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Background: Having long lost its military prowess of the 17th century, Sweden has evolved into a prosperous and peaceful constitutional monarchy with a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements. As the 20th century comes to an end, this long successful formula is being undermined by high unemployment; the rising cost of a "cradle to the grave" welfare state; the decline of Sweden's competitive position in world markets; and indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe.

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 3,218 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Elevation

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

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

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

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


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Population: 8,401,098 (July 1989), growth rate 0.1% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Swede(s; adjective - Swedish

Ethnic groups: homogeneous white population; small Lappish minority; about 12% foreign born or first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)

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

Religions: 93.5% Evangelical Lutheran, 1.0% Roman Catholic, 5.5% other

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 12 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 12 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; acid rain

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hivaids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 99%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Stockholm

Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (lan, singular and plural) and 1 city* (stad; 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, Stockholms Stad*, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands Lan,

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal but not compulsory over age 18; after three years of legal residence immigrants may vote in county and municipal but not national elections

Executive branch

Legislative branch: Royal Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Air Force, Royal Swedish Navy

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC (Free Trade Agreement), EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IPU, ISO, ITU, IWC - International, Whaling Commission, IWC - International Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,037; telephone (202) 944-5,600; there are Swedish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York; US - Ambassador Gregory J. NEWELL; Embassy at Strandvagen 101, S-115 27 Stockholm; telephone Õ46å (8) 7,835,300

Flag description: 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)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved a high standard of living under a welfare state system. It has virtually full employment with less than 2% of the work force unemployed in 1987. Sweden is highly industrialized, has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled and intelligent 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 1987 real GDP grew by 3.1% and the budget deficit declined. On the negative side, inflation increased and higher wage costs eroded the country's competitiveness in foreign markets.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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, 85% self-sufficient in sugar beets

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.5% (1987)

Labor force: 4,390,000; 32.8% private services, 30.0% government services, 22.0% mining and manufacturing, 5.9% construction, 5.0% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 0.9% electricity, gas, and waterworks (1986)

Unemployment rate: 1.9% (1987)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $53.4 billion; expenditures $58.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $10.4 (FY88)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $44.5 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
Partners: EC 50.0%, (FRG 11.5%, UK 10.4%, Denmark 8.0%), US 11.2%, Norway 11.2%, less developed countries 9.3%

Imports: $40.7 billion (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
Partners: EC 57.2% (FRG 20.5%, UK 10.4%, Denmark 6.8%), US 7.8%, less developed countries 7.3%, Norway 5.6%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $62.5 billion (December 1986)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.2558 (January 1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987), 7.1236 (1986), 8.6039 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 39,161,000 kW capacity; 182,105 million kWh produced, 21,700 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $3.212 billion, 7.9% of central government budget (FY88)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 260 total, 257 usable; 137 with permanent-surface runways; 11 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 91 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines: 84 km natural gas

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges

Merchant marine: 170 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,637,024 GRT/1,727,015 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 12 short-sea passenger, 27 cargo, 3 container, 39 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12 vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 25 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 22 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 8 combination ore/oil, 5 specialized liquid cargo, 12 bulk, 1 combination bulk

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs