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1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Sweden offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Sweden at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

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3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Sweden? Wrong! If the Sweden is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Sweden then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

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6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Sweden wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Sweden then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Sweden site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Sweden, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Sweden, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = |conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Sweden|common_name = Sweden|image_flag = Flag of Sweden.svg|image_coat = Sweden greater coa1908.png|image_map = Location Sweden EU Europe.png|map_caption = |national_motto = Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs  1"For Sweden – With the Times" ²|national_anthem = Thou ancient, Thou free|royal_anthem = The Song of the King|official_languages = Swedish language ³ (de facto)]|latd=59 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=18 |longm=4 |longEW=E|largest_city = capital|government_type = Constitutional monarchy|leader_name1 = [Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden|leader_title2 = Prime Minister of Sweden|leader_name2 = Fredrik Reinfeldt|leader_name3 = [Per Westerberg|sovereignty_note = prehistoric|accessionEUdate = [January 1 1995|GDP_nominal_rank = 19th|GDP_nominal_year = 2006|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $42,400|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 9th|Gini = 25|Gini_year = 2000|Gini_rank = 4th|Gini_category = low|HDI = 0.951|HDI_rank = 4th|HDI_year = 2004|HDI_category = high|currency = [Swedish krona|utc_offset = +1|time_zone_DST = [Central European Summer Time|utc_offset_DST = +2|cctld = .se5] is the national language. Five other languages are officially recognized as minority languages.|footnote4 = |footnote5 = The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states. The .nu domain is another commonly used TLD ("nu" means "now" in Swedish).-->Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish language: ), is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It has been a member of the European Union since 1995. Its capital city is Stockholm.

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country in Western Europe. Sweden has a low population density except in its :Category:Metropolitan areas of Sweden; 84% of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3% of the total land area.Statistics Sweden. Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in pdf format.The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and liberal democracy, CIA World Factbook: Economy - Sweden: "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. 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 1% of GDP and 2% of employment." with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts.De Geer, Hans, Tommy Borglund and Magnus Frostenson (2003). An Anglo-Swedish affair – Changing relations in an international acquisition. The 17th Nordic Conference on Business Studies in Reykjavík, 14-16 August 2003. Working paper within the project "Scandinavian Heritage", p. 9. Available online in pdf-format through the University of Iceland. Nature conservation, environmental protection and energy efficiency are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden.Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) (2006). Sweden's Environmental Objectives – Buying into a better future. A progress report from the Swedish Environmental Objectives Council. De Facto, 2006, p. 9: "Swedes in general feel that environmental issues and action to reduce impacts on the environment are important". See also Legislation & guidelines and Greenhouse gas emissions: "Swedish greenhouse gas emissions per head of population are among the lowest in the member states of the OECD."Kristrom, Bengt and Soren Wibe (1997). Environmental Policy in Sweden. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – Department of Forest Economics, Working paper 246, 27 August 1997.

Sweden has a long tradition as a major exporter of iron, copper and timber. transportation in Sweden and communications in Sweden allowed more remote natural assets to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably Logging and iron ore. In the 1890s, universal schooling and industrialization enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a welfare state, consistently achieving a high position among the top-ranking countries in the UN Human Development Index (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.

Modern Sweden emerged out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav I of Sweden in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century. In the early 19th century Finland and the remaining territories outside the Scandinavian peninsula were lost. After its last war in 1814, Sweden entered into a personal union with Norway which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and Neutral country in wartime. U.S. State Department Background Notes: Sweden "Swedish foreign policy is based on the premise that national security is best served by staying free of alliances in peacetime in order to remain neutral in the event of war...During the Cold War, Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries. With the end of the Cold War, that suspicion has lessened somewhat, although Sweden still chooses to remain nonaligned."

History Prehistory in Scania, southern Sweden.The early record of human activity in Scandinavia is sparse and the interpretations of the records from the Nordic Stone Age (10,000 BC – 1700 BC) are often conflicting.Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). Scandinavia since 1500, University of Minnesota Press, p. 1: "The record of human activity in Scandinavia spans about eleven thousand years. By far the greatest share of this, about ten thousand years (from the earliest evidence of human presence to the Viking Age), belongs to prehistory, to the past at its most obscure. Evidence for these times is fragmentary, scattered, and often subject to conflicting interpretations." The oldest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of flint tools from 9,500 to 9,000 BC. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millennia.

In 4200 BC, fired pottery, systematic farming and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of Mediterranean-style megalithic graves dated 3300–2000 BC have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early hunter-gatherers and farmers were followed between 2500 and 2000 BC by a new ethnolinguistic group, the so-called Battle-axe people, named for their stone weapons and graves. They may have been Proto-Indo-European language-speaking nomads who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia. Nordstrom, Byron (2000). Scandinavia Since 1500, University of Minnesota Press, pp. 3–14. This period was followed by the Nordic Bronze Age (1700–500 BC), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the battle ax people. Archaeological finds of this era are the petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites. Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas, with no recognized borders yet existing in Scandinavia. Societies in Sweden remained on the preliterate tribal and chiefdom levels until the emergence of writing on rune stones in the Viking Age. It is not known when and how the kingdom of Sweden was born, but the list of Swedish monarchs is drawn from when the first kings who ruled Svealand (Sweden) and Götaland (Gothia) as one. Sweden and Gothia were two separate nations long before that. It is unknown how long they have existed.

A tribe populating a region of what is today Sweden was first mentioned in 98 AD by the Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote about the Suiones who lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. According to Tacitus, they venerated wealth and therefore had a single ruler who exacted unlimited obedience from them and governed without restriction in power. Tacitus expressed concern that these Suiones might ally with neighboring tribes and cause trouble for the Roman Empire. Some scholars believe that Tacitus referred to the inhabitants of present-day eastern Sweden: Svealand, primarily the region around lake Mälaren. The modern name Sweden is derived through "back-formation" from Old English Sweoðeod, which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse Svíþjóð, Latin Suetidi). This word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas (Old Norse Sviar, Latin Suiones) (see Etymology of Sweden). The southern parts, on the other hand, were inhabited by the Geats in the Götaland territory, and Beowulf described semi-legendary Swedish-Geatish wars in the 6th century. The northern part, Norrland, was probably mostly populated by Sami people.

The Swedish Viking Age lasted roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD. During this period, it is believed that the Swedes expanded from eastern Sweden and incorporated the Geats to the south.The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 While Vikings from what is today Norway, Denmark and the west coast and south of Sweden traveled south and west, Varangian traveled east and south, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, Russia and the Mediterranean. Their routes passed the The Trade Route from the Varangians to the Greeks down south to Constantinople (Byzantine Empire) (present-day Istanbul, Turkey) on which they did numerous raids. The Byzantine Emperor Theophilos noticed their great skills in war, and invited them to serve as his personal bodyguard, these were called the varangian guard.

Middle Ages , a medieval city on Gotland.During the early stages of the Scandinavian Viking Age, Ystad in Scania and Paviken on Gotland, in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Remains of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad dating from 600–700 AD . In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the ninth and tenth century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbour with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era hoarded more silver than the rest of the population of Scandinavia combined.Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392, pp. 150-153.

St. Ansgar introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace paganism until the twelfth century and onward. During the eleventh century Christianity took place as the most common religion, and from year 1050 Sweden is counted as a Christian nation. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms, including struggles for territory and comparative power. Swedish kings also began to expand the Swedish-controlled territory in Finland, creating conflicts with the Rus.Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In The New Cambridge Medieval History. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 052136289X, p. 724: "Swedish expansion in Finland led to conflicts with Rus', which were temporarily brought to an end by a peace treaty in 1323, dividing the Karelian peninsula and the northern areas between the two countries."

In the fourteenth century, Sweden was struck by the Black Death (the Plague). During this period the Swedish cities also began to acquire greater rights and were strongly influenced by German merchants of the Hanseatic League, active especially at Visby. In 1319, Sweden and Norway were united under king Magnus IV of Sweden, and in 1397 Queen Margaret I of Denmark effected the personal union of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark through the Kalmar Union. However, Margaret’s successors, whose rule was also centred in Denmark, were unable to control the Swedish nobility. Real power was held for long periods by regents (notably those of the Sture family) chosen by the Swedish parliament. King Christian II of Denmark, who asserted his claim to Sweden by force of arms, ordered a massacre in 1520 of Swedish nobles at Stockholm. This came to be known as the “Stockholm blood bath” and stirred the Swedish nobility to new resistance and, on the 6th of June (Sweden's national holiday) in 1523, they made Gustav Vasa their king. This is sometimes considered as the foundation of modern Sweden. Shortly afterwards he rejected Catholicism and led Sweden to the Protestant Reformation. Gustav Vasa is by some considered to be Sweden's "Father of the Nation".

Swedish Empire following the Treaty of Roskilde of 1658. Dominions in Prussia, held from 1629 to 1635, do not appear on this map. The seventeenth century saw Rise of Sweden as a Great Power as one of the Great Powers in Europe. Sweden also had colonial possessions as a minor Swedish colonial empire that existed from 1638-1663 and later 1785–1878.

Sweden was during Imperial times the most powerful country of northern Europe and the Baltic Sea. Sweden's Imperial status took its start with Gustav II Adolph as king, and his successful participation in the Thirty Years' War, which made Sweden the recognized leader of Continental Protestantism in Europe until 1721 when the Empire collapsed. Sweden's Imperial status during this period is largely credited to Gustav I's major changes on the Swedish economy in the mid-1500s, and his introduction of Protestantism.

The mid 1600s and the early 1700s were Sweden's most successful years as a Great Power. Sweden reached its largest territorial extent during the rule of Charles X of Sweden (1622–1660) after the treaty of Roskilde in 1658. However, after more than a half century of almost constant warfare the Swedish economy had deteriorated. It would become the lifetime task of Charles' son, Charles XI of Sweden (1655-1697), to rebuild the economy and refit the army. His legacy to his son, the coming ruler of Sweden Charles XII of Sweden, was one of the finest arsenals in the world, a large standing army and a great fleet. Sweden's largest threat at this time, Russia, had a larger army but was far behind in both equipment and training. The Swedish army crushed the Russians at the Battle of Narva in 1700, one of the first battles of the Great Northern War. This led to an overambitious Charles XII Campaign against Russia in 1707, however, ending in a decisive Russian victory at the Battle of Poltava (1709). The campaign had a successful opening for Sweden, which came to occupy half of Poland and making Charles able to claim the Polish throne. But after a long march exposed by cossack raids, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great's scorched-earth techniques and the Russian Winter, the Swedes stood weakened with a shattered confidence, and enormously outnumbered against the Russian army at Poltava. The defeat meant the beginning of the end for Sweden as Empire.

Even though Sweden had lost almost half of its army during these times of intense war, Charles XII still attempted to invade Norway 1716. Soundly defeated in the war, the Swedish head of state signed the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. Forced to cede large areas of land, Sweden also lost its place as an empire and as the dominant state on the Baltic Sea. With Sweden's lost influence, Russia began to emerge as an Imperial Russia, and become one of Europe's dominant nations.

In the eighteenth century, Sweden did not have enough resources to maintain its territories outside Scandinavia and most of them were lost, culminating with the 1809 loss of the territory once named Österland (Eastern district) and the eastern part of Norrland to Russia: these parts became the semi-autonomous (Grand Duchy of Finland) of Finland of Imperial Russia.

After Denmark-Norway was defeated in the Napoleonic wars, Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden on January 14, 1814, at the Treaty of Kiel. The Norwegian attempts to keep their status as a sovereign state were rejected by the Swedish king, Charles XIII. He launched a military campaign against Norway on July 27, 1814, ending in the Convention of Moss, which forced Norway into a Union between Sweden and Norway with Sweden, which was not dissolved until 1905. The 1814 campaign was also the last war in which Sweden participated as a combatant.

Modern history The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw a significant population increase, which the writer Esaias Tegnér in 1833 famously attributed to "the peace, the (smallpox) vaccine, and the potatoes". Between 1750 and 1850, the population in Sweden doubled. According to some scholars, mass emigration to America became the only way to prevent famine and rebellion; over 1% of the population emigrated annually during the 1880s. Nevertheless, Sweden remained poor, retaining a nearly entirely agricultural economy even as Denmark and Western European countries began to industrialize.Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, p.8-9 "In economic and social terms the eighteenth century was more a transitional than a revolutionary period. Sweden was, in light of contemporary Western European standards, a relatively poor but stable country. It has been estimated that 75-80% of the population was involved in agricultural pursuits during the late eighteenth centur. One hundred years later, the corresponding figure was still 72%."Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia. Praeger Publishers, p.9: "Though Denmark, where industrialization had begun in the 1850s, was reasonably prosperous by the end of the nineeenth century, both Sweden and Norway were terribly poor. Only the safety valve of mass emigration to America prevented famine and rebellion. At the peak of emigration in the 1880s, over 1% of the total population of both countries emigrated annually." Many looked towards America for a better life during this time. It is believed that between 1850 and 1910 more than one million Swedes moved to the United States.Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia. Praeger Publishers, p.8. In the early 20th century, more Swedes lived in Chicago than in Gothenburg (Sweden's second largest city). Most Swedish immigrants moved to the Midwestern United States, with a large population in Minnesota. Some Swedes moved to Delaware. Some also moved to Canada and others in smaller numbers to Argentina.

. (See also: Atlas of Sweden)Despite the slow rate of industrialization into the 19th century, many important changes were taking place in the agrarian economy due to innovations and the large population growth.Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, pp. 9-10. These innovations included government-sponsored programs of enclosure, aggressive exploitation of agricultural lands, and the introduction of new crops such as the potato. Due also to the fact that the Swedish peasantry had never been enserfed as elsewhere in Europe, Sweden: Social and economic conditions (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 19 February 2007. the Swedish farming culture began to take on a critical role in the Swedish political process, which has continued through modern times with modern Agrarian party (now called the Centre Party).Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, p. 11: "The agrarian revolution in Sweden is of fundamental importance for Sweden's modern development. Throughout Swedish history the countryside has taken an unusually important role in comparison with other European states." Between 1870 and 1914, Sweden began developing the industrialized economy that exists today.Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, p. 90. "It is usually suggested that between 1870 and 1914 Sweden emerged from its primarily agrarian economic system into a modern industrial economy."

During the late nineteenth century, Sweden was influenced by Protestant temperance movements, mainly of American origin. As a result of their intense propaganda, it is often claimed that alcohol consumption was unusually high in Sweden at this time.For instance: "As regards social evils generally, however, the low, though undoubtedly improving, standard of Sweden has had one of its chief reasons in the national intemperance."  Article Sweden in the online 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. However, there is no factual ground for believing that alcohol consumption was higher than in other comparable countries.

Strong grassroots movements sprung up in Sweden during the latter half of the nineteenth century (unions, temperance groups, and independent religious groups), creating a strong foundation of democratic principles. These movements precipitated Sweden's migration into a modern parliamentary democracy, achieved by the time of World War I. As the Industrial Revolution progressed during the twentieth century, people gradually began moving into Cities of Sweden to work in factory, and became involved in Socialist trade union. A Socialist revolution was avoided in 1917, following the re-introduction of Parliamentarism, and the country was democratization.

Recent history Sweden remained officially Swedish neutrality during World War I and World War II, although its neutrality during World War II has been highly debated.Koblik, pp. 303-313.Nordstrom, p. 315: "Sweden's government attempted to maintain at least a semblance of neutrality while it bent to the demands of the prevailing side in the struggle. Although effective in preserving the country's sovereignty, this approach generated criticism at home from many who believed the threat to Sweden was less serious than the government claimed, problems with the warring powers, ill feelings among its neighbors, and frequent criticism in the postwar period." Sweden was forcibly under German influence for most of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades. The Swedish government felt that it was in no position to openly contest Germany, but it did attempt to help the Allies in secret. Towards the end of the war, Sweden played a major role in the humanitarian efforts and many refugees, among them many Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe, were saved partly because of the Swedish involvement in rescue missions at the internment camps and partly because Sweden served as a haven for refugees, primarily from Nordic countries and the Baltic states.. Nevertheless, internal and external critics have argued that Sweden could have done more to resist the Nazi war effort, even if risking occupation.Nordstrom, pp. 313-319.

Following the war, Sweden took advantage of an intact industrial base, social stability and its natural resources to expand its industry to supply the rebuilding of Europe.Nordstrom, pp. 335-339. By the 1960s, Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, had become an affluent consumer society and welfare state. Sweden was part of the Marshall Plan and participated in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (OECD), many of the policies aiming to improve the quality of life for the general population, in particular Sweden's working class, were successfully implemented.

Sweden joined the European Union in 1995, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, Europe's non-aligned Western countries, except Ireland, had considered membership unwise, as the EU predecessor, the European Community, had been strongly associated with NATO countries. Following the end of the Cold War, however, Sweden, Austria and Finland joined, though in Sweden's case without adopting the Euro. Sweden remains non-aligned militarily, although it participates in some joint military exercises with NATO and some other countries, in addition to extensive cooperation with other European countries in the area of defence technology and defence industry. Among others, Swedish companies export weapons that are used by the American army in Iraq.{{cite web], where Swedish troops are under NATO command, and in EU sponsored peace keeping operations in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Cyprus.

Sweden, like countries around the globe, entered a period of economic decline and upheaval, following the oil embargoes of 1973-74 and 1978-79.Nordstrom, p. 344: "During the last twenty-five years of the century a host of problems plagued the economies of Norden and the West. Although many were present before, the 1973 and 1980 global oil crises acted as catalysts in bringing them to the fore." Because the Rehn-Meidner ALMP economic model allowed capitalists owning very productive and efficient firms to retain excess profits at the expense of the firms’ workers, workers in these firms began to agitate for a share of the profits in the 1970s, just as women working in the state sector began to assert pressure for better wages. The economist Rudolf Meidner established a study committee that came up with a 1976 proposal that entailed transferring the excess profits into investment funds controlled by the workers in the efficient firms. Swedish capitalist confederations immediately distinguished this proposal as socialism, and launched an unprecedented opposition--including calling off the class compromise established in the 1938 Saltsjöbaden Agreement.Berman, Sheri. 2006. The Primacy of Politics: Social Democracy and the Making of Europe’s Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, MA. In the 1980s pillars of Swedish industry were massively restructured. Shipbuilding was discontinued, wood pulp was integrated into modernized paper production, the steel industry was concentrated and specialized, and mechanical engineering was digitalized.Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International. Swedish capital was increasingly moving Swedish investment into other European countries as the European Union coalesced, and a hegemonic consensus was forming among the elite financial community: progressive taxation and pro-egalitarian redistribution became economic heresy.Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.

A bursting real estate bubble caused by inadequate controls on lending combined with an international recession and a policy switch from anti-unemployment policies to anti-inflationary policies resulted in a fiscal crisis in the early 1990s. Englund, P. 1990. "Financial deregulation in Sweden." European Economic Review 34 (2-3): 385-393. Korpi TBD. Meidner, R. 1997. "The Swedish model in an era of mass unemployment." Economic and Industrial Democracy 18 (1): 87-97. Olsen, Gregg M. 1999. "Half empty or half full? The Swedish welfare state in transition." Canadian Review of Sociology & Anthropology, 36 (2): 241-268. The response of the government was to cut spending and institute a multitude of reforms to improve Sweden's competitiveness, among them reducing the welfare state and privatizing public services and goods. Much of the political establishment promoted European Union (E.U.) membership, and the Swedish referendum passed by 52-48% in favor of joining the E.U. on August 14, 1994. Sweden joined the European Union on January 1 in 1995.

The long term effects of these changes was to greatly improve the outlook of the Swedish economy. The Social democrats increased spending on child support and continued to pay down the public debt.Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18. By 1998 the Swedish macro-economy recovered from the 1980s industrial restructuring and the monetarist excesses, and the country has since performed very well macro-economically.Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International.At the turn of the twenty-first century, Sweden has a well-regarded, generally robust economy, and the average quality of life, after government transfers, is very high, inequality is low (the gini coefficient is 25.0United Nations Development Programme Report 2004, p50-53: Gini Index calculated for all countries.), and social mobility is high (compared to the affluent Anglo-American and Catholic countries).Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18. A country known for very low crime rates compared to other developed countries, Sweden has nevertheless seen two prominent politicians assassinated in recent history: Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986, and foreign minister Anna Lindh in 2003.

Geography and Climate . Laponia is the largest tract of unspoiled natural land in Europe.Situated in Northern Europe Europe, Sweden lies west of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline, and forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. To the west is the Scandinavian mountain chain (Skanderna), a range that separates Sweden from Norway.

Sweden is surrounded by Norway (west), Finland (northeast), the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Öresund straits (southwest) and the Baltic Sea (east). It has maritime borders with Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and it is also linked to Denmark (southwest) by the Öresund Bridge.

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the 55th largest country in the world. It is the 5th largest in Europe, and the largest in Northern Europe. The country is slightly larger than the U.S. state of California, with a population in 2006 of 9.1 million people.

The lowest elevation in Sweden is in the bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m (7.906824 ft) below sea level. The highest point is Kebnekaise at 2,111 m (6925.853 ft) above sea level.

Sweden has three main regions. Norrland, covering about three-fifths of the country, is mountainous, densely forested, has large ore deposits and contains the majority of the country's 90,000 lakes. Svealand consists of the Central Swedish lowland with its vast lakes and archipelagos and the hilly, forested inland regions of Dalarna and Värmland. Götaland in the south comprises the stony Småland highlands and the rich plains of Skåne, Västergötland and Östergötland. About 15% of Sweden lies north of the Arctic Circle. Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, with increasing forest coverage northward. The highest population density is in the Öresund region in southern Sweden, and in the valley of lake Mälaren in central Sweden. Gotland and Öland are Sweden's largest islands of Sweden; Vänern and Vättern are Sweden's largest lakes.

Climate:Sweden has a temperate climate despite its northern latitude, mainly because of the Gulf Stream. In the mountains of northern Sweden a sub-Arctic climate predominates. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets for part of each summer, and in the winter, night is similarly unending.

The average temperature on the season (°C):

Administrative divisions Counties from Lapland, Sweden in northern Norrland

Sweden is divided into Counties of Sweden (). They are Stockholm County,Uppsala County,Södermanland County,Östergötland County,Jönköping County,Kronoberg County,Kalmar County,Gotland County,Blekinge County,Skåne County,Halland County,Västra Götaland County,Värmland County,Örebro County,Västmanland County,Dalarna County,Gävleborg County,Västernorrland County,Jämtland County,Västerbotten County andNorrbotten County.

Each county has a County Administrative Boards of Sweden or länsstyrelse, which is appointed by the Government (the first Swedish County Administrative Board was made up by the Swedish Prime minister Axel Oxenstierna in 1634). In each county there is also a separate County Councils of Sweden or landsting, which is elected directly by the people. Each county further divides into a number of Municipalities of Sweden or kommuner, making a total of 290 municipalities in 2004. There are also older historical divisions, primarily the Provinces of Sweden and Lands of Sweden, which still retain some significance.

Largest municipalities , Stockholm. archipelago, northern Götaland., in southern Götaland.Denotes inhabitants in the municipality (kommun) area. Area is in km². The figures are as of December 31, 2006. 2006 census from the Statistics Sweden website.{] || 1 932 763 || 187.74 || 4,124.91|-align=right|2 ||align=left| Gothenburg ] || 278,319 || 155.56 || 1,752.60|-align=right|4 ||align=left| Uppsala ] || 138,805 || 1,435.80 || 96.08|-align=right|6 ||align=left| Västerås ] || 129,482 || 1,380.11 || 92.87|-align=right|8 ||align=left| Norrköping ] || 124,301 || 346.25 || 353.35|-align=right|10 ||align=left| Jönköping ] || 110,587 || 2,331.39 || 47.58|-align=right|12 ||align=left| Lund ] || 100,570 || 915.22 || 108.88|-align=right|14 ||align=left| Sundsvall ] || 92,456 || 1,615.07 || 57.12|}

Demographics As of April 2007, the total population of Sweden was estimated to be 9,131,425.Statistics Sweden. Preliminary Population Statistics, by month, 2004 - 2006. Population statistics, 1 January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007. The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately August 12 2004, according to the Statistics Sweden. Of the 2004 population, 1.1 million, or 12%, were foreign-bornThe Swedish Integration Board (2006). Pocket Facts: Statistics on Integration. Integrationsverket, 2006. ISBN 9189609301. Available online in pdf format. Retrieved 14 February 2007. and approximately 16.7% (1.53 million) had at least one parent born abroad or were themselves born abroad.SCB. Sveriges befolkning, kommunala jämförelsetal, 31/12/2006 31 December 2006. (In Swedish). Retrieved 3 April 2007. This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labour immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration. Sweden has been transformed from a nation of emigration ending after World War I to a nation of immigration from World War II onwards. In 2006, immigration to Sweden reached its highest level since records began. Record immigration to Sweden in 2006

Immigration from the other Nordic countries reached a peak of more than 40,000 per year in 1969-70 when the new immigration rules introduced in 1967 had made it more difficult for immigrants from outside the Nordic region to settle in Sweden for labour market policy reasons. Immigration by refugees and immigrating relatives of refugees from outside the Nordic region increased drastically during the late 1980s, with many of the immigrants arriving from Asia and Latin America, especially from Iran and Chile. During the 1990s and onwards another large immigrant group came from former Yugoslavia and the Middle East.Nordstrom, p. 353. (Lists Former Yugoslavia and Iran as top two countries in terms of immigration beside "Other Nordic Countries," based on Nordic Council of Ministers Yearbook of Nordic Statistics, 1996, 46-47)

The largest immigrant group living in Sweden as of 2005 consists of people born in Finland, followed by people born in Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Russia, Iran, Iraq and Former Yugoslavia. The official list of immigrant arrivals in 2005 by country of birth, compiled by the Swedish Integration Board, shows that biggest group of immigrants to Sweden still comes from the Nordic countries: of the 20,162 Nordic born immigrants moving to Sweden in 2005, more than half (11,066) were people born in Sweden returning to Sweden, while 3,494 were born in Denmark, 2,793 born in Finland and 2,425 in Norway. Of the other groups arriving in 2005, 16,739 were immigrants born in Asia, 5,625 were immigrants born in Africa and 2,655 were born in Latin America.

A sizable community from the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) arrived during the Second World War, but most of them returned to their countries of birth after the war.

Finns make up about 5% of the whole population and in the areas near the border to Finland, they make up some 50% of the population. The original population of northern Sweden, the Sami people, (a folk group living in 4 countries) is only about 20,000 persons. Approximately 77,500 of the nation's population is of sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Afro-Swedes are immigrants who came for political refuge and economic opportunity, including Ethiopians who fled from Communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s, and Somalians fleeing ongoing fighting there since the 1990s.

Soviet Union intervention against the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the Prague Spring resulted in the first surges of intellectual political refugees. Some United States deserters from the Vietnam War also found refuge among the Swedes. The then ruling social democrats, in particular Olof Palme took in international politics a clear stand against what they typically viewed as the imperialism of both the Soviet Union and the United States. Following the Chilean coup of 1973 in Chile, a large number of Chilean political refugees arrived in Sweden. Others came from South American countries including Argentina and Uruguay following the rise of military dictatorships. Sweden has also taken in refugees from the Middle East, particularly Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Some East Asian and South Asian immigration (ethnic Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis and Vietnamese people) into Sweden have notable numbers. The influx of Refugees of Iraq also has been notable during the last years, up to 40,000 Iraqis are expected to seek asylum in 2007. Sweden wants EU to help with Iraq refugees

Language The primary language of Sweden is Swedish language, a north Germanic languages, related and very similar to Danish language and Norwegian language, but differing in pronunciation and orthography. Norwegians have little difficulty understanding Swedish, and Danes can also understand it, with a bit more difficulty than the Norwegians. The area around Malmö (across from Copenhagen) has the most mutual intelligibility. The dominant language has always b {{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = |conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Sweden|common_name = Sweden|image_flag = Flag of Sweden.svg|image_coat = Sweden greater coa1908.png|image_map = Location Sweden EU Europe.png|map_caption = |national_motto = Royal mottos of Swedish monarchs  1"For Sweden – With the Times" ²|national_anthem = Thou ancient, Thou free|royal_anthem = The Song of the King|official_languages = Swedish language ³ (de facto)]|latd=59 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=18 |longm=4 |longEW=E|largest_city = capital|government_type = Constitutional monarchy|leader_name1 = [Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden|leader_title2 = Prime Minister of Sweden|leader_name2 = Fredrik Reinfeldt|leader_name3 = [Per Westerberg|sovereignty_note = prehistoric|accessionEUdate = [January 1 1995|GDP_nominal_rank = 19th|GDP_nominal_year = 2006|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $42,400|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 9th|Gini = 25|Gini_year = 2000|Gini_rank = 4th|Gini_category = low|HDI = 0.951|HDI_rank = 4th|HDI_year = 2004|HDI_category = high|currency = [Swedish krona|utc_offset = +1|time_zone_DST = [Central European Summer Time|utc_offset_DST = +2|cctld = .se5] is the national language. Five other languages are officially recognized as minority languages.|footnote4 = |footnote5 = The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states. The .nu domain is another commonly used TLD ("nu" means "now" in Swedish).-->Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish language: ), is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It has been a member of the European Union since 1995. Its capital city is Stockholm.

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country in Western Europe. Sweden has a low population density except in its :Category:Metropolitan areas of Sweden; 84% of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3% of the total land area.Statistics Sweden. Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in pdf format.The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and liberal democracy, CIA World Factbook: Economy - Sweden: "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. 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 1% of GDP and 2% of employment." with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts.De Geer, Hans, Tommy Borglund and Magnus Frostenson (2003). An Anglo-Swedish affair – Changing relations in an international acquisition. The 17th Nordic Conference on Business Studies in Reykjavík, 14-16 August 2003. Working paper within the project "Scandinavian Heritage", p. 9. Available online in pdf-format through the University of Iceland. Nature conservation, environmental protection and energy efficiency are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden.Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) (2006). Sweden's Environmental Objectives – Buying into a better future. A progress report from the Swedish Environmental Objectives Council. De Facto, 2006, p. 9: "Swedes in general feel that environmental issues and action to reduce impacts on the environment are important". See also Legislation & guidelines and Greenhouse gas emissions: "Swedish greenhouse gas emissions per head of population are among the lowest in the member states of the OECD."Kristrom, Bengt and Soren Wibe (1997). Environmental Policy in Sweden. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – Department of Forest Economics, Working paper 246, 27 August 1997.

Sweden has a long tradition as a major exporter of iron, copper and timber. transportation in Sweden and communications in Sweden allowed more remote natural assets to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably Logging and iron ore. In the 1890s, universal schooling and industrialization enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a welfare state, consistently achieving a high position among the top-ranking countries in the UN Human Development Index (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.

Modern Sweden emerged out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav I of Sweden in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century. In the early 19th century Finland and the remaining territories outside the Scandinavian peninsula were lost. After its last war in 1814, Sweden entered into a personal union with Norway which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and Neutral country in wartime. U.S. State Department Background Notes: Sweden "Swedish foreign policy is based on the premise that national security is best served by staying free of alliances in peacetime in order to remain neutral in the event of war...During the Cold War, Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries. With the end of the Cold War, that suspicion has lessened somewhat, although Sweden still chooses to remain nonaligned."

History Prehistory in Scania, southern Sweden.The early record of human activity in Scandinavia is sparse and the interpretations of the records from the Nordic Stone Age (10,000 BC – 1700 BC) are often conflicting.Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). Scandinavia since 1500, University of Minnesota Press, p. 1: "The record of human activity in Scandinavia spans about eleven thousand years. By far the greatest share of this, about ten thousand years (from the earliest evidence of human presence to the Viking Age), belongs to prehistory, to the past at its most obscure. Evidence for these times is fragmentary, scattered, and often subject to conflicting interpretations." The oldest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of flint tools from 9,500 to 9,000 BC. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millennia.

In 4200 BC, fired pottery, systematic farming and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of Mediterranean-style megalithic graves dated 3300–2000 BC have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early hunter-gatherers and farmers were followed between 2500 and 2000 BC by a new ethnolinguistic group, the so-called Battle-axe people, named for their stone weapons and graves. They may have been Proto-Indo-European language-speaking nomads who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia. Nordstrom, Byron (2000). Scandinavia Since 1500, University of Minnesota Press, pp. 3–14. This period was followed by the Nordic Bronze Age (1700–500 BC), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the battle ax people. Archaeological finds of this era are the petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites. Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas, with no recognized borders yet existing in Scandinavia. Societies in Sweden remained on the preliterate tribal and chiefdom levels until the emergence of writing on rune stones in the Viking Age. It is not known when and how the kingdom of Sweden was born, but the list of Swedish monarchs is drawn from when the first kings who ruled Svealand (Sweden) and Götaland (Gothia) as one. Sweden and Gothia were two separate nations long before that. It is unknown how long they have existed.

A tribe populating a region of what is today Sweden was first mentioned in 98 AD by the Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote about the Suiones who lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. According to Tacitus, they venerated wealth and therefore had a single ruler who exacted unlimited obedience from them and governed without restriction in power. Tacitus expressed concern that these Suiones might ally with neighboring tribes and cause trouble for the Roman Empire. Some scholars believe that Tacitus referred to the inhabitants of present-day eastern Sweden: Svealand, primarily the region around lake Mälaren. The modern name Sweden is derived through "back-formation" from Old English Sweoðeod, which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse Svíþjóð, Latin Suetidi). This word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas (Old Norse Sviar, Latin Suiones) (see Etymology of Sweden). The southern parts, on the other hand, were inhabited by the Geats in the Götaland territory, and Beowulf described semi-legendary Swedish-Geatish wars in the 6th century. The northern part, Norrland, was probably mostly populated by Sami people.

The Swedish Viking Age lasted roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD. During this period, it is believed that the Swedes expanded from eastern Sweden and incorporated the Geats to the south.The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 While Vikings from what is today Norway, Denmark and the west coast and south of Sweden traveled south and west, Varangian traveled east and south, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, Russia and the Mediterranean. Their routes passed the The Trade Route from the Varangians to the Greeks down south to Constantinople (Byzantine Empire) (present-day Istanbul, Turkey) on which they did numerous raids. The Byzantine Emperor Theophilos noticed their great skills in war, and invited them to serve as his personal bodyguard, these were called the varangian guard.

Middle Ages , a medieval city on Gotland.During the early stages of the Scandinavian Viking Age, Ystad in Scania and Paviken on Gotland, in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Remains of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad dating from 600–700 AD . In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the ninth and tenth century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbour with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era hoarded more silver than the rest of the population of Scandinavia combined.Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392, pp. 150-153.

St. Ansgar introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace paganism until the twelfth century and onward. During the eleventh century Christianity took place as the most common religion, and from year 1050 Sweden is counted as a Christian nation. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms, including struggles for territory and comparative power. Swedish kings also began to expand the Swedish-controlled territory in Finland, creating conflicts with the Rus.Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In The New Cambridge Medieval History. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 052136289X, p. 724: "Swedish expansion in Finland led to conflicts with Rus', which were temporarily brought to an end by a peace treaty in 1323, dividing the Karelian peninsula and the northern areas between the two countries."

In the fourteenth century, Sweden was struck by the Black Death (the Plague). During this period the Swedish cities also began to acquire greater rights and were strongly influenced by German merchants of the Hanseatic League, active especially at Visby. In 1319, Sweden and Norway were united under king Magnus IV of Sweden, and in 1397 Queen Margaret I of Denmark effected the personal union of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark through the Kalmar Union. However, Margaret’s successors, whose rule was also centred in Denmark, were unable to control the Swedish nobility. Real power was held for long periods by regents (notably those of the Sture family) chosen by the Swedish parliament. King Christian II of Denmark, who asserted his claim to Sweden by force of arms, ordered a massacre in 1520 of Swedish nobles at Stockholm. This came to be known as the “Stockholm blood bath” and stirred the Swedish nobility to new resistance and, on the 6th of June (Sweden's national holiday) in 1523, they made Gustav Vasa their king. This is sometimes considered as the foundation of modern Sweden. Shortly afterwards he rejected Catholicism and led Sweden to the Protestant Reformation. Gustav Vasa is by some considered to be Sweden's "Father of the Nation".

Swedish Empire following the Treaty of Roskilde of 1658. Dominions in Prussia, held from 1629 to 1635, do not appear on this map. The seventeenth century saw Rise of Sweden as a Great Power as one of the Great Powers in Europe. Sweden also had colonial possessions as a minor Swedish colonial empire that existed from 1638-1663 and later 1785–1878.

Sweden was during Imperial times the most powerful country of northern Europe and the Baltic Sea. Sweden's Imperial status took its start with Gustav II Adolph as king, and his successful participation in the Thirty Years' War, which made Sweden the recognized leader of Continental Protestantism in Europe until 1721 when the Empire collapsed. Sweden's Imperial status during this period is largely credited to Gustav I's major changes on the Swedish economy in the mid-1500s, and his introduction of Protestantism.

The mid 1600s and the early 1700s were Sweden's most successful years as a Great Power. Sweden reached its largest territorial extent during the rule of Charles X of Sweden (1622–1660) after the treaty of Roskilde in 1658. However, after more than a half century of almost constant warfare the Swedish economy had deteriorated. It would become the lifetime task of Charles' son, Charles XI of Sweden (1655-1697), to rebuild the economy and refit the army. His legacy to his son, the coming ruler of Sweden Charles XII of Sweden, was one of the finest arsenals in the world, a large standing army and a great fleet. Sweden's largest threat at this time, Russia, had a larger army but was far behind in both equipment and training. The Swedish army crushed the Russians at the Battle of Narva in 1700, one of the first battles of the Great Northern War. This led to an overambitious Charles XII Campaign against Russia in 1707, however, ending in a decisive Russian victory at the Battle of Poltava (1709). The campaign had a successful opening for Sweden, which came to occupy half of Poland and making Charles able to claim the Polish throne. But after a long march exposed by cossack raids, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great's scorched-earth techniques and the Russian Winter, the Swedes stood weakened with a shattered confidence, and enormously outnumbered against the Russian army at Poltava. The defeat meant the beginning of the end for Sweden as Empire.

Even though Sweden had lost almost half of its army during these times of intense war, Charles XII still attempted to invade Norway 1716. Soundly defeated in the war, the Swedish head of state signed the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. Forced to cede large areas of land, Sweden also lost its place as an empire and as the dominant state on the Baltic Sea. With Sweden's lost influence, Russia began to emerge as an Imperial Russia, and become one of Europe's dominant nations.

In the eighteenth century, Sweden did not have enough resources to maintain its territories outside Scandinavia and most of them were lost, culminating with the 1809 loss of the territory once named Österland (Eastern district) and the eastern part of Norrland to Russia: these parts became the semi-autonomous (Grand Duchy of Finland) of Finland of Imperial Russia.

After Denmark-Norway was defeated in the Napoleonic wars, Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden on January 14, 1814, at the Treaty of Kiel. The Norwegian attempts to keep their status as a sovereign state were rejected by the Swedish king, Charles XIII. He launched a military campaign against Norway on July 27, 1814, ending in the Convention of Moss, which forced Norway into a Union between Sweden and Norway with Sweden, which was not dissolved until 1905. The 1814 campaign was also the last war in which Sweden participated as a combatant.

Modern history The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw a significant population increase, which the writer Esaias Tegnér in 1833 famously attributed to "the peace, the (smallpox) vaccine, and the potatoes". Between 1750 and 1850, the population in Sweden doubled. According to some scholars, mass emigration to America became the only way to prevent famine and rebellion; over 1% of the population emigrated annually during the 1880s. Nevertheless, Sweden remained poor, retaining a nearly entirely agricultural economy even as Denmark and Western European countries began to industrialize.Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, p.8-9 "In economic and social terms the eighteenth century was more a transitional than a revolutionary period. Sweden was, in light of contemporary Western European standards, a relatively poor but stable country. It has been estimated that 75-80% of the population was involved in agricultural pursuits during the late eighteenth centur. One hundred years later, the corresponding figure was still 72%."Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia. Praeger Publishers, p.9: "Though Denmark, where industrialization had begun in the 1850s, was reasonably prosperous by the end of the nineeenth century, both Sweden and Norway were terribly poor. Only the safety valve of mass emigration to America prevented famine and rebellion. At the peak of emigration in the 1880s, over 1% of the total population of both countries emigrated annually." Many looked towards America for a better life during this time. It is believed that between 1850 and 1910 more than one million Swedes moved to the United States.Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia. Praeger Publishers, p.8. In the early 20th century, more Swedes lived in Chicago than in Gothenburg (Sweden's second largest city). Most Swedish immigrants moved to the Midwestern United States, with a large population in Minnesota. Some Swedes moved to Delaware. Some also moved to Canada and others in smaller numbers to Argentina.

. (See also: Atlas of Sweden)Despite the slow rate of industrialization into the 19th century, many important changes were taking place in the agrarian economy due to innovations and the large population growth.Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, pp. 9-10. These innovations included government-sponsored programs of enclosure, aggressive exploitation of agricultural lands, and the introduction of new crops such as the potato. Due also to the fact that the Swedish peasantry had never been enserfed as elsewhere in Europe, Sweden: Social and economic conditions (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 19 February 2007. the Swedish farming culture began to take on a critical role in the Swedish political process, which has continued through modern times with modern Agrarian party (now called the Centre Party).Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, p. 11: "The agrarian revolution in Sweden is of fundamental importance for Sweden's modern development. Throughout Swedish history the countryside has taken an unusually important role in comparison with other European states." Between 1870 and 1914, Sweden began developing the industrialized economy that exists today.Koblik, Steven (1975). Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970 University of Minnesota Press, p. 90. "It is usually suggested that between 1870 and 1914 Sweden emerged from its primarily agrarian economic system into a modern industrial economy."

During the late nineteenth century, Sweden was influenced by Protestant temperance movements, mainly of American origin. As a result of their intense propaganda, it is often claimed that alcohol consumption was unusually high in Sweden at this time.For instance: "As regards social evils generally, however, the low, though undoubtedly improving, standard of Sweden has had one of its chief reasons in the national intemperance."  Article Sweden in the online 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. However, there is no factual ground for believing that alcohol consumption was higher than in other comparable countries.

Strong grassroots movements sprung up in Sweden during the latter half of the nineteenth century (unions, temperance groups, and independent religious groups), creating a strong foundation of democratic principles. These movements precipitated Sweden's migration into a modern parliamentary democracy, achieved by the time of World War I. As the Industrial Revolution progressed during the twentieth century, people gradually began moving into Cities of Sweden to work in factory, and became involved in Socialist trade union. A Socialist revolution was avoided in 1917, following the re-introduction of Parliamentarism, and the country was democratization.

Recent history Sweden remained officially Swedish neutrality during World War I and World War II, although its neutrality during World War II has been highly debated.Koblik, pp. 303-313.Nordstrom, p. 315: "Sweden's government attempted to maintain at least a semblance of neutrality while it bent to the demands of the prevailing side in the struggle. Although effective in preserving the country's sovereignty, this approach generated criticism at home from many who believed the threat to Sweden was less serious than the government claimed, problems with the warring powers, ill feelings among its neighbors, and frequent criticism in the postwar period." Sweden was forcibly under German influence for most of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades. The Swedish government felt that it was in no position to openly contest Germany, but it did attempt to help the Allies in secret. Towards the end of the war, Sweden played a major role in the humanitarian efforts and many refugees, among them many Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe, were saved partly because of the Swedish involvement in rescue missions at the internment camps and partly because Sweden served as a haven for refugees, primarily from Nordic countries and the Baltic states.. Nevertheless, internal and external critics have argued that Sweden could have done more to resist the Nazi war effort, even if risking occupation.Nordstrom, pp. 313-319.

Following the war, Sweden took advantage of an intact industrial base, social stability and its natural resources to expand its industry to supply the rebuilding of Europe.Nordstrom, pp. 335-339. By the 1960s, Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, had become an affluent consumer society and welfare state. Sweden was part of the Marshall Plan and participated in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (OECD), many of the policies aiming to improve the quality of life for the general population, in particular Sweden's working class, were successfully implemented.

Sweden joined the European Union in 1995, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, Europe's non-aligned Western countries, except Ireland, had considered membership unwise, as the EU predecessor, the European Community, had been strongly associated with NATO countries. Following the end of the Cold War, however, Sweden, Austria and Finland joined, though in Sweden's case without adopting the Euro. Sweden remains non-aligned militarily, although it participates in some joint military exercises with NATO and some other countries, in addition to extensive cooperation with other European countries in the area of defence technology and defence industry. Among others, Swedish companies export weapons that are used by the American army in Iraq.{{cite web], where Swedish troops are under NATO command, and in EU sponsored peace keeping operations in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Cyprus.

Sweden, like countries around the globe, entered a period of economic decline and upheaval, following the oil embargoes of 1973-74 and 1978-79.Nordstrom, p. 344: "During the last twenty-five years of the century a host of problems plagued the economies of Norden and the West. Although many were present before, the 1973 and 1980 global oil crises acted as catalysts in bringing them to the fore." Because the Rehn-Meidner ALMP economic model allowed capitalists owning very productive and efficient firms to retain excess profits at the expense of the firms’ workers, workers in these firms began to agitate for a share of the profits in the 1970s, just as women working in the state sector began to assert pressure for better wages. The economist Rudolf Meidner established a study committee that came up with a 1976 proposal that entailed transferring the excess profits into investment funds controlled by the workers in the efficient firms. Swedish capitalist confederations immediately distinguished this proposal as socialism, and launched an unprecedented opposition--including calling off the class compromise established in the 1938 Saltsjöbaden Agreement.Berman, Sheri. 2006. The Primacy of Politics: Social Democracy and the Making of Europe’s Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, MA. In the 1980s pillars of Swedish industry were massively restructured. Shipbuilding was discontinued, wood pulp was integrated into modernized paper production, the steel industry was concentrated and specialized, and mechanical engineering was digitalized.Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International. Swedish capital was increasingly moving Swedish investment into other European countries as the European Union coalesced, and a hegemonic consensus was forming among the elite financial community: progressive taxation and pro-egalitarian redistribution became economic heresy.Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.

A bursting real estate bubble caused by inadequate controls on lending combined with an international recession and a policy switch from anti-unemployment policies to anti-inflationary policies resulted in a fiscal crisis in the early 1990s. Englund, P. 1990. "Financial deregulation in Sweden." European Economic Review 34 (2-3): 385-393. Korpi TBD. Meidner, R. 1997. "The Swedish model in an era of mass unemployment." Economic and Industrial Democracy 18 (1): 87-97. Olsen, Gregg M. 1999. "Half empty or half full? The Swedish welfare state in transition." Canadian Review of Sociology & Anthropology, 36 (2): 241-268. The response of the government was to cut spending and institute a multitude of reforms to improve Sweden's competitiveness, among them reducing the welfare state and privatizing public services and goods. Much of the political establishment promoted European Union (E.U.) membership, and the Swedish referendum passed by 52-48% in favor of joining the E.U. on August 14, 1994. Sweden joined the European Union on January 1 in 1995.

The long term effects of these changes was to greatly improve the outlook of the Swedish economy. The Social democrats increased spending on child support and continued to pay down the public debt.Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18. By 1998 the Swedish macro-economy recovered from the 1980s industrial restructuring and the monetarist excesses, and the country has since performed very well macro-economically.Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International.At the turn of the twenty-first century, Sweden has a well-regarded, generally robust economy, and the average quality of life, after government transfers, is very high, inequality is low (the gini coefficient is 25.0United Nations Development Programme Report 2004, p50-53: Gini Index calculated for all countries.), and social mobility is high (compared to the affluent Anglo-American and Catholic countries).Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18. A country known for very low crime rates compared to other developed countries, Sweden has nevertheless seen two prominent politicians assassinated in recent history: Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986, and foreign minister Anna Lindh in 2003.

Geography and Climate . Laponia is the largest tract of unspoiled natural land in Europe.Situated in Northern Europe Europe, Sweden lies west of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline, and forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. To the west is the Scandinavian mountain chain (Skanderna), a range that separates Sweden from Norway.

Sweden is surrounded by Norway (west), Finland (northeast), the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Öresund straits (southwest) and the Baltic Sea (east). It has maritime borders with Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and it is also linked to Denmark (southwest) by the Öresund Bridge.

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the 55th largest country in the world. It is the 5th largest in Europe, and the largest in Northern Europe. The country is slightly larger than the U.S. state of California, with a population in 2006 of 9.1 million people.

The lowest elevation in Sweden is in the bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m (7.906824 ft) below sea level. The highest point is Kebnekaise at 2,111 m (6925.853 ft) above sea level.

Sweden has three main regions. Norrland, covering about three-fifths of the country, is mountainous, densely forested, has large ore deposits and contains the majority of the country's 90,000 lakes. Svealand consists of the Central Swedish lowland with its vast lakes and archipelagos and the hilly, forested inland regions of Dalarna and Värmland. Götaland in the south comprises the stony Småland highlands and the rich plains of Skåne, Västergötland and Östergötland. About 15% of Sweden lies north of the Arctic Circle. Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, with increasing forest coverage northward. The highest population density is in the Öresund region in southern Sweden, and in the valley of lake Mälaren in central Sweden. Gotland and Öland are Sweden's largest islands of Sweden; Vänern and Vättern are Sweden's largest lakes.

Climate:Sweden has a temperate climate despite its northern latitude, mainly because of the Gulf Stream. In the mountains of northern Sweden a sub-Arctic climate predominates. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets for part of each summer, and in the winter, night is similarly unending.

The average temperature on the season (°C):

Administrative divisions Counties from Lapland, Sweden in northern Norrland

Sweden is divided into Counties of Sweden (). They are Stockholm County,Uppsala County,Södermanland County,Östergötland County,Jönköping County,Kronoberg County,Kalmar County,Gotland County,Blekinge County,Skåne County,Halland County,Västra Götaland County,Värmland County,Örebro County,Västmanland County,Dalarna County,Gävleborg County,Västernorrland County,Jämtland County,Västerbotten County andNorrbotten County.

Each county has a County Administrative Boards of Sweden or länsstyrelse, which is appointed by the Government (the first Swedish County Administrative Board was made up by the Swedish Prime minister Axel Oxenstierna in 1634). In each county there is also a separate County Councils of Sweden or landsting, which is elected directly by the people. Each county further divides into a number of Municipalities of Sweden or kommuner, making a total of 290 municipalities in 2004. There are also older historical divisions, primarily the Provinces of Sweden and Lands of Sweden, which still retain some significance.

Largest municipalities , Stockholm. archipelago, northern Götaland., in southern Götaland.Denotes inhabitants in the municipality (kommun) area. Area is in km². The figures are as of December 31, 2006. 2006 census from the Statistics Sweden website.{] || 1 932 763 || 187.74 || 4,124.91|-align=right|2 ||align=left| Gothenburg ] || 278,319 || 155.56 || 1,752.60|-align=right|4 ||align=left| Uppsala ] || 138,805 || 1,435.80 || 96.08|-align=right|6 ||align=left| Västerås ] || 129,482 || 1,380.11 || 92.87|-align=right|8 ||align=left| Norrköping ] || 124,301 || 346.25 || 353.35|-align=right|10 ||align=left| Jönköping ] || 110,587 || 2,331.39 || 47.58|-align=right|12 ||align=left| Lund ] || 100,570 || 915.22 || 108.88|-align=right|14 ||align=left| Sundsvall ] || 92,456 || 1,615.07 || 57.12|}

Demographics As of April 2007, the total population of Sweden was estimated to be 9,131,425.Statistics Sweden. Preliminary Population Statistics, by month, 2004 - 2006. Population statistics, 1 January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007. The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately August 12 2004, according to the Statistics Sweden. Of the 2004 population, 1.1 million, or 12%, were foreign-bornThe Swedish Integration Board (2006). Pocket Facts: Statistics on Integration. Integrationsverket, 2006. ISBN 9189609301. Available online in pdf format. Retrieved 14 February 2007. and approximately 16.7% (1.53 million) had at least one parent born abroad or were themselves born abroad.SCB. Sveriges befolkning, kommunala jämförelsetal, 31/12/2006 31 December 2006. (In Swedish). Retrieved 3 April 2007. This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labour immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration. Sweden has been transformed from a nation of emigration ending after World War I to a nation of immigration from World War II onwards. In 2006, immigration to Sweden reached its highest level since records began. Record immigration to Sweden in 2006

Immigration from the other Nordic countries reached a peak of more than 40,000 per year in 1969-70 when the new immigration rules introduced in 1967 had made it more difficult for immigrants from outside the Nordic region to settle in Sweden for labour market policy reasons. Immigration by refugees and immigrating relatives of refugees from outside the Nordic region increased drastically during the late 1980s, with many of the immigrants arriving from Asia and Latin America, especially from Iran and Chile. During the 1990s and onwards another large immigrant group came from former Yugoslavia and the Middle East.Nordstrom, p. 353. (Lists Former Yugoslavia and Iran as top two countries in terms of immigration beside "Other Nordic Countries," based on Nordic Council of Ministers Yearbook of Nordic Statistics, 1996, 46-47)

The largest immigrant group living in Sweden as of 2005 consists of people born in Finland, followed by people born in Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Russia, Iran, Iraq and Former Yugoslavia. The official list of immigrant arrivals in 2005 by country of birth, compiled by the Swedish Integration Board, shows that biggest group of immigrants to Sweden still comes from the Nordic countries: of the 20,162 Nordic born immigrants moving to Sweden in 2005, more than half (11,066) were people born in Sweden returning to Sweden, while 3,494 were born in Denmark, 2,793 born in Finland and 2,425 in Norway. Of the other groups arriving in 2005, 16,739 were immigrants born in Asia, 5,625 were immigrants born in Africa and 2,655 were born in Latin America.

A sizable community from the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) arrived during the Second World War, but most of them returned to their countries of birth after the war.

Finns make up about 5% of the whole population and in the areas near the border to Finland, they make up some 50% of the population. The original population of northern Sweden, the Sami people, (a folk group living in 4 countries) is only about 20,000 persons. Approximately 77,500 of the nation's population is of sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Afro-Swedes are immigrants who came for political refuge and economic opportunity, including Ethiopians who fled from Communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s, and Somalians fleeing ongoing fighting there since the 1990s.

Soviet Union intervention against the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the Prague Spring resulted in the first surges of intellectual political refugees. Some United States deserters from the Vietnam War also found refuge among the Swedes. The then ruling social democrats, in particular Olof Palme took in international politics a clear stand against what they typically viewed as the imperialism of both the Soviet Union and the United States. Following the Chilean coup of 1973 in Chile, a large number of Chilean political refugees arrived in Sweden. Others came from South American countries including Argentina and Uruguay following the rise of military dictatorships. Sweden has also taken in refugees from the Middle East, particularly Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Some East Asian and South Asian immigration (ethnic Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis and Vietnamese people) into Sweden have notable numbers. The influx of Refugees of Iraq also has been notable during the last years, up to 40,000 Iraqis are expected to seek asylum in 2007. Sweden wants EU to help with Iraq refugees

Language The primary language of Sweden is Swedish language, a north Germanic languages, related and very similar to Danish language and Norwegian language, but differing in pronunciation and orthography. Norwegians have little difficulty understanding Swedish, and Danes can also understand it, with a bit more difficulty than the Norwegians. The area around Malmö (across from Copenhagen) has the most mutual intelligibility. The dominant language has always b

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