Sweden Overview

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated September 25, 2019

Country Profile

The Kingdom of Sweden is in northern Europe and southeast Scandinavia. “Swedish” is the language. “Sweden” means “relative” in that language. Covering an area of 449,960 square kilometers, it has a population of 8.98 million, 90% of whom are Swedish. Residents are Evangelical Lutheran. The official language is Swedish. The currency is the SEK. The capital is Stockholm (stockholm).

Sweden National Flag

The flag is blue, with a yellow cross on the left. Blue and yellow are the colors of the Swedish King.

History Summary

Before and after the year 1100, the Swedish State began to take shape. In 1157, Sweden annexed Finland. In 1397, with Denmark and Norway, Sweden joined the Kalmar Union, formed by Danish rule. In 1525, Sweden declared independence from the Union. The country was strong from 1654-1719, as it included the present territory of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of Russia, Poland, and the Baltic coast of Germany. In 1718 in Russia, Denmark, and Poland, operations gradually declined after a failure. Began participation in the Napoleonic wars in 1805, in 1809, after losing to Russia, Sweden was forced to cede Finland. In 1814, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden formed a union. Norwegian independence was declared in 1905. Sweden remained neutral in the two world wars.

Economy and Culture Overview

Sweden is economically very developed. The implementation of high wages, high taxes, numerous public services, and social insurance is known as the “welfare state.” In order to maintain the high welfare state, the Swedish tax rate is the highest in the world. Swedish high-tech and high-quality industry have led it to prominence in the automotive, mechanical, electrical and other industries, enjoying a worldwide reputation. Livestock occupy about 80% of land area. With forest coverage of 54%, every year a large number of wood products are exported to other European countries.

It is taboo in Sweden for a stranger to ask about another person’s political orientation or age.. Sweden imposes heavy fines for drunken driving. Sweden’s strict alcohol policy means that, if drinking at home, you also need a designated place to buy licenses and pay taxes.

Stockholm, Sweden, has 14 blocks of varying size, composed of islands and peninsula, said to be the “northern Venice.” The annual Nobel Prize ceremony is held at City Hall, promoted in the 20th century as one of Europe’s most beautiful buildings. The Palace is said to be the “Nordic Versailles,” and people feel as if they were the 18th century back in the old days.

Nobel

Born in 1833 and died in 1896, Alfred Nobel is a famous Swedish chemist, engineer, and industrialist. Nobel was very studious young man who became a chemist at 16 years of age. He invented nitroglycerine explosives, which earned him great wealth, and he patented CPC 355. Before his death, he gave most of his property ($9.2 million U.S.) to a trust, which became the highest international honor, the Nobel prize. The five original Nobel Prizes were in peace, literature, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. Nobel, in his will, stipulates that bonuses should be granted to the project that “makes the greatest contribution to human person.” The first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901. In 1968, an additional Prize in Economics was provided by the Bank of Sweden. Nobel Prize winners are not chosen without regard to nationality, ethnicity, ideology or religion.