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{{otheruses}}
{{redirect|Sverige}}
{{Infobox Country or territory
|native_name = {{lang|sv|''Konungariket Sverige''}}
|conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Sweden
|common_name = Sweden
|image_flag = Flag of Sweden.svg
|image_coat = Sweden greater coa1908.png
|image_map = Location Sweden EU Europe.png
|map_caption = {{map_caption |region=on the ] |subregion=the ] |location_color=dark green |subregion_color=light green |region_color=dark grey |legend=}}
|national_motto = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">]&nbsp;{{lang|sv|''"För Sverige - I tiden"''}}&nbsp;<sup>1</sup><br/><small>"For Sweden – With the Times"&nbsp;<sup>2</sup></small></span>
|national_anthem = {{lang|sv|'']''}}<br/><small>''Thou ancient, thou free''</small>
|royal_anthem = {{lang|sv|'']''}}<br/><small>''The King's Song''</small>
|official_languages = ] <sup>3</sup>
|capital = ]
|latd=59 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=18 |longm=4 |longEW=E
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = ]
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_name1 = ]
|leader_title2 = ]
|leader_name2 = ] (])
|leader_title3 = ]
|leader_name3 = <br/>] (])
|sovereignty_type = ]
|sovereignty_note = prehistoric
|accessionEUdate = ] ]
|EUseats = 19
|area_rank = 55th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area = 449,964
|areami² = 173,732
|percent_water = 8.67
|population_estimate = 9,127,058<sup>4</sup>
|population_estimate_rank = 88th
|population_estimate_year = 2007
|population_census = 8,587,353
|population_census_year = 1990
|population_density = 20
|population_densitymi² = 52
|population_density_rank = 185th
|GDP_PPP = $290.6 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 34th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2006
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $32,200
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 18th
|GDP_nominal = $384.9 ]
|GDP_nominal_rank = 19th
|GDP_nominal_year = 2006
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $42,383
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 10th
|Gini = 25
|Gini_year = 2000
|Gini_rank = 4th
|Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font>
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.951
|HDI_rank = 5th
|HDI_year = 2004
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
|currency = ]
|currency_code = SEK
|country_code = SWE
|time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = ]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|cctld = ]<sup>5</sup>
|calling_code = 46
|footnote1 = {{lang|sv|''För Sverige - I tiden''}} has been adopted by Carl XVI Gustaf as his personal motto.
|footnote2 = See
|footnote3 = The ] is the national language. Five other languages are officially recognized as minority languages.
|footnote4 = {{cite web |url=http://www.scb.se/templates/tableOrChart____193257.asp |title=Population in the country, counties and municipalities on 31/12/2006 and Population Change in 2006 |publisher=Statistiska centralbyrån |accessdate=2007-04-21}}
|footnote5 = The ] domain is also used, as it is shared with other ] member states. The ] domain is another commonly used TLD ("nu" means "now" in Swedish).
}}
'''Sweden''', officially the '''Kingdom of Sweden''' (]: {{Audio|Sv-Konungariket_Sverige.ogg|''Konungariket Sverige''}}), is a ] on the ] in ]. It is surrounded by ] (west), ] (northeast), the ], ] and ] ]s (southwest) and the ] (east). It has maritime borders with ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], and it is also linked to ] (southwest) by the ]. It has been a member of the ] since 1995. Its ] city is ].

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country in ]. Sweden has a low ] except in its ]; 84 percent of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3 percent of the total land area.<ref>Statistics Sweden. ''Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007''. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in .</ref>
The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and ],<ref>: "Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP and 2% of employment."</ref> with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts.<ref>De Geer, Hans, Tommy Borglund and Magnus Frostenson (2003). ''An Anglo-Swedish affair – Changing relations in an international acquisition''. The 17th Nordic Conference on Business Studies in Reykjavík, 14-16 August 2003. Working paper within the project "Scandinavian Heritage", p. 9. Available online through the University of Iceland.</ref> ], ] and ] are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden.<ref>Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) (2006). . A progress report from the Swedish Environmental Objectives Council. De Facto, 2006, p. 9: "Swedes in general feel that environmental issues and action to reduce impacts on the environment are important". See also and : "Swedish greenhouse gas emissions per head of population are among the lowest in the member states of the OECD."</ref><ref>Kristrom, Bengt and Soren Wibe (1997). . Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – Department of Forest Economics, Working paper 246, 27 August 1997.</ref>
Sweden has a long tradition as a major exporter of ], ] and ]. ] and ] allowed more remote natural assets to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably ] and ]. In the 1890s, universal schooling and ] enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a ], consistently achieving a high position among the top-ranking countries in the ] (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.

Modern Sweden emerged out of the ] formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King ] in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the ]. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century. In the early 19th century ] and the remaining territories outside the Scandinavian peninsula were lost. After its last war in 1814, Sweden entered into a ] with ] which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a ] foreign policy in peacetime and ] in wartime.<ref> "Swedish foreign policy is based on the premise that national security is best served by staying free of alliances in peacetime in order to remain neutral in the event of war...During the Cold War, Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries. With the end of the Cold War, that suspicion has lessened somewhat, although Sweden still chooses to remain nonaligned."</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Sweden}}

===Prehistory===
{{main|Prehistoric Sweden}}
] in ], southern Sweden.]]
The early record of human activity in Scandinavia is sparse and the interpretations of the records from the ] (10,000&nbsp;BC&nbsp;&ndash; 1700&nbsp;BC) are often conflicting.<ref>Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). ''Scandinavia since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, p. 1: "The record of human activity in Scandinavia spans about eleven thousand years. By far the greatest share of this, about ten thousand years (from the earliest evidence of human presence to the Viking Age), belongs to prehistory, to the past at its most obscure. Evidence for these times is fragmentary, scattered, and often subject to conflicting interpretations."</ref> The oldest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of flint tools from 9,500 to 9,000&nbsp;BC. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millennia.<ref name="NB3-14"/><!--- Another possibility is that the first population came from the east, and were the ancestors of the ] (see ] and cultures){{Fact|date=February 2007}}.---><!---Making this invisible until a source can be located.--->

In 4200&nbsp;BC, fired pottery, systematic farming and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of Mediterranean-style megalithic graves dated 3300–2000 BC have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early ]s and farmers were followed between 2500 and 2000 BC by a new ethnolinguistic group, the so-called ], named for their stone weapons and graves. They may have been ]-speaking nomads who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia.<ref name="NB3-14"> Nordstrom, Byron (2000). ''Scandinavia Since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, pp. 3–14.</ref> This period was followed by the ] (1700–500 BC), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the battle ax people.<ref name="NB3-14" /><!--- Nordstrom, Byron (2000). ''Scandinavia Since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, p.6: "t is clear that early in the period a chieftain-trader class, whose roots may have extended back to the battle axe people, enjoyed both prominence and affluence based on herding, exploitation of local resources, and control of trade with areas as far off as the Middle East. Rich in amber, furs, honey, wax, and (probably) slaves, an elite in southern Bronze Age Scandinavia appears to have exchanged these goods for copper, tin, bronze, and gold." ----> Archaeological finds of this era are the petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites.<ref name="NB3-14"/> Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas, with no recognized borders yet existing in Scandinavia. Societies in Sweden remained on the preliterate tribal and ] levels until the emergence of writing on ] in the ]. It is not known when and how the kingdom of Sweden was born, but the ] is drawn from when the first kings who ruled ] (Sweden) and ] (Gothia) as one. Sweden and Gothia were two separate nations long before that. It is unknown how long they have existed.

A tribe populating a region of what is today Sweden was first mentioned in 98&nbsp;AD by the Roman historian ], who wrote about the ] who lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. According to Tacitus, they venerated wealth and therefore had a single ruler who exacted unlimited obedience from them and governed without restriction in power. Tacitus expressed concern that these Suiones might ally with neighboring tribes and cause trouble for the Roman Empire. Some scholars believe that Tacitus referred to the inhabitants of present-day eastern Sweden: ], primarily the region around lake ]. The modern name ''Sweden'' is derived through "back-formation" from Old English ''Sweoðeod'', which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse ''Svíþjóð'', Latin ''Suetidi''). This word is derived from ''Sweon/Sweonas'' (Old Norse ''Sviar'', Latin S''uiones'') (see ]). The southern parts, on the other hand, were inhabited by the ]s in the ] territory, and '']'' described semi-legendary ] in the ]. The northern part, ], was probably mostly populated by ].

The Swedish ] lasted roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD. During this period, it is believed that the ] expanded from eastern Sweden and incorporated the ] to the south.<ref>The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 </ref> While Vikings from what is today Norway, Denmark and the west coast and south of Sweden traveled south and west, ] traveled east and south, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, Russia and the Mediterranean. Their routes passed the ] down south to ] (]) (present-day ], ]) on which they did numerous raids. The Byzantine Emperor ] noticed their great skills in war, and invited them to serve as his personal bodyguard, these were called the ]. Swedish Vikings are believed to have created Russia. In the 9th century Swedish Vikings which were called "]" by people in Eastern Europe, were invited by ] tribes to come and rule them and they became a ruling warrior elite which later conquered many European cities and founded colonies.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

===Middle Ages===
], a medieval city on ].]]
{{seealso|Early Swedish history|Foundation of Modern Sweden}}
During the early stages of the Scandinavian ], ] in ] and ] on ], in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Remains from 600–700&nbsp;AD of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad.<ref name="Sawyer" /> In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the ninth and tenth century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbour with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era 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 0816617392, pp. 150-153.</ref>

] introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace ] until the twelfth century and onward. During the eleventh century Christianity took place as the most common religion, and from year 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, including struggles for territory and comparative power.<ref name="NB3-14"/> Swedish kings also began to expand the Swedish-controlled territory in ], creating conflicts with the ].<ref>Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In ''The New Cambridge Medieval History''. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 052136289X, 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>

In the fourteenth century, Sweden was struck by the ] (the Plague). 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 centered 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 the 6th of June (Sweden's national holiday) in 1523, they made ] their king. This is sometimes considered as the ]. Shortly afterwards he rejected ] and led Sweden to the ]. Gustav Vasa is by some considered to be Sweden's "]".

===Swedish Empire===
{{seealso|Rise of Sweden as a Great Power|Swedish Empire|Swedish colonial empire|Sweden and the Great Northern War|Absolute Monarchy in Sweden|Sweden-Finland|Union between Sweden and Norway}}
] in 1658 (orange) overlaid by present day Sweden (dark orange).]]
The seventeenth century saw ] as one of the ]s in Europe. Sweden also had colonial possessions as a minor ] that existed from 1638-1663 and later 1785-1878.

Sweden was during Imperial times the most powerful country of northern Europe and the ]. Sweden's Imperial status took its start with ] as king, and his successful participation in the Thirty Years' War, which made Sweden the recognized leader of Continental Protestantism in Europe until 1721 when the Empire collapsed.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Sweden's Imperial status during this period is largely credited to ]'s major changes on the Swedish economy in the mid-1500s, and his introduction of ].{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

The mid 1600s and the early 1700s were Sweden's most successful years as a Great Power. Sweden reached its largest territorial extent during the rule of ] (1622–1660) after the ] in 1658. However, after more than a half century of almost constant warfare the Swedish economy had deteriorated. It would become the lifetime task of Charles' son, ] (1655-1697), 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. The Swedish army crushed the Russians at the ] in 1700, one of the first battles of the ]. This led to an overambitious ] in 1707, however, ending in a decisive Russian victory at the ] (1709). The campaign had a successful opening for Sweden, which came to occupy half of ] and making Charles able to claim the Polish throne. But after a long march exposed by ] raids, the Russian Tsar ]'s scorched-earth techniques and the ], the Swedes stood weakened with a shattered confidence, and enormously outnumbered against the Russian army at Poltava. The defeat meant the beginning of the end for Sweden as Empire.

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

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

After Denmark-Norway was defeated in the ], Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden on ], 1814, 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 July 27, 1814, ending in the ], which forced Norway into a ] with Sweden, which was not dissolved until 1905. The 1814 campaign was also the last war in which Sweden participated as a combatant.

===Modern history===
{{see|Modernization of Sweden|Swedish emigration to North America}}
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw a significant population increase, which the writer ] in 1833 famously 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= |pages=1220 |id=ISBN 0-8020-2938-8}}</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 percent of the population emigrated annually during the 1880s. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} Nevertheless, Sweden remained poor, retaining a nearly entirely agricultural economy even as Denmark and Western European countries began to industrialize.<ref>Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, p.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 to 80 percent of the population was involved in agricultural pursuits during the late eighteenth centur. One hundred years later, the corresponding figure was still 72 percent."</ref><ref>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 nineeenth 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 percent of the total population of both countries emigrated annually."</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). ''Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia''. Praeger Publishers, p.8.</ref> In the early 20th century, more Swedes lived in ] than in ] (Sweden's second largest city). Most Swedish immigrants moved to the ], with a large population in ]. Some Swedes moved to ]. Some also moved to ] and others in smaller numbers to ].

]. (See also: )]]
Despite the slow rate of industrialization into the 19th century, many important changes were taking place in the agrarian economy due to innovations and the large population growth.<ref name="Koblik9-10">Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, 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"/> Due also to the fact that 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, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, 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, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, 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>

During the late nineteenth century, Sweden was influenced by Protestant ]s, mainly of American origin. As a result of their intense propaganda, it is often claimed that alcohol consumption was unusually high in Sweden at this time.<ref>For instance: "As regards social evils generally, however, the low, though undoubtedly improving, standard of Sweden has had one of its chief reasons in the national intemperance."&nbsp;.</ref> However, there is no factual ground for believing that alcohol consumption was higher than in other comparable countries.

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

===Recent history===
{{seealso|Sweden during World War II|Cold war Sweden|Sweden after the Cold War}}
Sweden remained officially ] during ] and ], although its neutrality during World War II has been highly debated.<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 neighbors, and frequent criticism in the postwar period."</ref> Sweden was forcibly under German influence for most 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 Skagerack 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, pg. 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."---> but it did attempt to help the Allies in secret. Towards the end of the war, Sweden played a major role in the humanitarian efforts and many refugees, among them many Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe, were saved partly because of the Swedish involvement in rescue missions at the internment camps and partly because Sweden served as a haven for refugees, primarily from ] and the ].<ref name="NB313-319"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 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>

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."---> By the 1960s, Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, had become an affluent consumer society and welfare state.<ref name="NB335-339"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 339. "Sustained economic expansion, which transformed the Nordic states into affluent consumer societies and provided the bases for the welfare states, came in the 1950s and 1960s.---> Sweden was part of the ] and participated in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (]),<ref name="NB335-339"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 339. " was helped along in all of Norden except Finland by U.S. support through the Marshall Plan and participation in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (OECD)."</ref> but continued to stay non-aligned during the ], and is still not a member of any ]. During most of the post-war era, the country was governed by the ] (in ]: ''Socialdemokraterna'') and the ] established was built built on socialist principles with a strong social safety-net. With steadily increasing tax revenues,<ref name="NB335-339"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 339 "The welfare safety net was built with steadily increasing tax revenues."---> many of the policies aiming to improve the quality of life for the general population, in particular Sweden's working class, were successfully implemented.

During the ], Europe's non-aligned Western countries, except Ireland, had considered membership unwise, as the EU predecessor, the ], had been strongly associated with NATO countries. Following the end of the Cold War, however, Sweden, ] and ] joined, though in Sweden's case without adopting the ]. 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 army 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 peace keeping operations in ], ], and ].

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> Because the Rehn-Meidner ] economic model allowed capitalists owning very productive and efficient firms to retain excess ] at the expense of the firms’ workers, workers in these firms began to agitate for a share of the profits in the 1970s, just as women working in the state sector began to assert pressure for better wages. The economist Rudolf Meidner established a study committee that came up with a 1976 proposal that entailed transferring the excess profits into investment funds controlled by the workers in the efficient firms. Swedish capitalist confederations immediately distinguished this proposal as ], and launched an unprecedented opposition--including calling off the class compromise established in the 1938 ] Agreement.<ref>Berman, Sheri. 2006. The Primacy of Politics: Social Democracy and the Making of Europe’s Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, MA.</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 digitalized.<ref>Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International.</ref> Swedish capital was increasingly moving Swedish investment into other European countries as the ] coalesced, and a ] consensus was forming among the elite financial community: ] and pro-egalitarian redistribution became economic heresy.<ref>Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.</ref>

1980s ] measures--such as ] the currency, dropping corporate taxation and taxation on high income-earners, and switching from anti-unemployment policies to anti-inflationary policies--were exacerbated by international ], unchecked ], and a ] government led by ] (1991-1994), creating the fiscal crisis of 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> When the Social Democrats returned to power in 1994, they responded to the fiscal crisis by stabilizing the currency--and by reducing the ] and ] public services and goods, as governments did in many countries influenced by the ] movement. Social Democratic Party leaders--including ], ], and ]--promoted European Union (E.U.) membership, and the Swedish referendum passed by 52-48% in favor of joining the E.U. on August 14, 1994. Sweden joined the ] on January 1 in 1995.

Social Democrats initiated studies on the effects of the neoliberal changes, and the dismal picture that emerged from those findings allowed the party to reduce many ], slightly increase taxes on high income-earners, and significantly reduce taxes on food. The Social Democratic Finance Minister increased spending on child support and continued to pay down the public debt.<ref>Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.</ref> By 1998 the Swedish macro-economy recovered from the 1980s industrial restructuring and the monetarist excesses, and the country has since performed very well macro-economically.<ref>Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International.</ref>At the turn of the twenty-first century, Sweden has a well-regarded, generally robust economy, and the average quality of life, after government transfers, is very high, ] is low (the ] is 25.0<ref name=Gini>] : Gini Index calculated for all countries.</ref>), and ] is high (compared to the affluent ] and Catholic countries).<ref>Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.</ref> A country known for very low crime rates compared to other developed countries, Sweden has nevertheless seen two prominent politicians assassinated in recent history: Prime Minister ] in 1986, and foreign minister ] in 2003.

==Geography==
] is the largest tract of unspoiled natural land in ].]]
{{main|Geography of Sweden}}
Situated in ] ], Sweden lies west of the ] and ], providing a long coastline, and forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. To the west is the ] (Skanderna), a range that separates Sweden from ].

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

Sweden has three main regions. ], covering about three-fifths of the country, is mountainous and has vast forests and large ore deposits. ] has undulating glacial ridges and contains most of the country's 90,000 lakes. ] comprises the stony ] highlands and the rich ] plains. About 15% of Sweden lies north of the ]. Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, with increasing forest coverage northward. The highest population density is in the ] region in southern Sweden, and in the valley of lake ] in central Sweden. ] and ] are Sweden's largest ]; ] and ] are Sweden's largest lakes.

Sweden enjoys a mostly ] despite its northern ], mainly because of the ]. In the south of Sweden, leaf-bearing ]s are prolific, further north ]s, ]s and in the very north hardy ]es dominate the landscape. In the mountains of northern Sweden a sub-Arctic climate predominates. North of the ], the sun never sets for part of each summer, and in the winter, night is similarly unending.

==Administrative divisions==
===Counties===
{{main|Counties of Sweden}}
] from ] in northern ]]]

Sweden is divided into ] ({{lang|sv|'']''}}). They are ],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
] and
].

Each county has a ] or ''länsstyrelse'', which is appointed by the Government (the first Swedish County Administrative Board was made up by the Swedish Prime minister Axel Oxenstierna in 1634). In each county there is also a separate ] or ''landsting'', which is elected directly by the people. Each county further divides into a number of ] or ''kommuner'', making a total of 290 municipalities in 2004. There are also older historical divisions, primarily the ] and ], which still retain some significance.

===Largest municipalities===
], ].]]
] ], northern ].]]
], in southern ].]]
Denotes inhabitants in the ] (''kommun'') area. Area is in ]. The figures are as of December 31, 2006.<ref> from the ] website.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Municipality
! Population
! Land Area
! Density
|-align=right
|1 ||align=left| ] || '''782,855''' || 187.74 || 4,124.91
|-align=right
|2 ||align=left| ] || '''489,757''' || 450.71 || 1,080.58
|-align=right
|3 ||align=left| ] || '''276,244''' || 155.56 || 1,752.60
|-align=right
|4 ||align=left| ] || '''185,187''' || 2,189.10 || 84.01
|-align=right
|5 ||align=left| ] || '''138,580''' || 1,435.80 || 96.08
|-align=right
|6 ||align=left| ] || '''132,920''' || 962.78 || 137.46
|-align=right
|7 ||align=left| ] || '''128,977''' || 1,380.11 || 92.87
|-align=right
|8 ||align=left| ] || '''125,463''' || 1,503.61 || 82.95
|-align=right
|9 ||align=left| ] || '''123,389''' || 346.25 || 353.35
|-align=right
|10 ||align=left| ] || '''122,194''' || 1,488.75 || 81.43
|-align=right
|11 ||align=left| ] || '''111,235''' || 2,331.39 || 47.58
|-align=right
|12 ||align=left| ] || '''103,286''' || 430.27 || 238.11
|-align=right
|13 ||align=left| ] || '''100,221''' || 915.22 || 108.88
|-align=right
|14 ||align=left| ] || '''94,516''' || 3,208.70 || 29.33
|-align=right
|15 ||align=left| ] || '''92,416''' || 1,615.07 || 57.12
|}
{{see|List of municipalities of Sweden by population}}

==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Sweden|Swedish people}}
As of April 2007, the total population of Sweden was estimated to be 9,131,425.<ref>Statistics Sweden.. ''Population statistics'', 1 January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.</ref> The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately ] ], according to the ]. Of the 2004 population, 1.1 million, or 12%, were foreign-born<ref name="Integrationsverket">The Swedish Integration Board (2006). ''Pocket Facts: Statistics on Integration''. Integrationsverket, 2006. ISBN 9189609301. Available online in . Retrieved 14 February 2007.</ref> and approximately 16.7% (1.53 million) had at least one parent born abroad or were themselves born abroad.<ref>SCB. 31 December 2006. (In Swedish). Retrieved 3 April 2007.</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 ] to a nation of ] from ] onwards. In 2006, immigration to Sweden reached its highest level since records began.<ref></ref>

Immigration from the other Nordic countries reached a peak of more than 40,000 per year in 1969-70 when the new immigration rules introduced in 1967 had made it more difficult for immigrants from outside the Nordic region to settle in Sweden for labour market policy reasons.<ref name="Integrationsverket" /> Immigration by refugees and immigrating relatives of refugees from outside the Nordic region increased drastically during the late 1980s, with many of the immigrants arriving from Asia and Latin America, especially from Iran and Chile. During the 1990's 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>

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

A sizable community from the ] (], ] and ]) arrived during the Second World War, but most of them returned to their countries of birth after the war.<ref name="Integrationsverket"/>

Finns make up about 5% of the whole population and in the areas near the border to Finland, they make up some 50% of the population.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The original population of northern Sweden, the ], (a folk group living in 4 countries) is only about 20,000 persons. Approximately 77,500 of the nation's population is of ] ] ancestry.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The majority of ''Afro-Swedes'' are immigrants who came for political refuge and economic opportunity, including ] who fled from Communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s, and ] fleeing ongoing fighting there since the 1990s.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

] intervention against the ] and the ] resulted in the first surges of intellectual ]s. Some ] deserters from the ] also found refuge among the Swedes. The then ruling social democrats, in particular Olof Palme took in international politics a clear stand against what they typically viewed as the ] of both the Soviet Union and the United States. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}Following the ] in ], a large number of Chilean political refugees arrived in Sweden. Others came from ]n countries including ] and ] following the rise of military dictatorships. Sweden has also taken in refugees from the Middle East, particularly ], ] and ]. Some ] and ] immigration (], ]ns, ]is and ]) into Sweden have notable numbers. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} The influx of ] also has been notable during the last years, up to 40,000 ] are expected to seeking asylum in 2007.<ref></ref>

==Language==
{{main|Swedish Language|Languages of Sweden}}
The primary language of Sweden is ], 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 a bit more difficulty than the Norwegians. The area around ] (across from ]) has the most ].{{Fact|date=May 2007}} The dominant language has always been Swedish, though this designation was never made ]. However, with the recognition of five ] (], ], ], ] and ]) on ], ], the issue of whether Swedish should be declared the official language was raised. On ] ], the parliament voted, but with a count of 147 to 145 and certain voting errors the proposal failed.<ref>, '']'', 2005-12-07. Retrieved on July 23 2006. (in Swedish)</ref>

A majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, understand and speak ] thanks 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. 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 learn one and sometimes two additional languages, the most popular being ], ], ], and ]. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} Some ] and ] is at times also taught as part of the Swedish course for native speakers to emphasize differences and similarities between the languages. {{Fact|date=August 2007}}

==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Sweden}}<!--Please add new information to relevant articles of the series-->

===Political system===
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 |title=Sweden in Brief/A Political Society |publisher=Sweden.se |accessdate=2007-02-14}}</ref> The nation's modern 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.

====Political history====
] (Swedes) and ] (Geats) before the ninth century.]]
No one can really say where in history the beginning of Sweden as a nation can be marked. It depends most on if Sweden was not a nation until the '']'' (swedes) of historical ] ruled over '']'' (]) of the provinces of historical ] or if you could say that Sweden was a nation already when the Suiones only had to rule Svealand. If so, Sweden was first mentioned to have one single ruler year 98 by Tacitus, but it's impossible to know for how long it had been this way. Historians usually start the line of ] from when Svealand and Götaland were ruled under the same king, namely ] and his son ]. Earlier kings, ] and ] can be read about in ]. These events are often described as the ], although substantial areas including ] and ], were added later.

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 current 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 Arboga.<ref name="Riksdagen">The Swedish Parliament. . Retrieved 13 February 2007.</ref> During the assemblies of 1527 and 1544, under King ], representatives of all four ] (''clergy, ], townsmen'' 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 ], ] 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====
] building, Stockholm.]]
Constitutionally, the 349-member Riksdag (]) holds supreme authority in modern Sweden. This Riksdag is responsible for choosing the ], who then appoints the government (the ministers). The ] is then shared between the parliament and the Prime Minister led government. 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, due to the restrictions in this form of judicial review and a weak judiciary, this has had little practical consequence.

Legislation may be initiated by the ] 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 ] has played a leading political role since 1917, after ]s had confirmed their strength and the ] left the party. After 1932, the ] have been dominated by the Social Democrats. Only four general elections (1976, 1979, 1991 and 2006) have given the centre-right bloc enough seats in Parliament to form a government. There has been broad political consensus regarding the rapid extension of the ],{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, with government expenditure at its peak being 67% of the ]. However, poor economical performance since the beginning of the 1970s, and especially the crisis at the beginning of the 1990s, have forced Sweden to reform its political system to become more like other European countries, although it is still the only European country with taxes that exceed 50% of GNP. In the 2006 general election the Moderate Party, allied with the Centre Party, Liberal People's Party, and the Christian Democrats, with a common political platform, won a majority of the votes. Together they have formed a majority government under the leadership of the Moderate party's leader ].

]
The following political parties hold seats in the Riksdag (the most recent elections were held in September 2006; the next elections will be held in ]):<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.riksdagen.se/templates/R_SubStartPage____272.aspx
|title=Riksdagen, Ledamöter och partier
|author=The Official Wesbite of the Swedish Riksdag
}}</ref>
* ] (s, Social Democrats): 130 seats, 35.0% (2002: 39.8% of votes, 144 seats)
* ] (m, Moderates): 97 seats, 26.2% (2002: 15.2% of votes, 55 seats)
* ] (c, Centre Party): 29 seats, 7.9% (2002: 22 seats, 6.1% of votes)
* ] (fp, Liberal People's Party): 28 seats, 7.5% (2002: 13.3% of votes, 48 seats)
* ] (kd, Christian Democrats): 24 seats, 6.6% (2002: 33 seats, 9.1% of votes)
* ] (v, Left Party): 22 seats, 5.8% (2002: 28 seats, 8.3% of votes)
* ] (mp, Greens): 19 seats, 5.2% (2002: 17 seats, 4.6% of votes)

The following parties received a total of 5.7% of the votes, but did not make the 4% limit to gain seats:
* ] (Swedish Democrats)
* ] (Feminist initiative)
* ] (The Pirate party)
* Junilistan (June list)
* Sjukvårdspartiet (The health care party)
* ] (National Democrats)

Sweden has a history of strong political involvement by ordinary people through its "popular movements" ("Folkrörelser" in Swedish), the most notable being ], the ], the ], and – more recently – the sports movement. Gudrun Schyman founded the Feminist Initiative party, commonly referred to simply as F!, in 2005. Ms. magazine quoted Schyman's view of Sweden's reputation for progressive initiatives: "In Sweden there’s a gap between words and reality.... Internationally a lot of people look upon Sweden as ] paradise, but that is not the truth – and now things are actually going backwards."<ref>Mosey, Chris. Ms. magazine. Fall 2006.</ref>

Election turnout in Sweden has always been high in international comparisons, although it has declined in recent decades, and is currently around 80% (80.11 in ], 81.99 in ]). Swedish politicians enjoyed a high degree of confidence from the citizens in the 1960s but it has since declined steadily and Sweden was by the end of the 1990s one of the Western countries with the lowest degree of trust between citizens and politicians.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}

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

===Energy politics===
:''Further information: ] and ]''
The ] strengthened Sweden's commitment to decrease dependence on imported fossil fuels. Since then, electricity 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 hold a ] on nuclear power. The referendum led to a decision that no further nuclear power plants should be built and that a ] should be completed by 2010. ], the use of ] amounted to 26% of the energy supply in Sweden. The two largest categories of renewables are ] and ], the latter mainly used to produce heat for ] and ] and industry processes. The total usage of biomass energy is currently 112 TWh per year.<ref></ref>

In 2006, out of a total electricity production of 139 TWh, electricity from hydropower accounted for 61 ] and 44% of the country's production of ] with nuclear power delivering 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></ref>

In March 2005, an opinion poll showed that 83% supported maintaining or increasing nuclear power.<ref></ref> Since then however, reports about radioactive leakages at a nuclear waste store in Forsmark, Sweden, have been published,<ref></ref> although this does not seem to have changed the public support of continued use of nuclear power. Sweden decided to phase out ] before 2020, although it is very unlikely that this will happen.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

In an effort to phase out the dependency on ] and ], the Swedish government has launched a multi-billion dollar program to promote ] and energy efficiency.<ref name="Agenda21"/><ref name="Vidal"/> The country has for many years pursued a strategy of indirect taxation as an instrument of environmental policy, including energy taxes 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> Also in 2005, Sweden garnered international attention by announcing its intention to break its dependence on foreign oil within 15 years, with the goal of becoming the world's first oil-free economy.<ref name="Vidal">Vidal, John. . The Guardian, 2/8/06. Retrieved 2/13/07.</ref> ('']'')

===Foreign policy===
Throughout the twentieth century, ] was based on the principle of ] 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 it has not participated in any war since the end of the ] against ] in 1809. During the ] Sweden joined neither the ] nor ] powers. This has been disputed by many since in effect Sweden allowed the Nazi regime to use its railroad system to transport troops and goods,<ref name="Koblik303-313" /><!---Koblik, p. 313---><ref name="NB313-319" /> especially iron ore from the rich mines in northern Sweden, of vital need to the German war machine.<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><ref name="NB313-319" /> This also carries on to ] era politics in which Sweden was not under the ] and received only minimal aid from the ].

During the early Cold War era, Sweden combined its policy of non-alignment with a low profile in international affairs, although it also pursued a security policy based on strong national defense to deter attack.<ref>Nordstrom, p 336: "As a corollary, a security policy based on strong national defenses designed to discourage, but not prevent, attack was pursued. For the next several decades, the Swedes poured an annual average of about 5 percent 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 Fighter. Later investigations revealed that the plane was actually gathering information for ].{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Another plane, a ] ] craft, was sent out a few days later and shot down by the Soviets as well. Olof Palme the former prime minister of Sweden visited Cuba during the 1970s and showed his support for Cuba in his speech which was in Spanish.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}

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 murder 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 as well.

==Military==
{{main|Swedish Armed Forces}}
The Swedish Armed Forces (''Försvarsmakten'') is a Government agency responsible for the peacetime operation of the armed forces of Sweden. The primary task of the agency is to train and deploy peace support forces abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to refocus on the defense of the country in the event of war. The Armed Forces is branched into Army, Air Force and Navy. As a Government agency, it reports to the Swedish Ministry of Defence. The head of armed forces is the ] (Överbefälhavaren, ÖB), and beside the Sovereign is the most senior officer in the country.

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

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

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

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Sweden}}
] (GRP) per capita in thousands of crowns (2004).]]
Sweden is an export oriented market economy featuring a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labour force. ], ], and ] constitute the resource base of an ] 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% of ] and employment.

According to the book, ''The Flight of the Creative Class'', by the U.S. economist, Professor ] of ], Sweden is ranked as having the best creativity in Europe for business and is predicted to become a talent magnet for the world’s most purposeful workers. The book compiled an index to measure the kind of creativity most useful to business – talent, technology and tolerance – and found Sweden to be the number one spot in Europe and the world. The top ten countries, in descending order, are: Sweden, Japan, Finland, the US, Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany.<ref>", Invest in Sweden Agency, 25 June 2005.</ref>

Sweden's industry is overwhelmingly in private control; unlike some other industrialized Western countries, such as Austria and Italy, publicly owned enterprises were always of minor importance. Eighty percent of the workforce is organized through the trade-unions which have the right to elect two representatives to the board in all Swedish companies with more than 25 employees.<!---http://www.samhallsguiden.riksdagen.se/sg-295.asp#P1687_231108---><!--- Link not working ---><ref></ref>

Sweden is known for its high ]es and large ]. According to the statistics collected by the ] (''see ]''), Sweden has the highest total tax revenue as percentage of ] of any other ranked country (as of ]). It is also the only country in the world with a total tax revenue higher than 50 %.

The Swedish ] - founded in 1668 and thus making it the oldest central bank in the world - is currently focusing on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth is expected to reach 3.3% in 2006. High taxes have however ensured a higher degree of government influence on household consumption decisions than in most other Western nations. Public sector spending amounts to 53% of the GDP; the high figure primarily reflects the large transfer payments of the Swedish welfare state.<!--Note that it is incorrect to say that public sector spending contributes 53% to GDP, as much of that is transfer payments-->

Swedish unemployment figures are highly contested, with the Social-Democrats defending the official figure of 5.4% (as of 2006) and the centre-right ] claiming a much higher figure. These numbers do not, however, include people in government unemployment programmes (about 2% of the workforce), people on extended sick-leave, those in early retirement or those outside the unemployment system. Unemployment is higher amongst younger people. Many Swedes work abroad in ], ] and the ], where they are desired and viewed as a skilled workforce.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} Because of the contradiction – unemployment despite a growing commercial enterprise economy – politicians and analysts often speak of the "jobless growth". According to Eurostat the unemployment rate in February 2007 was at 6.7% down from 7.4% from February 2006.<ref></ref>

Sweden also still bears scars from an economical crisis in the 1990s, which resulted in thousands of people unemployed and a great national debt. Two remnants are an increase in ] ] {{Fact|date=February 2007}} and a ] of approximately 1,248 billion ] (approx. €134 billion, 01.2007).<ref>(2006).</ref>

==Welfare state==
{{main|Swedish welfare}}
], the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Sweden.]]
In recent years, economic liberalization has ensured that Sweden is now more similar to other European countries with comparatively high tax rates. However, some still claim that the ] is mid-way between ] and ], i.e. a ]. The Swedish "welfare state" model of the 20th century is an example (some economists and socialists said) of effective use of national taxes, although others disagree about its continuing effectiveness. The Swedish welfare system remains extensive, but a recession in the 1990s forced an introduction of a number of reforms, such as ]s in 1992 and decentralization of some types of healthcare services to municipal control.<ref></ref>

While similar in form to other governments in Western Europe, the Swedish state is among the most generous in the scope of government services provided. These include tax-funded childcare, parental leave, a ceiling on health care costs, tax-funded education (all levels up to, and including university), retirement pensions, tax-funded dental care up to 20 years of age and ] (partly paid by the employer). Parents are entitled to a total of 480 days partly paid leave between birth and the child's eighth birthday, with 60 days reserved specifically for each parent, in effect providing the father with two so-called "daddy-months". The ceiling on health care costs makes it easier, relative to other nations, for Swedish workers to take time off for medical reasons.

Since the late 1960s, Sweden has had the highest tax quota (as percentage of GDP) in the industrialized world, although today the difference between other high-tax countries such as France, Belgium and Denmark has narrowed. Sweden has a two step ] 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 300 000 SEK per year. The employing company pays an additional 32% of an "employer's fee". In addition, a national ] of 25% or 18% is added to many things bought by private citizens, with the exception of food (12% VAT), transportation, and books (6% VAT). Certain items are subject to additional taxes, e.g. electricity, petrol/diesel and alcoholic beverages.

==Education==
{{main|Education in Sweden}}
As part of its social welfare system, Sweden provides an extensive ] system that guarantees a place for all young children from 1-5 years old in a public day-care facility (''förskola'' or ''dagis''). Between ages 6-16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school, divided in three stages. After completing the ninth grade, 90% continue with a three-year upper secondary school (''gymnasium'') leading sometimes to a vocational diploma and always to qualifications for further studies at a ]. Both upper secondary school and university studies are financed by taxes. Some Swedes go straight to work after secondary school. Along with several other European countries, the government also subsidizes tuition of international students pursuing a degree at Swedish institutions, although there has been talk of this being changed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.studyinsweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____4962.aspx |title=Fees and costs - SWEDEN.SE |accessdate=2007-06-18 |format= |work=}}</ref>

==Religion==
Before the eleventh 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 nineteenth century.

After the ] in the 1530s, the Church and State were separated and the authority of Roman Catholic bishops abolished, allowing ] to prevail. This process was completed by the ]. During the era following the ], usually known as the period of ], small groups of non-Lutherans, especially ] ], the ] and ]s 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 were converted to Lutheranism by Swedish missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Not until liberalization in the late 18th century, however, were believers of other faiths, including ] and ], allowed to openly live and work in Sweden, although it remained ] until 1860 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 denomination. The right to stand outside any religious denomination was established in the Law on ] in 1951.

Today about 75% of Swedes belong to the Church of Sweden, but the number is decreasing by about one percent every year, and Church of Sweden services are sparsely attended (hovering in the single digit percentages of the population).<ref>, </ref> The reason for the large number of inactive members is partly that until 1996, children became members automatically at birth if at least one of their parents were a member. Since 1996, all children that are baptised become members. Some 275,000 Swedes are today members of various free churches (where congregation attendance is much higher), and, in addition, ] has meant that there are now some 92,000 ] and 100,000 ] living in Sweden.<ref></ref> Due to ], Sweden also has a significant ] population. As many as 500,000 are Muslims by tradition<ref></ref> and between 80,000 - 400,000 of these are practising Islam. ''(See also ])''

According to the most recent Eurostat "Eurobarometer" poll, in 2005,<ref> (] format)</ref> 23% of Swedish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 53% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 23% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". Sweden ranks aside with ] and ] on having a large minority of its citizens who have ]. Independent of these statistics, it is generally known that Swedish society, collectively, is comparatively secular and non-religious.<ref>Celsing, Charlotte. . The Swedish Institute, 1 September 2006. Retrieved 19 February 2007.</ref>

==Culture==
], painted in the traditional Swedish ].]]
] skyscraper in ] is the tallest ] in Sweden and the second-tallest residential building in Europe.]]
Swedish authors of worldwide recognition include ], ] (the father of ] and modern ]), ], ], ], ], ] and ], the author of the ] books.

].]]
Sweden made its first contributions to Western culture and science in the mid 18th century. The nation's most well-known artists are painters ], ], and ], and the sculptors ] and ].

Some well-known inventions and discoveries, historical and modern, were made by Swedes. Some notable figures are ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

Swedish twentieth-century culture is noted by pioneering works in the early days of ], with ] and ]. In the 1920s&ndash;1980s, the filmmakers ] and ] received ], and actresses ], ], ], ], ], and ] made careers abroad. The actors ], ], ] and ] are also worth mentioning. 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 gender equality having particularly been promoted.<ref>{{cite news ||http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____12355.aspx |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, in recent decades, fairly liberal regarding ], as is reflected in the popular acceptance of films such as '']'', which is about two young ] in the small Swedish town of Åmål. In the absence of legislation on ]s, Sweden offers both ] and ] for same-sex couples.

===Music===
{{see|Music of Sweden}}
{{Cleanup|date=July 2007}}
====Folk music====
Sweden has a rich musical tradition, ranging from medieval folk ballads to ]. The music of the pre-Christian Norse has been lost to history, although historical recreations have been attempted based on instruments found in Viking sites. Instruments used were the ] (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 ].

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. ] is a popular folk musician. 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 as well. Sweden has a major market for ] and ] or ] aware music, as well a large portion of pop and rock music have ] and ] political messages.

====Classical, opera and jazz====
], ], ], ], ], ] and ] are among Sweden's great classical composers. The best-known ] singers are the 19th century ] ] and the 20th century ] ], who had great success abroad as a tenor. Also ]s ], ], and ] ], ] ] and the contemporary ] ] have become known in the world of opera. Trombone virtuoso ] is considered by swedes to be their foremost international classical music personality. ], ], ] are all popular modern troubadours, considered to be classics in Swedish music. Sweden also has a prominent choral music tradition, deriving in part from the cultural importance of the Swedish folk songs.<ref>Durant, Colin (2003). ''Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice'', Routledge, pp. 46-47. ISBN 0415943566: "Sweden has a strong and enviable choral singing tradition. In fact, out of a population of 8.9 million, it is estimated that between five hundred thousand and six hundred thousand people sing in choirs... All those interviewed placed great emphasis on the social identification through singing and also referred to the importance of Swedish folk song in the maintenance of the choral singing tradition and national identity."</ref>

In the world of ], ] achieved international renown, both as a singer and as an actress. Other well-known names include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Some Swedish easy listening/contemporary groups and artists who are not as well-known internationally but are recognized in Sweden include ], ], ], ], ], and ].

====Pop====
] is without a doubt the most well-known popular music band from Sweden, and the only one that ranks among the most well-known in the world, composed of members ], ], ], and ]. With ABBA, Sweden entered into a new era, in which Swedish pop music gained international prominence. Sweden is one of the largest exporters of pop and rock music in the world, and is often referred as the third largest one in the world after the US and the UK, though this is difficult to verify.<ref> at ] website, accessed Feb. 2007.</ref> ABBA-members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus have been very successful in musical theatre, with their international hit ], as well as ], and ], which was a huge success in Sweden. An English version is expected to hit Broadway in 2007.

Some of the most successful post-ABBA popular music artists from Sweden are ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. A number of renowned rock-oriented artists have come out of the country in recent years, including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] of ]. Such has been the success of music abroad that clubs specializing in Swedish music have sprung up in major cities like Berlin, Barcelona and London.

====Metal====
Sweden is known for a large number of ] (mostly ] and ],), as well as ]- and ] bands. Prominent metal acts include ], ], ], ], guitar virtuoso ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ],], ], ], ] and ]. Successful progressive/psychedelic acts are for example ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], and the controversial ] ]/] band ] had a greater audience in Sweden than in the US, since back in the country where many rock fans find the song's subject matter as ]. Sweden and neighboring Norway are also crucial centers of controversial rock music genres, including ], ], and ] techno-rock movements since the 1980s and 1990s.

====Electro====
In the ], the band ] is still active since the late 1980s. Sweden is also responsible for the Swechno scene, offering a distinct house and techno sound, of which artists like ] and ] is famous. More recently, the so-called Swedish House Mafia including ], Sebastian Ingrosso, ], and ] have topped the house music charts and DJ top 10s around the world. Also worth mentioning are ] and his punk band ]. Sweden is also the home country of a very famous band called ], the ] have toured around the ], Sweden, ], ], ] and lots of other places. Most people generalize ] as ], but are mostly ]. Sweden is also home to several influential ] and ] bands, such as ], ], ] and landmark post-hardcore band ]. In 2005, ] has become popular with his eurodance songs, mostly about computer games. Sweden is also known in the hardcore world for more aggressive bands like ], ], ], and ]. In the 1990s, ] was a folk-techno band known to sing both ], Viking/old Swedish and ], but the band openly opposes ] and ].

===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), ] (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).

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

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.

In 2007, that Sweden became the first country to open an embassy in virtual world Second Life. The Embassy serves to promote Sweden's image and culture, rather than providing any real or virtual services.

===Inventions===
The famous ] bottles introduced in 1916 were designed by the Swedish-American Alex Samuelsson.<ref></ref> The ] was invented in 1913 by Swedish-American ] who improved the primitive zip-lock to the model we are using in nowadays. Carl Richard Nyberg got a patent on the ] in 1881.<ref></ref> The ] stove or "Primus" kitchen was invented by ] in 1892 which was a huge Swedish export success. The 100-scale ] was invented in the mid 18th century by ]. Probably the most famous Swedish invention, ] was created by ] in 1867. ] invented the life-saving gas-driven ] used in shorelines all around the world. Dalén received the ] in 1912 for his invention. In 1907 ] created the spheric bearing, since 1907 the world's only bearing factory, ] was set up by Wingquist. In the 1920's ] and Carld Munters created a ] with no mechanic parts based on the absorptions-principle. This was a world sensation and was retailed worldwide by ] which still is a market leading company. The first ] ever installed in a living person was built by the inventor ] and the surgery was completed by Åke Senning in 1958. In 1878, ] created the ], separating milk from cream and making production of butter much easier and faster. The heritage of Gustav de Laval is still existent in the world leading company ]. The modern ] used in ships was created by ] in 1839. The ], invented in 1844 by ], still makes ] a world leading company. The improvement of ]'s invention in 1876, ] constructed the first hand held phone for which he got patents in 1895. ] is today one of the world's largest ] corporations. In 1930 ] and Erik Åkerlund founded the company "Åkerlund & Rausing" which invented the plastic-covered cardboard cases. ] is still the world leading producer of this kind of packages. ] invented the ] in 1888 which was designed so that the grip gets tighter while the wrench is being pulled.

===Holidays===
{{main|Public holidays in Sweden}}
Apart from traditional Protestant ], Sweden also celebrates some unique holidays, some of a pre-Christian tradition. They include ], celebrating the summer ]; ] on ] lighting bonfires; ] on ] is dedicated to socialist demonstrations; and ], the day of ] the lightgiver. ] is ] 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 ] 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 ]), is traditionally simple. ] (often ]), ] and ]es play prominent roles. Spices are 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. Regionally important foods are the ] (a fermented fish) in Northern Sweden and ] in ] in Southern Sweden.

===Fashion===
Sweden has in late years taken an interest in the fashion industry, through 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 the Americas, continuing the trend of Swedish business toward multinational economic dependency like many of its neighbors. This large influx of fashion goods has resulted in a large element of the population adopting a very trendy European style.

==Public health==
Healthcare in Sweden is viewed as very developed. Sweden ranks in the top five countries with respect to low ]. It also ranks high in life expectancy and in safe ]. The ] in ], the ] in ], the ] in ], and the ] in ] are examples of world-class hospitals in Sweden.

==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 ]. Some notable Swedish football stars include ], ], ] and ]. Swedish hockey players have often been regarded as some of the best in their sport. Famous Swedish hockey players include: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Second to football, ] have the highest number of practitioners, mostly women. Thereafter follow ], ], and the ]s of ], ], ] and ]. American sports such as ] and ] are also practiced but have no widespread popularity.

Successful ] players include former world No. 1's ], ] ] and doubles star ] ; in ] sports, ], ] and ] have all had dominating periods in ], as have ], ], ], ] and ] in ]. In ], ] revolutionized the sport with his new technique, the V-style.

A number of Swedes have been internationally successful in ]. In the 1940s runner ] dominated ]. In recent years, stars include ]ers such as the European record holder ], ], and Athens Olympic gold medalist ]. Two other Swedish athletes won gold medals in the ]: ] ] and ]er ].

Other famous Swedish athletes include the ] ] champion ], ]ers ], ] and ], former five times World ] Champion ], the World Speedway Champion ], and ], a player who has been voted as the ] Player of the Century.

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 ].

==International rankings==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
|+'''Rankings'''
!Name
!Year
!Place
!Out of #
!Reference
|-
|]
|2006
|2nd
|133
|
|-
|]
|2006
|13th
|175
|
|-
|Amnesty Report
|2005
|n/a
|
|
|-
|CIA World Factbook – GDP – ] per capita
|2005
|19th
|232
|
|-
|] - Mother's Index Rank
|2004
|1st
|119
|
|-
|] - Women's Index Rank
|2004
|1st
|119
|
|-
|] - Children's Index Rank
|2004
|10th
|119
|
|-
|] - ]
|2004
|4th
|119
|
|-
|] - % seats in the national government held by women
|2004
|1st (50%)
|119
|
|-
|] ]
|2006
|5th
|177
|{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
|-
|] Global Competitiveness Report |2006-2007
|
|3rd
|125
|
|-
|] world-wide press freedom index
|2006
|8th
|168
|{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
|-
|] Intelligence Unit's democracy index
|2006
|1st
|167
|
|-
|] Intelligence Unit's worldwide quality of life index
|2005
|5th
|111
|
|-
|Nation Master's list by economic importance
|
|19th
|25
|
|-
|Nation Master's list by Technological Achievement
|
|4th
|68
|
|-
|]'s European rankings on protection of civil liberties
|2006
|24th
|25
|
|-
|]
|2007
|21st
|157
|
|-
|]
|2007
|7th
|121
|
|}

==See also==
{{portal|Sweden|Flag of Sweden.svg}}
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
* Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In ''The New Cambridge Medieval History''. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 052136289X.
*] –
* Council for Official Statistics. .
* Durant, Colin (2003). ''Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice'', Routledge, pp. 46-47. ISBN 0415943566.
* Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). ''Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia''. Praeger Publishers, 1989. ISBN 0275931889.
* Invest in Sweden Agency (ISA) (2005). . Press release, 25 June 2005.
* Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970''. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0816607575.
* Magocsi, Paul Robert (1998). ''Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples''. University of Minnesota Press, 1998. ISBN 0802029388.
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden. ''''. 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997.
* Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). ''Scandinavia since 1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 2000. ISBN 0816620989.
* Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). ''Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392.
* Ståhl, Solveig. (1999). . ''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 9789161813612. Available online in .
* . 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.
*{{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 |format= |work=}}

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Sweden}}
{{wikiatlas|Sweden}}
*{{wikitravel|Sweden}}
* – Official website of the Swedish Royal House
*
* – Official travel and tourism website for Sweden
* – The Official Gateway to Sweden
* – Public service
* – Official site
* – Official site
* – Official guide to studying in Sweden
* – Statistics Sweden (governmental)
* – Government agency
*
* - EH.Net Encyclopedia

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{{World Trade Organization (WTO)}}
{{Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)}}
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Revision as of 16:36, 16 August 2007