*Sweden, Geography Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Norway and Finland Map references: Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 449,964 km2 land area: 410,928 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than California Land boundaries: total 2,205 km, Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km Coastline: 3,218 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north Terrain: mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 64% other: 27% Irrigated land: 1,120 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: water pollution; acid rain Note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas *Sweden, People Population: 8,730,286 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.58% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 13.78 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 10.96 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.08 years male: 75.3 years female: 81.02 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.04 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Swede(s) adjective: Swedish Ethnic divisions: white, Lapp, foreign born or first-generation immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks) Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5% (1987) Languages: Swedish note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak native languages Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1979) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 4.552 million 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) *Sweden, Government Names: conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige Digraph: SW Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: Stockholm 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 Independence: 6 June 1809 (constitutional monarchy established) Constitution: 1 January 1975 Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June Political parties and leaders: ruling four-party coalition consists of Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Bengt WESTERBERG; Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; and the Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; Social Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON; New Democracy Party, Count Ian WACHTMEISTER; Left Party (VP; Communist), Gudrun SCHYMAN; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green Party, no formal leader Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: Riksdag: last held 15 September 1991 (next to be held NA September 1994); results - Social Democratic Party 37.6%, Moderate Party (conservative) 21.9%, Liberal People's Party 9.1%, Center Party 8.5%, Christian Democrats 7.1%, New Democracy 6.7%, Left Party (Communist) 4.5%, Green Party 3.4%, other 1.2%; seats - (349 total) Social Democratic 138, Moderate Party (conservative) 80, Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16; note - the Green Party has no seats in the Riksdag because it received less than the required 4% of the vote Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral parliament (Riksdag) Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen) *Sweden, Government Leaders: Chief of State: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977) Head of Government: Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since 3 October 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Bengt WESTERBERG (since NA) Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTRC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNTSO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carl Henrik LILJEGREN chancery: Suite 1200 and 715, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 944-5600 FAX: (202) 342-1319 consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant) embassy: Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [46] (8) 783-5300 FAX: [46] (8) 661-1964 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) *Sweden, Economy Overview: Aided by a long period of 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 that is heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. In the last few years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. Although Prime Minister BILDT'S center-right minority coalition had hoped to charge ahead with free-market-oriented reforms, a skyrocketing budget deficit - almost 13% of GDP in FY94 projections - and record unemployment have forestalled many of the plans. Unemployment in 1993 is forecast at around 7% with another 5% in job training. Continued heavy foreign exchange speculation forced the government to cooperate in late 1992 with the opposition Social Democrats on two crisis packages - one a severe austerity pact and the other a program to spur industrial competitiveness - which basically set economic policy through 1997. In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the EC's ECU, and the krona has since depreciated around 2.5% against the dollar. The government hopes the boost in export competitiveness from the depreciation will help lift Sweden out of its 3-year recession. To curb the budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy, BILDT continues to propose cuts in welfare benefits, subsidies, defense, and foreign aid. Sweden continues to harmonize its economic policies with those of the EC in preparation for concluding its EC membership bid by 1995. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $145.6 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: -1.7% (1992) National product per capita: $16,900 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (1992) Unemployment rate: 5.3% (1992) Budget: revenues $70.4 billion; expenditures $82.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92) Exports: $56 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products partners: EC 55.8% (Germany 15%, UK 9.7%, Denmark 7.2%, France 5.8%), EFTA 17.4% (Norway 8.4%, Finland 5.1%), US 8.2%, Central and Eastern Europe 2.5% (1992) Imports: $51.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing partners: EC 53.6% (Germany 17.9%, UK 6.3%, Denmark 7.5%, France 4.9%), EFTA (Norway 6.6%, Finland 6%), US 8.4%, Central and Eastern Europe 3% (1992) External debt: $19.5 billion (1992 est.) *Sweden, Economy Industrial production: growth rate -3.0% (1992) Electricity: 39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,500 million kWh produced, 16,560 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles Agriculture: animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for 37% of farm income; main crops - grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100% self-sufficient in grains and potatoes; Sweden is about 50% self-sufficient in most products; farming accounted for 1.2% of GDP and 1.9% of jobs in 1990 Illicit drugs: increasingly used as transshipment point for Latin American cocaine to Europe and gateway for Asian heroin shipped via the CIS and Baltic states for the European market Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion Currency: 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 ore Exchange rates: Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.8812 (December 1992), 5.8238 (1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188 (1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June *Sweden, Communications Railroads: 12,000 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ) - 10,819 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track; 182 km 0.891-meter gauge; 117 km rail ferry service; privately-owned railways - 511 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified) and 371 km 0.891-meter gauge (all electrified) Highways: 97,400 km total; 51,899 km paved, 20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges Pipelines: natural gas 84 km Ports: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous secondary and minor ports Merchant marine: 179 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,473,769 GRT/3,227,366 DWT; includes 10 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 13 vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 32 oil tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 4 specialized tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 combination ore/oil, 10 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo Airports: total: 253 usable: 250 with permanent-surface runways: 139 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 94 Telecommunications: excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones; mainly coaxial and multiconductor cables carry long-distance network; parallel microwave network carries primarily radio, TV and some telephone channels; automatic system; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 360 (mostly repeaters) FM, 880 (mostly repeaters) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT *Sweden, Defense Forces Branches: Swedish Army, Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,156,720; fit for military service 1,884,121; reach military age (19) annually 57,383 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $6.7 billion, 3.8% of GDP (FY92/93)