Sweden

Geographic location

Sweden, which lives at the to the east part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, is the fourth-largest homeland in Europe and is one-tenth larger than California. The homeland slopes eastward and southward from the Kjólen Mountains along the Norwegian border, where the peak elevation is Kebnekaise at 6,965 ft (2,123 m) in Lapland. In the north are hills and numerous lakes. To the south and east are centered lowlands and south of them are fertile localities of forest, valley, and plain. Along Sweden's rocky seaboard area, chopped up by embayments and inlets, are numerous isles, the biggest of which are Gotland and Öland.

Flag

Population

2009 census 9,354,462

Language

Swedish

PeopleNationality: Noun--Swedes; adjective--Swedish.Population (June 30, 2010): 9,373,379.Annual population growth rate (2010): 0.83%.Ethnic groups: Indigenous Swedes, ethnic Finns, and ethnic Sami.Immigrants (2010 est.): 14.1% of all people living in Sweden are born abroad. In 2009 102,280 persons immigrated to Sweden. The immigrant groups are Finns, Iraqis, ex-Yugoslavia nationals, Somalis, Iranians, Norwegians, Danes, Turks, and Poles.Religions: Lutheran (official Church of Sweden) (75%), other Protestant groups (5%), Muslim (5%), Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Baptist, Jewish, Buddhist.Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--99%.Health: Infant mortality rate (2010 est.)--2.75/1,000. Life expectancy (2010 est.)--men 78.59 years, women 83.26 years.Work force (2009 est.): 4.93 million. Agriculture--1.1%; industry--28.2%; services--70.7%. Unemployment (September 2010)--7.8%.Public holidays (2010): January 1 (New Year's Day); January 6 (Epiphany); April 2 (Good Friday); April 4 (Easter Sunday); April 5 (Easter Monday); May 1 (Labor Day); May 13 (Ascension Day); May 23 (Pentecost); June 6 (National Day); June 25 (Midsummer's Eve); November 1 (All Saints' Day); December 25 (Christmas); December 26 (Boxing Day). The eve of a vacation is as important--or more so--than the vacation itself. Most Swedes have the day off, including those employed in the municipal service, banks, public transport, hospitals, stores, and the media. Others have at smallest a half-day. This applies particularly to Midsummer's Eve, All Saints' Day Eve, and Christmas Eve. The eve of May Day is called Valborg Eve or St Walpurgis. When a holiday falls on a Thursday numerous Swedes have the following Friday off in addition. When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday it is not taken on the following Monday.GovernmentConstitution: The Swedish Constitution is based on four fundamental laws: the Instrument of Government (originally dating from June 6, 1809), the Act of Succession (1810), the Freedom of the Press Act (1949), and the Riksdag Act. Following partial reforms in 1968 and 1969, a new Instrument of Government and a new Riksdag Act were adopted in 1973 and 1974, and the revised Constitution came into force on January 1, 1975, replacing the Acts of 1809, 1866 and 1949.Branches: Executive--monarch (head of state); prime minister (head of government); Cabinet, responsible to Parliament. Legislative--unicameral Parliament (Riksdag--349 members). Judicial--84 district courts, 10 appeal courts and two superior courts.Subdivisions: 21 counties, 18 county councils, 290 municipalities, and two regions.Political parties represented in Parliament: the Moderate Party (conservative), the Liberal Party, the Center Party, the Christian Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Party, the Green Party, and the ...