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| {{Verylong}} | |||
| :''"Sverige" redirects here. For other uses, see ] and ].'' | |||
| {{Infobox Country | |||
| |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-modern.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;">] {{lang|sv|''"För Sverige - I tiden"''}} <sup>1</sup><br/><small>"For Sweden – With the Times" ²</small></span> | |||
| |national_anthem = {{lang|sv|'']''}}<br/><small>''Thou ancient, Thou free''</small> | |||
| |royal_anthem = {{lang|sv|'']''}}<br/><small>''The Song of the King''</small> | |||
| |official_languages = ] (]) | |||
| |recognized_regional_languages= ], ], ], ] | |||
| |demonym = Swedish | |||
| |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 = <br/>] | |||
| |sovereignty_type = ] | |||
| |sovereignty_note = Prehistoric | |||
| |accessionEUdate = ] ] | |||
| |EUseats = 19 | |||
| |area_rank = 55th | |||
| |area_magnitude = 1 E11 | |||
| |area_km2 = 449,964 | |||
| |area_sq_mi = 173,732 | |||
| |percent_water = 8.7 | |||
| |population_estimate = 9,142,817<sup>4</sup> | |||
| |population_estimate_rank = 88th | |||
| |population_estimate_year = 2007 | |||
| |population_census = 8,587,353 | |||
| |population_census_year = 1990 | |||
| |population_density_km2 = 20 | |||
| |population_density_sq_mi = 52 | |||
| |population_density_rank = 158th | |||
| |GDP_PPP = $336 billion | |||
| |GDP_PPP_rank = 35th | |||
| |GDP_PPP_year = 2006 | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $34,735 | |||
| |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 15th | |||
| |GDP_nominal = $384 ] | |||
| |GDP_nominal_rank = 20th | |||
| |GDP_nominal_year = 2006 | |||
| |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $47,069 | |||
| |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 8th | |||
| |Gini = 23 | |||
| |Gini_year = 2005 | |||
| |Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font> | |||
| |HDI = {{increase}} 0.956 | |||
| |HDI_rank = 6th | |||
| |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 has borders with ] (west) and ] (northeast). It has been a member of the ] since ] ]. Its ] city is ]. | |||
| At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country by area in ] and fifth in all of Europe. Sweden has a low ] of 20 people per square kilometre, except in its ]; 84% of the population lives in urban areas, which comprise only 1.3% of the country's 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 inhabitants of Sweden enjoy a high standard of living, and the country is generally perceived as modern and ],<ref></ref> with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and ] compared to its ] 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 been a major exporter of ], ] and ]. ] and ] has allowed for the large scale utilization of remote natural assets, 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 high positions 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 the country expanded its territories to form the ]. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula, were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden constituted by the eastern half of ] and ] was lost to Russia 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced ] into a ] with Sweden, a union which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a ] foreign policy in peacetime and ] in wartime.<ref> </ref> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| {{main|History of Sweden}} | |||
| ===Prehistory=== | |||
| {{main|Prehistoric Sweden}} | |||
| ====Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic, 12,000-4,000 BC==== | |||
| The ] glaciations scoured the landscape clean and covered much of it in deep quaternary sediments. Therefore no undisputed Early or ] sites or finds are known from Sweden. As far as it is currently known, the country's prehistory begins in the Allerød ] c. 12,000 BC with Late Palaeolithic reindeer-hunting camps of the ] at the edge of the ice in what is now the country's southernmost province. People continued to populate the land as the ice drew back. Archaeological, linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that they arrived first from the south-west and, in time, also from the north-east and met half-way. | |||
| An important consequence of de-glaciation was a continual land upheaval as the Earth's crust rebounded from the pressure exerted by the ice. This process, which was originally very rapid, continues to this day. It has had the consequence that originally shore-bound sites along much of Sweden's coast are sorted chronologically by elevation. Around the country's capital, for instance, the earliest seal-hunter sites are now on inland mountain tops, and they grow progressively later as one moves downhill toward the sea. | |||
| The Late ] gave way to the first phase of the ] in c. 9,300 BC. This age, divided into the ], ] and ] Periods, was characterised by small bands of hunter-gatherer-fishers with a ] flint technology. Where flint was not readily available, quartz and slate were used. In the later Ertebølle, semi-permanent fishing settlements with pottery and large ] cemeteries appeared. | |||
| ====Neolithic, 4,000-1,700 BC==== | |||
| Farming and animal husbandry, along with monumental burial, polished flint axes and decorated pottery, arrived from the Continent with the Funnel-beaker Culture in c. 4,000 BC. Whether this happened by diffusion of knowledge or by mass migration or both is controversial. In a century or two, all of Denmark and the southern third of Sweden became neolithised and much of the area became dotted with megalithic tombs. The people of the country's northern two thirds retained an essentially Mesolithic lifestyle into the 1st Millennium BC. Coastal south-eastern Sweden, likewise, reverted from neolithisation to a hunting and fishing economy after only a few centuries, with the ]. | |||
| In c. 2800 BC the Funnel Beaker Culture gave way to the ], a regional version of the pan-European ] phenomenon. Again, diffusion of knowledge or mass migration is disputed. The Battle Axe and Pitted Ware people then coexisted as distinct archaeological entities until c. 2,400 BC, when they merged into a fairly homogeneous Late Neolithic culture. This culture produced the finest flintwork in Scandinavian Prehistory and the last ]ic tombs. | |||
| ====Bronze Age, 1,700-500 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. 1700 with the start of ] importation; first from Ireland and then increasingly from central Europe. Copper mining was never tried locally during this period, and Scandinavia has no tin deposits, so all metal had to be imported though it was largely cast into local designs on arrival. ] production began locally toward the period's end, apparently as a kind of trade secret among bronze casters: iron was almost exclusively used for tools to make bronze objects. | |||
| The Nordic Bronze Age was entirely pre-urban, with people living in hamlets and on farmsteads with single-story wooden long-houses. Geological and topographical conditions were similar to those of today, but the climate was milder. | |||
| Rich individual burials attest to increased social stratification in the Early Bronze Age. A correlation between the amount of bronze in burials and the health status of the deceased's bones shows that status was inherited. Battle-worn weapons show that the period was warlike. The elite most likely built its position on control of trade. The period's abundant ] largely portray long rowing ships: these images appear to allude both to trade voyages and to mythological concepts. Areas with rich bronze finds and areas with rich rock art occur separately, suggesting that the latter may represent an affordable alternative to the former. | |||
| Bronze Age religion as depicted in rock art centres upon the sun, fertility and public ritual. Wetland sacrifices played an important role. The later part of the period after about 1100 BC shows many changes: cremation replaced inhumation in burials, burial investment declined sharply and jewellery replaced weaponry as the main type of sacrificial goods. | |||
| ====Iron Age, 500 BC - AD 1100==== | |||
| In the absence of any ] occupation, Sweden's Iron Age is reckoned up to the introduction of stone architecture and monastic orders about AD 1100. Much of the period is ], that is, there are written sources but most hold a very low source-critical quality. The scraps of written matter are either much later than the period in question, written in areas far away, or local and coeval but extremely brief. | |||
| '''Pre-Roman Iron Age, 500-1 BC''' | |||
| The archaeological record for the 5th-3rd centuries BC is rich in rural settlements and remains of agriculture but very poor in artefacts. This is mainly due to extremely austere burial customs where few people received formal burial and those who did got little in the way of grave goods. There is little indication of any social stratification. Bronze importation ceased almost entirely and local iron production started in earnest. | |||
| 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 now for the first time be used systematically for soil improvement. Fields were however still largely impermanent, leading to the gradual coalescence of vast systems of sunken fields or clearance cairns where only small parts were tilled at any one time. | |||
| From the 2nd century BC onward, urn cremation cemeteries and weapon burials with various above-ground stone markers appear, beginning a monumental cemetery record that persists unbroken until the end of the Iron Age. Cemeteries of these roughly 13 centuries are by far the most common type of visible ancient monument in Scandinavia. The reappearance of weapon burial after millennium's hiatus suggests a process of increased social stratification similar to the one at the beginning of the Bronze Age. | |||
| '''Roman Iron Age, AD 1-400''' | |||
| A Roman attempt to move the Imperial border forward from the Rhine to the Elbe was aborted in AD 9 when Germans under Roman-trained leadership defeated the legions of Varus by ambush in the ]. About this time, a major shift in the material culture of Scandinavia occurred, reflecting increased contact with the Romans. Imported goods, now largely bronze drinking gear, reappear in burials. The early 3rd century sees a brief floruit of very richly equipped graves on a template from Zealand. | |||
| Starting in the 2nd century AD, much of southern Sweden's agricultural land was parcelled up 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 was grazed on the other side. This principle of landscape organisation 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. | |||
| ]s, most of them simple structures on peripheral mountaintops designed as refuges at times of attack, became common toward the end of the Roman Period. War booty finds from western Denmark suggest that warriors from coastal areas of modern Sweden participated in large-scale seaborne raids upon that area and were sometimes soundly defeated. | |||
| Sweden enters proto-history with the '']'' of ] in AD 98. Whether any of the brief information he reports about this distant barbaric area was well-founded is uncertain, but he does mention tribal names that appear to correspond with the Swedes and ] of later centuries. As for literacy in Sweden itself, the ] script was invented among the south Scandinavian elite in the 2nd century, 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 modern Swedish and others. | |||
| '''Migration Period, AD 400-540''' | |||
| '''Vendel Period, AD 540-790''' | |||
| ] in ], southern Sweden. This ship setting is a Vendel Period burial monument, most likely dating from the 7th century AD.]] | |||
| '''Viking Period, AD 790-1100''' | |||
| 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 travelled south and west, ] and ] travelled east and south, going to ], the Baltic countries, ], the Mediterranean and further as far as ]. 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 ]. The Swedish vikings are believed to have taken great part in the creation of Russia. | |||
| 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 unknown how long they have existed. | |||
| 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 ]. | |||
| ===Written History=== | |||
| ====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 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 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 11th century, Christianity became the most prevalent religion, and from the 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. 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 14th 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 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 ] (now Sweden's national holiday) in 1523, they made ] their king. This is sometimes considered as the ]. Shortly afterwards he rejected ] and led Sweden into the ]. Gustav Vasa is considered to be Sweden's "]". | |||
| ====Swedish Empire==== | |||
| ] following the ] of 1658. Dominions in ], held from 1629 to 1635, do not appear on this map. | |||
| ---- | |||
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| {{legend|#000075|] }} | |||
| {{legend|#FF00FF|] }} | |||
| {{legend|#B9B9B9|], ] and ] }} | |||
| {{legend|#757536|], ] and ] }} | |||
| {{legend|#0075FF|] and ] }} | |||
| {{legend|#75FFFF|] }} ]] | |||
| {{seealso|Rise of Sweden as a Great Power|Swedish Empire|Swedish overseas colonies|Sweden and the Great Northern War|Absolute Monarchy in Sweden|Sweden-Finland|Union between Sweden and Norway}} | |||
| The 17th 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 ], which made Sweden the recognized leader of continental Protestantism in Europe until 1721, when the Empire collapsed.<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> | |||
| 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 ] (Lutheran).<ref name="GusEB"> | |||
| "Gustav I Vasa - Britannica Concise" (biography), | |||
| ''Britannica Concise'', 2007, webpage: | |||
| . | |||
| </ref> | |||
| The mid 1600s and the early 1700s were Sweden's most successful years as a great power. Sweden reached its largest territorial extent as an empire during the rule of ] (1622–1660) after the ] in 1658. However, Sweden's largest territorial extent lasted from 1319 to 1343 with ] ruling all of the ] and Norway. 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 ] in 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. Soundly defeated in the war, the Swedish head of state signed the ] in 1721. Forced to cede large areas of land, Sweden also lost its place as an empire and as the dominant state on the Baltic Sea. With Sweden's lost influence, Russia began to emerge as an ], and become one of Europe's dominant nations. | |||
| 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 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 ], ], 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==== | |||
| {{seealso|Modernization of Sweden|Swedish emigration to North America}} | |||
| The 18th and 19th 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.<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>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 75-80% of the population was | |||
| involved in agricultural pursuits during the late eighteenth | |||
| century. One hundred years later, the corresponding figure was | |||
| still 72%." | |||
| </ref><ref name=Einhorn/> | |||
| 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). 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, to a significant extent mentored by the Prohibitionist movement in the United States, where many Swedes had relatives. As a result of their intense propaganda, it was often claimed that alcohol consumption was unusually high in Sweden at that 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." .</ref> However, no empirical basis exists for believing that alcohol consumption was higher in Sweden than in other Scandinavian countries. A proposal for prohibition in Sweden was defeated in a 1921 referendum; the result was possibly influenced by an advertising campaign, begun a few weeks before the vote, emphasizing the undesirability of having to eat crawfish (an almost universally popular dish among Swedes) without ]. Abstinence or considerable moderation with regard to alcohol is not unusual among Swedes, possibly the Christianized West's only nationality in which teetotalism is more prevalent than regular church attendance. ''Systembolaget'', a government owned corporation, has a monopoly on the sale of alcohol. Alcohol is heavily taxed, with the effect that attempts to buy Swedish-made spirits outside of Sweden and to smuggle the stuff back into Sweden are not unheard of. | |||
| Strong grassroots movements sprung up in Sweden during the latter half of the nineteenth century (trade 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 factories, and became involved in ] ]. A socialist revolution was avoided in 1917, following the re-introduction of ], and the country was ]. | |||
| ====Recent history==== | |||
| {{seealso|Birger Dahlerus|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 vigorously 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 neighbours, and frequent criticism in the postwar period."</ref> Sweden was 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, 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 collaborated with Hitler.<ref>{{cite book|last=Zubicky|first=Sioma|year=1997|title=Med förintelsen i bagaget|language=]|publisher=Bonnier Carlsen|location=Stockholm|pages=122|id=ISBN 91-638-3436-7}}</ref> Swedish volunteers in Nazi SS units were among the first to invade the ] in ]. Sweden also supplied steel and machined parts to Germany throughout the war. Toward the end of the war however, when the defeat of Germany seemed imminent, 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 ] 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> | |||
| 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 Organisation of Economic Co-operation 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. | |||
| Sweden joined the ] in 1995, after the collapse of the ]. 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 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 ], ], 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> 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> | |||
| 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> 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 by 52-48% in favour of joining the EU on ] ]. Sweden joined the EU on ] ]. | |||
| The long term effects of these changes was to greatly improve the outlook of the ]. The Social Democrats increased spending on ] and continued to pay down the ].<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 macroeconomy recovered from the 1980s industrial restructuring and the ] excesses, and the country has since performed very well macroeconomically.<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 ]n 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 and climate== | |||
| ]. Laponia 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 ]. | |||
| Sweden 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 ]. | |||
| At {{convert|449964|sqkm|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, 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. | |||
| 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}} above sea level. | |||
| Sweden has three main regions. ], covering about three-fifths of the country, is mountainous, densely forested, has large ore deposits and contains the majority of the country's 90,000 lakes. ] consists of the Central Swedish lowland with its vast lakes and archipelagos and the hilly, forested inland regions of ] and ]. ] in the south comprises the stony ] highlands and the rich plains of ], ] and ]. 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 has a ] despite its northern ], mainly because of the ]. In the mountains of northern Sweden a ] climate predominates. North of the ], the sun never sets for part of each summer, and in the winter, night is similarly unending. | |||
| Common temperatures in the seasons (°C):<ref name=smhi-maps-temperature>{{cite web | |||
| | title = SMHI - Klimatkartor - Temperatur | |||
| | url = http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=7560 | |||
| | publisher = ] | |||
| | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref> | |||
| *Winter: -1° in the most southern parts, -5 to -15° in south and middle, and down to -20° in the north (locally down to -40°). | |||
| *Spring: about 10 °C in the south and middle and a bit colder in the north. | |||
| *Summer: 18° to 25° in south, 16° to 22° in middle and around 15° in the north. | |||
| *Autumn: a bit under 10° in the south and middle and often under 5° in the north.</br> | |||
| Average ] is between 500 and 800 mm/year. In some parts though the average is between 1000 and 1700 mm/year.<ref name=smhi-climate>{{cite web | |||
| | title = SMHI - Sveriges klimat | |||
| | url = http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=5441 | |||
| | publisher = ] | |||
| | accessdate = 2007-10-28 }}</ref> | |||
| ==Administrative divisions== | |||
| ], ].]] | |||
| ] ], northern ].]] | |||
| ], in southern ].]] | |||
| {{main|Subdivisions of Sweden}} | |||
| Sweden is a ], currently divided into ] ({{lang|sv|'']''}}). Each county has a ] or ''länsstyrelse'', which is appointed by the ] (the first Swedish County Administrative Board was made up by the Swedish Prime Minister ] 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'', with a total of 290 municipalities in 2004. There are also older historical divisions, primarily the ] and ], which still retain cultural significance. The Swedish government is investigating the possibilities of merging the current 21 counties into circa 9 larger ]s along the lines of the current ] used for statistical purposes. If approved, these would come into effect around 2015.<ref>http://www.sou.gov.se/ansvar/pdf/SOU%202007_13.pdf</ref> | |||
| {{further|]}} | |||
| ==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 World War I to a nation of ] from World War II 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 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> | |||
| 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 the biggest group of immigrants to Sweden still comes from the ]: 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"/> | |||
| ==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 slightly more difficulty than the Norwegians.<ref name="KarlsU"> | |||
| "Karlstad University" (on languages taught/spoken), | |||
| Karlstad University, 2006, webpage: | |||
| . | |||
| </ref> | |||
| The area around ] (across from ]) has the most ] (being a border region). The dominant language is 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> | |||
| 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 ] 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 study one and sometimes two additional languages. These include (but are not limited to) ], ] and ].<ref name=KarlsU/> Some Danish and Norwegian is at times also taught as part of the Swedish course for native speakers. | |||
| In neighboring ], Swedish is first language for about 5.5 percent (2007) of the population, the so called ].<ref name="StatsFinland">. ] (]). Retrieved on ].</ref> Swedish-speakers are found in rural and coastal municipalities. Swedish is an official language in these municipalities and holds the status of a official language of the state. There are ] courses in the secondary school. | |||
| Up to a million speakers of Swedish live outside of Sweden, most of them in Canada and the United States. Swedish is among the 48 high-priority languages from a military strategic standpoint,<ref>http://elctl.msu.edu/wileypaper.pdf</ref> potential reasons being the Swedish location of armament manufacturers such as Bofors and Saab, the role of Swedish diplomats in international relations, and the fact that fluent speakers of Swedish can also understand Danish and Norwegian (thus a cluster of languages with over 20 million speakers). | |||
| ==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 ], while admitting that "There is no consensus on how to measure democracy" and that "definitions of democracy are contested" lists Sweden in first place in its index of democracy assessing 167 countries.<ref>{{cite web | |||
| |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=] |language=English}}</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. | |||
| In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, ] ranked Sweden (along with ] and ]) 5th out of 169 countries. | |||
| ====Political history==== | |||
| ] (Swedish) and ] (Geats) in the twelfth century.]] | |||
| 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): | |||
| {| | |||
| |- | |||
| | | |||
| |Hur och när det svenska riket uppstod vet vi inte. Först under 1100-talet börjar skriftliga dokument produceras i Sverige i någon större omfattning | |||
| | | |||
| |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 '']'' (Swedes) 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 to have 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 ] and his son ] in the 10th century. These events are often described as the ], although substantial areas including ] and ], were added 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==== | |||
| ] building, Stockholm.]] | |||
| Constitutionally, the 349-member Riksdag (]) holds supreme authority in modern Sweden. This Riksdag is responsible for choosing the prime minister, 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 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 ] 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. There has been broad political consensus regarding the rapid extension of the ],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} with government expenditure at its peak being 67 per cent of the ]. 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 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 ]; 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> | |||
| * ] (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) | |||
| There is also a proliferation of small or tiny political parties, of which most are ], while others have stable organizations and party programmes, but few adherents. | |||
| 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 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 (assassinated) Prime Minister ], former Prime Minister and ] ], former President of the ] ], and former ] Iraq inspector ]. | |||
| ===Popular movements and equality politics=== | |||
| 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 movement. | |||
| 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> ] founded the first Swedish feminist party, the ] party, commonly referred to simply as ''F!'', in 2005. '']'' magazine quoted Schyman's view of Sweden's reputation for ] initiatives: "In Sweden there’s a gap between words and reality.... Internationally a lot of people look upon Sweden as equality paradise, but that is not the truth – and now things are actually going backwards."<ref>Mosey, Chris. Ms. magazine. Fall 2006.</ref> In fact the pay gap between men and women in Sweden is 16%, higher than the EU average of 15%. Sweden compares unfavourably with the EU average when it comes to providing full-time jobs for women, with a high fraction of employed women working part-time.<ref name=EUEqualityReport/> | |||
| ===Energy politics=== | |||
| {{seealso|Nuclear power phase-out in Sweden|Oil phase-out in Sweden}} | |||
| 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 hold a ] on nuclear power. The referendum led to a decision that no further nuclear power plants should be built and that a nuclear power phase-out should be completed by 2010.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
| 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></ref> ] is mainly used to produce heat for ] and ] and industry processes. | |||
| 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 ], 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,<ref name="JShad"> | |||
| "NUCLEAR ENERGY IN SWEDEN", 2006, PDF wepage: | |||
| . | |||
| </ref> although it is very unlikely that this will happen.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
| In an effort to phase out the dependency on nuclear power 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 ], 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> 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 ] 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" /> | |||
| 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 defenses 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 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 ''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 Army, Air Force and Navy. The head of the armed forces is the ] (''Överbefälhavaren'', ÖB), and after the sovereign is the most senior officer in the country. | |||
| Until the end of the Cold War, nearly all males reaching the age of ] were ]. 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 Defence 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 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. A recent law was taken into place, which says that only volunteers can do military service, before you could go to prison if refusing. | |||
| Swedish units have taken part in peacekeeping operations, in the ], ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| Currently, one of the most important tasks for the Swedish Armed Forces is 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= | |||
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| |date=2008-01-08 | |||
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| |publisher=Government Offices of Sweden | |||
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| }}</ref> | |||
| The ] (NBG) is to have a 10-day deployment readiness during the first half of 2008 and, although Swedish led, will have 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. | |||
| Sweden's industry is overwhelmingly in ] 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 a share of the country's income, of any ranked country (as of 2005). 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 ] 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 economic crisis in the 1990s, which resulted in thousands of people becoming unemployed and a great national debt. Two remnants are an increase in ] ]<ref name="ingenta"> | |||
| IngentaConnect: "Markets versus planning: an assessment of | |||
| the Swedish housing model in the post-war period", | |||
| Nesslein T.S., Source: ''Urban Studies'', Volume 40, Number 7, | |||
| June 2003, pp. 1259-1282(24), Publisher: Routledge, webpage: | |||
| . | |||
| </ref> | |||
| and a ] of approximately 1 167 billion ] (approx. €124 billion, December 2007), 39% of the GDP.<ref>(2006).</ref> | |||
| According to the book, ''The Flight of the Creative Class'', by the U.S. economist, Professor ] of ], 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>", Invest in Sweden Agency, 25 June 2005. The top ten countries, in descending order, are: Sweden, Japan, Finland, the US, Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany.</ref> | |||
| ==Welfare state== | |||
| {{main|Swedish welfare}} | |||
| ], the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Sweden.]] | |||
| In recent years, ] 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 ].{{Who|date=September 2007}} The Swedish "welfare state" model of the 20th century is an example (some economists and socialists have said) of effective use of national taxes, although others disagree about its continuing effectiveness. The Swedish welfare system remains extensive, but a ] 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 active 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 20–25% 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> The ], coordinated by the ], currently ranks Swedish education as the 22nd best in the world, being neither significantly higher nor lower than the OECD average. | |||
| ==Religion== | |||
| {{main|Religion in Sweden}} | |||
| 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, a change significantly affected by ]'s Swedish associate ], the Church and state were separated and the authority of Roman Catholic bishops abolished, allowing ] to prevail. This process was completed by the ] of 1593. 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. | |||
| Pre-Reformation Swedish religious leaders----including ], founder of the continuously functioning Roman Catholic cloister at Vadstena----continue to be held in high regard by the population as a whole. Her nunnery at Vadstena is one of Sweden's pre-eminent tourist attractions. | |||
| Not until liberalization in the late 18th century, however, were believers of other faiths, including ] and ], allowed to openly live and work in Sweden, and 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 (Lutheran), but the number is decreasing by about 1% 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 the parents was a member. Since 1996, all 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. Almost 500,000 are Muslims by tradition, but approximately 5% (25,000) of these are practising Islam (in the sense of attending Friday prayer and praying five times a day).<ref></ref> (See ].) | |||
| According to the most recent ] 2005,<ref name=EUROBAROMETER>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf|title=Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11|accessdate=2007-05-05}}</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 in some ways comparatively secular and ].<ref>Celsing, Charlotte. . The Swedish Institute, 1 September 2006. Retrieved 19 February 2007.</ref> Nonetheless, measured on the basis of observance of church holidays, Swedes are quite "religious" in form as they take all the bank holidays and all the church holidays. | |||
| ==Culture== | |||
| ], painted in the traditional Swedish ].]] | |||
| {{main|Culture of Sweden}} | |||
| 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–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 ||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. Cohabitation (''sammanboende'') by heterosexual couples of all ages, including teenagers as well as elderly couples, is widespread although in recent years it has become administratively problematical with regard to proof in claims of "spousal" social security. About half the children in the country are born out of wedlock. Presence of already obtained common-law offspring in newspaper photographs of marrying couples is commonplace. | |||
| ===Music=== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| {{main|Music of Sweden}} | |||
| 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 re-creations 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 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 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. | |||
| 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 8.9 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 0415943566: "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> | |||
| ] was one of the first internationally well-known popular music bands from Sweden, and still ranks among the most prominent band in the world, with about 370 million records sold. With ABBA, Sweden entered into a new era, in which Swedish pop music gained international prominence. Sweden is sometimes referred to as the third largest exporter of pop and rock music in the world, after the US and the UK, but this is disputable and difficult to verify.<ref> at ] website, accessed Feb. 2007.</ref> There have been many other internationally successful bands since, and recently there has been a surge of Swedish ] bands. Sweden has also become known for a large number of ] (mostly ] and ]) as well as ]- and ] bands. ], the second-largest city in Sweden, is home to ], ], and ], three of the world's most prominent death metal bands.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
| 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></ref> | |||
| Sweden is the third most successful country in the ]. That includes four victories, one made by ABBA. | |||
| ===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). | |||
| The public broadcasting companies held a monopoly on radio and television for 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. | |||
| In 2007, CNN reported that Sweden became the first country to open an embassy in virtual world ]. The Embassy serves to promote Sweden's image and culture, rather than providing any real or virtual services.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} | |||
| ===Literature=== | |||
| Some Swedish writers has reached international fame such as: ], ] , ], ], ], ], ]. | |||
| ===Inventions=== | |||
| The first clinical implantation into a ] of a fully implantable ] was in 1958 at the ] in ], Sweden, using a pacemaker designed by ] and ] ], connected to ]s attached to the ] of the ] by ]. | |||
| In ],], an improved version of the Swedish ] design was implanted in ], ] in the ] by Doctors ] and ]. | |||
| The ] was invented by Baltzar von Platen and Carl Munters in 1922, while they were still students at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. Commercial production began in 1923 by the newly formed company ], which was bought by ] in 1925. ] was invented in ] by the Swede Gustaf Erik Pasch and was improved by John Edvard Lundström a decade later. ] of Sweden invented in 1892 the ]. ] of Sweden invented the Blow torch year 1880. {{Fact|date=January 2008}} | |||
| C. G. de Laval of Sweden devised the first mechanical cream separator c.1880, based on the principle of centrifugal force. In the 18th century Sweden's ] took off. Previously, technical progress had mainly come from professionals who had immigrated 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 internationally familiar. ] 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. Jonas Wenström was an early pioneer in ] and is along with ] 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. ] is an invention for storing liquid foods, invented by ]. ] invented the ], a worldwide standard for shipping and civil aviation navigation. ], an ulcer medicine, was the world's best-selling drug in the 1990s and was developed by ]. 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 | |||
| |title = Swedish inventions and discoveries | |||
| |accessdate = 2007-10-28 | |||
| |year = 2007 | |||
| |month = January | |||
| |work = Fact Sheet FS 91 e | |||
| |publisher = Swedish Institute | |||
| }}</ref> | |||
| ===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 ]; ] (''Valborgsmässoafton'') on ] lighting bonfires; and ] or Mayday on ] is dedicated to socialist demonstrations. The day of giver-of-light ], ], is widely acknowledged in elaborate celebrations which betoken its Italian origin and commence the month-long Christmas season. ] 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 ] 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. However, Swedes have traditionally also been very open to foreign influences, ranging from the ] during the eighteenth century, to the ] and cafe ] of today. | |||
| ===Film=== | |||
| Swedes have been fairly prominent in the film area through the years, to several successful Swedish Hollywood actors can be mentioned: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Amongst several directors who have made internationally successful films can be mentioned: ], ], and ]. | |||
| ===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), Gina Tricot, ] 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 neighbours. | |||
| Carin Wester, Nakkna, Acne, Velour, Rodebjer and Ann-Sofie Back are other important names within the Swedish fashion scene. | |||
| ==Public health== | |||
| {{seealso|Healthcare in Sweden|Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare}} | |||
| Healthcare in Sweden is developed. Sweden ranks in the top five countries with respect to low ]. It also ranks high in ] and in safe ]. World-class hospitals in Sweden include ], ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| ==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 and has won the ] seven times, and Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 2006. In 2006, as the first nation in history, they won 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. ] has enjoyed a surge in popularity due to several successful athletes in recent years. | |||
| 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 | |||
| |2007 | |||
| |n/a | |||
| | | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |CIA World Factbook – GDP – ] per capita | |||
| |2005 | |||
| |18th | |||
| |194 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |International Monetary Fund – ] | |||
| |2006 | |||
| |10th | |||
| |182 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] - Mother's Index Rank | |||
| |2007 | |||
| |1st | |||
| |141 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] - Women's Index Rank | |||
| |2007 | |||
| |1st | |||
| |141 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] - Children's Index Rank | |||
| |2007 | |||
| |4th | |||
| |141 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] - ] | |||
| |2007 | |||
| |2nd | |||
| |141 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] - % seats in the national government held by women | |||
| |2004 | |||
| |1st (47%) | |||
| |141 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] ] | |||
| |2006 | |||
| |5th | |||
| |177 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007 | |||
| | | |||
| |3rd | |||
| |125 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] world-wide press freedom index | |||
| |2006 | |||
| |6th | |||
| |168 | |||
| | | |||
| |- | |||
| |] 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 | |||
| * {{en icon}} – Public service | |||
| * – Official site | |||
| * – Official site | |||
| * – Official guide to studying in Sweden | |||
| * – Statistics Sweden (governmental) | |||
| * – Government agency | |||
| * | |||
| * — EH.Net Encyclopedia | |||
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