Land and Climate

Sweden has a total area of 173,732 square miles (449,964 square kilometers). It measures 932 miles (1,500 kilometers) from north to south and 250 miles (400 kilometers) from west to east. About 15 percent of the country lies north of the Arctic Circle. Sweden is bounded on the west by Norway and on the northeast by Finland. On the east it is bounded by the Gulf of Bothnia and on the southeast and south by the Baltic Sea. In the southwest Sweden is separated from Denmark by the Kattegat and the Öresund, which connect the Baltic and North seas. Sweden's coastline is 4,724 miles (7,602 kilometers) in length.

Most of Sweden is part of the Baltic Shield, a region of ancient rocks. Much of the shield in Sweden consists of mountains. The highest mountains form a long ridge that separates Sweden from Norway. The highest peaks are in the north, where Mount Kebnekaise reaches 6,926 feet (2,111 meters) in height. The mountain region slopes eastward to a narrow plain that fringes the Gulf of Bothnia.

The southern third of the country is much flatter. A lowland zone extends across the country and broadens around Stockholm to form Sweden's largest area of plains. South of the lowland zone there is a region of hills that in places reach some 900 feet (275 meters). In the extreme south, an area of lowland known as Skåne is called “the granary of Sweden” because its climate favors agriculture, especially grain production. A coastal plain links Skåne with the Stockholm region. A few miles from this coast lies the long, flat island of Öland, with the larger island of Gotland to the northeast.

There are a number of lakes, which occupy about 8 percent of the area of the country. The largest are Lakes Vänern, Vättern, and Mälaren—all located in the southern lowland belt. In the north long lakes occupy many of the mountain valleys.

The longest river in Sweden is the Torne with its tributary the Muonio. Together they flow for 354 miles (570 kilometers) along the border with Finland. Other major rivers are the Dal and the Klar. The Klar enters Lake Vänern and emerges as the Göta River, which flows into the Kattegat. Most other rivers empty into the Gulf of Bothnia.

Sweden has few energy resources. There is no coal or petroleum, and large quantities of these fossil fuels must be imported. The major sources of energy are hydroelectric and nuclear power. Sweden ranks second in Europe, after Norway, in terms of waterpower resources, which are mainly found in Sweden's northern regions. A number of dams and power stations on the northern rivers produce electric power, which is transmitted to the south by long-distance cables. About 50 percent of Sweden's electric power comes from water, about 46 percent from nuclear power plants, and the rest from thermal plants. The country's 12 nuclear power plants are scheduled to be replaced by natural gas plants by 2010.

Sweden has some of the richest iron-ore deposits in the world. Most deposits are located near Kiruna, Gällivare, and Svappavaara—all north of the Arctic Circle. Iron ore is exported through the port of Luleå and the Norwegian port of Narvik. Some iron ore is also found in southern Sweden. Copper, lead, and zinc deposits are located in northern Sweden, while uranium is found in the south.

The climate of Sweden is diverse because of the great length of the country from north to south, and it is affected by the country's location between the maritime influences of the Atlantic Ocean and the continental influences from the east. Stockholm has an average July temperature of 64°  F (18°  C) and a January temperature of 27°  F (–3°  C). The annual average precipitation is 25 inches (64 centimeters). The average January temperature at Haparanda in northern Sweden is 13°  F (–11°  C), while at Malmö in the south it is 33°  F (0.5°  C).

Plants and Animals

About 57 percent of the country is covered by coniferous trees, mainly spruce and pine. The southern part of the country has some deciduous trees, such as beech, oak, elm, ash, and maple. In the higher mountain areas there are forests of birch, with some aspen and mountain ash. Above the timberline there is a moorland vegetation of mosses and lichens.

The most common animals are hares, weasels, shrews, squirrels, foxes, ermines, and elks. In some areas bears are found. Wolves, lynxes, and wolverines occur only in the northern forests. Some deer, otters, badgers, and pine martens are also found. Lemmings live in the northern mountains.

The large variety of birds includes snipes, plovers, wagtails, partridges, and ptarmigans, with some grouse and woodcocks. Seabirds—such as gulls, terns, and eider ducks—are common. Rivers and lakes have salmon, trout, perch, and pike. On the west coast cod, herrings, mackerel, and flatfish are found, while the Baltic Sea contains a small herring called strömming, as well as gray seals and porpoises. Crayfish are found in inland waters in southern Sweden and are considered a great delicacy. In the summer the northern region of Sweden produces myriads of stinging insects such as mosquitoes and gadflies.

People and Culture

More than 80 percent of the population lives in urban settlements. The largest city is the capital, Stockholm, which, including its suburbs, has a population of about 1.7 million inhabitants (see Stockholm). Other major Swedish cities are Göteborg, Malmö, and Uppsala. Most of the Swedish population, both urban and rural, are concentrated in the south of the country.

Swedish literature dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, when books of law appeared. In 1541 a Bible translation by Olaus Petri marked the beginning of the modern Swedish language. King Gustav III encouraged the writing of literature by founding the Swedish Academy in 1786. One of Sweden's greatest poets, Carl Michael Bellmann, wrote songs set to his own music that are still popular.

In the 19th century such poets as Erik Geijer and Esaias Tegnér were inspired by Sweden's past. Other poets, such as Viktor Rydberg and Carl Snoilsky, followed a realist trend in literature.

The greatest of Sweden's literary figures, August Strindberg, wrote novels and plays that had a great influence on the development of European literature (see Strindberg, August). Other authors who wrote at the beginning of the 20th century were Gustaf af Geijerstam, Albert Engström, and Selma Lagerlöf, a Nobel prizewinner in 1909. Swedish poets include Gustaf Fröding and Verner von Heidenstam, who won a Nobel prize in 1916.

The most notable modern Swedish writers—Pär Lagerkvist, poet Harry Martinson, and novelist Eyvind Johnson—were all Nobel laureates. The Nobel prizes were instituted by the Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. (See also Lagerkvist, Pär; Nobel, Alfred; Nobel prizes; Scandinavian literature.)

The most famous Swedish artist was Anders Zorn, who produced remarkable paintings and etchings. The sculptor Carl Milles designed fountains and monuments both in Sweden and the United States. He lived for 20 years in Michigan and became a United States citizen.

Sweden's contribution to music lies mainly in the country's singers. Famous Swedish singers include Jenny Lind, Birgit Nilsson, and Jussi Björling (see Lind, Jenny; Nilsson, Birgit).

Sweden has a rich heritage of folk culture, which developed when the population consisted mainly of farmers. Local folk costumes, art, and music have largely vanished from everyday Swedish life but are maintained for special occasions. They can also be found at the numerous open-air folk museums, where old farmhouses and other aspects of former peasant life are on display. The largest Swedish open-air museum is at Skansen in Stockholm.

There are some special holidays celebrated by the Swedes. On December 13 young girls wear headdresses of green wreaths decorated with lighted candles and serve coffee and special buns to older family members. This day is known as St. Lucia Day, and there are parades and celebrations in most communities. Midsummer Day (June 24), the longest day of the year, is celebrated with dances and songs. At this time of the year, in most of Sweden, it is light until late at night.

Economy

The Swedish economy plays a more significant role in the world than the size of the country's population would suggest. In particular, the nation's industries manufacture a large number of products that are exported around the world. Sweden's economic development was greatly helped by the fact that the country was not involved in any wars for more than a century and a half.

The three basic resources on which industry is based are forests, iron ore, and hydroelectric power. Most industry is specialized. High-quality steel is produced in a number of localities in the central region, including Borlänge, Sandviken, Hagfors, and Fagersta. Other iron and steel plants are located at the ports of Oxelösund and Luleå. Much of the country's steel goes to the engineering industries, which produce automobiles, ball bearings, and various kinds of equipment and tools. The Volvo plant at Göteborg and the Saab plant at Trollhättan produce automobiles mainly for export. Saab also produces military aircraft, missile systems, and aerospace equipment. Volvo manufactures engines for military and commercial aircraft and for spacecraft, and its factories also produce trucks, buses, and construction equipment. Scania, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses, is based in Södertälje.

Sweden is home to several other very large corporations. The SKF Company is a large manufacturer of ball bearings, cutting tools, and machine components. ASEA, maker of electrical and electronic equipment, merged with BBC Brown Boveri of Switzerland in 1988 to become one of the world's foremost conglomerates, under the name ABB ASEA Brown Boveri. Other firms that market their products worldwide include the AGA Group, Electrolux, IKEA, and Swedish Match. Other products made in Sweden are hydro-turbines, machine tools, office machinery, furniture, telephone equipment, and glass products.

Transportation, Communication, Education

The length of the country's railroad network is more than 6,750 miles (10,850 kilometers). The highway network runs more than 120,000 miles (193,000 kilometers) in length. Sweden has a large number of passenger automobiles (more than 3.8 million) compared with the size of the population. There are four-lane highways between Stockholm and Uppsala and, for much of the route, between Stockholm and Göteborg.

Sweden, along with Denmark and Norway, operates the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), which has a wide international network. Internal flights are provided by Linjeflyg.

Telephone and telegraph services are operated by the state. Television and radio programs are broadcast by a noncommercial semigovernmental corporation.

Education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 16. Upper secondary schools provide further education. Higher education is offered by more than 60 institutions, including technical, medical, dental, business, education, and other types of schools. There are universities in Uppsala (founded in 1477), Lund, Stockholm, Göteborg, Umeå, and Linköping. There are technical universities in Stockholm, Göteborg, and Luleå.

Government

Under the constitution of 1975 Sweden is a constitutional monarchy. Carl XVI Gustaf came to the throne in 1973. His role is largely ceremonial, and the sole political power rests with the Riksdag (parliament). The Riksdag has 349 members elected for four-year terms. The prime minister is the political chief executive and has a cabinet of ministers who make collective decisions on political and other matters. The largest political party is the Social Democratic party. Other parties are the Moderate, Center, People's, Left, Christian Democratic, New Democracy, and Green parties.

The Social Democratic party dominated politics for most of the 20th century. Under it the welfare-state system developed, resulting in a wide variety of social-security benefits that provide the average citizen with protection against financial problems of unemployment, sickness, and old age. These services are very expensive to maintain and are paid for by one of the highest tax rates in the world. There has been public resistance to more taxation, and as a result the government has attempted to cut costs and reduce some services.

History

Swedish history begins with the activities of the Vikings in the 9th century. The Vikings established a trading center at Birka near modern Stockholm. They followed river routes from the Baltic Sea to the interior of Russia, where they established strongholds. The Swedish Vikings also reached Constantinople and the Caspian Sea (see Vikings).

Christianity spread slowly in Sweden after the baptism of King Olof Skötkonung at the end of the 10th century. Royal power was weak, and the country was divided into a number of provinces that had their own laws. As Sweden gradually became more unified, Uppsala emerged as the first capital. In about 1250 the city of Stockholm was founded. Being close to the sea, it grew rapidly as a port and commercial center, and by the 15th century it had become the capital of the country.

The founder of Stockholm was probably Birger Jarl, who produced the first Swedish national laws in the mid-13th century. He also gave German merchants privileges for trade with Sweden. By the following century Sweden's trade was almost entirely controlled by the German Hanseatic League, and the richest and most powerful citizens were German traders.

In the 17th century Sweden emerged as a great power in the Baltic region. Finland was already under Swedish control, and Estonia had been annexed in 1595. King Gustavus Adolphus played the major role in Sweden's rise to power. By seizing more eastern Baltic territories from Russia and Poland, he turned the Baltic into a Swedish sea. He joined the German Protestants in their wars against the Austrian Catholics, but was killed at Lützen in 1632 (see Gustavus Adolphus). Sweden gained territory in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic, and in 1660 the Swedes won from Denmark the islands of Ösel and Gotland and other Danish territories in southern Sweden.

Sweden's decline as a great power began under the reign of Charles XII. After military successes against the Danes, Poles, and Russians, Charles attempted an invasion of Russia and was defeated at Poltava in 1709. After his death Sweden's power gradually decreased (see Charles XII). The rising power of Russia and continued opposition from Denmark created serious problems. A war between Sweden and Russia took place between 1788 and 1790, and in 1808 Russia annexed Finland.

In 1810 one of Napoleon's generals, Jean Bernadotte, was invited to become crown prince. He became king in 1818 as Charles XIV John. Napoleon approved the union of Sweden and Norway, which took place despite Norwegian opposition, in 1815. This union was dissolved in 1905.

Sweden remained neutral in World War I but suffered from the European economic crisis that followed. The Social Democrats, in power from 1932 to 1976, expanded the modern welfare state. Sweden was again neutral in World War II, but it permitted German troops to cross Swedish territory in order to reach Norway. Sweden provided shelter, however, for many refugees of German oppression.

The postwar period was marked by the further development of the Swedish economy. Sweden became one of the most prosperous countries in Europe, but at the price of one of the highest rates of taxation in the world. The Social Democrat leader Olof Palme was prime minister from 1969 until 1976. After a short period of rule by a center-right coalition government, Palme returned to power in 1982. In 1986 he was assassinated on a Stockholm street. A suspect was found guilty in 1989, but an appeals court overturned the conviction because of insufficient evidence. In 1991 the Moderate party leader was named prime minister, only the second time in 60 years that Sweden had been governed under a nonsocialist leader. The Social Democrats returned to power after winning a general election in September 1994.

Sweden has been a member of the United Nations since 1946. The country joined the European Union (EU) on Jan. 1, 1995, after a referendum on membership was approved by voters in November 1994. It did not, however, adopt the euro, the European single currency, when the euro was introduced in 1999. Sweden held the EU's rotating presidency in 2001. In September 2003, some 17 years after the unsolved assassination of Prime Minister Palme, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh was fatally stabbed in a Stockholm department store. Lindh, one of the country's most beloved officials, had been a leader in the campaign to adopt the euro. In a referendum held days after her murder, however, the country again rejected the European currency. Population (2002), 8,925,000.