OFFICIAL NAME:
Kingdom of Sweden

Geography
Area: 449,964 sq. km. (173,731 sq. mi.)--slightly larger than California.
Cities: Capital--Stockholm (city population: 771,038). Other cities--Göteborg (city population: 484,942), Malmö (city population: 271,271).
Terrain: Generally flat or rolling. Three of the principal rivers, the Ume, the Torne and the Ångerman, flow into the Gulf of Bothnia. The highest areas are found in the Kjolen mountain range along the border with Norway, where peaks rise to over 1,500 m; the highest point is at the northern tip of this range, at Kebnekaise, which reaches 2,111 m (6,926 ft.). South of the mountains is the lakeland area, where the Vänern, the largest lake in western Europe--over twice the size of Luxembourg--is situated. South of the lakes is the infertile Småland plateau, surrounded by the lowland plains that border the sea. The mountainous regions and some northern parts of Sweden are covered in snow for much of the year, and only 8% of the country is given over to agriculture.
Climate: Temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in the north. The north of Sweden lies within the Arctic Circle, and continental influences also contribute to the cold climate. In northern areas winters are usually long and extremely cold. The south of Sweden benefits from maritime influences, however, and the climate is milder. In the capital, Stockholm, on the south-east coast, daily average temperatures only fall to −3.1°C (27°F) in February, the coldest month, and are as warm as 17.8°C (64°F) in July. The mean annual rainfall in Stockholm is 22 in., with the largest amount of rain falling between July and September.

People
Nationality: Noun--Swedes; adjective--Swedish.
Population (November 2006): 9,110,972.
Annual population growth rate (2006): 0.16%.
Ethnic groups: Indigenous Swedes, ethnic Finns, ethnic Sami.
Immigrants: Finns, ex-Yugoslavia nationals, Iranians, Norwegians, Danes, Greeks, and Turks.
Religions: Lutheran (87%), Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--2.76/1,000. Life expectancy--men 78.29 years, women 82.87 years.
Work force (4.49 million, 2005 est.): Services--70.7%; industry--28.2%; agriculture--1.1%. Unemployment (2006 est.)--4.3%.
Public holidays (2007): January 1 (New Year's Day); January 6 (Epiphany); April 6 (Good Friday); April 8 (Easter); April 9 (Easter Monday); May 1 (May Day); May 17 (Ascension Day); May 27 (Whit Sunday); June 6 (National Day); June 23 (Midsummer Holiday); November 4 (All Saints' Day); December 25 (Christmas); December 26 (St Stephen's Day).
The eve of a holiday is as important--or more so--than the holiday itself. Most Swedes have the day off, including those working in the civil service, banks, public transport, hospitals, shops, and the media. Others have at least a half-day. This applies especially to Midsummer's Eve, All Saints' Day Eve, and Christmas Eve. The eve of May Day is sometimes called Valborg Eve or St Walpurgis. When a holiday falls on a Thursday many Swedes have the following Friday off in addition. When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday it is not taken on the following Monday.

Government
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Constitution: The Swedish Constitution is based on four fundamental laws: the Instrument of Government (originally dating from June 6, 1809), the Act of Succession (1810), the Freedom of the Press Act (1949), and the Riksdag Act. Following partial reforms in 1968 and 1969, a new Instrument of Government and a new Riksdag Act were adopted in 1973 and 1974, and the revised Constitution came into force on January 1, 1975, replacing the Acts of 1809, 1866, and 1949.
Branches: Executive--monarch (head of state); prime minister (head of government); Cabinet, responsible to parliament. Legislative--unicameral parliament (Riksdag--349 members). Judicial--Supreme Court (6 superior courts; 108 lower courts).
Subdivisions: 21 counties, 288 municipalities (townships).
Political parties represented in parliament: Moderate (conservative), Liberal People's, Center, Christian Democratic, Social Democratic, Left (or V, formerly Communist), and Green.
Suffrage: Universal, 18 years of age. After 3 years of legal residence, immigrants may vote in county and municipal elections (but not in national elections).

Economy
GDP (2005, purchasing power parity): $268.3 billion. GDP (2005, official exchange rate): $348.1 billion.
Annual growth rate (2005): 2.7%.
Per capita income (2005, purchasing power parity): $29,800.
Inflation rate (2006): 1.4%.
Natural resources: Forests, hydroelectric power, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber.
Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products--dairy products, meat, grains (barley, wheat), sugar beets, potatoes, wood. Arable land--6 million acres.
Industry (28.2% of GDP): Types--machinery/metal products (iron and steel), electrical equipment, aircraft, paper products, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods.
Services (70.7% of GDP): Types--telecommunications, computer equipment, biotech.
Trade: Exports (2005)--$126.6 billion. Types--machinery, transport equipment, motor vehicles, wood products, paper, pulp, chemicals, iron and steel products, and manufactured goods. Imports (2005)--$104.4 billion. Types--machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel, foodstuffs, clothing. Major trading partners (2005)--Germany 17.5%, Denmark 8.9%, Norway 7.8%, U.K. 6.6%, Netherlands 6.2%, Finland 5.8%, France 5%.

PEOPLE
Sweden has one of the world's highest life expectancies and one of the lowest birth rates. The country counts at least 17,000 Sami among its population. About one-fifth of Sweden's population are immigrants or have at least one foreign-born parent. The largest immigrant groups are from Finland, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Norway, Denmark, and Poland. This reflects Nordic immigration, earlier periods of labor immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration.