Sweden

National name

Konungariket Sverige

Government

Constitutional monarchy.

Geography

Sweden, which occupies the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, is the fourth-largest country in Europe and is onetenth larger than California. The country 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.

Historical Background

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.

Name

Sweeden 

Capital

Stockholm

Government

Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy

Language

Swedish

Area

Total 449,964 km2 (57th) 173,745 sq mi   -  Water (%) 8.7

Population

2009 census 9,354,462 -  Density 20.6/km2 (192nd) 53.3/sq mi

Currency

Swedish krona (SEK)