Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden (
Swedish: ), is a
Nordic country on the
Scandinavian Peninsula in
Northern Europe. It has been a member of the
European Union since 1995. Its
capital city is
Stockholm.At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country in
Western Europe. Sweden has a low
population density except in its ; 84% of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3% of the total land area. The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and
liberal, with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts.
Nature conservation,
environmental protection and
energy efficiency are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden. Sweden has a long tradition as a major exporter of
iron,
copper and
timber.
Improved transportation and
communication allowed more remote natural assets to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably
timber and
iron ore. In the 1890s, universal schooling and
industrialization enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a
welfare state, consistently achieving a high position among the top-ranking countries in the
UN Human Development Index (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.
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Flag of Sweden
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. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999.
Map of Sweden
More about Sweden:
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues