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{{About|the country}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name=''Konungariket Sverige''
|conventional_long_name=Kingdom of Sweden
|common_name=Sweden
|image_flag=Flag of Sweden.svg
|image_coat=Coat of Arms of Sweden.svg
|image_map=EU-Sweden.svg
|map_caption={{map caption|location_color=dark green|region=]|region_color=dark grey|subregion=the ]|subregion_color=light green|legend=EU-Sweden.svg}}
|national_motto=<span style="line-height:1.33em;">]&nbsp;"''{{lang|sv|För Sverige i tiden}}''"{{Ref label|aaa|a}}&nbsp;<br /><small>"For Sweden &ndash; With the Times"&nbsp;</small></span>
|national_anthem={{lang|sv|'']''}}{{Ref label|bbb|b}}<br /><small>''Thou ancient, thou free''</small>
|royal_anthem={{lang|sv|'']''}}<br /><small>''The Song of the King''</small>
|official_languages=]{{Ref label|ccc|c}}
|demonym=] or ]
|ethnic_groups=81.9% ]<ref name="SCB Bef">{{cite web|url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/Product____25785.aspx?produktkod=BE0101&displaypressrelease=true&pressreleaseid=257212|title=Befolkningsstatistik|publisher=www.scb.se|date=|accessdate=2009-06-16}}</ref>{{Ref label|ddd|d}}<br />~5% ]<ref name="Finns">{{cite web|url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/PressRelease____255905.aspx|title=På lördag kan 440 000 flagga blått och vitt|publisher=www.scb.se|language=Swedish|date=2008-12-05|accessdate=2009-06-16}}</ref><br/>
~13% ] (2009)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/TableAndChart____26041.aspx|title=Summary of Population Statistics 1960 - 2008|publisher=www.scb.se|accessdate=2010-06-03}}</ref><ref>Note that ] or other Swedish-speakers born outside Sweden might self-identify as ''Swedish'' despite being born abroad. Moreover, people born within Sweden may not be ethnic Swedes.</ref>
|capital=]
|latd=59|latm=21|latNS=N|longd=18|longm=4|longEW=E
|largest_city=capital
|government_type=] ] and ]
|leader_title1=]
|leader_name1=]
|leader_title2=]
|leader_name2=] (])
|leader_title3=]
|leader_name3=] (])
|sovereignty_type=]
|sovereignty_note=
|established_event1=]
|established_date1=17 June 1397
|established_event2=''de facto'' independent kingdom
|established_date2=6 June 1523
|established_event3=end of Scandinavian union ratified
|established_date3=1524
|established_event4=] begins
|established_date4=4 November 1814
|established_event5=] ends
|established_date5=13 August 1905
|accessionEUdate=1 January 1995
|EUseats=19
|area_rank=57th
|area_magnitude=1 E+11
|area_km2=449,964
|area_sq_mi=173,745
|percent_water=8.7
|population=
|population_estimate_rank=88th
|population_census=9,354,462<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/Product____25799.aspx|title=Befolkningsstatistik|publisher=Statistiska centralbyrån|accessdate=2010-05-18}}</ref>
|population_census_year=2009
|population_density_km2=20.6
|population_density_sq_mi=53.3
|population_density_rank=192nd
|GDP_PPP=$331.504 billion<ref name="imf2">{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=144&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=10&pr.y=12|title=Sweden|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2010-04-21}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year=2009
|GDP_PPP_per_capita=$35,965<ref name="imf2"/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank=
|GDP_nominal=$405.440 billion<ref name="imf2"/>
|GDP_nominal_rank =
|GDP_nominal_year=2009
|GDP_nominal_per_capita=$43,986<ref name="imf2"/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank=
|Gini=23
|Gini_year=2005
|Gini_category=<span style="color:#090;">low</span>
|HDI={{increase}} 0.963<ref>. The United Nations. Retrieved 5 October 2009.</ref>
|HDI_rank=7th
|HDI_year=2007
|HDI_category=<span style="color:#090;">very&nbsp;high</span>
|currency=]
|currency_code=SEK
|country_code=SWE
|time_zone=]
|utc_offset=+1
|time_zone_DST=]
|utc_offset_DST=+2
|date_format=yyyy-mm-dd
|drives_on=right{{Ref label|eee|e}}
|cctld=]{{Ref label|fff|f}}
|calling_code=]
|footnotes=
a. {{note|aaa}} {{lang|sv|''För Sverige - I tiden''}} has been adopted by Carl XVI Gustaf as his personal motto.<br />
b. {{note|bbb}} {{lang|sv|'']''}} has never been officially adopted as national anthem, but is so by convention.<br />
c. {{note|ccc}} Since 1 July 2009.<ref name="Swedish">{{cite web|url=http://www.sprakforsvaret.se/sf/fileadmin/PDF/spraklagen_200509.pdf|title=Språklagen|date=2009-07-01|work=Språkförsvaret|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-07-15}}</ref><ref name="Swedish2">{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/20404/20090701/|title=Swedish becomes official 'main language'|last=Landes|first=David|date=2009-07-01|work=The Local|publisher=thelocal.se|accessdate=2009-07-15}}</ref> Five other languages are ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sprakradet.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=2119#item100400|title=Är svenskan också officiellt språk i Sverige?|publisher=Språkrådet (Language Council of Sweden)|date=2008-02-01|accessdate=2008-06-22|language=Swedish}}</ref> They are: ], ], ], ] and ]. The ] also has a special status.<br />
d. {{note|ddd}} As of 2008, 18% of the population had foreign origins (13% if excluding Finns and 9% if also excluding other Scandinavians), with 14% foreign-born and another 4% born in Sweden of two foreign-born parents.<ref> (proportion of foreign background, including foreign-born and Swedish-born with two foreign-born parents)</ref><br />
e. {{note|eee}} Since 3 September 1967.
f. {{note|fff}} The ] domain is also used, as it is shared with other ] member states. The ] domain is another commonly used top-level domain ("nu" means "now" in Swedish).
}}
'''Sweden''' (pronounced {{Audio-IPA|en-us-Sweden.ogg|/ˈswiːdən/}} {{respell|SWEE|dən}}, {{lang-sv|Sverige}} {{IPA-sv|ˈsvæːrijə|pron|Sv-Sverige.ogg}}), officially the '''Kingdom of Sweden''' (]: {{Audio|Sv-Konungariket_Sverige.ogg|''Konungariket Sverige''}}), is a ] on the ] in ]. Sweden has land borders with ] to the west and ] to the northeast, and water borders with ], ], and ] to the south, and ], ], ], and ] to the east. Sweden is also connected to Denmark by a ] across the ].

At {{convert|450295|km2|sqmi}}, Sweden is the third largest country in the ] by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million.<ref name="population"/> Sweden has a low ] of {{convert|21|PD/km2|PD/sqmi}} but a considerably higher density in the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas, and it is expected that these numbers will gradually rise as a part of the ongoing urbanization.<ref name="publikationer2007">
Statistics Sweden. ''Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007''. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 978-91-618-1361-2. Available online in </ref> Sweden's ] is ], which is also the largest city in the country (population of 1.3 million in the urban area and with 2 million in the metropolitan area).<ref>{{cite web | title=Folkmängd i riket, län och kommuner 31 december 2009 och befolkningsförändringar 2009 | publisher=] | url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/TableAndChart____287608.aspx}}</ref>

Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the ]. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the ]. The empire grew to be one of the ]s of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to ] in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a ] which lasted until 1905. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and ] in wartime.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2880.htm#foreign |title='&#39;U.S. State Department Background Notes: Sweden'&#39; |publisher=State.gov |date=2010-03-22 |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref>

Today, Sweden is a ] with a ] of government and a highly developed economy. It ranks first in the world in '']'''s ] and seventh in the ]' ]. Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995 and is a member of the ].

==Etymology==
{{Main|Etymology of Sweden}}
The modern name ''Sweden'' is derived through ] from Old English ''Swēoþēod'', which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse ''Svíþjóð'', Latin ''Suetidi''). This word is derived from ''Sweon/Sweonas'' (Old Norse ''Sviar'', Latin S''uiones''). The Swedish name ''Sverige'' (a conjunction of the words ''Svea'' and ''Rike'' – the latter is still spelt with the letter ''g'', "rige", in modern ]) literally means "Kingdom of the ]", excluding the ]s in ].

Variations of the name ''Sweden'' are used in most languages, with the exception of Danish and ] using ''Sverige'', ] ''Svíþjóð'', and the more notable exception of some ] where ''Ruotsi'' (]) and ''Rootsi'' (]) are used, names commonly considered etymologically related to the English name for ], referring to the people, '']'', originally from the coastal areas of ], ].

The etymology of ''Swedes'', and thus ''Sweden'', is generally not agreed upon but may derive from ] ''Swihoniz'' meaning "one's own",<ref>{{cite book |last=Hellquist |first=Elof |title=Svensk etymologisk ordbok |year=1922 |publisher=Gleerups förlag |location=Stockholm |page=915}}</ref> referring to one's own Germanic tribe.

==History==
{{Main|History of Sweden}}
===Prehistory===
{{Main|Prehistoric Sweden}}
Sweden's prehistory begins in the ] c. 12,000 BC with Late ] ]-hunting camps of the ] at the edge of the ice in what is now the country's southernmost province. This period was characterized by small bands of ] using ] technology.

Farming and animal husbandry, along with monumental burial, polished flint axes and decorated pottery, arrived from the Continent with the ] in c. 4,000 BC. Sweden's southern third was part of the stock-keeping and agricultural ] Culture's area, most of it being peripheral to the culture's Danish centre. The period began in c. 1,700 BC with the start of ] imports from Europe. ] mining was never tried locally during this period, and Scandinavia has no ] deposits, so all metal had to be imported.

The Nordic Bronze Age was entirely pre-urban, with people living in hamlets and on farmsteads with single-story wooden ]s.

In the absence of any ] occupation, Sweden's Iron Age is reckoned up to the introduction of stone architecture and monastic orders around the 12th century. Much of the period is ], that is, there are written sources, but most are of low credibility. The scraps of written matter are either much later than the period in question, written in distant areas, or, while local and ], extremely brief.

] in ], southern Sweden. This ship setting is a ] burial monument, most likely from the 7th century, raised for the ] prince ].]]
The climate took a turn for the worse, forcing farmers to keep cattle indoors over the winters, leading to an annual build-up of manure that could for the first time be used systematically for soil improvement.

A Roman attempt to move the Imperial border forward from the ] to the ] was aborted in AD 9 when Germans under Roman-trained leadership defeated the legions of ] by ambush in the ]. About this time, there was a major shift in the material culture of Scandinavia, reflecting increased contact with the Romans.

Starting in the 2nd century, much of southern Sweden's agricultural land was parcelled out with low stone walls. They divided the land into permanent infields and meadows for winter fodder on one side of the wall, and wooded outland where the cattle grazed on the other side. This principle of landscape organization survived into the 19th century. The Roman Period also saw the first large-scale expansion of agricultural settlement up the Baltic coast of the country's northern two thirds.

Sweden enters proto-history with the '']'' of ] in AD 98. In ] he mentions the Swedes ('']'') as a powerful tribe (''distinguished not merely for their arms and men, but for their powerful fleets'') with ships that had a ] in both ends (]s). Which kings (''kuningaz'') ruled these Suiones is unknown, but ] presents a long line of legendary and semi-legendary kings going back to the last centuries BC. As for literacy in Sweden itself, the ] was in use among the south Scandinavian elite by at least the 2nd century AD, but all that has come down to the present from the Roman Period is curt inscriptions on artefacts, mainly of male names, demonstrating that the people of south Scandinavia spoke ] at the time, a language ancestral to Swedish and other ].

In the 6th century ] named two tribes he calls the ''Suehans'' and the ''Suetidi'' who lived in ]. These two names are both considered to refer to the same tribe. The ''Suehans'', he says, has very fine horses just as the "Thyringi" tribe (''alia vero gens ibi moratur Suehans, quae velud Thyringi equis utuntur eximiis''). ] wrote that the contemporary Swedish king ] (Eadgils) had the finest horses of his days. The Suehans were the suppliers of black fox skins for the Roman market. Then Jordanes names the ''Suetidi'' which is considered to be the Latin form of '']''. He writes that the Suetidi are the tallest of men together with the ] who were of the same stock. Later he mentions other Scandinavian tribes for being of the same height.

Originating in semi-legendary Scandza, believed to be somewhere in modern ], Sweden, a ] population had crossed the ] before the 2nd century AD, reaching ] at the coast of the ] in modern ] where Goths left their archaeological traces in the ]. In the 5th and 6th centuries, they became divided as the ] and the ], and established powerful successor-states of the ] in the ] and ].<ref>. Britannica Online Encyclopedia.</ref> ] communities appear to have survived intact in ] until the late 18th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/15/show_language.asp?code=got |title=GOTHIC: an extinct language of Ukraine |publisher=Ethnologue.com |date= |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref>

===Viking and Middle Ages===
{{See also|Early Swedish history|Foundation of Modern Sweden|Varangians}}
The Swedish ] lasted roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries. During this period, it is believed that the ] expanded from eastern Sweden and incorporated the ] to the south.<ref>{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref> It is believed that Swedish Vikings and ] mainly travelled east and south, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, Russia, ], ] the ] and further as far as ]. Their routes passed ] down south to ], on which they did numerous raids. The ] ] noticed their great skills in war and invited them to serve as his personal bodyguard, known as the ]. The Swedish Vikings, called "]" are also believed to be the founding fathers of ]. The Arabic traveller "]" described these Vikings as following: {{quote|I have seen the Rus as they came on their merchant journeys and encamped by the ]. I have never seen more perfect physical specimens, tall as date palms, blond and ruddy; they wear neither tunics nor caftans, but the men wear a garment which covers one side of the body and leaves a hand free. Each man has an axe, a sword, and a knife, and keeps each by him at all times. The swords are broad and grooved, of Frankish sort.|<ref>Quoted from: Gwyn Jones. ''A History of the Vikings''. Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-19-280134-1. Page 164.</ref>}} The adventures of these Swedish Vikings are commemorated on many ]s in Sweden, such as the ] and the ]. There was also considerable participation in expeditions westwards, which are commorated on stones such as the ]. The last major Swedish Viking expedition appears to have been the ill-fated expedition of ] to ], the region south-east of the ]. Its members are commemorated on the ], none of which mentions any survivor. What happened to the crew is unknown, but it is believed that they died of sickness.

], a site of religious and political importance in the early days of Sweden.]]
It is not known when and how the kingdom of Sweden was born, but the ] is drawn from the first kings who ruled ] (Sweden) and ] (Gothia) as one with ]. Sweden and Gothia were two separate nations long before that. It is not known how long they existed, '']'' described semi-legendary ] in the 6th century.

During the early stages of the Scandinavian Viking Age, ] in ] and ] on ], in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centres. Remains of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad dating from 600–700 AD.<ref name="Sawyer" /> In Paviken, an important centre 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 hoarded more silver than the rest of the population of Scandinavia combined.<ref name="Sawyer">Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). ''Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0-8166-1739-2, pp. 150–153.</ref>

] introduced ] in 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace ] until the 12th century. During the 11th century, Christianity became the most prevalent religion, and from 1050 Sweden is counted as a Christian nation. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms. Swedish kings also began to expand the Swedish-controlled territory in Finland, creating conflicts with the Rus who no longer had any connection with Sweden.<ref>Bagge, Sverre (2005) "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In ''The New Cambridge Medieval History''. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-521-36289-X, p. 724: "Swedish expansion in Finland led to conflicts with Rus', which were temporarily brought to an end by a peace treaty in 1323, dividing the Karelian peninsula and the northern areas between the two countries."</ref>

Except for the province of ], on the southern most tip of Sweden which was under Danish control during this time, ] never developed in Sweden as it did in the rest of Europe.<ref>Franklin D. Scott, ''Sweden: The Nation's History'' (University of Minnesota Press: Minneapolis, 1977) p. 58.</ref> Therefore, the peasantry remained largely a class of free farmers throughout most of Swedish history. ] (also called ]dom) was not common in Sweden,<ref>. Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 30. Tromsdalstind &ndash; Urakami /159&ndash;160, 1920. (In Swedish)</ref> and what slavery there was tended to be driven out of existence by the spread of Christianity, the difficulty in obtaining slaves from the lands east of the Baltic Sea, and by the development of cities before the 16th century<ref>Scott, p. 55.</ref> Indeed, both slavery and ] were abolished altogether by a decree of King Magnus Erickson in 1335. Former slaves tended to be absorbed into the peasantry and some were became laborers in the towns. Still, Sweden remained a poor and economically backward country in which barter was the means of exchange. For instance, the farmers of the province of ] would transport their butter to the mining districts of Sweden and exchange it there for iron, which they would then take down to the coast and trade the iron for fish they needed for food while the iron would be shipped abroad.<ref>Scott, pp. 55-56.</ref>

] takes control over Swedish ]. The final fight outside the walls of Visby ended with a total massacre of 1,800 Gotlanders.]]
In the 14th century, Sweden was struck by the ]. The population of Sweden was decimated.<ref>Scott, pp. 56-57.</ref> During this period the Swedish cities also began to acquire greater rights and were strongly influenced by German merchants of the ], active especially at ]. In 1319, Sweden and Norway were united under King ], and in 1397 Queen ] effected the personal union of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark through the ]. However, Margaret's successors, whose rule was also centred in Denmark, were unable to control the Swedish nobility.

Real power was held for long periods by regents (notably those of the ] family) chosen by the Swedish parliament. King ], 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 “]” and stirred the Swedish nobility to new resistance and, on 6 June (now Sweden's national holiday) in 1523, they made ] their king.<ref>Scott, p. 121.</ref> This is sometimes considered as the ]. Shortly afterwards he rejected ] and led Sweden into the ]. Economically, Gustav Vasa broke the monopoly of the Hanseatic League over Swedish Baltic Sea trade.<ref>Scott, p. 132.</ref>

The Hanseatic League had been officially formed at Lubeck on the northern coast of Germany in 1356. The League sought privileges from the princes and royalty of the countries and cities along the coasts of the Baltic Sea.<ref>Robert S. Hoyt & Stanley Chodorow, ''Europe in the Middle Ages'' (Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich, Inc.: New York, 1976) p. 628.</ref> In exchange they offered a certain amount of protection. Having their own navy the Hansa were able to sweep the Baltic Sea free of pirates.<ref>John B. Wolfe, ''The Emergence of European Civilization'' (Harper & Row Pub.: New York, 1962) pp. 50-51.</ref> The privileges obtained by the Hansa included assurances that only Hansa citizens would be allowed to trade from the ports where they were located. They also sought agreement to be free of all customs and taxes. With these concessions, Lubeck merchants flocked to Stockholm, Sweden and soon came to dominate the economic life of that city and made the port city of Stockholm into the leading commercial and industrial city of Sweden.<ref>Scott, p. 52.</ref> Under the Hanseatic trade 2/3rds of Stockholm's imports consisted of textiles and 1/3 of salt. Exports from Sweden consisted of iron and copper.<ref>Scott</ref>

However, the Swedes began to resent the monopoly trading position of the Hansa (mostly German citizens) and to resent the income they felt they lost to the Hansa. Consequently, when Gustav Vasa or ] broke the monopoly power of the Hanseatic League he was regarded as a hero to the Swedish people. History now views Gustav I as the father of the modern Swedish nation. The foundations laid by Gustave would take time to develop. Furthermore, when Sweden did develop, freed itself from the Hanseatic League and entered its golden era, the fact the peasantry had traditionally been free meant that more of the economic benefits flowed back to them rather than going to a feudal landowning class.<ref>Scott, pp. 156-157.</ref> This was not the case in other countries of Europe like ] were the peasantry was still bound by serfdom and a strong feudalistic land owning system.

===Swedish Empire===
] following the ] of 1658. Dominions in ], held from 1629 to 1635, do not appear on this map.
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{{legend|#B9B9B9|], ] and ]}}
{{legend|#757536|], ], ], ] and ]}}
{{legend|#0075FF|] and ]}}
{{legend|#75FFFF|], ], ] & ]}}]]
{{See also|History of Sweden (1611–1648)|Swedish Empire|Swedish overseas colonies|Sweden and the Great Northern War|Absolute Monarchy in Sweden|Sweden-Finland|Union between Sweden and Norway}}

During the 17th century Sweden emerged as a European ]. Before the emergence of the Swedish Empire, Sweden was a very poor and scarcely populated country on the fringe of European civilization, with no significant power or reputation. Sweden rose to prominence on a continental scale during the tenure of king ], seizing territories from Russia and ] in multiple conflicts, including the ].

During the Thirty Years' War, Sweden conquered approximately half of the Holy Roman states. Gustav Adolphus planned to become the new ], ruling over a united Scandinavia and the Holy Roman states, but he died at the ] in 1632. After the ], Sweden's only significant military defeat of the war, pro-Swedish sentiment among the German states faded. These German provinces excluded themselves from Swedish power one by one, leaving Sweden with only a few northern German territories: ], ] and ]. The Swedish armies may have destroyed up to 2,000 castles, 18,000 villages and 1,500 towns in ], one-third of all German towns.<ref name="Population-HLS">{{cite web
|url=http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/population_thirty_years_war.htm|title=Population|publisher=History Learningsite|accessdate=2008-05-24}}</ref>

In the middle of the 17th century Sweden was the third largest country in Europe by land area, only surpassed by ] and ]. Sweden reached its largest territorial extent under the rule of ] after the ] in 1658.<ref name="HayesPSH">
"A Political and Social History of Modern Europe V.1./Hayes..."
Hayes, Carlton J. H. (1882–1964),
''Title: A Political and Social History of Modern Europe V.1.'',
2002-12-08, Project Gutenberg, webpage:
.
</ref><ref>However, Sweden's largest territorial extent lasted from 1319 to 1343 with ] ruling all of the ] and Norway.</ref>
The foundation of Sweden's success during this period is credited to ]'s major changes on the Swedish economy in the 16th century, and his introduction of ].<ref name="GusEB">
"Gustav I Vasa – Britannica Concise" (biography),
''Britannica Concise'', 2007, webpage:
.
</ref> In the 17th century, Sweden was engaged in many ]s, for example with the ] with both sides competing for territories of today's ], with the disastrous ] being one of the highlights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/images/kircholm_27_sept.htm |title=Battle of Kircholm 1605 |publisher=Kismeta.com |date= |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref> One-third of the Finnish population died in the devastating ] that struck the country in 1696.<ref>. Source: ''U.S. Library of Congress''</ref> Famine also hit Sweden,<ref>. Hans Högman.</ref> killing roughly 10% of Sweden's population.<ref>"''''". Elizabeth Ewan, Janay Nugent (2008). ]. p.153. ISBN 0-7546-6049-4</ref>

The Swedes conducted a series of invasions into the ], known as the ]. After more than half a century of almost constant warfare, the Swedish economy had deteriorated. It became the lifetime task of Charles' son, ], to rebuild the economy and refit the army. His legacy to his son, the coming ruler of Sweden ], 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.

] at the ].]]
After the ] in 1700, one of the first battles of the ], the Russian army was so severely decimated that Sweden had an open chance to invade Russia. However, Charles did not pursue the Russian army, instead turning against Poland-Lithuania and defeating the Polish king ] and his Saxon allies at the ] in 1702. This gave Russia time to rebuild and modernize its army.

After the success of invading Poland, Charles decided to make an invasion attempt of Russia which ended in a decisive Russian victory at the ] in 1709. After a long march exposed to ] raids, Russian Tsar ]'s ] techniques and the ], the Swedes stood weakened with a shattered morale and enormously outnumbered against the Russian army at Poltava. The defeat meant the beginning of the end for the Swedish Empire.

] in 1709. In the years following Poltava, Russia occupied all the Swedish annexations on the Baltic coast and even Finland.]]
Charles XII attempted to invade Norway 1716; however, he was shot dead at ] in 1718. The Swedes were not militarily defeated at Fredriksten, but the whole structure and organization of the Norwegian campaign fell apart with the king's death, and the army withdrew.

Forced to cede large areas of land in the ] in 1721, Sweden also lost its place as an empire and as the dominant state on the Baltic Sea. With Sweden's lost influence, Russia emerged as an empire and became one of Europe's dominant nations. As the war finally ended in 1721, Sweden had lost an estimated 200,000 men, 150,000 of those from the area of present-day Sweden and 50,000 from the ] part of Sweden.<ref>''.'' (Swedish)</ref>

In the 18th 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 eastern Sweden to Russia which became the semi-autonomous ] in ].

In interest of reestablishing Swedish dominance in the Baltic Sea, Sweden allied itself against its traditional ally and benefactor, ], in the ]. Sweden's role in the ] gave it the authority to force Denmark-Norway, an ally of France, to cede ] to the King of Sweden on 14 January 1814 in exchange for northern German provinces, at the ]. The Norwegian attempts to keep their status as a sovereign state were rejected by the Swedish king, ]. He launched a military campaign against Norway on 27 July 1814, ending in the ], which forced Norway into a ] with Sweden under the Swedish crown, which was not dissolved until 1905. The 1814 campaign was the last war in which Sweden participated as a combatant. Swedish troops partake in peace-keeping missions and currently have forces deployed in ] and ].

===Modern history===
{{See also|Modernization of Sweden|Swedish emigration to the United States}}

] in 1905.]]
There was a significant population increase during the 18th and 19th centuries, which the writer ] in 1833 attributed to ''"the peace, the (]) ], and the ]"''.<ref>{{cite book|last=|first=|authorlink=|coauthors=Paul Robert Magocsi|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples|publisher=University of Minnesota Press|location=|isbn=0-8020-2938-8|page=1220|author=Paul Robert Magocsi, editor.}}</ref> 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% of the population emigrated annually during the 1880s.<ref name="Einhorn">
Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989).
''Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social''
''Democratic Scandinavia''. Praeger Publishers, p. 9: "Though
Denmark, where industrialization had begun in the 1850s, was
reasonably prosperous by the end of the nineteenth century, both
Sweden and Norway were terribly poor. Only the safety valve of
mass emigration to America prevented famine and rebellion. At
the peak of emigration in the 1880s, over 1% of the total
population of both countries emigrated annually."
</ref>
Nevertheless, Sweden remained poor, retaining a nearly entirely agricultural economy even as Denmark and Western European countries began to industrialize.<ref name=Einhorn/><ref>Koblik, Steven (1975).
''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750–1970'',
University of Minnesota Press, pp. 8–9, "In economic and social
terms the eighteenth century was more a transitional than a
revolutionary period. Sweden was, in light of contemporary
Western European standards, a relatively poor but stable country.
It has been estimated that 75–80% of the population was
involved in agricultural pursuits during the late eighteenth
century. One hundred years later, the corresponding figure was
still 72%."
</ref>

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 ].<ref>Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989), p. 8.</ref>
In the early 20th century, more Swedes lived in ] than in ] (Sweden's second largest city).<ref>Ulf Beijbom, , The House of Emigrants, Växjö, Sweden.</ref> Most Swedish immigrants moved to the ], with a large population in ], with a few others moving to other parts of the United States and ].

Despite the slow rate of industrialization into the 19th century, many important changes were taking place in the agrarian economy because of innovations and the large population growth.<ref name="Koblik9-10">Koblik, pp. 9–10.</ref> These innovations included government-sponsored programs of ], aggressive exploitation of agricultural lands, and the introduction of new crops such as the potato.<ref name="Koblik9-10"/> Because the Swedish peasantry had never been enserfed as elsewhere in Europe,<ref> (2007). In'' Encyclopædia Britannica''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 19 February 2007.</ref> 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).<ref>Koblik, p. 11: "The agrarian revolution in Sweden is of fundamental importance for Sweden's modern development. Throughout Swedish history the countryside has taken an unusually important role in comparison with other European states."</ref> Between 1870 and 1914, Sweden began developing the industrialized economy that exists today.<ref>Koblik, p. 90. "It is usually suggested that between 1870 and 1914 Sweden emerged from its primarily agrarian economic system into a modern industrial economy."</ref>

Strong grassroots movements sprung up in Sweden during the latter half of the nineteenth century (]s, ] groups, and independent religious groups), creating a strong foundation of democratic principles. In 1889 The Swedish Social Democratic Party was founded. These movements precipitated Sweden's migration into a modern parliamentary democracy, achieved by the time of ]. As the ] progressed during the twentieth century, people gradually began moving into cities to work in factories and became involved in ] unions. A socialist revolution was avoided in 1917, following the re-introduction of ], and the country was ].

===World Wars===
{{See also|Sweden during World War II}}
].]]
Sweden remained officially neutral during World War I and ], although its neutrality during World War II has been disputed.<ref name="Koblik303-313">Koblik, pp. 303–313.</ref><ref>Nordstrom, p. 315: "Sweden's government attempted to maintain at least a semblance of neutrality while it bent to the demands of the prevailing side in the struggle. Although effective in preserving the country's sovereignty, this approach generated criticism at home from many who believed the threat to Sweden was less serious than the government claimed, problems with the warring powers, ill feelings among its neighbours, and frequent criticism in the postwar period."</ref> Sweden was under German influence for much of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades.<ref name="Koblik303-313"/><!---Koblik, pg. 307. "Through the blockade of foreign trade that culminated in the establishment of the ] blockade in connection with the German invasion of Denmark and Norway in April 1940, Swedish imports were reduced by approximately one-half and exports by about one-third in comparison with the average volume of 1936-1938."---> The Swedish government felt that it was in no position to openly contest Germany,<ref name="NB313-319"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 315 "Charting a path that might ensure the survival of the state was the government's primary goal."---><!---Nordstrom, p. 319 "For a time virtually all of Sweden's production of industrial goods and raw materials went to Germany in exchange for necessary fuels, food stuffs, and manufactured goods."---> and therefore made some concessions.<ref>{{cite book|last=Zubicky|first=Sioma|year=1997|title=Med förintelsen i bagaget|language=]|publisher=Bonnier Carlsen|location=Stockholm|isbn=91-638-3436-7|page=122}}</ref> Sweden also supplied steel and machined parts to Germany throughout the war. However, Sweden supported Norwegian resistance, and in 1943 helped rescue Danish Jews from deportation to ]. Sweden also supported Finland in the ] and the ] with volunteers and ].

Toward the end of the war, Sweden began to play a role in 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 the ] and the ].<ref name="NB313-319"/><!---Nordstrom, p. 317: "In the last year of the war, Sweden became a factor in humanitarian efforts and attempts to end the war. It also became a haven for refugees from ''Norden'' and the Baltic states, and Swedes were involved in rescuing Scandinavian victims of internment camps." --- Nordstrom, p. 318: "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."---> Nevertheless, internal and external critics have argued that Sweden could have done more to resist the Nazi war effort, even if risking occupation.<ref name="NB313-319">Nordstrom, pp. 313–319.</ref>

===Cold War===
Sweden publicly claimed to be a neutral country and the image was forcefully maintained, but unofficially Sweden's leadership had strong ties with the ]. In the early 1960s Sweden and the United States agreed to deploy ]s off the Swedish west coast. In the same year Sweden made a defence pact with the United States{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}.

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.<ref name="NB335-339">Nordstrom, pp. 335–339.</ref><!---Recovery from the material damage and economic shocks of the war was more rapid than many expected."---> Sweden was part of the ] and participated in the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (]). During most of the post-war era, the country was governed by the ] (in ]: ''Socialdemokraterna''). Social democrats imposed ] policies: favouring big capitalist corporations and big unions, especially ], affiliated with Social Democrats.<ref name="svensteinmo">''Globalization and Taxation: Challenges to the Swedish Welfare State''. By Sven Steinmo.</ref> The number of bureaucrats rose from normal levels in the 1960s to very high levels by the 1980s.<ref name="svensteinmo"/> Sweden was open to trade and pursued an internationally competitive manufacturing sector. Growth was good until 1970s.

Sweden, like countries around the globe, entered a period of economic decline and upheaval, following the oil embargoes 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> In the 1980s pillars of Swedish industry were massively restructured. Shipbuilding was discontinued, wood pulp was integrated into modernized paper production, the steel industry was concentrated and specialized, and mechanical engineering was robotized.<ref>Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800–2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International.</ref>

Between 1970 and 1990 the overall tax burden rose by over 10%, and the growth was very low compared to most other countries in Western Europe. The marginal income tax for workers reached over 80%. Eventually government spent over half of the country's ]. Sweden steadily declined from its perennial top five GDP per capita ranking. Since the late 1970s, Sweden's economic policies were increasingly questioned by economists and Ministry of Finance officials.<ref name="svensteinmo"/>

] has been Sweden's king and ] since 1973.

===Recent history===
{{See also|History of Sweden (since 1989)}}
].]]
A bursting ] bubble caused by inadequate controls on lending combined with an ] recession and a policy switch from anti-unemployment policies to anti-inflationary policies resulted in a fiscal crisis in the early 1990s.<ref>Englund, P. 1990. "Financial deregulation in Sweden." European Economic Review 34 (2–3): 385–393. Korpi TBD. Meidner, R. 1997. "The Swedish model in an era of mass unemployment." Economic and Industrial Democracy 18 (1): 87–97. Olsen, Gregg M. 1999. "Half empty or half full? The Swedish welfare state in transition." Canadian Review of Sociology & Anthropology, 36 (2): 241–268.</ref> Sweden's GDP declined by around 5%. In 1992, there was a run on the currency, with the central bank briefly jacking up interest to 500%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1025624.html |title=Sweden's `Crazy' 500% Interest Rate; Fails to Faze Most Citizens, Businesses; Hike Seen as Short-Term Move to Protect Krona From Devaluation |publisher=Highbeam.com |date=1992-09-18 |accessdate=2010-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.google.com.au/books?id=NxFh9qk0wBYC&pg=PA44&dq=sweden+interest+rate+500%25&hl=en&ei=yaY3TLqzLIqOkQXeqdCxAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=sweden%20interest%20rate%20500%25&f=false |title=The Great Financial Crisis in Finland and Sweden |publisher=Books.google.com.au |date= |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref>

The response of the government was to cut spending and institute a multitude of reforms to improve Sweden's competitiveness, among them reducing the ] and ] public services and goods. Much of the political establishment promoted EU membership, and the Swedish referendum passed with 52% in favour of joining the EU on 13 November 1994. Sweden joined the ] on 1 January 1995.

Sweden remains non-aligned militarily, although it participates in some joint military exercises with ] and some other countries, in addition to extensive cooperation with other European countries in the area of defence technology and defence industry. Among others, Swedish companies export weapons that are used by the American military in Iraq.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=3013&date=20060207|title=New Swedish weapon in Iraq|author=The Local|accessdate=2007-06-23}}</ref> Sweden also has a long history of participating in international military operations, including most recently, ], where Swedish troops are under NATO command, and in EU sponsored peacekeeping operations in ] protectorate ], ], and ]. Sweden held the chair of the ] from 1 July to 31 December 2009.

==Geography and climate==
{{Main|Geography of Sweden}}
].]]
Situated in ] ], Sweden lies west of the ] and ], providing a long coastline, and forms the eastern part of the ]. To the west is the ] (Skanderna), a range that separates Sweden from ]. ] is located to its northeast. It has maritime borders with ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], and it is also linked to ] (southwest) by the ].

At {{convert|449964|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, Sweden is the 55th largest country in the world,<ref>{{cite web|title=Country Comparison: Area|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html?countryName=Sweden&countryCode=sw&regionCode=eu&rank=55#sw|work=Central Intelligence Agency|publisher=Cia.gov|accessdate=19 August 2010}}</ref> the 4th ] (excluding ]), and the largest in Northern Europe. The lowest elevation in Sweden is in the bay of ], near ] at {{convert|-2.41|m|ft|2|abbr=on}} below sea level. The highest point is ] at {{convert|2111|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} ].

Sweden has 25 ] or ''landskap'' (landscapes), based on ], geography and ]; ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. While these provinces serve no political or administrative purpose, they play an important role for people's self-identification. The provinces are usually grouped together in three large '']'', parts, the northern ], the central ] and southern ]. The sparsely populated Norrland encompasses almost 60% of the country.

About 15% of Sweden lies north of the ]. Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, with increasing forest coverage northward. Around 65% of Sweden's total land area is covered with forests. The highest population density is in the ] in southern Sweden and in the valley of lake ] and Stockholm. ] and ] are Sweden's largest ]; ] and ] are its largest lakes. Vänern is the third largest in Europe, after ] and ] in Russia.

===Climate===

{{wide image|Kebnekaise Panorama.jpg|900px|The ].}}

Most of Sweden has a ], despite its northern ], with four distinct seasons and mild temperatures throughout the year. The country can be divided into three types of climate; the southernmost part has an ], the central part has a ] and the northernmost part has a ].<ref>{{cite web|author=Česky |url=http://en.wikipedia.org/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification |title=Climate classification |publisher=En.wikipedia.org |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref>
However, Sweden is much warmer and drier than other places at a similar latitude, and even somewhat further south, mainly because of the ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/gulf_stream.shtml | title=BBC Climate and the Gulf Stream | accessdate=2008-10-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/div/ocp/gs/ | title=The Gulf Stream Myth | accessdate=2008-10-29}}</ref> For example, central and southern Sweden has much warmer winters than many parts of Russia, Canada, and the northern United States.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/SUSTDEV/EIdirect/climate/EIsp0002.htm | title=Global Climate Maps}}</ref> Because of its high latitude, the length of daylight varies greatly. North of the ], the sun never sets for part of each summer, and it never rises for part of each winter. In the capital, ], daylight lasts for more than 18 hours in late June but only around 6 hours in late December. Sweden receives between 1,100 to 1,900 hours of sunshine annually.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7608&a=21429&l=sv | title=Number of hours with sunshine (map) | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/stralning/1.3052 |title=Normal solskenstid för ett år &#124; SMHI |language={{sv icon}} |publisher=Smhi.se |date= |accessdate=2010-01-27}}</ref>

Temperatures vary greatly from north to south. Southern and central parts of the country have warm summers and cold winters, with average high temperatures of {{convert|20|to|25|°C|F|0|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7628&a=21614&l=sv | title=July average high temperature map | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>
and lows of {{convert|12|to|15|°C|F|0|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7628&a=21654&l=sv | title=July average low temperature map | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>
in the summer, and average temperatures of {{convert|-4|to|2|°C|F|0|abbr=on}} in the winter,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7628&a=21572&l=sv | title=January daily average temperature map | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>
while the northern part of the country has shorter, cooler summers and longer, colder and snowier winters, with temperatures that often drop below freezing from September through May.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7628&a=21704&l=sv | title=Date of first autumn frost (map) | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7628&a=21706&l=sv | title=Date of last spring frost (map) | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>
Occasional heatwaves can occur a few times each year, and temperatures above 30&nbsp;°C (82&nbsp;°F) occur on many days during the summer, sometimes even in the north.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Sweden was {{convert|38|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in ] in 1947, while the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-52.6|°C|1|abbr=on}} in ] in 1966.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7522&a=20978&l=sv | title=Low temperature extremes | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7522&a=20974&l=sv | title=High temperature extremes | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref>

On average, most of Sweden receives between 500 and 800&nbsp;mm (20 and 31&nbsp;in) of precipitation each year, making it considerably drier than the ]. The southwestern part of the country receives more precipitation, between 1000 and 1200&nbsp;mm (39 and 47&nbsp;in), and some mountain areas in the north are estimated to receive up to 2000&nbsp;mm (79&nbsp;in). Snowfall mainly occurs from December through March in southern Sweden, from November through April in central Sweden, and from October through May in northern Sweden. Despite northerly locations, southern and central Sweden tend to be virtually free of snow in some winters.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7618&a=21516&l=sv | title=Annual precipitation map | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref><ref name="Sweden's climate">{{cite web | url=http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=5441 | title=Sweden's climate | publisher=Swedish Meteorological Institute}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}} (in Swedish, see also the )</ref>

{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#e8eafa;"|'''Average high and low temperatures in various cities in Sweden (°C)<ref>{{cite web|author=weather |url=http://www.msn.com/weather |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080511023744/http://www.msn.com/weather |archivedate=2008-05-11 |title=Local, National, and International Weather - Forecasts, Radar Maps, Video, and News |publisher=Msn.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref>
|-
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black; height:17px;"| City
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Jan
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Feb
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Mar
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Apr
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | May
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Jun
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Jul
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Aug
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Sep
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Oct
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Nov
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:black;" | Dec
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:black; height:16px;"| ]
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | -10/-16
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | -8/-15
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | -4/-13
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 2/-7
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 8/0
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 14/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 17/8
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 14/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 9/2
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 1/-4
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | -5/-10
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | -8/-15
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:black; height:16px;"| ]
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | -5/-10
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | -3/-9
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 0/-6
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 5/-2
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 12/3
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 16/8
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 18/10
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 17/10
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 12/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 6/2
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 0/-3
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | -3/-8
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:black; height:16px;"| ]
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 1/-2
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 1/-3
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 4/-2
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 11/3
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 16/8
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 20/12
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 23/15
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 22/14
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 17/10
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 10/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 5/2
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 1/-1
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:black; height:16px;"| ] ''(Göteborg)''
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 2/-1
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 4/-1
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 6/0
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 11/3
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 16/8
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 19/12
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 22/14
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 22/14
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 18/10
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 12/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 7/3
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 3/-1
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:black; height:16px;"| ]
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 1/-2
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 1/-3
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 3/-2
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 9/1
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 14/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 18/10
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 21/13
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 20/13
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 16/9
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 10/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 5/2
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:black;" | 2/0
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:black; height:16px;"| ]
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 3/-1
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 3/-1
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 6/0
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 12/3
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 17/8
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 19/11
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 22/13
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 22/14
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 18/10
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 12/6
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 8/4
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:black;" | 4/1
''
|}

==Government==
{{Main|Politics of Sweden}}

Sweden is a ], in which ] is head of state, but royal power has long been limited to official and ceremonial functions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____2713.aspx |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070303012042/http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____2713.aspx |archivedate=2007-03-03 |title=Sweden in Brief/A Political Society |publisher=Sweden.se |accessdate=2007-02-14}}</ref> The ], while acknowledging that democracy is difficult to measure, listed Sweden in first place in its index of democracy assessing 167 countries.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_TABLE_2007_v3.pdf |title=Economist Intelligence Unit democracy index 2006 |accessdate=2007-10-09 |year=2007 |format=PDF |publisher=] }}</ref> The nation's legislative body is the ] (Swedish Parliament), with 349 members, which chooses the ]. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, on the third Sunday of September.
]

===Counties and municipalities===
{{Main|Counties of Sweden|Municipalities of Sweden}}

Sweden is a ], currently divided into ] ({{lang|sv|'']''}}): ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

Each county has a ] or ''länsstyrelse'', which is a Government appointed board. It is led by a Governor or ''Landshövding'' appointed for a term of six years and the list of succession, in most cases, stretches back to 1634 when the counties were created by the Swedish Lord High Chancellor ]. The main responsibilities of the County Administrative Board is to coordinate the development of the county in line with goals set in national politics. In each county there is also a ] or ''landsting'' which is a policy-making assembly elected by the residents of the county.

Each county further divides into a number of ] or ''kommuner'', with a total of 290 municipalities in 2004. ] government in Sweden is similar to ] and ]. A legislative municipal assembly ''(])'' of between 31 and 101 members (always an uneven number) is elected from ] at municipal elections, held every four years in conjunction with the national parliamentary elections.

The municipalities are divided into a total of 2,512 ], or ''församlingar''. These have traditionally been a subdivision of the ] but still have importance as districts for census and elections.
There are older historical divisions, primarily the ] and ], which still retain cultural significance.
{{See|Subdivisions of Sweden|National Areas of Sweden}}

===Political history===
] (Sweonas) and ] (Geats) in the 12th century, with modern borders in grey]]
The actual age of the kingdom of Sweden is unknown.<ref name="sh">Hadenius, Stig; Nilsson, Torbjörn; Åselius, Gunnar (1996) ''Sveriges historia: vad varje svensk bör veta''. Bonnier Alba, Borås. ISBN 91-34-51857-6 (in Swedish) (1996:13):
{|
|-
| &nbsp;
|Hur och när det svenska riket uppstod vet vi inte. Först under 1100-talet börjar skriftliga dokument produceras i Sverige i någon större omfattning
| &nbsp;
|How and when the Swedish kingdom appeared is not known. It is not until the 12th century that written document begin to be produced in Sweden in any larger extent
|}</ref> It depends mostly on whether Sweden should be considered a nation when the '']'' (Sweonas) ruled ] or if the emergence of the nation started with the ''Svear'' and the '']'' (]) of ] being united under one ruler. In the first case, Sweden was first mentioned as having one single ruler in the year 98 by ], but it is almost impossible to know for how long it had been this way. However, historians usually start the line of ] from when Svealand and Götaland were ruled under the same king, namely ] (Geat) and his son ] in the 10th century. These events are often described as the ], although substantial areas were conquered and incorporated later.

Earlier kings, for which no reliable historical sources exist, can be read about in ] and ]. Many of these kings are only mentioned in various ] and blend with ].

The title ''Sveriges och Götes Konung'' was last used for ], after which the title became "], ] and ]" (''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, of the Goths and Wends". This title was used up until 1973.<ref>. SFS 1973:702. Justitiedepartementet L6, 19 September 1973.</ref> The present King of Sweden, ], was the first monarch officially proclaimed "King of Sweden" (''Sveriges Konung'') with no additional peoples 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 ].<ref name="Riksdagen">The Swedish Parliament. . Retrieved 13 February 2007.</ref> During the assemblies of 1527 and 1544, under King ], representatives of all four ] (], ], ] and ]) were called on to participate for the first time.<ref name="Riksdagen"/> The monarchy became hereditary in 1544.

Executive power was historically shared between the King and a noble ] until 1680, followed by the King's ] initiated by the common estates of the Parliament. As a reaction to the failed ], a ] was introduced in 1719, followed by three different flavours of ] in 1772, 1789 and 1809, ] granting several civil liberties. The monarch remains as the formal, but merely symbolic, ] with ] duties.

The ] consisted of two chambers. In 1866 Sweden became a ] with a ] parliament, with the First Chamber indirectly elected by ]s, and the Second Chamber directly elected in national elections every four years. In 1971 the Riksdag became ]. Legislative power was (symbolically) shared between king and parliament until 1975. Swedish ] is controlled by the ] (parliament).

===Modern political system===
]]]
Constitutionally, the 349-member Riksdag (]) holds supreme authority in modern Sweden. The Riksdag is responsible for choosing the prime minister, who then appoints the government (the ministers). The ] is only exercised by the Riksdag. The ] is exercised by the government, while the ] is independent. Sweden lacks compulsory ], 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, because of 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 ] for a four-year term. The ] 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 ] and ceremonial head of state]]
The ] has played a leading political role since 1917, after ]s had confirmed their strength and the ] 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. However, poor economic 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. In the ] the ], allied with the ], ], and the ], 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 ]. The next elections will be held in ].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.val.se/val/val2006/slutlig/R/rike/roster.html
|title=Val till riksdagen
|author=The Official Website of the Swedish Election Authority
}}</ref>
], the official seat of the Swedish King]]
Election turnout in Sweden has always been high by international comparison, although it has declined in recent decades, and is currently around 80% (80.11 in ], and 81.99% in ]). Swedish politicians enjoyed a high degree of confidence from the citizens in the 1960s but it has since declined steadily and has a markedly lower level of trust than its Scandinavian neighbours.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Pippa Norris|author=Sören Holmberg|title=Critical Citizens: Global Support for Democratic Government|publisher=]|year=1999|pages=103–123|isbn=0198295685}}</ref>

Some Swedish political figures that have become known worldwide include ], ], former ] of the ] ], former Prime Minister ], former Prime Minister and ] ], former President of the ] ], and former ] Iraq inspector ].

===Political movements===
Sweden has a history of strong political involvement by ordinary people through its "popular movements" (''Folkrörelser''), the most notable being ], the independent Christian movement, the ], the ] and more recently the sports{{Clarify|date=April 2009}} and ] movements.

Sweden is currently leading the EU in statistics measuring ] in the political system and equality in the ] system.<ref name=EUEqualityReport>European Commission Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs And Equal Opportunities, ''Report On The Equality Between Men And Women'',http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/publications/2006/keaj06001_en.pdf February 2006</ref> The ''Global Gender Gap Report 2006'' ranked Sweden as the number one country in terms of ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?lang=6&id=6605 |title=Nordic countries rank highest in gender equality |publisher=Norden.org |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref>

===Law, law enforcement, and judicial system===
{{Main|Judicial system of Sweden}}

The ] is the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in Sweden. Before a case can be decided by the ], leave to appeal must be obtained, and with few exceptions, leave to appeal can be granted only when the case is of interest as a ]. The Supreme Court consists of 16 Councillors of Justice or ''justitieråd'' which are appointed by the ], but the court as an institution is independent of the ], and the government is not able to interfere with the decisions of the court.

] is carried out by several government entities. The ] is a ] concerned with ] matters. The ] is a national ] unit within the ]. ]'s responsibilities are ], anti-] activities, protection of the ] and protection of sensitive objects and people.

According to a victimization survey of 1,201 residents in 2005, Sweden has above average ]s compared to other EU countries. Sweden has high or above average levels of assaults, sexual assaults, hate crimes, and consumer fraud. Sweden has low levels of burglary, car theft and drug problems. Bribe seeking is rare.<ref name="burdenofcrime2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup-europe.be/downloads/EUICS%20-%20The%20Burden%20of%20Crime%20in%20the%20EU.pdf|format=PDF|title=EUICS report, The Burden of Crime in the EU, A Comparative Analysis of the|last=van Dijk|first=Jan|coauthors=Robert Manchin, John van Kesteren, Sami Nevala, Gergely Hideg|year=2005}}</ref>

===Foreign policy===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Sweden}}
Throughout the twentieth century, ] was based on the principle of non-alignment in peacetime and ] in wartime.<ref name="NB335-339"/><!---Nordstrom, p. 335---> "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 the country has not been in a ] since the end of the ] in 1814. During World War II Sweden joined neither the ] nor ] powers. This has sometimes been disputed since in effect Sweden allowed in select cases the Nazi regime to use its railroad system to transport troops and goods,<ref name="Koblik303-313" /><!---Koblik, p. 313---><ref name="NB313-319"/> especially iron ore from mines in northern Sweden, which was vital to the German war machine.<ref name="NB313-319"/><ref>Nordstrom p. 302: "In fact, the plans were mostly a ruse to establish control of the crucial Norwegian port of Narvik and the iron mines of northern Sweden, which were vitally important to the German war efforts."</ref> However, Sweden also indirectly contributed to the defence of Finland in the ], and permitted the training of Norwegian and Danish troops in Sweden after 1943.

During the early ] era, Sweden combined its policy of non-alignment with a low profile in international affairs, although it also pursued a ] based on strong ] to deter attack.<ref>Nordstrom, p 336: "As a corollary, a security policy based on strong national defences designed to discourage, but not prevent, attack was pursued. For the next several decades, the Swedish poured an annual average of about 5% of GDP into making their defenses credible."</ref> 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 ] was ] over the Baltic Sea by a Soviet ] ] ]. Later investigations revealed that the plane was actually gathering information for ].<ref>National Geographical News, web article, ''Cold War Spy Plane Found in Baltic Sea'' 10 November 2003.</ref> Another plane, a ] ] plane, was sent out a few days later and shot down by the Soviets as well. Olof Palme, the former prime minister of Sweden, visited ] during the 1970s and showed his support for Cuba in his speech.

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 ], and in support to the ]. Since the assassination of ] 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 ] ran aground close to the Swedish naval base at ] 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 ] 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 ], 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.

===Military===
{{Main|Swedish Armed Forces}}
] is an advanced Swedish multi-role ] of the ].]]
''Försvarsmakten'' (]) is a government agency reporting to the Swedish ] and responsible for the ] 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 defence of Sweden in the event of war. The armed forces are divided into ], ] and ]. The head of the armed forces is the ] (''Överbefälhavaren'', ÖB), the most senior officer in the country. Up to 1974 the head of state (=the King) was ''pro forma'' Commander-in-Chief, but in reality it was clearly understood all through the 20th century that the Monarch would have no ''active'' role as a military leader.

When King ] asserted his right to decide and bypass the government in military matters just before the ] (''"borggårdskrisen"'', the Castle Court Crisis) it was seen as a deliberate provocation against established terms of how the country would be ruled. The office of an appointed Supreme Commander was set up in 1939; before that date, from the late 19th century onwards, the leading men of the army and navy would report directly to the cabinet (and the king), and no fully unified command existed in the professional military sphere itself.

] produced and used by Sweden.]]
Until the end of the Cold War, nearly all males reaching the age of ] were ]. In recent years, the number of conscripted males has shrunk 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.

On 1 July 2010 Sweden stopped routine conscription, switching to an all volunteer force unless otherwise required for defence readiness.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/Rekrytering/Varnplikt/ | title=Värnplikt | accessdate=2010-04-21}}{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://svt.se/2.22620/1.1595556/allmanna_varnplikten_skrotas?lid=puff_1597044&lpos=extra_0 | title=Allmänna värnplikten skrotas [General conscription scrapped | accessdate=2010-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thelocal.se/21494/20090816/ | title=Military conscription phase out under fire | accessdate=2010-04-21}}</ref> The need to recruit only the soldiers later prepared to volunteer for international service will be emphasized. The total forces gathered would consist of about 60,000 men. This could be compared with the 80s before the fall of the Soviet Union, when Sweden could gather up to 1,000,000 men.

Swedish units have taken part in peacekeeping operations in the ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

Currently, one of the most important tasks for the Swedish Armed Forces has been to form a Swedish-led ] to which Norway, Finland, Ireland and Estonia will also contribute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/9133/a/82276|title=The EU Battlegroup Concept and the Nordic Battlegroup|accessdate=2008-01-19|author=Swedish Ministry of Defence|last=|first=|authorlink=|coauthors=|date=2008-01-08|work=|publisher=Government Offices of Sweden|archiveurl=|archivedate=|quote=}}</ref>
The ] (NBG) had a 10-day deployment readiness during the first half of 2008 and, although Swedish-led, had its Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in ], outside London.

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Sweden}}
] (GRP) per capita in thousands of kronor (2004).]]
Sweden is an export-oriented ] featuring a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external ], and a skilled ] force. ], ] and ] constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward ]. Sweden's engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Telecommunications, the automotive industry and the pharmaceutical industries are also of great importance. ] accounts for 2 percent of ] and employment.

In terms of structure, the Swedish economy is characterized by a large, knowledge-intensive and export-oriented manufacturing sector, an increasing, but comparatively small, ] ], and by international standards, a large public service sector. Large organizations both in manufacturing and services dominate the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/science/nordics_sweden_report-en.htm|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061004050916/http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/science/nordics_sweden_report-en.htm|archivedate=2006-10-04 |title=Doing Business Abroad - Innovation, Science and Technology |publisher=Infoexport.gc.ca |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref>

The 20 largest (by turnover in 2007) companies registered in Sweden are ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.largestcompanies.com/default$/lev2-TopList/lev2Desc-The_largest_companies_in_the_Nordic_countries_by%A0turnover%A0%28excl._national_subsidiaries%29/AdPageId-102/list-2/cc-SE/ |title=20 largest companies in Sweden |publisher=Largestcompanies.com |date=2009-10-06 |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref> Sweden's industry is overwhelmingly in ] control; unlike some other industrialized Western countries, such as Austria and Italy, publicly owned enterprises have always been of minor importance.

]
Some 4.5 million residents are working, out of which around a third has tertiary education. ] is the world's 9th highest at 31 USD in 2006, compared to 22 USD in Spain and 35 USD in United States.<ref name="oecd2007"/> GDP per hour worked is growing 2½ per cent per year for the economy as a whole and the trade-terms-balanced productivity growth is 2%.<ref name="oecd2007"/> According to OECD, deregulation, globalization, and technology sector growth have been key productivity drivers.<ref name="oecd2007"/> Sweden is a world leader in privatized pensions and pension funding problems are relatively small compared to many other Western European countries.<ref> by Goran Normann, Ph.D. and Daniel J. Mitchell, Ph.D. June 29, 2000.</ref>

The typical worker receives 40% of his income after the ]. The slowly declining overall taxation, 51.1% of GDP in 2007, is still nearly double of that in the United States or Ireland. The share of employment financed via tax income amounts to a third of Swedish workforce, a substantially higher proportion than in most other countries. Overall, GDP growth has been fast since reforms in the early 1990s, especially in manufacturing.<ref name="oecd2005">OECD Economic Surveys: Sweden - Volume 2005 Issue 9 by OECD Publishing</ref>

The ] 2009-2010 competitiveness index ranks Sweden the 4th most competitive economy in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Competitiveness%20Report/index.htm |title=World Economic Forum - Global Competitiveness Report |publisher=Weforum.org |date=2009-11-25 |accessdate=2009-11-25}}</ref> Sweden is ranked 6th in the IMD Competitiveness Yearbook 2009, scoring high in private sector efficiency.<ref name="imd">{{cite web|url=http://www.imd.ch/research/publications/wcy/index.cfm |title=IMD Competitiveness Yearbook 2008 |publisher=Imd.ch |date=2007-01-23 |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref> According to the book, ''The Flight of the Creative Class'', by the U.S. economist, Professor ] of the ], Sweden is ranked as having the best ] 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 it claims is most useful to business—talent, technology and tolerance.<ref>"{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}, Invest in Sweden Agency, 25 June 2005.</ref>

Sweden maintains its own currency, the ] (SEK), a result of the Swedes having rejected the ] in a referendum. The Swedish ]—founded in 1668 and thus making it the oldest central bank in the world—is currently focusing on price stability with an ] target of 2%. According to the ''Economic Survey of Sweden 2007'' by the OECD, the average inflation in Sweden has been one of the lowest among European countries since the mid-1990s, largely because of deregulation and quick utilization of globalization.<ref name="oecd2007">{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/document/37/0,3343,en_2649_34569_38048997_1_1_1_1,00.html |title=Economic survey of Sweden 2007 |publisher=Oecd.org |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref>

The largest trade flows are with ], the ], ], the ], ] and ].

==Energy and transport infrastructure==
{{Main|Transport in Sweden}}
{{See also|Nordic energy market|Nuclear power phase-out in Sweden|Oil phase-out in Sweden}}
] in ].]]
Sweden's energy market is largely privatized. The ] is one of the first liberalized energy markets in Europe and it is traded in ] and ]. In 2006, out of a total electricity production of 139 ], electricity from hydropower accounted for 61 TWh (44%), and ] delivered 65 TWh (47%). At the same time, the use of ]s, ] 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.<ref>{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref> ] is mainly used to produce heat for ] and ] and industry processes.

At the same time, Sweden has proposed banning gasoline ]-driven vehicles by 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2008/11/sweden-ban-gasoline-driven-vehicles-by-2025.html |title=Sweden: ban gasoline fossil fuel-driven vehicles by 2025 |publisher=Trollhattansaab.net |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref>

The ] strengthened Sweden's commitment to decrease dependence on imported fossil fuels. Since then, ] has been generated mostly from ] and nuclear power. The use of nuclear power has been limited, however. Among other things, the accident of ] (]) prompted the ] to ban new nuclear plants. In March 2005, an opinion poll showed that 83% supported maintaining or increasing nuclear power.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://world-nuclear.org/info/inf42.html |title=Nuclear Power in Sweden |publisher=] |date=September 2009 |accessdate=2010-01-29}}</ref> Politicians have made announcements about ], decrease of nuclear power, and multi-billion dollar investments in ] and energy efficiency.<ref name="Agenda21"/><ref name="Vidal">Vidal, John. . The Guardian, 2/8/06. Retrieved 2/13/07.</ref> The country has for many years pursued a strategy of indirect taxation as an instrument of ], including ]es in general and ] taxes in particular.<ref name="Agenda21">Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden. ''''. 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997.</ref>

] between ] and ] in ].]]
Sweden has {{convert|162707|km|mi|abbr=on}} of paved road and {{convert|1428|km|mi|abbr=on}} of expressways. ]s run through Sweden, ] and over the ] to ], ], ] and ]. The system of motorways is still under construction and a new motorway from Uppsala to ] was finished on 17 October 2007. Sweden had left-hand traffic (Vänstertrafik in Swedish) from approximately 1736 and continued to do so well into the 20th century. Voters rejected right-hand traffic in 1955, but after the Riksdag passed legislation in 1963 changeover took place in 1967, known in Swedish as ].

The ] market is privatized, but while there are many privately owned enterprises, many operators are still owned by state or municipalities. Operators include ], ], ], ], ], ], and a number of ] companies. Most of the railways are owned and operated by ].

The largest airports include ] (17.91 million passengers in 2007) {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of Stockholm, ] (4.3 million passengers in 2006), and ] (2.0 million passengers). Sweden hosts the two largest port companies in Scandinavia, ] (]) and the transnational company ].

==Public policy==
{{See also|Nordic model|Swedish welfare}}
Sweden has one of the most highly developed welfare states in the world. The country has a higher level of social spending to GDP than any other nation. This results in the country having some of the lowest levels of both relative and absolute poverty, and one of the most equal income distributions. Additionally it provides equal as well as comprehensive access to education and health care.

Historically, Sweden provided solid support for ] (except agriculture) and mostly relatively strong and stable property rights (both private and public), though some economists have pointed out that Sweden promoted industries with tariffs and used publicly subsidied R&D during the country's early critical years of industrialisation.<ref name="H-J.C-Sweden">Kicking Away The Ladder, pp. 39-42, Ha-Joon Chang.</ref> After World War II a succession of governments expanded the welfare state by raising the tax level. During this period Sweden's economic growth was also one of the highest in the industrial world. A series of successive social reforms transformed the country into one of the most equal and developed on earth. The consistent growth of the welfare state led to Swedes achieving unprecedented levels of social mobility and quality of life—to this day Sweden consistently ranks at the top of league tables for health, literacy and Human Development—far ahead of some much wealthier countries (for example the United States).<ref name = "Equal Societies">, Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett</ref>

However, from the 70s and onwards Sweden's GDP growth fell behind other industrialized countries and the country's per capita ranking fell from the 4th to 14th place in a few decades.<ref name="eu-usa">, Fredrik Bergström & Robert Gidehag</ref> Most economists believe that this slowdown in economic growth was due to highly interventionist and aggressive ] policies. From the mid 90s until today Sweden's economic growth has once again accelerated and has been higher than in most other industrialized countries (including the US) during the last 15 years.<ref name="growth-Swe"> Ekonomifakta</ref>

Sweden started to move away from the expanding welfare state in the 1980s, and according to the OECD and ], Sweden has recently been relatively fast in liberalization compared to countries such as ]. Deregulation-induced competition helped Sweden to halt the economic decline and restore strong growth rates in the 2000s.<ref name="oecd2007"/><ref>, ] IMG institute 2006</ref> The current Swedish government is continuing the trend to pursue moderate reforms.<ref name="oecd2007"/><ref>, ] September 13th 2007</ref> Growth has been higher than in many other ] countries.

Sweden even adopted market-oriented agricultural policies in 1990. Since the 1930s, the agricultural sector had been controlled by an "iron triangle" of special interest farming organizations, politicians, and bureaucrats. This coalition formed a top-down administration that controlled prices and restricted competition, consequently hurting consumers. In the 1980s, a group of economists managed to get agricultural policy on the public agenda. Two prominent publications, ''The Political Economy of the Food Sector: The Case of Sweden'' and ''War Preparedness or Protectionism?'', fueled the debate. An alliance with the Ministry of Finance and public choice analysis exposed the "iron triangle". In June 1990, the Parliament voted for a new agricultural policy marking a significant shift to a freer price system coordinated by competition. As a result, food prices fell somewhat. However, the liberalizations soon became moot because EU agricultural controls supervened.”<ref>Lindberg, Henrik. "The Role of Economists in Liberalizing Swedish Agriculture" (May 2007). </ref>

Since the late 1960s, Sweden has had the highest tax quota (as percentage of GDP) in the industrialized world, although today the gap has narrowed and Denmark has surpassed Sweden as the most heavily taxed country among developed countries. Sweden has a two step ] scale with a municipal income tax of about 30% and an additional high-income state tax of 20&ndash;25% when a salary exceeds roughly 320,000 SEK per year. ]es amount to 32%. In addition, a national ] of 25% is added to many things bought by private citizens, with the exception of food (12% VAT), transportation, and books (6% VAT). Certain items are subject to additional taxes, e.g. electricity, petrol/diesel and alcoholic beverages.

{{As of|2007}}, total tax revenue was 47.8% of GDP, the second highest tax burden among developed countries, down from 49.1% 2006.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kenneth |last=Westerlund |title=Danmark har högsta skattetrycket |url=http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=3130&a=750879 |publisher=DN |date=2008-03-11 |accessdate=2008-03-11 }}</ref> Sweden's inverted ] – the amount going to the service worker's wallet – is approximately 15% compared to 10% in Belgium, 30% in Ireland, and 50% in United States.<ref name="eu-usa"/> Public sector spending amounts to 53% of the GDP. State and municipal employees total around a third of the workforce, much more than in most Western countries. Only Denmark has a larger public sector (38% of Danish workforce). Spending on transfers is also high.

Eighty percent of the workforce is organized in trade-unions which also have the right to elect two representatives to the board in all Swedish companies with more than 25 employees.<ref></ref> Sweden have a relatively high amount of sick leave per worker in ]: the average worker loses 24 days due to sickness.<ref name="oecd2005"/> In December 2008, the number employed in age group 16–64 was 75.0%. The employment tendency was very strong in 2007. The positive trend continued during the first half of 2008, but the rate of increase slackened. According to ], the unemployment rate in December 2008 was at 6.4%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/PressArchive____259760.aspx?PressReleaseID=258940 |title=Unemployment rate in December 2008 (SCB, Statistics Sweden, central government authority for official statistics) |publisher=Scb.se |date= |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref>

==Education==
{{Main|Education in Sweden}}
] (est. 1477)]]
Children aged 1–5 years old are guaranteed a place in a public ] (]: ''förskola'' or, colloquially, ''dagis''). Between the ages of 6 and 16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school. In the ] (PISA), Swedish 15-year-old pupils score close to the OECD average.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/42/8/39700724.pdf |title=PISA results for Sweden |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref> After completing the 9th grade, about 90% of the students continue with a three-year upper secondary school (''gymnasium''), which can lead to both a job qualification or entrance eligibility to university. The school system is largely financed by taxes.

The Swedish government treats public and independent schools equally<ref name="swedishmodeleconomist">, ]</ref> by introducing ]s in 1992 as one of the first countries in the world after ]. Anyone can establish a for-profit school and the municipality must pay new schools the same amount as municipal schools get.
School lunch is free for all students in Sweden, which usually includes one or two different kinds of hot meals, a meal for vegetarians, salad bar, fruit, bread, and milk and/or water for drink. Some schools, especially kindergartens and middle schools, even serve breakfast for free to those who want to eat before school starts.

There are a number of different ], the oldest and largest of which are situated in ], ], ] and ]. Only a few countries such as ], the ], ] and ] have higher levels of ] degree holders.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}<!-- and what about non-oecd countries such as Russia and Israel? --> Along with several other European countries, the government also subsidizes tuition of international students pursuing a degree at Swedish institutions, although a recent bill passed in the Swedish parliament will limit this subsidy to students from EEA countries and Switzerland.<ref>{{cite web|author=by: Studyinsweden.se |url=http://www.studyinsweden.se/Home/News-archive/2010/Tuition-fees-from-2011/ |title=Sweden introduces tuition fees and offers scholarships for students from outside EU – Study in Sweden – SWEDEN.SE |publisher=Studyinsweden.se |date=2010-04-21 |accessdate=2010-08-03}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Sweden|Swedish people}}
] is the capital and largest city in Sweden.]]
{{As of|2009}}, the total population of Sweden was estimated to be 9,325,429.<ref>Statistics Sweden.. ''Population statistics'', 1 January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.</ref> The population exceeded 9 million for the first time on approximately 12 August 2004 according to ]. The ] is only 20.6 people per km² (53.3 per square mile) and it is substantially higher in the south than in the north. About 85% of the population live in urban areas.<ref name="publikationer2007"/> The capital city ] has a population of about 800,000 (with 1.3 million in the urban area and 2 million in the metropolitan area). The second and third largest cities are ] and ].

Of the 2007 population, 13.4% (1.23 million) were born abroad.<ref>Statistics Sweden. Befolkningsstatistik i sammandrag 1960-2007. Retrieved 9 February 2009.</ref> 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 ] ending after World War I to a nation of ] from World War II onwards. In 2008, immigration reached its highest level since records began with 101,171 people moving to Sweden.<ref>Statistics Sweden. Befolkningsutveckling; födda, döda, in- och utvandring, gifta, skilda 1749 - 2007</ref>

{{As of|2008}}, the largest immigrant groups living in Sweden consists of people born in ] (175,113), ] (109,446), the ] (72,285), ] (63,822), ] (57,663), ] (55,960), ] (44,310), ] (44,310), ] (28,118), ] (25,858), ] (25,159) and ] (23,291). In the last decade most immigrants have come from ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>Statistics Sweden. ''Utrikes födda efter region, ålder i tioårsklasser och kön. År 2001-2007''.. Retrieved 7 February 2009.</ref>

Immigration from the Nordic countries reached a peak of more than 40,000 per year in 1969–70 when immigration law introduced in 1967 had made it more difficult for immigrants from outside the Nordic region to settle in Sweden for labour market policy reasons. 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 the Americas, especially from Iran and Chile.

]
During the 1990s and onwards another large immigrant group came from former Yugoslavia and the Middle East.<ref>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)</ref> On 15 December 2008 new labour immigration rules came into effect making it easier to immigrate from outside of the European Union for labour market reasons. Most labour-market immigrants so far are IT specialists and engineers from India, China and the United States.<ref>Migrationsverket.{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}. ''Many IT specialists and engineers among the new labour immigrants'', 6 February 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.</ref>

During the period between 1820–1930 approximately 1.3 million Swedes, a third of the country's population, ] and most of them to the ]. There are more than 4.4 million ]s according to a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_caller=geoselect&-format= | title = U.S. Census | publisher = U.S. Census Bureau | accessdate = 2008-04-13}}</ref> In ], the community of ] is 330,000 strong.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000 |title = Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada Highlight Tables, 2006 Census |accessdate = 2008-06-30}}</ref>

===Language===
{{Main|Swedish language|Languages of Sweden}}
{{See also|Swedish dialects}}
]
The official language of Sweden is ],<ref name="Swedish"/><ref name="Swedish2"/> a ], related and very similar to ] and ], but differing in pronunciation and ]. Norwegians have little difficulty understanding Swedish, and Danes can also understand it, with slightly more difficulty than the Norwegians. The ], the southmost part of the country, are influenced by Danish because ] and is nowadays situated closely to it. ] are Sweden's largest linguistic minority, comprising about 5% of Sweden's population,<ref name="Finns" /> and ] is recognized as a minority language.<ref name="Swedish2" />

Along with Finnish, ] are also recognized: ], ], ] and ]. Swedish became Sweden's official language on 1 July 2009, when a new language law was implemented.<ref name="Swedish2" /> The issue of whether Swedish should be declared the official language has been raised in the past, and the parliament voted on the matter in 2005—but the proposal narrowly failed.<ref>, '']'', 2005-12-07. Retrieved on July 23, 2006. (in Swedish)</ref>

In varying degrees, depending largely on frequency of interaction with English, a majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, understand and speak ] due to trade links, the popularity of overseas travel, a strong Anglo-American influence and the tradition of ] rather than dubbing foreign television shows and films, and the ] of the two languages which makes learning English easier.

English became a compulsory subject for ] students studying ]s as early as 1849, and has been a compulsory subject for all Swedish students since the late 1940s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www3.lu.se/info/lum/LUM_07_99/01_engelska.html |title=English spoken - fast ibland hellre än bra |publisher=Lund University newsletter 7/1999 |language=Swedish}}</ref> Depending on the local school authorities, English is currently a compulsory subject between ] and ], with all students continuing in secondary school studying English for at least another year. Most students also study one and sometimes two additional languages. These include (but are not limited to) ], ] and ]. Some ] and ] is at times also taught as part of Swedish courses for native speakers.

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Sweden}}
]]]
Before the 11th century, Swedes adhered to ], worshiping ] gods, with its centre at the ]. With ] in the 11th century, the laws of the country were changed, forbidding worship of other deities into the late 19th century.

After the ] in the 1530s, a change led by ]'s Swedish associate ], the authority of the Roman Catholic Church was abolished. The church and state were separated, allowing ] to prevail. This process was completed by the ] of 1593. Lutheranism became Sweden's official religion. During the era following the ], usually known as the period of ], small groups of non-Lutherans, especially ] ], the ] and ] or ] from ], played a significant role in trade and industry, and were quietly tolerated as long as they kept a low religious profile. The ] originally had their own shamanistic religion, but they converted to Lutheranism by the work of Swedish missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries.

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" rules="all" style="width:250px; float:left; margin:1em; background:#fff; border:2px solid #aaa; font-size:100%;"
|- style="background:#ddd;"
| colspan="8" style="text-align:center;"| '''Church of Sweden<ref>{{sv}} </ref><ref>{{sv}} [http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?id=100243&did=340397 Svenska kyrkans medlemsutveckling år 1972-2009</ref>''' <br />
|- style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center;"
! Year
! Population
! Church members
! Percentage
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1972 || 8,146,000 || 7,754,784 || 95.2 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1980 || 8,278,000 || 7,690,636 || 92.9 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1990 || 8,573,000 || 7,630,350 || 89.0 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2000 || 8,880,000 || 7,360,825|| 82.9 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2005 || 9,048,000 || 6,967,498 || 77.0 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2006 || 9,119,000 || 6,893,901 || 75.6 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2007 || 9,179,000 || 6,820,161 || 74.3 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2008|| 9,262,000 || 6,751,952 || 72.9 %
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 2009|| - || 6,664,064 || 71.3 % <ref name="Swedes depart church in droves">{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/26878/20100527/ |title=Swedes depart church in droves |publisher=Thelocal.se |date= |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref>
|}
With religious liberalizations in the late 18th century believers of other faiths, including ] and ], were allowed to openly live and work in the country. However, until 1860 it remained illegal for Lutheran Swedes to convert to another religion. The 19th century saw the arrival of various ] ]es, and, towards the end of the century, ], leading many to distance themselves from Church rituals. Leaving the ] became legal with the so-called dissenter law of 1860, but only under the provision of entering another Christian denomination. The right to stand outside any religious denomination was formally established in the Law on ] in 1951. In 2000 the Church of Sweden was separated from the state and Sweden ceased to have any official church.

At the end of 2009, 71.3% of Swedes belonged to the Church of Sweden (Lutheran); this number has been decreasing by about 1% a year for the last two decades.<ref name="Swedes depart church in droves"/> Church of Sweden services are sparsely attended (hovering in the single digit percentages of the population).<ref>, </ref> The reason for the large number of inactive members is partly that until 1996, children automatically became members at birth if at least one of the parents was a member. Since 1996, only children that are christened become members. Some 275,000 Swedes are today members of various free churches (where congregation attendance is much higher), and, in addition, ] has meant that there are now some 92,000 ] and 100,000 ] living in Sweden.<ref>]</ref>

Because of ], Sweden also has a significant ] population. They number about 500,000, but only approximately 5% (25,000) of these actively practice Islam (in the sense of attending Friday prayer and praying five times a day).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sydsvenskan.se/sverige/article140868.ece |title=Sydsvenskan (a Swedish newspaper) - in Swedish |publisher=Sydsvenskan.se |date=2006-02-08 |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref> ] stated in 2004 that "we do not think it unreasonable to put the figure of religious ] in Sweden at the time of writing at close to 150 000".<ref>] (2004), “Muslims in Sweden”, in Muhammad Anwar, Jochen Blaschke and Åke Sander, {{Dead link|date=August 2010}}, Berlin : Parabolis; p.218</ref> (See '']''.)

Despite a high formal membership rate in the ], several studies have found Sweden to be one of the least religious countries in the world, with one of the highest levels of ]. According to different studies, between 46% and 85% of Swedes do not believe in God.<ref>Zuckerman </ref> In the Eurostat survey, 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".

===Health===
{{See also|Healthcare in Sweden|Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare}}
Healthcare in Sweden is similar in quality to other developed nations. Sweden ranks in the top five countries with respect to low ]. It also ranks high in ] and in safe ]. A person seeking care first contacts a clinic for a doctor's appointment, and may then be referred to a specialist by the clinic physician, who may in turn recommend either in-patient or out-patient treatment, or an elective care option. The health care is governed by the 21 ] of Sweden and is mainly funded by taxes, with nominal fees for patients.

==Science and technology==
Being an advanced ], research and development plays a key role for economic growth as well as for society at large.

Altogether, the public and the private sector in Sweden allocate nearly four per cent of ] to ] (R&D) per year, which makes Sweden one of the countries that invest most in R&D in terms of percentage of GDP. The standard of Swedish research is high and Sweden is a world leader in a number of fields. Sweden tops ] in comparative statistics both in terms of research investments as a percentage of GDP as well as in the number of published scientific works per capita.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swedenabroad.se/Page____50008.aspx |title=Embassy of Sweden New Delhi - Science & Technology |publisher=Swedenabroad.se |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref>

Though a relatively small country, Sweden has long been at the forefront of research and development. For several decades the ] has prioritized scientific and R&D activities. This strong engagement has helped make Sweden a leading country in terms of ]. For many years, Sweden has been a leading player among ] countries in terms of its investments in and use of advanced ]. In international comparison, high-technology manufacturing is relatively large in all high-technology segments, and particularly in ]s and ]s.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}

Statistics show that during the entire period 1970–2003, the Swedish national innovation system was among the leading countries in the OECD in terms of generating technological inventions, measured as international patenting in relation to population size. The statistics evaluating countries in terms of triadic patenting, i.e. patents assigned in the three patenting areas ], ] and ], were even more outstanding. Only ] reported a higher rate of triadic patenting.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}

Furthermore, Sweden ranked either as the first or second country publishing the highest number of scientific publications in the fields of ], ] and ] in 2001. Sweden was world-leading in medical science and second only to Switzerland in natural science and engineering in terms of the number of publications per capita.

===Inventions===
{{Main|Swedish inventions}}
], inventor of dynamite and institutor of the ].]]
In the 18th century Sweden's ] took off. Previously, technical progress had mainly come from mainland Europe. In 1739, the ] was founded, with people such as ] and ] as early members. From the 1870s, engineering companies were created at an unmatched rate and engineers became heroes of the age. Many of the companies founded by early pioneers are still remain major international brands. ] founded ], and received the Nobel Prize for his ]. ] invented ] and instituted the ]s. ] started the company bearing his name, ], still one of the largest telecom companies in the world. ] was an early pioneer in ] and is along with ]n inventor ] credited as one of the inventors of the three-phase electrical system.<ref name="si91e"/>

The traditional engineering industry is still a major source of Swedish inventions, but pharmaceuticals, electronics and other high-tech industries are gaining ground. ] was an invention for storing liquid foods, invented by ]. ], an ulcer medicine, was the world's best-selling drug in the 1990s and was developed by ]. More recently ] invented the ], a worldwide standard for shipping and civil aviation navigation. A large portion of the Swedish economy is to this day based on the export of technical inventions, and many large multinational corporations from Sweden have their origins in the ingenuity of Swedish inventors.<ref name="si91e">{{cite web|url = http://www.sweden.se/upload/Sweden_se/english/factsheets/SI/SI_FS91e_Swedish_inventions_and_discoveries/Swedish_inventions_and_discoveries_FS91e_Hires.pdf|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071029030823/http://www.sweden.se/upload/Sweden_se/english/factsheets/SI/SI_FS91e_Swedish_inventions_and_discoveries/Swedish_inventions_and_discoveries_FS91e_Hires.pdf|archivedate = 2007-10-29|format=PDF|title=Swedish inventions and discoveries|accessdate=2007-10-28|year=2007|month=January|work=Fact Sheet FS 91 e|publisher=Swedish Institute}}</ref>

Swedish inventors hold a total of 33,523 ]s in the United States as of 2007, according to the ]. As a nation, only ten other countries hold more patents than Sweden.<ref>Patents By Country, State, and Year - All Patent Types
(December 2007)</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Sweden}}
], painted in the traditional Swedish ].]]
Sweden has many authors of worldwide recognition including ], ], and ] winners ] and ]. In total seven ] have been awarded to Swedes. The nation's most well-known artists are painters such as ] and ], and the sculptors ] and ].

Swedish twentieth-century culture is noted by pioneering works in the early days of ], with ] and ]. In the 1920s&ndash;1980s, the filmmaker ] and actors ] and ] became internationally noted people within cinema. More recently, the films of ] and ] have received international recognition.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Sweden was seen as an international leader in what is now referred to as the "]", with ] having particularly been promoted.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____12355.aspx |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070221075752/http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____12355.aspx |archivedate=2007-02-21 |title=The Swedish Myths: True, False, or Somewhere In Between? |publisher=Sweden.se |accessdate=2007-02-14 }}</ref> At the present time, the number of single people is one of the highest in the world. The early Swedish film '']'' (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 very liberal towards ], as is reflected in the popular acceptance of films such as '']'', which is about two young ] in the small Swedish town of Åmål. Since 1 May 2009, Sweden repealed its "registered partnership" laws and fully replaced them with ],
<ref>{{cite news
| title = Sweden passes new gay marriage law
| publisher = The Local
| date = 2009-04-02
| url = http://www.thelocal.se/18608/20090402/
| accessdate = 2009-05-05 }}</ref>
Sweden also offers ] for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Cohabitation (''sammanboende'') by couples of all ages, including teenagers as well as elderly couples, is widespread. Recently, Sweden is experiencing a baby boom.<ref>
{{cite web
| title = Babyboom i Sverige?
| url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/TableAndChart____231102.aspx
| accessdate = 2009-05-05}}</ref>

===Music===
<!-- NOTE: Please do not insert your own favorite band into a list here. The examples
given are meant to be examples, not an exhaustive list of all Swedish bands which
has had some international success. The place for that is ] or
some other more detailed article.-->
{{Main|Music of Sweden}}
].]]
Sweden has a rich musical tradition, ranging from mediaeval folk ballads to ]. The music of the pre-Christian Norse has been lost to history, although historical re-creations have been attempted based on instruments found in Viking sites. The instruments used were the '']'' (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 ] scene, both in the traditional style as well as more modern interpretations which often mix in elements of rock and jazz. ] is more of a traditionalist group, using a unique, traditional Swedish instrument called the '']'' while ], ] and ] have more modern elements. There is also ] music, called the '']'', 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. Sweden has a major market for ] and ] or ] aware music, as well a large portion of pop and rock music having ] and ] political messages.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}

] of Swedish band ] performing in 1977.]]
Sweden also has a prominent choral music tradition, deriving in part from the cultural importance of Swedish folk songs. In fact, out of a population of 9.2 million, it is estimated that five to six hundred thousand people sing in choirs.<ref>Durant, Colin (2003). ''Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice'', Routledge, pp. 46–47. ISBN 0-415-94356-6: "Sweden has a strong and enviable choral singing tradition. 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."</ref>

Sweden is the third largest music exporter in the world,<ref name="export music">{{cite web|url=http://www.swedenabroad.com/Page____59218.aspx |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080615001724/http://www.swedenabroad.com/Page____59218.aspx|archivedate=2010-05-05|title=Consulate General of Sweden Los Angeles - Export Music Sweden at MuseExpo |publisher=Swedenabroad.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-06}}</ref> with over 800 million dollars in 2007 years revenue, surpassed only by the US and the UK.<ref name="export music" /> ] was one of the first internationally well-known popular music bands from Sweden, and still ranks among the ], with about 370 million records sold. With ABBA, Sweden entered into a new era, in which Swedish pop music gained international prominence. There have been many other internationally successful bands since, such as ], ], ], ], ] and ], to name some of the biggest, and recently there has been a surge of Swedish ] bands such as ], ], ] and ], a group which incorporates many elements of Swedish traditional folk music in their sound. One of the biggest bands in Sweden is the rock band ].

Sweden has also become known for a large number of ] (mostly ] and ]) as well as ]- and ] bands. Some of the most popular being ], ], ], ] and ]. The renowned ] guitarist ] is also from Sweden.

Sweden has a rather lively jazz scene. During the last sixty years or so it has attained a remarkably high artistic standard, stimulated by domestic as well as external influences and experiences. The Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research has published an overview of jazz in Sweden by Lars Westin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visarkiv.se/en/jazz/index.htm |title=Lars Westin: Jazz in Sweden - an overview |publisher=Visarkiv.se |date= |accessdate=2010-08-25}}</ref>

===Media===
{{Main|Media in Sweden}}

Swedes are among the greatest consumers of ]s in the world, and nearly every town is served by a local paper. The country's main quality morning papers are ] (liberal), ] (liberal), ] (liberal conservative) and ] (liberal). The two largest evening ]s are ] (social democratic) and ] (liberal). The ad-financed, free international morning paper, ], was originally founded in Stockholm, Sweden. The country's news is reported in English by, among others, ] (liberal).

The public broadcasting companies held a monopoly on radio and television for a long time in Sweden. Licence funded radio broadcasts started in 1925. A second radio network was started in 1954 and a third opened 1962 in response to pirate radio stations. Non-profit community radio was allowed in 1979 and in 1993 commercial local radio started.

The licence funded television service was officially launched in 1956. A second channel, ], was launched in 1969. These two channels (operated by ] since the late '70s) held a monopoly until the 1980s when cable and satellite television became available. The first Swedish language satellite service was ] which started broadcasting from London in 1987. It was followed by ] in 1989 (then known as Nordic Channel) and ] in 1990.

In 1991 the government announced it would begin taking applications from private television companies wishing to broadcast on the ]. 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.

Around half the population are connected to cable television. ] started in 1999 and the last analogue terrestrial broadcasts were terminated in 2007.

===Literature===
{{Main|Swedish literature}}
The first literary text from Sweden is the ], carved during the ] circa 800 AD. With the conversion of the land to Christianity around 1100 AD, Sweden entered the ], during which monastic writers preferred to use Latin. Therefore there are only a few texts in the ] from that period. Swedish literature only flourished when the Swedish language was standardized in the 16th century, a standardization largely due to the full translation of the Bible into Swedish in 1541. This translation is the so-called ].
].]]
With improved education and the freedom brought by ], the 17th century saw several notable authors develop the Swedish language further. Some key figures include ] (17th century), who was the first to write classical poetry in Swedish; ] (18th century), the first to write fluent Swedish prose; ] (late 18th century), the first writer of ] ballads; and ] (late 19th century), a socio-realistic writer and playwright who won worldwide fame. The early 20th century continued to produce notable authors, such as ], (] 1909), ] (Nobel laureate 1916) and ] (Nobel laureate 1951).

In recent decades, a handful of Swedish writers have established themselves internationally, including the detective novelist ] and the writer of spy fiction ]. The Swedish writer to have made the most lasting impression on world literature is the children's book writer ], and her books about ], ], and others. In 2008, the second best-selling fiction author in the world was ], whose ''Millennium'' series of crime novels is being published posthumously to critical acclaim.<ref>, 15 January 2009, www.abebooks.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2009.</ref> Larsson drew heavily on the work of Lindgren by basing his central character, Lisbeth Salander, on Longstocking.<ref>, www.buzzle.com. Retrieved on 5 September 2009.</ref>

===Holidays===
{{Main|Public holidays in Sweden}}
] bonfire in Sweden.]]
Apart from traditional Protestant ], Sweden also celebrates some unique holidays, some of a pre-Christian tradition. They include ] celebrating the summer ]; ] (''Valborgsmässoafton'') on 30 April lighting bonfires; and ] or Mayday on 1 May is dedicated to socialist demonstrations. The day of giver-of-light ], 13 December, is widely acknowledged in elaborate celebrations which betoken its Italian origin and commence the month-long Christmas season.

6 June is the ] and, as of 2005, a public holiday. Furthermore, there are ] observances and a ] calendar. In August many Swedes have ''kräftskivor'' (crayfish dinner parties). ] Eve is celebrated in ] in November with ''Mårten Gås'' parties, where roast goose and '']'' ('black soup', made of goose stock, fruit, spices, spirits and goose blood) are served. The ], one of Sweden's indigenous minorities, have their holiday on 6 February and Scania celebrate their Scanian Flag day on the third Sunday in July.

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Swedish cuisine}}
]).]]
Swedish cuisine, like that of the other ]n countries (], ] and ]), was traditionally simple. ] (particularly ]), ] and ]es played prominent roles. Spices were sparse. Famous dishes include Swedish meatballs, traditionally served with gravy, boiled potatoes and ]; pancakes, '']'', and ], or lavish buffet. '']'' is a popular alcoholic ], and the drinking of '']'' is of cultural importance. The traditional flat and dry ] has developed into several contemporary variants. Regionally important foods are the '']'' (a fermented fish) in Northern Sweden and ] in ] in Southern Sweden.

===Film===
{{Main|Cinema of Sweden}}
Swedes have been fairly prominent in the film area through the years, several successful Swedish Hollywood actors can be mentioned: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Amongst several directors who have made internationally successful films can be mentioned: ], ] and ].

===Fashion===
Interest in fashion is big in Sweden and the country is headquartering famous brands like ] (operating as H&M), ] (operating as JL), ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] within its borders. These companies, however, are comprised largely of buyers who import fashionable goods from throughout Europe and America, continuing the trend of Swedish business toward multinational economic dependency like many of its neighbours.

===Sports===
{{Main|Sport in Sweden}}
]]]
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 ] and ]. Second to football, ] have the highest number of practitioners, mostly women. Thereafter follow ], ], and the ]s of ], ], ] and ].

]]]
The Swedish ice hockey team ] is regarded as one of the best in the world. The team has won the ] eight times, placing them third in the all-time medal count. Tre Kronor also won Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 2006. In 2006, Tre Kronor became the first national hockey team to win both the Olympic and world championships in the same year. The ] has seen some success at the World Cup in the past, finishing second when they hosted the tournament in 1958, and third twice, in 1950 and 1994.
] is a ] in ]. The stadium is also the biggest in ].]]
] has enjoyed a surge in popularity due to several successful athletes in recent years, such as ], ], ], ], ] and ].

Sweden is also the ] in the ], as of 2010.

In schools, on meadows and in parks, the game ], a sport similar to ], is commonly played for fun. Other leisure sports are the historical game of ], and ] among the older generation.

Sweden hosted the ] and the ] in ]. Other big sports events held here include ], ], and several championships of ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

==See also==
{{Portal box|Sweden|European Union}}
{{Main|Outline of Sweden}}
*]

==References==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|2}}
*Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In ''The New Cambridge Medieval History''. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-521-36289-X.
*{{cite web |url=http://lawfam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/2/154 |title=Radical principles and the legal institution of marriage: domestic relations law and social democracy in Sweden—BRADLEY 4 (2): 154—International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family |accessdate=2007-06-13 |work=}}
* {{CIA World Factbook link|sw|Sweden}}
*{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}.
*Durant, Colin (2003). ''Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice'', Routledge, pp.&nbsp;46–47. ISBN 0-415-94356-6.
*Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). ''Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia''. Praeger Publishers, 1989. ISBN 0-275-93188-9.
*] (ISA) (2005). {{Dead link|date=August 2010}}. Press release, 25 June 2005.
*Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750–1970''. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-0757-5.
*Magocsi, Paul Robert (1998). ''Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples''. University of Minnesota Press, 1998. ISBN 0-8020-2938-8.
* 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''. ], 2000. ISBN 0-8166-2098-9.
*Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). ''Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0-8166-1739-2.
*Ståhl, Solveig. (1999). . ''LUM, Lunds universitet med''delar, 7:1999, 3 September 1999. In Swedish.
*Statistics Sweden. .
*Statistics Sweden. . ''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 978-91-618-1361-2. Available online in .
*{{Dead link|date=August 2010}}. In ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition, 2001–05.
*. In ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 1911.
* (2007). In ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
*
*
*Uddhammar, Emil (1993). ''Partierna och den stora staten: en analys av statsteorier och svensk politik under 1900-talet''. Stockholm, City University Press.
*] –
*Zuckerman, Phil (2007), Atheism: Contemporary Rates and Patterns PDF i Cambridge Companion to Atheism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-60367-6
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Sweden}}
;Government
*
* – Official site
* – Official site
* – Official website of the Swedish Royal House
*
;General information
*{{CIA World Factbook link|sw|Sweden}}
* entry at '']''
* from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
*{{dmoz|Regional/Europe/Sweden}}
*{{wikiatlas|Sweden}}
;News media
* {{en icon}} – Public service
* {{sv icon}}
* {{sv icon}}
* {{sv icon}}
* – Independent English language news site
;Travel
* – Official travel and tourism website for Sweden
*{{Wikitravel}}
;Other
* – Official guide to studying in Sweden
*
*—EH.Net Encyclopedia
* – a digital library that provides scientific information on the Nordic and Baltic countries as well as the Baltic region as a whole

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Revision as of 13:04, 31 August 2010

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