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals

Exports - partners: US 10.7%, Germany 10.3%, UK 7.2%, Denmark 6.6%, Norway 6.2%, Finland 5.9%, Belgium 5.1%, Netherlands 4.8%, France 4.7% (2004)

Imports: $97.97 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners: Germany 20.2%, Denmark 8.2%, UK 7.9%, Netherlands 7.2%, Finland 7%, France 6.1%, Norway 5.9%, Belgium 4.5% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $19.99 billion (2003)

Debt - external: $66.5 billion (1994)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.7 billion (1997)

Currency (code): Swedish krona (SEK)

Exchange rates: Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001), 9.1622 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Demographics

Statistics

  • Population:
9,016,596 (July 2006 est.)
  • Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 775,433/female 732,773)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,001,928/female 2,918,242)
65 years and over: 17.6% (male 689,756/female 898,464) (2006 est.)
  • Median age:
total: 40.9 years
male: 39.8 years
female: 42 years (2006 est.)
  • Population growth rate:
0.16% (2006 est.)
  • Birth rate:
10.27 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
  • Death rate:
10.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
  • Net migration rate:
1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
  • Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
  • Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
  • Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.51 years
male: 78.29 years
female: 82.87 years (2006 est.)
  • Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
  • HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
  • HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,600 (2001 est.)
  • HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)
  • Nationality:
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish
  • Ethnic groups:
indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks
  • Religions:
Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%
  • Languages:
Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
  • Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) [5]


As of November 2006, the total population of Sweden was estimated to 9,110,972.[6] The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately August 12, 2004, according to Statistics Sweden. About 20,000 people are Sami, a folk group living in 4 countries. Sweden has a low population density except in its metropolitan areas; 84 percent of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3 percent of the total land area.[7]

Of the 2004 population, 1.1 million, or 12 percent, were foreign-born[8] and approximately 22 percent (2 million) had at least one parent born abroad or were themselves born abroad.[9] This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labor immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration. Sweden has been transformed from a nation of emigration ending after World War I to a nation of immigration sinceWorld War II.

Immigration from the other Nordic countries reached a peak of more than 40,000 per year in 1969-70 when the new immigration rules introduced in 1967 had made it more difficult for immigrants from outside the Nordic region to settle in Sweden for labor market policy reasons.[8] Immigration by refugees from outside the Nordic region increased drastically during the late 1980s, with many of the immigrants arriving from Asia and Latin America, particularly Iran and Chile. Another large immigrant group came from former Yugoslavia and the Middle East.[10]

As of 2005, Finns make up the largest immigrant group in Sweden, followed by people born in Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Iran, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iraq and Former Yugoslavia.[8]. The official list of immigrant arrivals in 2005, compiled by the Swedish Integration Board, shows that biggest group of immigrants to Sweden still comes from the Nordic countries (20,162); 16,739 were immigrants born in Asia, 5,625 were born in Africa, and 2,655 in Latin America.[8]

Soviet intervention against the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the 1968 Czechoslovak liberalization resulted in the first surges of intellectual political refugees. Later groups of immigrants arrived from Latin America, following the rise of military dictatorships. Sweden has also taken in refugees from the Middle East; the increase of Iraqi immigrants has been notable during the last years. [citation needed] A large number of refugees come from Africa as well. The majority of Afro-Swedes are immigrants who came for political refuge and economic opportunity, including Ethiopians whom fled from Communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s, and Somalis fled the Somali civil war during the 1990s.[citation needed]

Swedish, a North Germanic language related and very similar to Danish and Norwegian, but differing in pronunciation and orthography, is the primary language. Swedish has never been legislatively declared the official language of Sweden. However, with the recognition of five minority languages of Sweden (Finnish, Meänkieli, Sami, Romani, and Yiddish) on April 1, 2000, the issue of declaring an official language was raised. On December 7, 2005, the parliament voted, but the proposal failed. [11]

A majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, understand and speak English. English was required for secondary school students studying natural sciences as early as 1849, and for all Swedish students since the late 1940s.[12] Most students now also learn one and sometimes two additional languages. 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 always to qualifications for further studies at a university or university college (högskola). Both upper secondary school and university studies are financed by taxes. Some Swedes go straight to work after secondary school.


Before the 11th century, Swedes adhered to Norse paganism, worshiping Æsir gods, with its center at the Temple in Uppsala. With Christianization in the 11th century, the laws of the country were changed, forbidding worship of other deities into the late 19th century.

After the Protestant Reformation in the 1530s, the Church and State were separated, abolishing the authority of the Roman Catholic bishops, allowing Lutheranism to prevail. This process was completed by the Uppsala Synod of 1593. During the era following the Reformation, known as the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy, small groups of non-Lutherans were quietly tolerated. The Sami were converted from their shamanistic religion to Lutheranism by Swedish missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Liberalization in the late 18th century, however, led to tolerance for believers of other faiths, including Judaism and Catholicism, allowing adherents to openly live and work in Sweden, although it remained illegal for Lutheran Swedes to convert to another religion until 1860. The right to stand outside any religious denomination was established in the Law on Freedom of Religion in 1951.

Today about 78 percent of Swedes nominally belong to the Church of Sweden, but the number is decreasing by about one per cent every year.[13] Small percentages of native and naturalized Swedes are Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Muslims[14] [15] In general, however, Swedish society, collectively, is considered comparatively secular and non-religious.[16]

Culture

Traditional Swedish rural house, painted in the traditional Swedish Falu red
The award winning Turning Torso skyscraper in Malmö, is 190 meters tall and is the tallest skyscraper in Sweden and the second-tallest residential building in Europe

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.

Midsummer's Eve, painting by Anders Zorn

Sweden made its first 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.

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 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 and the actors Max von Sydow, Stellan Skarsgård, Dolph Lundgren and Peter Stormare have had international careers. 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.[17] At the present time, the percentage of single people is one of the highest in the world. Sweden has also become, in recent decades, fairly liberal regarding homosexuality. Although not legislated, Sweden recognizes civil union for same-sex couples ("registered partnership").

Sweden has a rich musical tradition, ranging from medieval folk ballads to house music. The music of the pre-Christian Norse has been lost to history, although historical recreations have been attempted based on instruments found in Viking sites. Instruments used were the lur (a sort of trumpet), simple string instruments, wooden flutes, and drums. The Viking musical legacy may live on in some of the old Swedish folk music. Sweden 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. There is also Sami music, called joik, which is actually a type of traditional chant of Sami animistic spirituality that has gained recognition in the international world of 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 as a 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. Sweden also has a prominent choral music tradition, deriving in part from the cultural importance of the Swedish folk songs.[18]

ABBA is undoubtedly the most well-known popular music band from Sweden. With ABBA, Sweden entered into a new era, in which Swedish pop music gained international prominence. Swedes like to credit themselves with being the third largest exporter of pop and rock music in the world, after the US and the UK. Sweden is also responsible for the Swechno scene, offering a distinct house and techno sound

Swedes are among the greatest consumers of newspapers in the world, and nearly every town is served by a local paper. The country's news is reported in English by, among others, The Local (liberal). For many years Swedish television consisted solely of the two channels broadcast by the public service company Sveriges Television, which, as in most other European countries, is financed through a radio and TV license. In 1987 the first commercial Scandinavian channel, TV3, started transmitting from London, and today there are three (SVT1, SVT2 and TV4) free broadcast channels in the terrestrial network, which is currently switching from analog television to digital. However, most Swedes have access to numerous other free or pay channels through cable TV or satellite TV.

Apart from traditional Protestant 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; Labor Day on May 1 is dedicated to socialist demonstrations; and December 13, the day of Saint Lucia the lightgiver. June 6 is the National holiday of Sweden and, as of 2005, a public holiday. Furthermore, there are Flag day observances and a Namesdays in Sweden calendar. The Sami have their holiday on February 6 and Scania celebrate their Scanian Flag day on the third Sunday in July.

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, directly translated: Butter-goose), and the famous 'Smörgåsbord' or lavish buffet. Aquavit, or akvavit, is a popular celebratory alcoholic drink made with potatoes and herbs such as caraway seeds. Other, more regional traditional foods are the surströmming parties in Northern Sweden (surströmming is a type of fermented fish) and ålagillen (eel parties) in Scania in Southern Sweden. Martin of Tours Eve is celebrated in Scania in November with Mårten Gås parties, where roast goose and svartsoppa ('black soup', made of goose stock, fruit, spices, spirits and goose blood) are served.

Healthcare in Sweden is very developed. Sweden ranks in the top five countries with respect to low infant mortality. It also ranks high in life expectancy and in safe drinking water. The Lund University hospital, the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, and the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, and the Akademical hospital in Uppsala are some of the world-class hospitals in Sweden.

Sports are a national movement with half of the population actively participating, due in part to heavy government subsidies of sport associations ("föreningsstöd"). The two main spectator sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. After soccer, horse sports have the highest number of participants, mostly women. Golf, track and field, and team sports like handball, floorball, basketball and bandy are popular. In schools, 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.

Many Swedes have been dominant in tennis, including former world champions Björn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg; in skiing, Ingemar Stenmark, Pernilla Wiberg, and Anja Pärson have all been champions in alpine skiing, as have Sixten Jernberg, Gunde Svan, Torgny Mogren, Per Elofsson, and Thomas Wassberg in cross country skiing. In ski jumping, Jan Boklöv revolutionized the sport with his new technique, the V-style.

Olympian medal winners have included middle distance runner Gunder Hägg, high jumpers European record holder Patrik Sjöberg, Kajsa Bergqvist, and gold medalist 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 Jesper Parnevik, Henrik Stenson and Annika Sörenstam,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.

Sweden hosted the 1912 Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in 1958. Other major sports events Sweden has hosted include 1992 UEFA European Football Championship,and FIFA Women's World Cup 1995.

International rankings


Notes

  1. Preliminar Population Statistics 2006. Statistiska centralbyrån. Retrieved 2006-10-13.
  2. April 1997, Agenda 21 - Natural Resource Aspects - Sweden, 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, Retrieved April 10, 2007.
  3. Sweden, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition: 2001-05. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
  4. Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia. Praeger Publishers, p.8.
  5. Sweden; People, CIA World Factbook. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
  6. Statistics Sweden.Preliminary Population Statistics, by month, 2004 - 2006. Population statistics,1 January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
  7. Statistics Sweden. Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in pdf format.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 The Swedish Integration Board (2006). Pocket Facts: Statistics on Integration. Integrationsverket, 2006. ISBN 9189609301. Available online in pdf format. Retrieved 14 February 2007.
  9. Swedish Integration Board. Största språken i Sverige idag. (Largest languages in Sweden today). Press release, 17 June 2004. (In Swedish). Retrieved 14 February 2007.
  10. Nordstrom, p. 353. (Lists Former Yugoslavia and Iran as top two countries in terms of immigration beside "Other Nordic Countries," based on Nordic Council of Ministers Yearbook of Nordic Statistics, 1996, 46-47)
  11. Svenskan blir inte officiellt språk, Sveriges Television, 2005-12-07. Retrieved on July 23 2006. (in Swedish)
  12. English spoken - fast ibland hellre än bra (in Swedish). Lund University newsletter 7/1999.
  13. Church of Sweden, Members 1978-2004, PDF document in Swedish
  14. Statistics about free churches and immigration churches from Swedish Wikipedia - in Swedish
  15. Swedish Newspaper - in Swedish
  16. Celsing, Charlotte. Are Swedes losing their religion?. The Swedish Institute, 1 September 2006. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
  17. "The Swedish Myths: True, False, or Somewhere In Between?", Sweden.se. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
  18. Durant, Colin (2003). Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice, Routledge, pp. 46-47. ISBN 0415943566: "Sweden has a strong and enviable choral singing tradition. In fact, out of a population of 8.9 million, it is estimated that between five hundred thousand and six hundred thousand people sing in choirs... All those interviewed placed great emphasis on the social identification through singing and also referred to the importance of Swedish folk song in the maintenance of the choral singing tradition and national identity."

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

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".[1]

External links



Template:Baltic

Kingdoms of Svear (Swedes) and Götar (Geats) in the 12th century.
Riksdag building, Stockholm
Image near Kebnekaise from Lappland in northern Norrland
View of Gamla Stan in Stockholm
Image from Gothenburg's archipelago in northern Götaland
Image from Skåne in southern Götaland


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  1. (1998) Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples. University of Minnesota Press, 1220. ISBN 0-8020-2938-8.