- Capital city: Stockholm
- Total area: 450 000 km²
- Population: 9.0 million
- Currency: Swedish krona
In the centre of northern Europe, Sweden has common borders with Norway and Finland. Half of its land is covered in forest and almost 1,000 lakes cover the flat parts of the countryside.
Sweden is the largest and most populated of the Nordic states although it only has a population density of 21 inhabitants per km2. 85% of Sweden's population lives in the southern part of the country. In recent decades, immigration has accounted for 40% of the population growth. Today, over one million are immigrants from other Nordic countries and southern Europe.
In the past 100 years, Sweden has evolved from a largely agrarian country to one where less than 3% of the labour force is employed in agriculture. Sweden is known as the birth place of many famous multinational corporations. Manufacturing plays a dominant role in exports, and its most important export commodities are electrical and electronic machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, paper and paper products, pharmaceuticals, mineral fuels and precision instruments. Its main imports are motor vehicles, electric and electronic machinery and equipment.
Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, with the monarch having only representational functions as Head of State. Legislative power lies with the unicameral Parliament with 349 members directly elected for 4 years on the basis of proportional representation. The Prime Minister is approved by Parliament and the executive power rests with the Cabinet that is responsible to Parliament.
Sweden
