Sweden
'''Sweden''' (
Swedish:
Sverige) is a
Nordic country in
Scandinavia, in Northern
Europe. It is bordered by
Norway on the west,
Finland on the northeast, the
Skagerrak and the
Kattegat on the southwest, and the
Baltic Sea and the
Gulf of Bothnia on the east. Sweden has a relatively low population density and is known for its peaceful, large forests and mountainous wilderness.
History
Main article: History of Sweden
Conclusive archaeological evidence exists that the area now comprising Sweden was settled during the
Stone Age, as the inland ice of the last
ice age receded. The earliest inhabitants are thought to have been
hunters and gatherers, living primarily off what the sea (later called the
Baltic Sea) could offer.
Some evidence supports the theory that southern Sweden was densely populated during the
Bronze Age, as remains of large trading communities from this period have been found.
Sweden as a name was originally a plural form of
Swede and is a so-called "
back-formation", from Old English
Sweoðeod (
Suiones).
During the
9th and
10th century, the
Viking culture flourished in
Scandinavia, with trade, raiding and colonisation primarily going eastward, to the Baltic states,
Russia and the
Black Sea.
Christianization in the
12th century led to the consolidation of a Swedish
state centered at the water-ways of the northern Baltic and
Gulf of Finland, that however like the similarly newly consolidated states of
Norway and
Denmark was struck by crisis in the 14th century, that was further aggravated by the
Black Death, although Sweden's expansion into the wilderness of the Scandinavian peninsula and present-day
Finland continued. The
East-West Schism between
Catholicism and
Eastern Orthodoxy was mirrored in frequent wars between Sweden and
Novgorod, but
stabilized in 1323 with a border established along a line from the Eastern tip of the Gulf of Finland to the Northern tip of the Gulf of Bothnia. The political incorporation of present-day Finland into
Sweden proper is usually dated to 1362.
King [[Gustav I of Sweden]]
In 1389, the three countries of Norway, Denmark and Sweden were united under a single monarch. The
Kalmar Union was entered into as a
personal, not a political, union; and during the
15th century, the Swedes resisted attempts to centralise rule under the Danish
crown, even to the point of armed rebellions. Sweden ultimately broke away in 1521, when Gustav Eriksson Vasa, known as king
Gustav I of Sweden from 1523, re-established separation of the Swedish crown from the union.
Gustav Vasa's reign was signified by the
Protestant Reformation, a renewed consolidation and centralization of the state, the formalization of the taxed yeomanry's participation in decisions on taxes and their use through a
four-chamber parliament, and of relativele peaceful international relations. Gustav Vasa is the closest to a
Father of the Nation the Swedes know.
The
17th century saw
the rise of Sweden as one of the great powers in Europe, due to successful participation, initiated by King Gustavus Adolphus, in the Thirty Years' War. This position would crumble in the
18th century when
Imperial Russia took the reins of northern Europe in the
Great Northern War, and eventually in 1809, splitting off the eastern half of Sweden, thereby creating
Finland as a Russian
Grand Duchy.
A view over Stockholm, with the Riksdag building on Helgeandsholmen in the middle, and a part of the Royal Palace to the left.
Recent Swedish history has been peaceful, the last war being the Campaign against Norway 1814 establishing a Sweden-dominated personal union with Norway. The union was peacefully dissolved in 1905, despite some sabre-rattling. Sweden succeeded to remain a
neutral country during
World War I and
World War II (with a brief exception for the
Winter War). It continued to stay non-aligned during the
Cold War and is today not a member of any military alliance.
The first ceremony to award the
Nobel Prize was held at the Old
Royal Academy of Music in
Stockholm in 1901; beginning in 1902, the prizes have been formally awarded by the
King of Sweden.
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Sweden
Sweden has been a
monarchy for almost a
millennium, with
supply controlled by the parliament. Until 1866, the taxed peasantry was represented in one of the
four chambers, then Sweden became bicameral, with the First Chamber indirectly elected by
local governments, and the Second Chamber directly elected.
Legislative power has been shared between king and parliament until 1975.
In 1971, the Parliament, the
Riksdag, became unicameral. Constitutionally, the 349-member
Riksdag holds supreme authority in Sweden, and its acts are not subject to
judicial review. Legislation may be initiated by the Cabinet or by members of Parliament. Members are elected on the basis of
proportional representation for a four-year term. The constitution,
Grundlagen, can be altered by the
Riksdag, which requires a
supermajority and confirmation after the following general elections.
Executive power was shared between the King and a noble
Privy Council until 1680, followed by the King's
autocratic rule initiated by the common estates of the Parliament. As a reaction to the failed
Great Northern War, Parliamentarism was introduced in 1719, followed by three different flavours of
Constitutional Monarchy in 1772, 1789 and 1809, the latter granting several civil liberties.
Parliamentarism was re-introduced in 1917 as
King Gustaf V, after decades of struggle and ultimately fearing a threatening revolution, accepted to appoint
ministers that could be expected to have the political confidence of a parliamentary majority. This was followed by common and equal suffrage enacted 1918–21. Parliamentarism was upheld by his successor
Gustav VI Adolf until a new
constitution in 1975 abolished the monarch's political power.
The monarch remains as the formal, but merely symbolic,
head of state with mainly
ceremonial duties.
Social Democracy has played a dominant political role since 1917, after Reformists had confirmed their strength and the
Revolutionaries left the party. Social Democratic influence over society and government is often described as
Hegemony. 1932–1956 Social Democrats and Agrarians formed a stable governing majority, that was widened during WWII. After 1956, the Cabinets have been totally dominated by the Social Democrats, in the parliament often supported by Communists and Greens, except for six years 1976–1982 and three years 1991–1994.
The judicial system is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and special courts with responsibility for litigation between the public and governmental authorities. Swedish law is codified and its court system consists of local courts, regional appellate courts, and a Supreme Court.
Counties
Main article: Counties of Sweden
Sweden is divided into 21
counties or
län. In each county there is a
County Administrative Board or
länsstyrelse which is appointed by the Government. In each county there is also a separate
County Council or
landsting, which is the municipal representation appointed by the county electorate. Each county further divides into a number of
municipalities or
kommuner, making a total of 290 municipalities, in 2004. There are also older historical divisions of the
Swedish Realm, primarily into
provinces and
lands.
Map of Sweden
Geography
Main article: Geography of Sweden
Sweden in winter (February 19, 2003)
Sweden enjoys a mostly temperate climate despite its northern
latitude, mainly due to the
Gulf Stream. In the south of Sweden leaf-bearing
trees are prolific, in the north
pines and hardy
birches dominate the landscape. In the mountains of northern Sweden a sub-arctic climate predominates. In the part of the country north of the
Arctic Circle the sun never sets during the summer, and in the winter night is unending.
East of Sweden is the
Baltic Sea and the
Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline, and yet further mellowing the climate. To the west are the Scandinavian mountain chain, a range that separates Sweden from
Norway.
The southern part of the country is chiefly agricultural, with forests covering an increasing percentage of the land the further north one goes. Population density is also higher in southern Sweden, with centers being in the valley of lake
Mälaren and the Öresund region.
Gotland and
Öland are the two largest Islands of Sweden.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Sweden
The Swedish Krona
Aided by
peace and
neutrality for the whole of the
20th century, 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 labour force.
Timber,
hydropower, and
iron ore constitute the resource base of an
economy 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.
Agriculture accounts for only 2% of
GDP and 2% of the jobs. The
government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, revenue declines, and spending increases. The Swedish
Riksbank is focusing on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth is expected to reach 3.5% in 2004, assuming a continued moderate global recovery. However, unemployment has steadily increased since 2001 and stood at 4.9% as of October 2004.
The
communications and
transportation systems of Sweden are important components of the infrastructure.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Sweden
Sweden has one of the world's highest life expectancies and one of the lowest
birth rates. The country counts at least 17,000 indigenous Samis among its population. Also some 50,000 of the ethnic Finns of Sweden consist an indigenous minority, although many more of the
Sweden Finns descend from 20th century immigrants.
The Swedish nation has been transformed from a nation of
emigration ending after
World War I to a nation of
immigration from
World War II and on. Almost 12% of the residents were born abroad, and about one fifth of Sweden's population are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. The largest immigrant groups are from
Finland, the
former Yugoslavia,
Iran,
Norway,
Denmark, and
Poland. This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labor immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration.
The Finns were the first large group of immigrants to contemporary Sweden. During World War II some 70,000
war children were evacuated from Finland. 15,000 of them stayed after the war, and many more returned as adults. Post-war hardship in Finland pushed large contingents of unemployed Finns to Sweden's booming economy in the
1950s–
60s. At its height, over 400,000 Finns lived in Sweden, but following the 1973 energy crisis the unemployment rate in Sweden worsened while steady Soviet trade was to Finland's advantage. Since then, the number of immigrated Sweden-Finns has decreased to below 200,000.
A typical 19th, early 20th century farmer's house
Soviet intervention against the
1956 Hungarian Revolution and the 1968 Czechoslovakian liberalization resulted in the first surges of intellectual political refugees.
American deserters from the
Vietnam War often found refuge among the Swedes, who in international politics took a clear stand against
imperialism both by the Soviet Union and the US. After the 1973 coup in Chile, and the following military dictatures in
Chile and other
South American countries, political refugees came to dominate the image of immigration to Sweden, including refugees from
Iran,
Iraq and
Palestine. Of the refugees from the
Yugoslav wars, 135,000 remain in Sweden (2001).
Swedish is a Germanic language related to Danish and Norwegian but different in pronunciation and orthography. English is by far the leading foreign language, particularly among students and those under age 50. The
Swedish language has held a
de facto dominant position to such a degree that making it an
official language never has been a political issue. However, the recognition of five minority languages, on
April 1, 2000, has raised the issue of whether Swedish should have a standing as the official language in Sweden. Sami,
Meänkieli and
Finnish may be used in dealing with
municipal and
government agencies,
courts, preschools and
nursing homes in parts of
Norrbotten County.
Sweden has an extensive childcare system that guarantees a place for all young children from 2-5 years old in a public day-care facility. From ages 6-16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school. After completing the ninth grade, 90% attend upper secondary school for either academic or technical education.
Swedes benefit from an extensive
social welfare system, which provides for childcare and maternity and paternity leave, a ceiling on health care costs, old-age pensions, and sick leave among other benefits. Parents are entitled to a total of 480 days paid leave between birth and the child's eighth birthday, with 30 days reserved specifically for each parent. A ceiling on health care costs makes it easier for Swedish workers to take time off for medical reasons.
As of approximately
August 12, 2004, the population of Sweden for the first time exceeded 9,000,000, according to
Statistics Sweden.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Sweden
Swedish 20th century culture is noted by pioneering works in the early days of cinema, with Mauritz Stiller and
Victor Sjöström. Later on, moguls like
Ingmar Bergman and actresses such as
Greta Garbo,
Zarah Leander,
Ingrid Bergman and
Anita Ekberg made careers abroad.
Swedish music is in many minds connected with
ABBA, although more recently indie bands like
Millencolin, Soundtrack Of Our Lives and
The Hives have started achieving international fame. Also worthy of mention are
bob hund,
Roxette,
Ace of Base,
The Cardigans, and
Yngwie J. Malmsteen
In underground circles, Sweden is known for a large number of
death metal and
black metal acts, often viewed as pioneering or at the forefront of the scene.
Swedish literature is also vibrant and active, Sweden ranking third in the list of countries with most
Nobel Prize laureates in
literature.
Holidays
Main article: Holidays in Sweden
The Swedish holiday calendar consists mainly of
Christian holidays. Many of these are however a continuation of pre-christian customs, such as
Midsummer and
Walpurgis Night. Apart from official holidays and a few
de facto holidays there are also
official flag day observances and minor observances in the
namesday calendar.
Miscellaneous topics
International rankings
References
External links
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