Kingdom of Sweden [Konungariket Sverige] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: (Royal) ["För Sverige - I tiden"] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) 1 "For Sweden – With the Times" 2
Anthem: [Du gamla, du fria] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) Thou ancient, thou free Royal anthem: [Kungssången] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) The King's Song
Location of Sweden (orange) – in Europe (tan & white) – in the European Union (tan)  [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Stockholm
Official languages	Swedish (de facto)3
Government	Representative parliamentary democracy (under constitutional monarchy)
• King	Carl XVI Gustaf
• Prime Minister	Fredrik Reinfeldt
• Speaker of the Riksdag	Per Westerberg
Consolidation  prehistoric
• Water (%)	8.67
Population
• 2007 estimate	9,122 2694 (85th)
• 1990 census	8,587,353
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
• Total	$285.1 billion (35th)
• Per capita	$31,600 (19th)
GDP (nominal)	2006 estimate
• Total	$371.5 billion (20th)
• Per capita	$40,764 (9th)
Gini (2000)	25 low (4th)
HDI (2004)	0.951 Error: Invalid HDI value (5th)
Currency	Swedish krona (SEK)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code	46
ISO 3166 code	SE
Internet TLD	.se5
[För Sverige - I tiden] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) has been adopted by Carl XVI Gustaf as his personal motto. Former king Gustaf VI Adolf's motto was [Plikten framför allt] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), "Duty above all". See H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf The Swedish language is the de facto national language. Five other languages are officially recognized as minority languages. "Population in the country, counties and municipalities on 31/12/2006 and Population Change in 2006". Statistiska centralbyrån. Retrieved 2007-04-21. 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, officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige^ⓘ), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Its capital city is Stockholm. It is surrounded by Norway (west), Finland (northeast), the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Oresund straits (southwest) and the Baltic Sea (east). It has maritime borders with Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and it is also linked to Denmark (southwest) by the Öresund Bridge. It has been a member of the European Union since 1995.

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country in Western Europe. 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.^[1]

The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and liberal,^[2] with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivistic compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts.^[3] Nature conservation, environmental protection and energy efficiency are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden.^[4][5]

Sweden has a long tradition as a major exporter of iron, copper and timber. Improved transportation and communication allowed more remote natural assets to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably timber and iron ore. In the 1890s, universal schooling and industrialization enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a welfare state, consistently achieving a high position among the top-ranking countries in the UN Human Development Index (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.

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 neighbours for many years, especially Russia and Denmark-Norway. In the seventeenth century, during an era of absolute monarchy, the Swedish kings expanded Sweden's territory through warfare, creating Swedish dominions on the Scandinavian peninsula, in the Baltic and in areas in present-day Germany. After the death of Charles XII in 1718, the Swedish empire crumbled. In 1809, the eastern part of Sweden, Österland and the eastern part of Norrland became Finland, the semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Imperial Russia and by 1814, Sweden had lost all of the conquered territory outside the Scandinavian peninsula. In 1814, Norway was coerced into a personal union with Sweden which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and neutrality in wartime.

History

Prehistory

The early record of human activity in Scandinavia is sparse and the interpretations of the records from the Nordic Stone Age (10,000 BC – 1700 BC) are often conflicting.^[6] The oldest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of flint tools from 9,500 to 9,000 BC. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millennia.^[7]

In 4200 BC, fired pottery, systematic farming and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of Mediterranean-style megalithic graves dated 3300–2000 BC have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early hunter-gatherers and farmers were followed between 2500 and 2000 BC by a new ethnolinguistic group, the so-called boat ax, battle ax, or single-grave people, named for their stone weapons and graves. They were Indo-European nomads from the eastern Urals who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia.^[7] This period was followed by the Nordic Bronze Age (1700–500 BC), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the battle ax people.^[7] Archaeological finds of this era are the petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites.^[7] Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas, with no recognized borders yet existing 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. It is not known when and how the kingdom of Sweden was born, but the list of Swedish monarchs is drawn from when the first kings who ruled Svealand (Sweden) and Götaland (Gothia) as one. Sweden and Gothia were two separate nations long before that. It is unknown how long they have existed.

A tribe populating a region of what is today Sweden was first mentioned in 98 AD by the Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote about the Suiones who lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. According to Tacitus, they venerated wealth and therefore had a single ruler who exacted unlimited obedience from them and governed without restriction in power. 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: Svealand, primarily the region around lake Mälaren. The modern name Sweden is derived through "back-formation" 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) (see Etymology of Sweden). The southern parts, on the other hand, were inhabited by the Geats in the Götaland territory, and Beowulf described semi-legendary Swedish-Geatish wars in the sixth century AD. The northern part, Norrland, was probably mostly populated by Sami.

The Swedish Viking Age lasted roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD. It is during this period, it is believed that the Swedes expanded from eastern Sweden and incorporated the Geats to the south.^[8] While Vikings from what is today Norway, Denmark and the west coast and south of Sweden traveled south and west, Swedish vikings traveled east and south, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, and Russia. Their routes passed the rivers of Russia down south to Constantinople (Byzantine Empire) (present-day Istanbul, Turkey) on which they did numerous raids. The Byzantine Emperor Theophilos noticed their great skills in war, and invited them to provide a few mercenaries for his army.

Middle Ages

During the early stages of the Scandinavian Viking Age, Ystad in Scania and Paviken on Gotland, in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Remains from 600–700 AD of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad.^[9] In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the ninth and tenth century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbour with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era horded more silver than the rest of the population of Scandinavia combined.^[9]

St. Ansgar introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace paganism until the twelfth century and onward. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms, including struggles for territory and comparative power.^[7] Swedish kings also began to expand the Swedish-controlled territory in Finland, creating conflicts with the Rus.^[10]

In the fourteenth century, Sweden was struck by the Black Death (the Plague). During this period the Swedish cities also began to acquire greater rights and were strongly influenced by German merchants of the Hanseatic League, active especially at Visby. 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. Real power was held for long periods by regents (notably those of the Sture family) chosen by the Swedish parliament. King Christian II of Denmark, who asserted his claim to Sweden by force of arms, ordered a massacre in 1520 of Swedish nobles at Stockholm. This came to be known as the “Stockholm blood bath” and stirred the Swedish nobility to new resistance and, on the 6th of June (Sweden's national holiday) in 1523, they made Gustav Vasa their king. This is sometimes considered as the foundation of modern Sweden. Shortly afterwards he rejected Catholicism and led Sweden to the Protestant Reformation. Gustav Vasa is by some considered to be Sweden's "Father of the Nation".

Swedish Empire

The seventeenth century saw the rise of Sweden as one of the Great Powers in Europe. Sweden also had colonial possessions as a minor colonial Empire that existed from 1638-1663 and later 1785-1878.

Sweden was during Imperial times the most powerful country of northern Europe and the Baltic Sea. Sweden's Imperial status took its start with Gustav II Adolph as king, and his successful participation in the Thirty Years' War, which made Sweden the recognized leader of Continental Protestantism in Europe until 1721 when the Empire collapsed.^{[citation needed]} Sweden's Imperial status during this period is largely credited to Gustav I's major changes on the Swedish economy in the mid-1500s, and his introduction of Protestantism.^{[citation needed]}

The mid 1600s and the early 1700s were Sweden's most successful years as a Great Power. Sweden reached its largest territorial extent during the rule of Charles X (1622–1660) after the treaty of Roskilde in 1658. However, after more than a half century of almost constant warfare the Swedish economy had deteriorated. It would become the lifetime task of Charles' son, Charles XI (1655-1697), to rebuild the economy and refit the army. His legacy to his son, the coming ruler of Sweden Charles XII, was one of the finest arsenals in the world, a large standing army and a great fleet. Sweden's largest threat at this time, Russia, had a larger army but was far behind in both equipment and training. The Swedish army crushed the Russians at the Battle of Narva in 1700, one of the first battles of the Great Northern War. This led to an overambitious campaign against Russia in 1707, however, ending in a decisive Russian victory at the Battle of Poltava (1709). The campaign had a successful opening for Sweden, which came to occupy half of Poland and making Charles able to claim the Polish throne. But after a long march exposed by cossack raids, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great's scorched-earth techniques and the cold Russian climate, the Swedes stood weakened with a shattered confidence, and enormously outnumbered against the Russian army at Poltava. The defeat meant the beginning of the end for Sweden as Empire.

Even though Sweden had lost almost half of its army during these times of intense war, Charles XII still attempted to invade Norway 1716, and the Swedish Empire crumbled when having to sign the Treaty of Nystad losing the war 1721. Three years earlier the king had been shot during a siege attempt at Fredriksten (30th November 1718). The lands Sweden had to cede clearly marked the end of Sweden's role as the foremost nation of the Baltic Sea with Russia taking its place. It also made Russia able to step forward as a new Empire, and become one of Europe's leading nations.

In the eighteenth century, Sweden did not have enough resources to maintain its territories outside Scandinavia and most of them were lost, culminating with the 1809 loss of the territory once named Österland (Eastern district) and the eastern part of Norrland to Russia: these parts became the semi-autonomous (Duchy) of Finland of Imperial Russia.

After Denmark-Norway was defeated in the Napoleonic wars, Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden on January 14, 1814, at the Treaty of Kiel. The Norwegian attempts to keep their status as a sovereign state were rejected by the Swedish king, Charles XIII. He launched a military campaign against Norway on July 27, 1814, ending in the Convention of Moss, which forced Norway into a personal union with Sweden, under the Swedish crown, which was not dissolved until 1905. The 1814 campaign was also the last in which Sweden participated as a combatant.

Modern history

The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw a significant population increase, which the writer Esaias Tegnér in 1833 famously attributed to "the peace, the (smallpox) vaccine, and the potatoes".^[11] 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 emigrated annually during the 1880s. Nevertheless, Sweden remained poor, retaining a nearly entirely agricultural economy even as Denmark and Western European countries began to industrialize.^[12][13] Many looked towards America for a better life during this time. It is believed that between 1850 and 1910 more than one million Swedes moved to the United States.^[14] In 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. Some also moved to Canada and others in smaller numbers to Argentina.

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.^[15] These innovations included government-sponsored programs of enclosure, aggressive exploitation of agricultural lands, and the introduction of new crops such as the potato.^[15] Due also to the fact that the Swedish peasantry had never been enserfed as elsewhere in Europe,^[16] the Swedish farming culture began to take on a critical role in the Swedish political process, which has continued through modern times with modern Agrarian party (now called the Centre Party).^[17] Between 1870 and 1914, Sweden finally began developing into the industrialized economy that exists today.^[18]

During the late nineteenth 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.^[19] However, there is no factual ground for believing that alcohol consumption was higher than in other comparable countries.

Strong grassroots movements sprung up in Sweden during the latter half of the nineteenth century (unions, temperance groups, and independent religious groups), creating a strong foundation of democratic principles. These movements precipitated Sweden's migration into a modern parliamentary democracy, achieved by the time of World War I. As the Industrial Revolution progressed during the twentieth 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

Sweden remained officially neutral during World War I and World War II, although its neutrality during World War II has been highly debated.^[20][21] Sweden was forcibly under German influence for most of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades.^[20] The Swedish government felt that it was in no position to openly contest Germany,^[22] but it did attempt to help the Allies in secret. 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.^[22] (see Sweden during World War II). Nevertheless, internal and external critics have argued that Sweden could have done more to resist the Nazi war effort, even if risking occupation.^[22]

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.^[23] By the 1960s, Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, had become an affluent consumer society and welfare state.^[23] Sweden was part of the Marshall Plan and participated in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (OECD),^[23] 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 was maintained well into the mid-twentieth century.

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 some other countries, in addition to extensive cooperation with other European countries in the area of defence technology and defence 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 followed by being hit in the oil embargos of 1973-74 and 1978-79.^[24] 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 basis of the welfare state have been maintained, a number of economic reforms were 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". A country known for very low crime rates compared to other developed countries, 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.

Geography

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

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), 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 in 2006 of 9.1 million people.

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.

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.

Administrative divisions

Counties

Sweden is divided into twenty-one counties ([län] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)). 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 county has a County Administrative Board or länsstyrelse, which is appointed by the Government (the first Swedish County Administrative Board was made up by the Swedish Prime minister Axel Oxenstierna in 1634). In each county there is also a separate County Council or landsting, which is elected directly by the people. 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, primarily the twenty-five provinces and three lands, which still retain some significance.

Largest municipalities

Denotes inhabitants in the municipality (kommun) area. Area is in km². The figures are as of December 31, 2006.^[25]

Rank	Municipality	Population	Land Area	Density
1	Stockholm	782,855	187.74	4,124.91
2	Gothenburg	489,757	450.71	1,080.58
3	Malmö	276,244	155.56	1,752.60
4	Uppsala	185,187	2,189.10	84.01
5	Linköping	138,580	1,435.80	96.08
6	Västerås	132,920	962.78	137.46
7	Örebro	128,977	1,380.11	92.87
8	Norrköping	125,463	1,503.61	82.95
9	Helsingborg	123,389	346.25	353.35
10	Jönköping	122,194	1,488.75	81.43
11	Umeå	111,235	2,331.39	47.58
12	Lund	103,286	430.27	238.11
13	Borås	100,221	915.22	108.88
14	Sundsvall	94,516	3,208.70	29.33
15	Gävle	92,416	1,615.07	57.12

Demographics

As of November 2006, the total population of Sweden was estimated to be 9,110,972.^[26] The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately August 12 2004, according to the Statistics Sweden. Of the 2004 population, 1.1 million, or 12%, were foreign-born^[27] and approximately 16.7% (1.53 million) had at least one parent born abroad or were themselves born abroad.^[28] This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labour 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 from World War II onwards.

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 labour market policy reasons.^[27] Immigration by refugees and immigrating relatives of refugees from outside the Nordic region increased drastically during the late 1980s, with many of the immigrants arriving from Asia and Latin America, especially from Iran and Chile. Another large immigrant group came from former Yugoslavia and the Middle East.^[29]

The largest immigrant group living in Sweden as of 2005 consists of people born in Finland, followed by people born in Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Iran, Iraq and Former Yugoslavia.^[27] The official list of immigrant arrivals in 2005 by country of birth, compiled by the Swedish Integration Board, shows that biggest group of immigrants to Sweden still comes from the Nordic countries: of the 20,162 Nordic born immigrants moving to Sweden in 2005, more than half (11,066) were people born in Sweden returning to Sweden, while 3,494 were born in Denmark, 2,793 born in Finland and 2,425 in Norway. Of the other groups arriving in 2005, 16,739 were immigrants born in Asia, 5,625 were immigrants born in Africa and 2,655 were born in Latin America.^[27]

A sizable community from the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) arrived during the Second World War, but most of them returned to their countries of birth after the war.^[27]

Finns make up about 5% of the whole population and in the areas near the border to Finland, they make up some 50% of the population.^{[citation needed]} The original population of Sami people (a folk group living in 4 countries) is only about 20,000 persons. Approximately 77,500 of the nation's population is of sub-Saharan African ancestry.^{[citation needed]} The majority of Afro-Swedes are immigrants who came for political refuge and economic opportunity, including Ethiopians who fled from Communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s, and Somalians fleeing ongoing fighting there since the 1990s.^{[citation needed]}

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. The then ruling social democrats, in particular Olof Palme took in international politics a clear stand against what they typically viewed as the imperialism of both the Soviet Union and the United States. ^{[citation needed]}Following the 1973 coup in Chile, a large number of Chilean political refugees arrived in Sweden. Others came from South American countries including Argentina and Uruguay following the rise of military dictatorships. Sweden has also taken in refugees from the Middle East, particularly Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and those from the Palestinian territories. Some East Asian and South Asian immigration (Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis and Vietnamese into Sweden have notable numbers. The increase of Iraqi immigrants also has been notable during the last years. ^{[citation needed]}

Language

The primary language of Sweden is Swedish, a North Germanic language, related and very similar to Danish and Norwegian, but differing in pronunciation and orthography. Norwegians have little difficulty understanding Swedish and Danes can also understand it, with a bit more difficulty than the Norwegians. The area around Malmö (across from Copenhagen) has the most mutual intelligibility.^{[citation needed]} The dominant language has always been Swedish, though this designation was never made official. 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, but with a count of 147 to 145 and certain voting errors the proposal failed.^[30]

A majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, 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.^[31] Depending on the local school authorities, English is currently a compulsory subject between first grade and ninth grade, with all students continuing in secondary school studying English for at least another year. Most students also learn one and sometimes two additional languages, the most popular being Spanish, German, French, and Italian. Some Danish and Norwegian is at times also taught as part of the Swedish course for native speakers to emphasize differences and similarities between the 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.^[32] The nation's modern legislative body is the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag), with 349 members, which chooses the Prime Minister. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, on the third Sunday of September.

Political history

No one can really say where in the history the beginning of Sweden as a nation can be marked. It depends most on if Sweden was not a nation until the Svear (swedes) of historical Svealand ruled over Götar (geats) of the provinces of historical Götaland or if you could say that Sweden was a nation already when the Suiones only had to rule Svealand. If so, Sweden was first mentioned to have one single ruler year 98 by Tacitus, but it's impossible to know for how long it had been this way. Historians usually start the line of Swedish monarchs from were Svealand and Götaland was ruled under the same king, this would be Erik the Victorious and his son Olof Skötkonung. Earlier kings, Mythological kings of Sweden and Semi-legendary kings of Sweden can be read about in Norse sagas. These events are often described as the consolidation of Sweden, although substantial areas including Österland and Norrland, were added later.

The title Sveriges och Götes Konung was last used for Gustaf I of Sweden, after which the title became "King of Sweden, Gothia and Wendland" (Sveriges, Götes och Vendes Konung) in official documentation. Up until the beginning of the 1920s, all laws in Sweden were introduced with the words, "We, the king of Sweden, Gothia and Wendland". This title was used up until 1973.^[33] The current king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf was the first monarch officially proclaimed "King of Sweden" (Sveriges Konung) with no additional territories mentioned in his title.

The term "Riksdag" was used for the first time in the 1540s, although the first meeting where representatives of different social groups were called to discuss and determine affairs affecting the country as a whole took place as early as 1435, in the town of Arboga.^[34] During the assemblies of 1527 and 1544, under King Gustav Vasa, representatives of all four estates of the realm (clergy, nobility, townsmen and peasants) were called on to participate for the first time.^[34] The monarchy became hereditary in 1544.

Executive power was historically 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 Riksdag of the Estates consisted of two chambers. In 1866 Sweden became a Constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament, with the First Chamber indirectly elected by local governments, and the Second Chamber directly elected in national elections every four years. In 1971 the Riksdag became unicameral. Legislative power was (symbolically) shared between king and parliament until 1975. Swedish taxation is controlled by the Riksdag (parliament).

Modern Political System

Constitutionally, the 349-member Riksdag (Parliament) holds supreme authority in modern Sweden. This Riksdag is responsible for choosing the Prime Minister, who then appoints the government (the ministers). The legislative power is then shared between the parliament and the Prime Minister led government. The executive power is exercised by the government, while the Judiciary is independent. Sweden lacks compulsory judicial review, although the non-compulsory review carried out by lagrådet (Law Council) is mostly respected in technical matters but less so in controversial political matters. Acts of the parliament and government decrees can be made inapplicable at every level if they are manifestly against constitutional laws. However, due to the restrictions in this form of judicial review and a weak judiciary, this has had little practical consequence.

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 simple but absolute majority and two decisions with general elections in between. Sweden has three other constitutional laws: the Act of Royal Succession, the Freedom of Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression.

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. There has been broad political consensus regarding the rapid extension of the welfare state,^{[citation needed]}, with government expenditure at its peak being 67% of the gross domestic product. However, poor economical performance since the beginning of the 1970s, and especially the crisis at the beginning of the 1990s, have forced Sweden to reform its political system to become more like other European countries, although it is still the only European country with taxes that exceed 50% of GNP. In the 2006 general election the Moderate Party, allied with 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):^[35]

• 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 (fp, Liberal People's 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)

The following parties received a total of 5.7% of the votes, but did not make the 4% limit to gain seats:

• Sverigedemokraterna (Swedish Democrats)
• Feministiskt initiativ (Feminist initiative)
• Piratpartiet (The Pirate party)
• Junilistan (June list)
• Sjukvårdspartiet (The health care party)
• Nationaldemokraterna (National Democrats)

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 – the sports movement. Gudrun Schyman founded the Feminist Initiative party, commonly referred to simply as F!, in 2005. Ms. magazine quoted Schyman's view of Sweden's reputation for progressive initiatives: "In Sweden there’s a gap between words and reality.... Internationally a lot of people look upon Sweden as equality paradise, but that is not the truth – and now things are actually going backwards."^[36]

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 general election of 2002, 81.99 in general election of 2006). Swedish politicians enjoyed a high degree of confidence from the citizens in the 1960s but it has since declined steadily and Sweden was by the end of the 1990s one of the Western countries with the lowest degree of trust between citizens and politicians.

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

Energy politics

Further information: Nuclear power phase-out in Sweden and Oil phase-out in Sweden

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. The use of nuclear power has been limited, however. 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. The two largest categories of renewables are hydropower and biomass, the latter mainly used to produce heat for district heating and central heating and industry processes. The total usage of biomass energy is currently 112 TWh per year.^[37]

In 2006, out of a total electricity production of 139 TWh, electricity from hydropower accounted for 61 TWh and 44% of the country's production of electricity with nuclear power delivering 65 TWh (47%). At the same time, the use of biofuels, peat etc. produced 13 TWh (9%) of electricity, while wind power produced 1 TWh (1%). Sweden was a net importer of electricity by a margin of 6 TWh. ^[38]

In March 2005, an opinion poll showed that 83% supported maintaining or increasing nuclear power.^[39] Since then however, reports about radioactive leakages at a nuclear waste store in Forsmark, Sweden, have been published,^[40] although 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.^{[citation needed]}

In an effort to phase out the dependency on nuclear power and fossil fuels, the Swedish government has launched a multi-billion dollar program to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.^[41][42] The country has for many years pursued a strategy of indirect taxation as an instrument of environmental policy, including energy taxes in general and carbon dioxide taxes in particular.^[41] Also in 2005, Sweden garnered international attention by announcing its intention to break its dependence on foreign oil within 15 years, with the goal of becoming the world's first oil-free economy.^[42] (See Oil phase-out in Sweden)

Foreign policy

Throughout the twentieth century, Swedish foreign policy was based on the principle of non-alignment in peacetime and neutrality in wartime.^[23] "Sweden's government was left to pursue an independent course based on a foreign policy defined as nonalignment in times of peace so that neutrality would be possible in the event of war."

Sweden's doctrine of neutrality is often traced back to the 19th century as it has not participated in any war since the end of the Finnish War against Russia in 1809. During the World War II Sweden joined neither the allied nor axis powers. This has been disputed by many since in effect Sweden allowed the Nazi regime to use its railroad system to transport troops and goods,^[20][22] especially iron ore from the rich mines in northern Sweden, of vital need to the German war machine.^[43][22] 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.

During the early Cold War era, Sweden combined its policy of non-alignment with a low profile in international affairs, although it also pursued a security policy based on strong national defense to deter attack.^[44] 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.^{[citation needed]} Another plane, a Catalina search and rescue craft, was sent out a few days later and shot down by the Soviets as well. Olof Palme the former Primeminister of Sweden visited Cuba during the 1970s and showed his support for Cuba in his speech which was in Spanish.

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 remains 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.

Military

The Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) is a Government agency responsible for the peacetime operation of the armed forces of Sweden. 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 Defence. The head of armed forces is the Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces (Överbefälhavaren, ÖB), and beside the Sovereign is the most senior officer in the country.

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, the number of conscripted males has reduced dramatically, while the number of female volunteers has increased slightly. Recruitment has generally shifted towards finding the most motivated recruits, rather than solely those otherwise most fit for service. All soldiers serving abroad must by law be volunteers. In 1975 the total number of conscripts was 45,000. By 2003 it was down to 15,000. After the Defense Proposition 2004, the number of troops in training will decrease even more to between 5,000 and 10,000 each year, while emphasizing the need to recruit only the soldiers later prepared to volunteer for international service. The total forces gathered would consist of about 279,000 men. This could be compared with the 80s before the fall of the Soviet Union, when Sweden could gather up to 800,000 men.

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

Currently, one of the most important tasks for the Swedish Armed Forces is to form a Swedish-led EU Battle Group to which Norway, Finland and Estonia will also contribute, perhaps also Ireland. The Nordic Battle Group (NBG) is to have a 10-day deployment readiness during the first half of 2008.

Economy

Sweden is an export oriented market economy featuring 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. 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 GDP and employment.

According to the book, The Flight of the Creative Class, by the U.S. economist, Professor Richard Florida of George Mason University, Sweden is ranked as having the best creativity in Europe for business and is predicted to become a talent magnet for the world’s most purposeful workers. The book compiled an index to measure the kind of creativity most useful to business – talent, technology and tolerance – and found Sweden to be the number one spot in Europe and the world. The top ten countries, in descending order, are: Sweden, Japan, Finland, the US, Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany.^[45]

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.^[46]

The Swedish Riksbank - founded in 1668 and thus making it the oldest central bank in the world - is currently 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 people in government unemployment 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. 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 despite a growing commercial enterprise economy – politicians and analysts often speak of the "jobless growth". According to Eurostat the unemployment rate in February 2007 was at 6.7% down from 7.4% from February 2006.^[47]

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, which resulted in thousands of people unemployed and a great national debt. Two remnants are an increase in socioeconomic segregation ^{[citation needed]}(Sweden's class divisions increased in the late 20th century, with semi-educated immigrants, low-income refugees and "guest workers" the most affected), and the national debt of approximately 1,248 billion Swedish Kronor (approx. €134 billion, 01.2007).^[48]

Welfare state

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 an example (some economists and socialists said) 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 vouchers in 1992 and decentralization of some types of healthcare services to municipal control.^[49]

While similar in form to other governments in Western Europe, the Swedish state is among the most generous in the scope of government services provided. These include 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". The ceiling on health care costs makes it easier, relative to other nations, for Swedish workers to take time off for medical reasons.

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% 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 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.

Religion

Before the eleventh century, Swedes adhered to Norse paganism, worshiping 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 into the late nineteenth century.

After the Protestant Reformation in the 1530s, the Church and State were separated and the authority of Roman Catholic bishops abolished, allowing Lutheranism to prevail. This process was completed by the Uppsala Synod 1593. During the era following the Reformation, usually known as the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy, small groups of non-Lutherans, especially Calvinist Dutchmen, the Moravian Church and Walloons or French Huguenots from Belgium, played a significant role in trade and industry, and 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, however, 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, leading many 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 percent every year, and Church of Sweden services are sparsely attended (hovering in the single digit percentages of the population).^[50] The reason for the large number of inactive members is partly that until 1996, 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.^[51] Due to immigration, Sweden also has a significant Muslim population. As many as 500,000 are Muslims by tradition^[52] and between 80,000 - 400,000 of these are practicing Islam. (See also Islam in Sweden)

According to the most recent Eurostat "Eurobarometer" poll, in 2005,^[53] 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". Sweden ranks aside with France and Russia on having a large minority of its citizens who have no religion. Independent of these statistics, it is generally known that Swedish society, collectively, is comparatively secular and non-religious.^[54]

Culture

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

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 twentieth-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 seen as an international leader in what is now referred to as the "sexual revolution", with gender equality having particularly been promoted.^[55] At the present time, the number of single people is one of the highest in the world. The early Swedish film I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967) reflected a liberal view of sexuality, including scenes of love making that caught international attention, and introduced the concept of the "Swedish sin". 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 the absence of legislation on same-sex marriages, Sweden has a civil union for same-sex couples ("registered partnership").

Music

Folk music

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. It is possible that the Viking musical legacy lives 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. 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. Sweden has a major market for new age and ecologically or environmentally aware music, as well a large portion of pop and rock music have liberal and left-wing political messages.

Classical, opera and jazz

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. Trombone virtuoso Christian Lindberg is considered by swedes to be their foremost international classical music personality. Evert Taube, Povel Ramel, Cornelis Vreeswijk are all popular modern troubadours, considered to be classics in Swedish music. Sweden also has a prominent choral music tradition, deriving in part from the cultural importance of the Swedish folk songs.^[56]

In the world of jazz, Monica Zetterlund achieved international renown, both as a singer and as an actress. Other well-known names include Alice Babs, Jan Johansson, Arne Domnerus, Georg Riedel, Putte Wickman, George Wadenius, Bengt Hallberg, Lars Gullin, Ulf Wakenius, Magnus Lindgren, and Esbjörn Svensson Trio. Some Swedish easy listening/contemporary groups and artists who are not as well-known internationally but are recognized in Sweden include Peter Jöback, Lill-Babs Svensson, Ted Gärdestad, Gyllene Tider, Helen Sjöholm, and Patrik Isaksson.

Pop

ABBA is without a doubt the most well-known popular music band from Sweden, and the only one that ranks among the most well-known in the world, composed of members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and Benny Andersson. 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, though this is difficult to verify.^[57] 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. An English version is expected to hit Broadway in 2007.

Some of the most successful post-ABBA popular music artists from Sweden are Roxette, Ace of Base, Carola Häggkvist, Helena Paparizou, Army of Lovers, Neneh and Eagle-Eye Cherry, Robyn, A*Teens, The Cardigans, Europe, Alcazar, Play, and guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. A number of renowned rock-oriented artists 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, I'm from Barcelona, The Knife, Mando Diao, The Shout Out Louds, Looptroop, Caesars and Stefan Olsdal of Placebo. 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.

Alternative

Sweden is known for a large number of heavy metal (mostly death metal and melodic death metal), as well as Progressive and power metal bands. Prominent metal acts include Bathory, Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, Opeth, Hypocrisy, In Flames, Meshuggah, The Haunted, At the Gates, Soilwork, Scar Symmetry, Evergrey, Ravaged, Katatonia, Pain of Salvation, Hammerfall, Therion,Blindside, Jerusalem, Unleashed, Amon Amarth, Vintersorg, Entombed, Lost Horizon, Tiamat, Nocturnal Rites and Deathstars. Successful progressive/psychedelic acts are for example Bo Hansson, Dungen, Anekdoten, Morte Macabre, Paatos, Trettioåriga Kriget and Mecki Mark Men, and the controversial American grindcore/pagan metal band Kult of Lilith had a greater audience in Sweden than in the US, since back in the country where many rock fans find the song's subject matter as taboo. Sweden and neighboring Norway are also crucial centers of controversial rock music genres, including Black metal, Death metal, and Neo-Nazi techno-rock movements since the 1980s and 1990s.

In the synth world, the band S.P.O.C.K is still active since the late 1980s. 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 are Joakim Thåström and his punk band Ebba Grön. Sweden is also the home country of a very famous band called Backyard Babies, the Backyard Babies have toured around the U.S., Sweden, England, Germany, France and lots of other places. Most people generalize Backyard Babies as Softcore Metal, but are mostly rock. 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 2005, Basshunter has become popular with his eurodance songs, mostly about computer games. Sweden is also known in the hardcore world for more aggressive bands like Mob 47, Anti Cimex, Totalitär, and The Shitlickers. In the 1990s, Valkyria was a folk-techno band known to sing both ultra-conservative, Viking/old Swedish and eco-fascist, but the band openly opposes Nazism and prejudice.

Media

Swedes are among the greatest consumers of newspapers in the world, and nearly every town is served by a local paper. The country's main quality morning papers are Dagens Nyheter (liberal), Göteborgs-Posten (liberal), Svenska Dagbladet (conservative) and Sydsvenska Dagbladet (liberal). The two largest evening tabloids are Aftonbladet (social democratic) and Expressen (liberal). The ad-financed, free international morning paper, Metro International, was originally founded in Stockholm, Sweden. The country's news is reported in English by, among others, The Local (liberal).

Until 1991, the Swedish Public Service company, with its two television channels SVT1 and SVT2 (plus three digital channels), had a monopoly on broadcasting television on the terrestrial network. Swedes were not able to receive any other television channels until satellite dishes became available in the 1980s. In 1987, TV3 began sending commercial television to Sweden via satellite in London. Two other channels, TV4 and Kanal 5, soon followed suit.

In 1991 the government announced it would begin taking applications from private television companies wishing to broadcast on the terrestrial network. TV4, which had previously been broadcasting via satellite, was granted a permit and began its terrestrial broadcasts in 1992, becoming the first private channel to broadcast television content from within the country.

Holidays

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). Other, more regional traditions 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. The Sami, one of Sweden's indigenous minorities, have their holiday on February 6 and Scania celebrate their Scanian Flag day on the third Sunday in July.

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, 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.

Fashion

Sweden has in late years taken an interest in the fashion industry, through headquartering famous brands like Hennes & Mauritz (operating as H&M), J. Lindeberg (operating as JL), Tiger of Sweden and Filippa K within its borders. These companies, however, are comprised largely of buyers who import fashionable good from throughout Europe and the Americas, continuing the trend of Swedish business toward multinational economic dependancy like many of its neighbors. This large influx of fashion goods has resulted in a large element of the younger population adopting a very trendy european style.

Public health

Healthcare in Sweden is viewed as 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 university hospital in Lund, the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, and the University Hospital in Uppsala are examples of world-class hospitals in Sweden.

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, Olof Mellberg and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Swedish hockey players have often been regarded as some of the best in their sport. Famous Swedish hockey players include: Sven Tumba, Lasse Björn, Ronald Pettersson, Ulf Sterner, Leif Holmqvist, Börje Salming, Roland Stoltz, Kent Nilsson, Bengt-Åke Gustafsson, Pelle Lindbergh, Mats Näslund, Håkan Loob, Thomas Steen, Tomas Sandström, Nicklas Lidström, Tommy Salo, Markus Naslund, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mats Sundin, Daniel Alfredsson, Peter Forsberg, Henrik Zetterberg and Henrik Lundqvist. Second to football, horse sports have the highest number of practitioners, mostly women. Thereafter follow golf, athletics, 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 Stefan Edberg and doubles star Jonas Björkman ; in skiing sports, Ingemar Stenmark, Pernilla Wiberg and Anja Pärson have all had dominating periods 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.

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 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.

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

• Doing Business: [3] (2006)
  • 13th of 175 countries
• Sweden Summary Amnesty Report 2005
• CIA World Factbook – GDP – PPP per capita
  • 2005: 19th of 232 countries [4]
• 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: 4th of 226 countries
  • % 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 [5] (2006-2007)
  • 3rd of 125 countries
• Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2006:
  • 8th of 168 countries
• The Economist Intelligence Unit's democracy index 2006 (PDF file):
  • 1st of 167 countries
• The Economist Intelligence Unit's worldwide quality-of-life index 2005 (PDF file):
  • 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
• Privacy International's European rankings on protection of civil liberties, 2006:
  • 24th of 25 countries (second last)
• economic freedom: 19 out of 157 countries

See also

• Communications in Sweden
• Government agencies in Sweden
• List of Sweden-related topics
• Swedish Armed Forces
• Non-governmental organizations in Sweden
• Tourism in Sweden

Notes

References

• Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In The New Cambridge Medieval History. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 052136289X.
• CIA World Factbook – Sweden
• Council for Official Statistics. "Preliminär befolkningsstatistik 2006"Statistics Sweden.
• Durant, Colin (2003). Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice, Routledge, pp. 46-47. ISBN 0415943566.
• Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia. Praeger Publishers, 1989. ISBN 0275931889.
• Invest in Sweden Agency (ISA) (2005). Sweden most creative country in Europe and top talent hotspot. Press release, 25 June 2005.
• Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0816607575.
• Magocsi, Paul Robert (1998). Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples. University of Minnesota Press, 1998. ISBN 0802029388.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden. Agenda 21 – Natural Resource Aspects - Sweden. 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997.
• Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). Scandinavia since 1500. University of Minnesota Press, 2000. ISBN 0816620989.
• Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392.
• Ståhl, Solveig. (1999). "English spoken – fast ibland hellre än bra". LUM, Lunds universitet meddelar, 7:1999, 3 September 1999. In Swedish.
• Statistics Sweden. 2006 census.
• Statistics Sweden. Preliminary Population Statistics, by month, 2004–2006. Population statistics, 1 January 2007.
• 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.
• "Sweden". In The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001-05.
• Sweden. In Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911.
• Sweden: Social and economic conditions (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
• Swedish National Debt Office
• The Swedish Parliament: Laws
• United States Department of State – Sweden
• World History Database – Sweden
• Uddhammar, Emil (1993). Partierna och den stora staten: en analys av statsteorier och svensk politik under 1900-talet. Stockholm, City University Press.

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of Sweden

• Template:Wikitravel
• Swedish Royal Court – Official website of the Swedish Royal House
• Swedish Language Council
• VisitSweden.com – Official travel and tourism website for Sweden
• SWEDEN.SE – The Official Gateway to Sweden
• The Local – Sweden's news in English, commercial
• Radio Sweden (in English) – Public service
• The Swedish Government – Official site
• Study in Sweden – Official guide to studying in Sweden
• Statistiska Centralbyrån – Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics (governmental)
• Sweden – Economic Growth and Structural Change, 1800-2000 - EH.Net Encyclopedia

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