Sweden

Geography

Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Map references: Europe

Area:
total area: 449,964 sq km
land area: 410,928 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries: total 2,205 km, Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline: 3,218 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 64%
other: 27%

Irrigated land: 1,120 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea
natural hazards: ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

People

Population: 8,821,759 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (female 810,859; male 854,553)
15-64 years: 64% (female 2,761,060; male 2,856,012)
65 years and over: 17% (female 887,597; male 651,678) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.46% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 13.19 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 10.84 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.43 years
male: 75.64 years
female: 81.39 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish

Ethnic divisions: white, Lapp (Sami), foreign born or first-generation immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5% (1987)

Languages: Swedish
note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak native languages

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.)
total population: 99%

Labor force: 4.552 million (84% unionized,1992)
by occupation: community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden
local long form: Konungariket Sverige
local short form: Sverige

Digraph: SW

Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Stockholm

Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands Lan

Independence: 6 June 1809 (constitutional monarchy established)

National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June

Constitution: 1 January 1975

Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Ingvar CARLSSON (since 6 October 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mona SAHLIN (since 6 October 1994)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament (Riksdag): elections last held 18 September 1994 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - Social Democrats 45.4%, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 22.3%, Center Party 7.7%, Liberals 7.2%, Left Party 6.2%, Greens 5.8%, Christian Democrats 4.1%, New Democracy Party 1.2%; seats - (349 total) Social Democrats 162, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 80, Center Party 27, Liberals 26, Left Party 22, Greens 18, Christian Democrats 14; note - the New Democracy Party did not receive a seat because parties require a minimum of 4.8% of votes for a seat in parliament

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)

Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON; Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Maria LEISSNER; Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; New Democracy Party, Vivianne FRANZEN; Left Party (VP; Communist), Gudrun SCHYMAN; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green Party, no formal leader but party spokesperson is Birger SHLAUG

Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 8, G- 9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Carl Henrik Sihver LILJEGREN
chancery: 1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600
FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas L. SIEBERT
embassy: Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [46] (8) 783 53 00
FAX: [46] (8) 661 19 64

Flag: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy

Overview: Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. In 1990, agriculture accounted for only 1.2% of GDP and 1.9% of the jobs, Sweden being about 50% sufficient in most products. In the last few years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. Although Prime Minister BILDT's center-right minority coalition had hoped to charge ahead with free-market-oriented reforms, a skyrocketing budget deficit - about 14% of GDP in FY93/94 projections - and record unemployment have forestalled many of the plans. Unemployment in 1994 is estimated at around 9% with another 5% in job training. Continued heavy foreign exchange speculation forced the government to cooperate in late 1992 with the opposition Social Democrats on two crisis packages - one a severe austerity pact and the other a program to spur industrial competitiveness - which basically set economic policy through 1997. In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the EC's ECU, and the krona has since depreciated about 25% against the dollar. The boost in export competitiveness from the depreciation helped lift Sweden out of its 3-year recession. To curb the budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy, the new Social Democratic government is proposing cuts in welfare benefits, subsidies, defense, and foreign aid. Sweden has harmonized its economic policies with those of the EU, which it joined at the start of 1995.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $163.1 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 2.4% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $18,580 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.8% (1994 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $47.9 billion
expenditures: $70.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94)

Exports: $59.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
partners: EC 55.8% (Germany 15%, UK 9.7%, Denmark 7.2%, France 5.8%), EFTA 17.4% (Norway 8.4%, Finland 5.1%), US 8.2%, Central and Eastern Europe 2.5% (1992)

Imports: $49.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
partners: EC 53.6% (Germany 17.9%, UK 6.3%, Denmark 7.5%, France 4.9%), EFTA (Norway 6.6%, Finland 6%), US 8.4%, Central and Eastern Europe 3% (1992)

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate 9% (1994)

Electricity:
capacity: 34,560,000 kW
production: 141 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 14,891 kWh (1993)

Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for 37% of farm income; main crops - grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100% self-sufficient in grains and potatoes; Sweden is about 50% self-sufficient in most products

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics shipped via the CIS and Baltic states for the European market

Economic aid:
donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion

Currency: 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere

Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 7.4675 (January 1995), 7.7160 (1994), 7.7834 (1993), 5.8238 (1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188 (1990)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Transportation

Railroads:
total: 12,000 km (includes 953 km of privately owned railways)
standard gauge: 10,742 km 1.435-m gauge (7,502 km electrified and 1,152 km double track); 8 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified; privately owned)
narrow gauge: 61 km 0.891-m gauge (electrified; privately owned)
other: 1,189 km NA-m gauge (1994)

Highways:
total: 135,859 km
paved: 97,818 km (including 936 km of expressways)
unpaved: gravel 38,041 km (1991)

Inland waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges

Pipelines: natural gas 84 km

Ports: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall, Kalmar, Karlshamn, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall

Merchant marine:
total: 157 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,872,350 GRT/2,075,722 DWT
ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 24, chemical tanker 25, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, oil tanker 31, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 37, short-sea passenger 8, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 12

Airports:
total: 253
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 84
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 26
with paved runways under 914 m: 129
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Communications

Telephone system: 8,200,000 telephones; excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system
local: NA
intercity: coaxial and multiconductor cable carry most voice traffic; parallel microwave network carries TV, radio, and some additional telephone channels
international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 360 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0
radios: 7 million

Television:
broadcast stations: 880 (mostly repeaters)
televisions: 3.5 million

Defense Forces

Branches: Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,133,420; males fit for military service 1,864,258; males reach military age (19) annually 52,937 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $5.4 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY94/95)