]! ^! A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. 
]" ^" Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway ^# 62 00 N, 15 00 E ^$ Europe ^% `! 449,964 sq km `" 410,934 sq km `# 39,030 sq km ^& slightly larger than California ^' `! 2,233 km `Y Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km ^( 3,218 km ^) `$ 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas) `N agreed boundaries or midlines `O 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation ^* temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north ^+ mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west ^, `% reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m `& Kebnekaise 2,111 m ^- iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower ^. `' 5.93% `( 0.01% `) 94.06% (2005) ^/ 1,150 sq km (2003) ^0 ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic ^1 acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea _P `P Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling `Q none of the selected agreements ^2 strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas 
]# ^3 9,031,088 (July 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 16.4% (male 759,488/female 717,812) `, 65.7% (male 3,007,899/female 2,926,220) `- 17.9% (male 707,687/female 911,982) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 41.1 years `. 40 years `/ 42.2 years (2007 est.) ^6 0.159% (2007 est.) ^7 10.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 10.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.06 male(s)/female `1 1.058 male(s)/female `, 1.028 male(s)/female `- 0.776 male(s)/female `2 0.982 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births `. 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 80.63 years `. 78.39 years `/ 83 years (2007 est.) ^= 1.66 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 0.1% (2001 est.) ^? 3,600 (2001 est.) ^@ less than 100 (2003 est.) ^A `3 Swede(s) `4 Swedish ^B indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks ^C Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13% ^D Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 99% `. 99% `/ 99% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 Kingdom of Sweden `7 Sweden `Z Konungariket Sverige `[ Sverige ^H constitutional monarchy ^I `8 Stockholm `9 59 20 N, 18 03 E `: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) `p +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October ^J 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands ^K 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king) ^L Swedish Flag Day, 6 June (1916); National Day, 6 June (1983) ^M 1 January 1975 ^N civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations ^O 18 years of age; universal ^P `; King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977) `< Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5 October 2006) `= Cabinet appointed by the prime minister `> the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) `? Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175 out of 349 votes ^Q unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) `> last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) `? percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%, Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19 ^R Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet) ^S Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Social Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON] ^T NA ^U AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC ^V `R Ambassador Gunnar LUND `S 902 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 `T [1] (202) 467-2600 `U [1] (202) 467-2699 `V Los Angeles, New York ^W `R Ambassador Michael M. WOOD `_ Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm `` American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 `T [46] (08) 783 53 00 `U [46] (08) 661 19 64 ^X blue with a golden yellow cross extending 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) 
]% ^Y Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled 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. Agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP and 2% of employment. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002 due to the global economic slowdown, declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003 but picked up during 2004-06. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system concerned about the impact on the economy and sovereignty. ^Z $285.1 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $371.5 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 4.2% (2006 est.) ^] $31,600 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 1.1% `A 28.1% `B 70.9% (2006 est.) ^_ 4.59 million (2006 est.) ^` `@ 2% `A 24% `B 74% (2000 est.) ^a 5.6% (2006 est.) _! NA% _" `C 3.7% `D 20.1% (1992) _d 25 (2000) _# 1.4% (2006 est.) _V 17.6% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $222 billion `F $210.5 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) _% 46.4% of GDP (2006 est.) _& barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk _' iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles _( 4.3% (2006 est.) _) 150.5 billion kWh (2004) _* 137.8 billion kWh (2004) _+ 17.8 billion kWh (2004) _, 15.6 billion kWh (2004) _- 3,208 bbl/day (2004 est.) _. 362,400 bbl/day (2004 est.) _/ 203,700 bbl/day (2001) _0 553,100 bbl/day (2001) _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 979 million cu m (2004 est.) _X 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Y 979 million cu m (2004 est.) _Q $28.61 billion (2006 est.) _3 $173.9 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals _5 US 10.6%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.7%, UK 7.3%, Denmark 6.5%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005) _6 $151.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing _8 Germany 17.6%, Denmark 8.9%, Norway 7.8%, UK 6.6%, Netherlands 6.2%, Finland 5.8%, France 5% (2005) _[ $22.26 billion (August 2006 est.) _9 $598.2 billion (30 June 2006) _\ ODA, $1.7 billion (1997) _; Swedish krona (SEK) _< Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.3731 (2006), 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 6.447 million (2004) _? 8.436 million (2005) _@ `G excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system `H coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels `I country code - 46; 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) _A AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998) _B 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995) _C .se _D 2.958 million (2006) _E 6.8 million (2005) 
]' _F 255 (2006) _G `! 155 `a 3 `J 13 `b 80 `c 23 `W 36 (2006) _R `! 100 `c 9 `W 91 (2006) _] 2 (2006) _^ gas 798 km (2006) _e `! 11,481 km `m 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2005) _H `! 424,947 km `K 129,651 km (includes 1,591 km of expressways) `L 295,296 km (2004) _b 2,052 km (2005) _S `! 198 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,703,834 GRT/2,382,754 DWT by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 28, chemical tanker 47, container 5, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 36, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 31, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 21 `X 37 (Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 11, Germany 3, Italy 7, Japan 2, Norway 7, US 1) `d 161 (Bahamas 6, Bermuda 14, Cayman Islands 9, Cook Islands 3, Cyprus 3, Denmark 1, France 2, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 9, Gibraltar 5, Isle of Man 1, Liberia 8, Malta 3, Netherlands 26, Netherlands Antilles 5, Norway 28, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 12, UK 15, US 5) (2006) _I Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Oxelosund, Stenungsund, Stockholm, Trelleborg 
]( _J Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006) _T 19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 7-17 months depending on conscript role; after completing initial service, soldiers have a reserve commitment until age of 47 (2004) _K males age 19-49: 1,838,427 females age 19-49: 1,774,659 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 19-49: 1,493,668 females age 19-49: 1,441,257 (2005 est.) _L males age 18-49: 58,724 females age 19-49: 55,954 (2005 est.) _U 1.5% (2006 est.) 
]) _N none 