Language(s):Swedish + Finnish and various Sami dialects Country’s population (million): 9.1 Currency: 1 Crown = 100 ore Territory (sq kms): 449 964
Administrative division: regions = counties / län
counties/län Seat counties / län Seat counties / län Seat
Sweden is situated in the Scandinavian Peninsula in North Europe. The Baltic Sea forms its eastern border. In the south it is a plain rich in lakes, the remnants of Ice Age erosion. The central and the northern parts of the country are hilly. The climate is subartic with cold wintersand cool summers. The northern part of the country is very rich in good quality iron ore.
Economy
The Sweidish economy is traditionally strong, heavy industry (metallurgy, high quality steel production) could develop due to the iron ore resources. Iron is exported first of all to Germany. The iron mining of Sweden in Europe is preceded only by Russia and Ukraine. Engineering also has developed at an early stage of history. Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö are the centres of engineering which specializes in automobile manufacturng (Volvo, SAAB), electronics (Ericsson, Electrolux), roller bearings (SKF), weapons and military equipment, fighter planes and precious instruments. The products of Sweedish industry are world famous for their high quality.
Energy production relies on hydropower (51 %) and nuclear power (43 %) thus environmental pollution is very low. Sweden is said to have the best social care services. Therefore the living standard is considered to be the highest in Sweeden, if the mini states of Europe are not mentioned.
Sweden is also known for the large amount of money put into scientific research, human capital investment. Because much of the country’s territory is covered by forests, wood and paper industry is also important.
Swedish agriculture grows potato, sugarbeet, fodder plants and wheat in the south, though it has to import food.
Agriculture Industry Services
In its employment structure Swedish economy shows strong industry and highly developed economy.
Administration
There are 8 NUTS-2 regions, the North Central, the Central North and the Upper North (Lapland) are among the least developed regions of the EU, because of their very low number of population. The country joined the EU in 1995.
The most democratic parliamentary system full of controls is the Swedish. Though it is monarchy, the ruler does not play even a formal role in it. There is but one direct election when the members of the parliament are elected by citizens. The political parties and the representatives of trade chambers (syndicates) can have influance on policy having via their representatives delegated to the central level
(in the parliementary committees and public administration offices responsible to the parliament and the government respectively).
Society
Sweden is the destination of emigrants seeking acceptable living conditions from all over the world.
There are many guest employees as well. Immigration is becoming an ever increasing burden on the Swedish economy, however. Social welfare is the best in Europe. The national and ethnic composition of the population is 91 % Swedish, and the rest are the reindeer breeding, still nomadic Lappish, and Finnish in the Upper North. The religion iin Sweden is Evangelist which is a variety of Protestent Christianity.
Landmarks
Aurora Borealis (northern lights) = according to a survey of the National Geographic TV, it is the most magnificient natural phenomenom of the Earth, in the night skies, not only in Sweden, but in all the Nordic countries.
Stockholm = the ’Venice of the North’, since there are 24 thousand islands in and around the capital city.
Christmas tree = the decorated pine trees taken into flats at Christmas, originate from Sweden, from 1605.
Pytt-i-pann; spettkaka = traditional Swedish meals: meat, bacon and onion; huge apple pie cake, baked on open fire.
Swedish steel = considered as the best of steel makes.
Nobelpriset = Nobel Prize, the world’s highest reputation scientific prize given by the Swedish Royal Academy. It was founded in 1895 by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, inventor of the dynamite.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sweden:
The Drottningholm Palace (Drottningholms slott) = is the private residence of the Swedish royal family in Drottningholm. It is built on the island Lovön. Drottningholm Palace Theatre (Drottningholms slottsteater) is an opera house, which has been described as ’the Swedish jewel in our European cultural heritage crown of centuries-old theatres’.
Birka and Hovgården = make up an archaeological complex (on the islands of Björkö, Adelsö, Mälaren near Stockholm) which illustrates the elaborate trading networks of Viking Scandinavia and their influence on the subsequent history of Europe. Birka is regarded as Sweden's oldest town.
Engelsberg Ironworks (Engelsbergs bruk) = was built in 1681 and developed into one of the world's most modern ironworks in the period 1700-1800.
Rock Carvings in Tanumshede = the area has a high concentration of petroglyphs. The largest flat rock of Nordic Bronze Age petroglyphs in Scandinavia, the Vitlyckehäll, is located in Tanumshede.
Skogskyrkogården (The Woodland Cemetery) = is situated in Stockholm and its design reflects the development of architecture from national Romantic style to mature Functionalism. It is a major tourist attraction: at the Tallum Pavilion, visitors can see an exhibition about the cemetery and the story of its origins.
Hanseatic Town of Visby = is on the island of Gotland and it is arguably the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia. Among the most notable historical remains are the 3,4 km long stone wall called Ringmuren (1the Ring Wall1), that encircles the city and the old church ruins.
Gammelstad Church Town (Gammelstads kyrkstad) = near Luleå at the Gulf of Bothnia, is the best preserved example of a type of town that was once widespread throughout northern Scandinavia.
The Laponian area = is a large mountainous wildlife area in the Lapland province in northern Sweden.
Naval port of Karlskrona = is known as Sweden's only Baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the Swedish Coast Guard. The city has kept its street structure since its foundation. Since the streets all follow a grid pattern the winds can blow freely from the ocean right into the heart of the city.
Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland (Stora Alvaret) = is a limestone barren plain on the island of Öland. Because of the thin soil mantle and high pH levels, a great assortment of vegetation is found including numerous rara species. It has extraordinary biodiversity.
Kvarken Archipelago and High Coast = it is continuously rising from the sea in a process of rapid glacio-isostatic uplift, whereby the land, previously weighed down under the weight of a glacier, lifts at rates that are among the highest in the world. As a consequence of the advancing shoreline, islands appear and unite, peninsulas expand, and lakes evolve from bays and develop into marshes and peat fens. This property is essentially a ‘type area’ for research on isostasy; the phenomenon having been first recognized and studied here. Most of the World Heritage Site is situated in the Korsholm municipality.
Great Copper Mountain (Stora Kopparberget) = was a mining area at Falun that operated for a millennium from the 10the century to 1992. It produced as much as two thirds of Europe's copper needs. Technological developments at the mine had a profound influence on mining globally for two centuries. It is now a museum site.
Varberg Radio Station = is the Grimeton VLF transmission facility at Grimeton close to Varberg. It has the only workable machine transmitter in the world.
The United Kingdom
National Flag Official name Coat of arms