1996 Edition

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)

Location

62 00 N, 15 00 E -- Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than California

land area

410,928 sq km

total area

449,964 sq km

Climate

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

Coastline

3,218 km

Environment

current issues

acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

international agreements

party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

natural hazards

ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Geographic coordinates

62 00 N, 15 00 E

Geographic note

strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

1,120 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

total

2,205 km

Land use

arable land

7%

forest and woodland

64%

meadows and pastures

2%

other

27%

permanent crops

0%

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

agreed boundaries or midlines

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential

Terrain

mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

highest point

Kebnekaise 2,111 m

lowest point

Baltic Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 19% (male 860,940; female 815,967) 15-64 years: 64% (male 2,884,687; female 2,794,593) 65 years and over: 17% (male 654,439; female 890,328) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

11.55 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.43 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Swedish

note

small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.63 years (1996 est.)

male

75.62 years

total population

78.06 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

99%

Nationality

adjective

Swedish

noun

Swede(s)

Net migration rate

5.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

8,900,954 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.56% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.72 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Stockholm

Constitution

1 January 1975

Data code

SW

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Carl Henrik Sihver LILJEGREN

telephone

[1] (202) 467-2600

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973) is a constitutional monarch; Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977)

head of government

Prime Minister Goran PERSSON (since 21 March 1996) was elected by the Riksdag

FAX

[1] (202) 467-2699

[46] (8) 661 19 64

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles and New York

Flag

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

Independence

6 June 1523, Gustav VASA was elected king; 6 June 1809, a constitutional monarchy was established

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, EBRD, ECE, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 8, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen), judges are appointed by the government (prime minister and cabinet)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Kingdom of Sweden

conventional short form

Sweden

local long form

Konungariket Sverige

local short form

Sverige

National holiday

Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June

Parliament (Riksdag)

elections last held 18 September 1994 (next to be held NA September 1998); results - Social Democrats 45.4%, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 22.3%, Center Party 7.7%, Liberals 7.2%, Left Party 6.2%, Greens 5.8%, Christian Democrats 4.1%, New Democracy Party 1.2%; seats - (349 total) Social Democrats 162, Moderate Party (Conservatives) 80, Center Party 27, Liberals 26, Left Party 22, Greens 18, Christian Democrats 14; note - the New Democracy Party did not receive a seat because parties require a minimum of 4.0% of votes for a seat in parliament

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party, Goran PERSSON; Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Maria LEISSNER; Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; New Democracy Party, Vivianne FRANZEN; Left Party (VP; Communist), Gudrun SCHYMAN; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green Party, no formal leader but party spokesperson is Briger SCHLAUG

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Thomas L. SIEBERT

embassy

Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[46] (8) 783 53 00

Agriculture

grains, sugar beets, potatoes; meat, milk

Budget

expenditures

$146.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96)

revenues

$109.4 billion

Currency

1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere

Economic aid

donor

ODA, $1.769 billion (1993)

Economic overview

Aided by peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy 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 1993, agriculture accounted for only 2% of GDP and 2% of the jobs. In recent years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by budgetary difficulties, inflation, growing unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the EC's ECU (European Currency Unit), and depreciation of the krona has boosted export competitiveness and helped lift Sweden out of its 1991-93 recession. To curb the budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy, the government adopted an adjustment program in November 1994 that aims to eliminate the government budget deficit and to stabilize the debt to GDP ratio. Sweden has harmonized its economic policies with those of the EU, which it joined at the start of 1995.

Electricity

capacity

34,560,000 kW

consumption per capita

14,891 kWh (1993)

production

141 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.7240 (January 1996), 7.1333 (1995), 7.7160 (1994), 7.7834 (1993), 5.8238 (1992), 6.0475 (1991)

Exports

$61.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities

machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products

partners

EU 59.1% (Germany 13.2%, UK 10.2%, Denmark 6.9%, France 5.1%), Norway 8.1%, Finland 4.8%, US 8.0% (1994)

External debt

$66.5 billion (1994)

Fiscal year

1 January - 31 December (Sweden changed its fiscal year from 1 July - 30 June in 1995)

GDP

purchasing power parity - $177.3 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

2%

industry

27%

services

71% (1993)

GDP per capita

$20,100 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

3.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for narcotics shipped via the former Soviet Republics and Baltic states for the European market

Imports

$51.8 billion (c.i.f., 1994)

commodities

machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing

partners

EU 62.6% (Germany 18.4%, UK 9.5%, Denmark 6.6%, France 5.5%), Finland 6.3%, Norway 6.1%, US 8.5% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

11.7% (1994)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.6% (1995)

Labor force

4.552 million (84% unionized, 1992)

by occupation

community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)

Unemployment rate

7.8% (December 1995) plus about 6% in training programs

Branches

Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $5.8 billion, 2.5% of GDP (FY94/95)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

2,133,816

males fit for military service

1,867,031

males reach military age (19) annually

51,357 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 360 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0

Radios

7.272 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system

excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system

domestic

coaxial and multiconductor cable carry most voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay network carries some additional telephone channels

international

5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)

Telephones

7.41 million (1986 est.)

Television broadcast stations

880 (mostly repeaters)

Televisions

3.5 million Defense

Airports

total

251

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

85

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

7

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

26

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

127

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

4 (1995 est.)

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

97,818 km (including 936 km of expressways)

total

135,859 km

unpaved

38,041 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 10, cargo 35, chemical tanker 24, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 32, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 38, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 14 (1995 est.)

total

169 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,993,422 GRT/2,183,215 DWT

Pipelines

natural gas 84 km

Ports

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

Railways

other

857 km NA-m gauge (1995)

standard gauge

11,767 km 1.435-m gauge (7,320 km electrified and 1,152 km double track)

total

12,624 km (includes 953 km of privately-owned railways)

Waterways

2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges