Holidays in Sweden. All about Sweden: a short course

The official name is the Kingdom of Sweden (Konungariket Sverige). Located in Northern Europe, in the eastern and southern parts Scandinavian Peninsula. The area is 450 thousand km2, the population is 8.95 million people. (2003). Official language- Swedish. The capital is Stockholm (1.7 million people with suburbs, 2001). Public holiday - National Day June 6 (in 1916-83 - Swedish Flag Day). The reason for choosing this date is twofold: on June 6, 1523, Gustav Vasa was elected king, which is considered the date of foundation of the independent Swedish state, and on June 6, 1809, a new Constitution was adopted that established civil rights and freedoms. The monetary unit is the Swedish krona.

Member of the UN (since 1946), EU (since 1995), OECD, IMF, IBRD, EBRD, Nordic Council, etc.

Landmarks of Sweden

Geography of Sweden

It is located between 11° and 24° east longitude and 55° and 69° north latitude. It is washed from the east by the Baltic Sea and its Gulf of Bothnia, from the southwest by the Øresund, Kattegat and Skagerrak straits. The total length of the heavily indented coastline exceeds 7 thousand km. Along the entire coast there are thousands of islands forming large archipelagos. The coast is characterized by an abundance of skerries - clusters of small coastal islands and rocks. A particularly extensive skerry archipelago is located near Stockholm. The Skagerrak coast north of Gothenburg also has a significant indentation. In the Baltic Sea, Sweden owns two large islands - Gotland (3001 km2) and Öland (1344 km2). It borders with Norway in the west (1619 km), with Finland - in the northeast (586 km).

Sweden is dominated by low plateaus and hilly plains. The relatively flat relief is dotted with many lakes - there are more than 100,000 of them. 16% of the territory is covered with mountains. In the northwest, a long mountain range stretches - the Scandinavian Mountains up to 2111 m high (Mount Kebnekaise). In Central Sweden, the Central Swedish Lowland is located - the most populated and economically developed part of the country. Further south is the Småland Upland. The extreme south of the country - the Skåne peninsula - is a vast plain with fertile soils, this is the main agricultural region.

The bowels of Sweden are rich in metals and poor in mineral fuels. Swedish iron ore deposits are among the richest in the world both in terms of ore concentration and metal content. The main iron ore district, where St. 80% of all iron reserves in the country are located beyond the Arctic Circle, in Lapland. The largest deposit is Kirunavaara. Lapland ores are 2/3 metal, but contain a lot of phosphorus, so their industrial use became possible only in the con. 19th century after the discovery of the Thomas method of melting. Another iron ore region - Bergslagen, known since the Middle Ages - is located in Central Sweden. There is less ore here, but it has a low content of harmful impurities of phosphorus and sulfur and has long served as the basis for the development of Swedish high-quality metallurgy. Among the deposits of non-ferrous metals, the most significant are located on the Norrland Plateau. These are deposits of complex sulfide ores in the Buliden-Christineberg region, containing copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver, sulfur pyrite, arsenic; deposits of lead (Leisvall) and copper (Aitik). Previously, one of the richest copper deposits in all of Europe near the city of Falun in Central Sweden was severely depleted. The reserves of uranium contained in the deposits of bituminous shale in Central Sweden are very large.

Sweden is located almost entirely, except for its extreme south, in the zone of podzolic soils. In the south of the country, especially on the Skåne peninsula, the most fertile brown forest soils on the entire Scandinavian peninsula dominate.

Thanks to the warm Atlantic Gulf Stream and the westerly winds, the climate in Sweden is milder than in other countries located at the same latitudes. Although Stockholm lies almost on the same parallel with South Greenland, the average temperature in July is approx. +18°C. In winter, the average temperature in the capital is only slightly below zero, and snowfall is moderate. Mild humid climate in south marine type, precipitation is significant. The climate of the eastern regions of Central Sweden is more continental. Winters in Northern Sweden are harsh, snowy and long.

The relief and climate of the country favor the development of a dense network of rivers and lakes. The rivers flow in narrow valleys and abound with rapids and waterfalls. They are mainly used as energy sources. In terms of hydropower reserves, Sweden is second only to Norway in Western Europe. The most energy-rich rivers in Northern Sweden, originating on the eastern slopes of the Scandinavian mountains, crossing the stepped Norrland Plateau and flowing into the Gulf of Bothnia. This is primarily Luleelf, Umeelf, Ongermanelven, Indalselven, Dalelven. The longest rivers are: Muonioelven - Turneelven (570 km), Dalelven (520 km), Klarelven - Geta Elv (520 km). Numerous lakes and expansions in river basins serve as natural reservoirs that regulate water flow throughout the year. Rivers and lakes occupy 9% of the total area of ​​the country. The largest of them lie in the lowland part of Central Sweden. The largest lake in Western Europe, Lake Vänern, with an area of ​​5585 km2, stands out in particular. A short, but deep river Geta Elv with the high Trollhättan waterfall. Other large lakes: Vättern (1912 km2), Mälaren (1140 km2) and Elmaren (484 km2).

The main type of vegetation is forests, covering more than 1/2 of the country's territory. In terms of forested area (54%), Sweden ranks first in Western Europe. Coniferous forests predominate, the main massifs of which are located in the north of the country. On the slopes of the mountains, they are replaced by birch forests, and even higher - by mountain tundra, occupying approx. 1/8 of the country. To the south of 60-61 ° north latitude, coniferous forests are replaced by mixed ones. Broad-leaved species appear - maple, ash, oak, linden. In the extreme south and southwest there are beech forests. Sweden ranks 1st in Western Europe in terms of timber reserves, with 90% of the total reserves accounted for by conifers. A lot of money was spent on the restoration of cut down forests. The fauna of Sweden is dominated by forest dwellers: elk, roe deer, fox, pine marten, squirrel, hare. Lynx, brown bear, wolverine are found in the taiga forests of Norrland. Wild reindeer live in the polar regions of Lapland, and European deer live in forest parks in the south of the country. Lakes, skerries and sea bays abound with wild ducks and swans that nest in the vicinity of Stockholm. coastal waters Baltic Sea rich in fish: herring, eel, cod, shrimp, lobsters live in them. In rivers and lakes there are salmon, trout, pike, perch, pike perch, burbot, bream, and in the north - grayling.

Population of Sweden

Growth rates are generally low - 0.02% (2002). Since the 1940s immigration - first from the neighboring Nordic countries and then from other regions of the world - accounted for more than 40% of the population growth. In 2002, net immigration was 0.95‰.

The birth rate in the country is low - 9.81‰ (2002). It increased in the 1980s - 90s, but then decreased again. Mortality 10.6‰, infant mortality 3.44 pers. per 1000 newborns. Life expectancy is 77 years for men and 83 years for women.

The age structure of the population: aged 0-14 years - 18%, 15-64 years - 65%, 65 years and older - 17%. There are more women than men, by about 100 thousand people, especially in old age. 85% of the population lives in the southern half of Sweden Over 80% urban population. The retirement age is 65 years. Literacy is almost complete.

Until the 2nd World War, Sweden was a country with an ethnically homogeneous population. Only the Saami (Lapps), living in the north and traditionally engaged in reindeer herding, were a significant ethnic minority. Now the Swedes are approx. 87% of the population. Approximately 1 million inhabitants are either immigrants or their descendants. These are Finns, immigrants from the former Yugoslavia, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks.

The Swedish language belongs to the northern subgroup of the Germanic group of languages. The linguistic minority are the Sami and Finns.

The dominant religion is Lutheran (87%). In the 16th century Sweden broke with catholic church, and after that the Evangelical State Church operated in the country. The first Swedish Bible was published in 1541. On January 1, 2000, the Swedish church gained an independent position and was equated with other denominations. Among the believing population there are also Catholics, Orthodox, Baptists, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists.

History of Sweden

The first man appeared on the territory of Sweden about 12 thousand years ago. However, only from the 9th c. the Scandinavians were talked about in Europe, where the Vikings began to penetrate by sea, engaging in robbery and trade. The Swedish Vikings managed to reach the Black and Caspian Seas along the Russian rivers (the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks") and trade with Byzantium and the Arabs. In the 11th and 12th centuries. Sweden begins to act as a single state. Christianity becomes the dominant religion, and in 1164 an archbishopric in Uppsala is established. The process of centralization of the state under royal authority continued for two centuries (from the middle of the 12th century). In 1397, the Danish Queen Margareta united Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the so-called. Kalmar Union under the Danish crown.

Constant strife both within the states united by the union and between them gradually led to an open conflict between the Swedes and the Danes. The final collapse of the union in the beginning. 16th century led to a series of fierce wars between Denmark and Norway, on the one hand, and Sweden and Finland, which in the 12-13 centuries. was conquered by the Swedes, on the other. The culmination was the so-called. The Stockholm bloodbath in 1520, when more than 100 famous representatives of various classes in Sweden were executed during the accession to the throne of the Danish king Christian II. This event led to an uprising, as a result of which the Danish king was deposed and the Swedish nobleman Gustav Vasa, who was elected king of Sweden in 1523, was enthroned.

Gustav Vasa, advocating Swedish sovereignty, resolutely stopped attempts to revive the Kalmar Union and carried out a number of important reforms that played a big role in the life of the country. During the reign of Gustav Vasa (1523-60) the foundations of the Swedish nation-state were laid. He breaks with Catholicism and carries out the Reformation. The head of the Swedish church was declared the king. In 1544 he introduces a hereditary monarchy (previously there was an elective one). The attempts of the high nobility to restore their power during the reigns of Eric XIV (1560-68), Johan III (1568-92) and Sigismund (1592-99) failed. During the reign of Charles IX (1599-1611) and Gustav II Adolf (1611-32) the monarchy strengthened its position. After the death of Gustav II Adolf in the battle of Lützen, the highest nobility managed to introduce a new Constitution - the Form of Government of 1634, according to which a number of central administrative bodies were created and part of the power passed into their hands. However, this Constitution was applied under Christina (1632-54), Charles X Gustav (1654-60) and lost its effect in 1680 under Charles XI (1660-97). After that, the nobility turned into a bureaucratic class, in everything obedient to the will of the king.

After the rupture of the Kalmar Union, Swedish foreign policy was aimed at dominance in the Baltic, which led from the 1560s. to frequent wars with Denmark. After Sweden entered the Thirty Years' War in 1630 on the side of the German Protestants, Sweden under Gustav II Adolf became one of the leading European monarchies and defeated Denmark twice: in 1643-45 and 1657-58. These victories allowed Sweden to conquer the former Danish provinces of Skåne, Halland, Blekinge and Gotland and the Norwegian Bohuslän, Jämtland and Härjedalen. Finland, a number of provinces in Northern Germany (Pomerania, Bremen), Estonia, Latvia, Ingermanland (at the mouth of the Neva) also belonged to Sweden. After Westphalia 1648 and Roskilde 1658 peace treaties with Denmark, Sweden became a great power in Northern Europe. Sweden even briefly established a colony in North America (where Delaware is now located).

However, Sweden remained a purely agrarian country with a subsistence economy (apart from small smelters and copper mining in Falun) and did not have the resources to maintain its position as a great power for a long time. In 1700, Russia, Saxony, in alliance with Poland, as well as Denmark and Norway, together opposed the strengthening of the Swedish Empire. Although the young Swedish king Charles XII (1697-1718) won victories in the first period of the Great Northern War (1700-21), nevertheless, the vast plan to force Russia to surrender by siege of Moscow turned out to be beyond his power. The defeat in the Battle of Poltava in 1709, and then the death of Charles XII during the siege of the Norwegian fortress in 1718 and the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystadt with opponents, which were later joined by England, Hanover and Prussia, put an end to the Swedish great power. Sweden lost most of the provinces on the opposite coast of the Baltic, and its territory was reduced to about modern Sweden and Finland.

The Russo-Swedish War of 1808-09 led in 1809 to the loss of Finland. Sweden also lost its last holdings in Northern Germany during the Napoleonic Wars. Sweden's compensation for its participation in the anti-Napoleonic coalition was the receipt of Norway, which in 1814 passed from Denmark to Sweden by decision of the Congress of Vienna. The union that annexed Norway to Sweden lasted until 1905 and was terminated at the initiative of Norway as a result of peace negotiations.

After a short war with Norway in 1814, when creating the union, Sweden no longer participated in wars and, since World War I, pursued a foreign policy of freedom from alliances in peacetime and neutrality in time of war. After the death of Charles XII and the defeat of Sweden in the Great northern war The Swedish parliament is the Riksdag, which has been in constant operation since the 15th century. and originating from the election of tribal elders and leaders among the Vikings, introduced a new Constitution that abolished royal absolutism and transferred power to the hands of the Riksdag. During the so-called. era of freedoms (1719-72) in Sweden there was a government formed by the dominant party in the Riksdag and responsible to the Riksdag. However, Gustav III (1771-92) limited the power of the Riksdag in a bloodless coup in 1772 and later, in 1789, restored absolutism. After the overthrow of Gustav IV Adolf (1792-1809) in a coup d'état in 1809, Sweden's political development proceeded more calmly and peacefully.

In 1809 a new constitution was introduced based on the division of power. Soon the Napoleonic marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected heir to the Swedish throne, and in 1818 he became King Charles XIV Johan (1818-44). His policy was conservative, but at the same time there was an influential liberal opposition. The reigns of his son Oscar I (1844-59) and grandson Charles XV (1859-72) saw many important developments including the introduction of compulsory education in 1842, the abolition of the guild system in 1846, the transition to free trade, the introduction of local government in 1862 and Finally, the parliamentary reform was carried out in 1866. The last reform replaced the one that had existed since the 15th century. a four-estate riksdag into a bicameral one.

In con. 19th century broad popular movements arose: free churches, sobriety, women and, most importantly, workers. The latter arose with the industrialization of the country and was of a reformist nature. The first representatives of the Social Democracy entered the government as early as 1917. Universal suffrage was introduced in 1909 for men and in 1921 for women. In 1932, the Social Democrats became the ruling party, put forward plans for building a welfare society, and carried them out after World War II.

State structure and political system of Sweden

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. The Constitution is in force, which entered into force on January 1, 1975. Administrative division - 21 lan: Blekinge, Värmland, Västerbotten, Västernorrland, Västmanland, Västra Götaland, Gotland, Dalarna, Gävleborg, Jämtland, Jönköping, Kalmar, Kronuberg, Norrbotten, Södermanland, Skåne, Stockholm , Uppsala, Halland, Örebro, Esterjetland.

Most big cities(thousand people): Stockholm (1700 with suburbs), Gothenburg (800), Malmö (500). The Swedish Constitution consists of 4 separate documents: the Act on the form of government, adopted in 1974, the Act on the succession to the throne, in force since 1810, the Freedom of the Press Act 1949 (originating from 1766) and the Freedom of Expression Act, which came into force in 1991. In addition Moreover, the Riksdag Act 1974 occupies an intermediate position between the Basic Law and ordinary statutory law.

The supreme body of legislative power is the Riksdag.

The highest body of executive power is the government.

The head of state - King Carl XVI Gustaf (since September 19, 1973) is endowed with purely representative or ceremonial functions and is a symbol of the Swedish state and nation.

Since 1971, the Riksdag of Sweden has been unicameral, consisting of 349 deputies elected by universal, direct, and secret suffrage once every 4 years. Residents of the country enjoy the right to vote from the age of 18. Seats in the Riksdag are allocated on a proportional basis to parties that receive at least 4% of the vote in an election. For most of the period from 1932, the Social Democratic Labor Party was in power in Sweden. Only in 1976-82 and 1991-94 bourgeois governments ruled the country. According to the results of the last elections, held on September 15, 2002, the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Sweden is represented in the Riksdag - 144 mandates, 39.8% of the total number of votes; Moderate coalition party - 55% and 15.2% respectively; People's Party - liberals - 48 and 13.3%, Christian Democrats - 33 and 9.1%; Left party - 30 and 8.3%; Center Party - 22 and 6.1%; Guard Party environment- "green" - 17 and 4.6%. The prime minister is no longer appointed by the king, but by the chairman of the Riksdag.

The most famous Swedish politician in the world was Olof Palme (1927-86). In 1969-76 and 1982-86 he was the prime minister of the country, and from 1969 until the day of his death he headed the Social Democratic Labor Party. He was killed on February 28, 1986 in the center of Stockholm. Palme's murder remains unsolved to this day.

Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-61) was Secretary General of the United Nations from 1953 until the day he died. Fulfilling his duties, he died in a plane crash over the territory of Zambia. He sought to ensure that the UN played the most active role in resolving international crises. The Swedish administrative system is characterized by the division of tasks between ministries and central administrative bodies. The central government consists of 13 small ministries (their staff does not exceed 100 people), mainly engaged in the preparation of draft laws for the government. The Council of Ministers meets once a week to approve decisions and is collectively responsible for all decisions made. Law enforcement is entrusted to 100 relatively independent central institutions and the boards of the lahns.

Until 1971, Sweden was divided into 850 communes, each of which had its own elected assembly of commissioners. The number of communes has now been reduced to 288. The rights and obligations of the communes include the construction of various structures and the provision of a wide range of services: housing and road construction, sewerage and water supply, primary and secondary education, social assistance, care for the elderly, child care, etc. . The communes have the right to levy income tax.

Between the state and communal levels there is a regional level of government. At this level, the country is divided into lans. The state power is represented in each lane by the governor and the board of the lane. Lan governors are appointed by the government for a term of 6 years and head the board of the lan. The members of the board of the Lane are appointed by the Landsting, which is elected and responsible for health care and certain types of education. Landstings collect income tax.

The political parties are well organized in the Riksdag and outside it. The Social Democratic Labor Party of Sweden, founded in 1889, is the ruling, largest in the country, is closely associated with the movement of workers' trade unions, and represents the ideas of the Swedish model of democratic socialism. The conservative Moderate coalition party was founded in 1904 (until 1969 - the Right Party), expresses the interests of large companies and top officials. The Center Party was founded in 1910 (before 1957 - the Peasant Union), expresses the interests of medium and small landowners, as well as parts of the middle and small urban bourgeoisie. The People's Party - the Liberals - was founded in 1895 (until 1990 - the People's Party), represents the interests of the large, middle and part of the petty bourgeoisie, officials. The Left Party was founded in 1917 on the basis of the left wing of the Social Democratic Party (until 1921 - the Social Democratic Left Party, in 1921 it was renamed the Communist Party, in 1967 - the Left Party - Communists, since 1990 it has its current name). The environmental protection party - "green" - founded in 1981, expresses the ideas of environmental protection. The clerical bourgeois party Christian Democrats was founded in 1964 (until 1987 - the Christian Democratic Union). Since 1966 the state has been subsidizing the political parties that have a seat in the Riksdag.

The largest organization representing business circles is the Association of Swedish Entrepreneurs, founded in 1902.

An important role in the life of Sweden is played by the trade union movement, which unites in its ranks approx. 80% of the total economically active population of the country. However, there is no single trade union center in the country. The Central Association of Trade Unions in Sweden - the largest in the country, founded in 1898, unites approx. 1.2 million people employed in leading industries, utilities and services. The Central Association of Trade Unions of Employees was formed in 1944 and unites employees in the private and public sectors. The Central Organization of Persons with Higher Education was established in 1947 and unites teachers, engineers, doctors, and so on.

During both world wars, Sweden remained neutral. Thanks to this, and also due to other circumstances, she managed to stay away from hostilities. After World War II, Sweden continued its traditional policy of freedom from alliances in times of peace and neutrality in times of war, and based its security on a strong national defense system. Therefore, politically, Sweden's involvement in European affairs did not go beyond participation in the Council of Europe.

In the 1960s - 70s. Sweden's foreign policy has focused on helping developing countries and global environmental issues, as well as supporting disarmament efforts within the UN and confidence-building measures in Europe. Support for the UN and its Charter remains one of the fundamental elements of Swedish foreign policy. Sweden allocates approx. 1% of its GDP to help developing countries.

In the 1980s The doctrine of general security, aimed at reducing armaments in Europe and supporting the idea of ​​general and complete disarmament throughout the world, has become a central element of Swedish foreign policy.

For a long time, the policy of neutrality prevented Sweden from seeking EU membership. Sweden was content with membership in a less rigidly organized EFTA. However, changes in Europe and the end of the Cold War have made it possible to reconsider this position. In July 1991, Sweden applied for admission to the EU, in November 1994 the Swedish people approved the accession to the EU in a referendum, and from January 1995 Sweden became a full member of the EU.

Sweden announced that it shares the EU's long-term goals and supports its efforts to create an economic and political union. Within the EU, Sweden is focusing on the process of EU enlargement, increased employment, greater transparency in decision-making, gender equality and tighter environmental policies.

The Swedish policy of non-participation in military alliances remains unchanged. This policy contributes to maintaining stability in Northern Europe. Sweden also makes a significant contribution to strengthening security throughout Europe through its active participation in the OSCE and the Council of Europe. Sweden is an observer in the WEU. Traditional northern cooperation is also developing within the framework of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Sweden has traditionally pursued a free trade policy and is a supporter of an open multilateral trading system based on the principles of the GATT and implemented within the framework of the WTO.

The main function of Swedish defense policy is to keep the peace while maintaining such a degree of readiness and military strength that the losses and casualties of a possible aggressor as a result of an attempt to seize the country markedly exceed the possible gains. The armed forces of Sweden include the Land Forces, the Navy, and the Air Force. Every year, recruits aged 18 years are called up for basic training for a period of 5 to 15 months. Then they are called for retraining every 4 years. In case of war, the Armed Forces can mobilize up to 850 thousand people. The regiments of the Ground Forces in peacetime exist only for training. Sweden does not have a standing army, and the airspace and territorial waters are under constant control of the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard. Military spending is 2.1% of GDP. The armed forces, built on the universal conscription of men aged 18 to 47, are being reduced. The decision of the Riksdag adopted in 2000 means a reduction in the number of military units and a simultaneous increase in their combat readiness and mobility. Military aviation is of great importance. Swedish units are in constant readiness to participate in international actions to resolve conflicts. More than 60,000 Swedish military personnel served in UN units in various parts of the world. Sweden actively participates in the NATO Partnership for Peace program and in the peacekeeping forces in the former Yugoslavia.

Sweden has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR in 1924).

Economy of Sweden

For 100 years, Sweden from a backward and one of the poorest countries in Europe, as it was in the middle. In the 19th century, where 70% of the population was employed in agriculture, it turned into one of the most developed industrial countries in the world with a high standard of living for the population. The transformation of the economy from a backward to an advanced industrial economy was facilitated by the presence of rich natural resources - iron ore, timber, hydropower, as well as talented engineers and skilled workers. In the 1870s Swedish iron ore and timber were essential for the industrial development of Europe. The expansion of Swedish exports contributed to the industrialization of the country and the growth of the urban population. On the basis of Swedish inventions, new companies in metallurgy and mechanical engineering were created and grew rapidly. In conditions of rapid population growth, emigration was important, primarily to North America (in 1860-1930, 1.2 million Swedes left the country), which made it possible to avoid starvation and mass unemployment.

Sweden avoided participation in both world wars, which allowed it not only to maintain its production potential and labor resources, but also to significantly enrich itself in deliveries to the warring countries and in the restoration of the European economy.

For several decades after the 2nd World War, the Swedish economy continued to develop rapidly. Those were her golden years. A welfare state was built. However, in the 2nd half. 1970s and early 1990s Sweden has experienced serious economic crises. The volume of GDP was reduced, the volume of public debt increased, and in the 1990s. depreciation of the Swedish krona. The economy and public finances have undergone a rigorous reorganization. To the beginning 21st century the state budget became balanced, inflation fell and economic growth accelerated (in 1997-2000 it averaged 4%). High-tech enterprises actively developed.

In 2002, GNP increased by 1.6% and amounted to 2340 billion kroons, and per capita - 262.2 thousand kroons. Inflation - 2.4%, gross capital investment - 400 billion crowns (2002).

Sweden employs 50% of the population. This figure is high because more than 75% of women aged 16-64 are employed. Before the beginning 1990s the unemployment rate was low. However, it has grown significantly since then. In 2002, the economically active population was 4.4 million people, unemployment - 4%.

Sectoral structure of the economy: agriculture - 2%, industry - 29, services - 69 (in terms of contribution to GDP), agriculture - 2, industry - 24, services - 74% (in terms of employment).

Swedish industrial production is often based on local raw materials: timber and iron ore. Mechanical engineering enterprises, including the automotive industry, account for 40% of the total production, the woodworking and pulp and paper industries - a little over 20%, the share of the chemical industry - approx. 12%. In the 1990s pharmaceuticals, production of telecommunication equipment and automobiles developed most dynamically. Information technology is playing an increasingly important role in the economy. Sweden is one of the leading countries in this area.

Sweden's energy consumption per capita is one of the highest in the world as a result of the cold climate, the concentration of energy-intensive industry and the high standard of living. Cheap hydropower was an important factor in the industrial development of the country. OK. 15% of energy is provided by power plants built mainly on the rivers of Northern Sweden. St. 40% of the energy consumed in the country is provided by imports of oil, 7% - by imports of coal and coke. In 2000, electricity generation amounted to 144.6 billion kWh. HPPs produce 54% of electricity, nuclear power plants - 37%.

Agriculture plays a rather limited role in economic life. Only 8% of Sweden's territory is used in agricultural production. However, agriculture is highly productive. Sweden satisfies St. 80% of food needs from own production, incl. almost completely in milk, meat, bread, potatoes.

Agriculture is dominated by fodder crops (barley, wheat, oats, and rye), potatoes, sugar beets, and rapeseed. Most of crops are allocated for barley, oats and winter wheat. Under sown grasses, approx. 1/3 of cultivated land. Agriculture is characterized by its close relationship with forestry. OK. 75% of all farmers combine both activities.

The leading branch of agriculture is meat and dairy cattle breeding, which accounts for approx. 80% income. The role of meat in marketable products is constantly increasing. Of the other branches of animal husbandry, bacon and meat pig breeding are the most developed. Pork makes up more than 1/2 of the total meat production in the country.

Sweden is dominated by small family farms and approx. 80% of farmers farm on their own land. Farmers receive their main income from the sale of dairy products and meat. OK. 40% of cultivated land is leased.

The heyday of fishing in Sweden came in the 1950s and 1st half. 1960s mainly due to the large stocks of herring in the North Sea. The depletion of fish stocks has led to a reduction in catches. Now more than 1/2 of the catch falls on herring and cod.

The total length of railways is 12,821 thousand km (of which almost 8 thousand km are electrified), motorways - 211 thousand km, gas pipelines - 88 km. Merchant fleet - 174 ships with a total displacement of 2.6 million tons. Main ports: Gothenburg, Stockholm, Malmö. 90% of Sweden's foreign trade goes by sea On July 1, 2000, the Øresun Bridge was opened, connecting Malmö and Copenhagen. The country has 255 airports, 6 million telephones and approximately 4 million mobile phones, 169 television stations, 4.6 million televisions, 6.02 million Internet users (2002).

Over the past decades, Swedish trade has undergone significant changes in order to be more accommodating to consumers and their habits. The total number of stores has noticeably decreased (from 9.2 thousand in 1980 to 6.8 thousand in 1998). During the same period, sales increased by almost 3 times. Now more than 1/2 of the stores selling ready-made goods are open on Sundays. The self-service system has spread widely. Out-of-town self-service stores (hypermarkets) appeared, offering goods at low prices. Supermarkets, among which supermarkets stand out, have a full range of food and ready-made goods. There are large "chain" stores in selected areas. Most of the wholesale trade is carried out by independent enterprises. Cooperatives play an important role in trade.

Tight fiscal policy is aimed at stabilizing the positive balance of the state budget by approving spending ceilings and budgeting for 3 years in advance. The most important issue in Sweden's economic policy remains participation in the EMU, from which it abstained in 1999 and following a referendum in 2003.

In recent years, Sweden's central bank, Sveries Riksbank, has set an annual inflation target of 2% and follows the European Central Bank in terms of interest rates. Since 1992, the Swedish krona has moved to a floating rate, which has declined significantly over the next decade.

In 2002, state revenues amounted to 56.9% of GNP, expenditures - 55.5%, state budget balance - 1.4%, public debt - 52.4% of GNP, or 1235 billion crowns (2003). Government consumption amounted to 656 billion crowns (2002).

Duration of the working week - 40 hours. Paid vacation - 5 weeks. After the tax reform of 1991, the majority of employees pay only 100 kroons of state income tax (the maximum rate reaches 25%), while communal income tax rates are approximately 31%. Corporate income tax 28%. Value added tax ranges from 6 to 25%. Employers contribute 33% and employees pay 6% to cover social costs. In addition, enterprises deduct approx. 7% for pension provision in accordance with collective agreements.

The standard of living of the population in Sweden is considered one of the highest in the world. The wages of women relative to men in Sweden are the highest in the world. The hourly wage of a worker in the private sector is 112.7 kroons, the monthly wage of an employee in the private sector is 26,180 kroons (2003). In terms of income equalization, Sweden is ahead of other countries in the world. The richest 10% of households accounted for 20% of income, the poorest 10% for 4%. Personal consumption amounted to 1139 billion crowns (2002).

Sweden's economy is closely linked to the outside world and heavily dependent on foreign trade. OK. 50% of manufactured industrial products are exported. Exports, which amounted to 1012 billion kroons in 2002, are dominated by machinery and equipment (35%), vehicles, paper, pulp, timber, ferrous metals, chemical products. 55% of exports went to the EU countries (Germany - 11%, Great Britain - 9%, Denmark - 6%, Finland - 6%), to the USA - 11%, to Norway - 9% (2001). Imports, which amounted to 871 billion kroons, are dominated by machinery and equipment, oil and oil products, chemical products, vehicles, ferrous metals, food products, clothing (2002). In 2001, 66% of imports came from EU countries (Germany - 18%, Great Britain - 9%, Denmark - 8%, the Netherlands - 7%, France - 7%), from Norway - 9%, from the USA - 7%.

In 2002, the positive balance of payments - 4.2% of GDP.

Science and culture in Sweden

Nine years of education is compulsory. Children go to school at the age of 6 or 7 years. Most children attend community schools, which are free of charge. Almost all students (98%) then continue their education at the gymnasium (3 years) according to one of the theoretical or practical training programs. Slightly more than 1/3 of gymnasium graduates enter institutes or universities. Sweden's total R&D spending is 3.8% of GDP, the highest among OECD countries.

In Sweden ca. 40 institutions of higher education, mostly public, and education is free. More than 100 thousand students, a large number of them over 25 years old. They already have work experience, which makes it easier for them to enter a university. OK. 1/4 of the adult population have higher education.

Among the 6 universities, the oldest is the University of Uppsala (founded in 1477), somewhat later, in 1668, the University of Lund was opened. In the 19th century opened universities in Stockholm and Gothenburg. The youngest universities are located in Umeå and Linköping. There are polytechnic institutes in Stockholm and Gothenburg. The Karolinska Institute of Medicine and Surgery and the Graduate School of Trade in Stockholm gained world fame.

A wide network of public schools for adults makes it possible for adults with insufficient education to receive the same level of education as ordinary students. More than 2.5 million people annually they study at various courses and circles, formed by private educational organizations, but subsidized by the state.

The Swedish people have made a significant contribution to the development of world science and culture. The naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-78), who founded the Royal Academy of Sciences in 1739, had a tremendous influence on the development of science in Sweden. He laid the foundations for the systematics of flora and fauna. His contemporary astronomer and physicist Anders Celsius (1701-44) created the oldest astronomical observatory in Sweden and introduced the centigrade scale for thermometers. A great contribution to the development of chemistry was made by Jöns Jakob Berzelius (1779-1848), who developed electrochemical and atomistic theories and created scientific mineralogy, and Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927), who created the theory of electrolytic dissociation and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1903. Alfred Nobel (1833-96) invented dynamite, which brought him fame and fortune. Nobel donated the bulk of his fortune to the foundation, from which the Nobel Prizes are awarded annually. The awards are presented in Stockholm and Oslo on December 10, the day of the scientist's death.

In the history of technology, the names of Jon Eriksson (1803-89), the designer of the first ship propellers, steamships and steam locomotives, and engineer Carl Gustav Laval (1845-1913), who invented the steam turbine and separator, are known.

In the history of Swedish art, a special place belongs to the work of the poet, composer and singer of the 18th century. Carl Mikael Belman (1740-95). The poet's birthday is celebrated every summer with festivities in the Haga and Skansen parks. In literature, the name of the romantic poet of the 1st floor is widely known. 19th century Esaias Tegner (1782-1846). The masterpiece of his work is the poem "The Saga of Fridtjof", written on the plot of the ancient Scandinavian saga. August Strindberg (1849-1912) - colossus of Swedish literature. His extensive creative heritage covers a variety of genres of art. Outside of Sweden, he is best known as an author of dramatic works. Romantic and folklore motifs fill the works of Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940), who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909. Her most famous novel is The Saga of Este Berling. The book “Nils' Amazing Journey with Wild Geese” written for children received worldwide fame. This book is a hymn to the nature and people of Sweden. Wilhelm Muberg (1898-1973) was called a classic of Swedish literature during his lifetime, whose fame was brought by epic novels about Swedish emigration to America. Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) was one of the most famous Swedes in the world. Her books for children have been translated into more than 60 languages, and 40 films have been made based on them. Carlson, who lives on the roof, and Pippi Longstocking have won the love of children all over the world.

IN fine arts In Sweden, the painting of Anders Zorn (1860-1920), whose paintings reproduce scenes of rural life and nature in the province of Dalarna, stand out. The most famous sculptor is Carl Milles (1875-1955). In the park-museum, located in the Stockholm suburb of Lidingo, where he lived, worked and was buried, dozens of his sculptural ensembles are collected. Among them stand out directed to the sky "Man and Pegasus" and "Hand of the Creator". He created a gallery of prominent statesmen of Sweden.

Sweden has made a significant contribution to world cinema. Ingmar Bergman (born 1918) is a theater and film director. During 1946-82 he created 40 films. The film "Smile of a Summer Night" brought him worldwide fame. The last film was Fanny and Alexander. Bergman continues to work in the theater. The "divine" Greta Garbo (1905-90) made her Hollywood debut in 1926. Her beauty and voice made her one of the most popular and attractive actresses in the world. Ingrid Bergman (1915-82) arrived in Hollywood at the beginning of 1940s Her most famous film is Casablanca. She received three Oscars for her roles.

Jussi Björling (1911-60) was one of the world's leading tenors. He made his debut at the Stockholm Opera when he was not yet 20 years old. ABBA in the 1970s marked the beginning of an era of international recognition for Swedish pop music, which has become an important export item for the country. When ABBA ceased to exist in 1982, the number of records sold by them reached 250 million copies.

Björn Borg (born 1956) was named the most popular Swedish athlete of the 20th century, he entered the history of tennis by winning the Wimbledon tournament 5 times in a row. Among other athletes, skier Ingemar Stenmark can be distinguished. Swedish national teams achieved great success in ice hockey and bandy, tennis and table tennis, football and other sports.

The kingdom occupies the eastern and southern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula and the islands of Öland and Gotland in the Baltic Sea. In the west it borders on Norway, in the northeast - on Finland, in the east and south it is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea, separating in the south from Denmark.

The name of the country comes from the Scandinavian svear-rige - "the state of the Svens."

Official name: Kingdom of Sweden (Konungariket Sverige).

Capital:

The area of ​​the land: 450.5 thousand sq. km

Total population: 9.3 million people

Administrative division: Sweden is divided into 24 counties.

Form of government: A constitutional monarchy.

Head of State: King.

Composition of the population: 91% - Swedes, 3% - Finns, Saami, Norwegians, Danes, immigrants from the former Yugoslavia, Greeks, Turks. For many centuries the country was ethnically very homogeneous, consisting of the Swedes and the Sami themselves.

Official language: Swedish, Finnish, Meänkieli and Sami are also spoken.

Religion: 87% - the Lutheran church, there are also Catholics, Orthodox, Baptists, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists.

Internet domain: .se

Mains voltage: ~230 V, 50 Hz

Phone country code: +46

Country barcode: 730-739

Climate

Since the territory of Sweden has a significant extent in the submeridional direction, it is much colder in the north of the country and the growing season is shorter than in the south. Accordingly, the length of day and night also differs. However, in general, Sweden is characterized by a greater frequency of sunny and dry weather compared to many other countries in Northwest Europe, especially in winter.

Despite the fact that 15% of the country is located beyond the Arctic Circle, and all of it is located north of 55 ° N, due to the influence of winds blowing from the Atlantic Ocean, the climate is rather mild. Such climatic conditions are favorable for the development of forests, comfortable living for people and more productive agriculture than in continental regions located at the same latitudes. Throughout Sweden, winters are long and summers are short.

In Lund in the south of Sweden, the average January temperature is 0.8 ° C, July 16.4 ° C, and the average annual temperature is 7.2 ° C. In Karesuando in the north of the country, the corresponding figures are -14.5 ° C, 13.1 ° C and -2.8 ° C. Snow falls annually throughout Sweden, but the snow cover in Skåne lasts only 47 days, while in Karesuando - 170-190 days. The ice cover on the lakes lasts an average of 115 days in the south of the country, 150 days in central regions and at least 200 days - in the northern ones. Off the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, freezing begins approximately in mid-November and lasts until the end of May. Fogs are common in the northern part of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia.

The average annual rainfall ranges from 460 mm on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea and the far north of the country to 710 mm on west coast Southern Sweden. In the northern regions it is 460–510 mm, in the central regions it is 560 mm, and in the southern regions it is slightly more than 580 mm. The greatest amount of precipitation falls at the end of summer (in some places the second maximum is expressed in October), the least - from February to April. The number of days with storm winds varies from 20 per year on the western coast to 8–2 on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia.

Geography

Sweden is located in Northern Europe, in the eastern and southern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the west, Sweden borders on Norway, in the northeast - on Finland, and from the east and south it is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. In the south, the Øresund, Kattegat and Skagerrak straits separate Sweden from Denmark. Sweden consists of two large islands in the Baltic - Gotland and Öland.

The relief of the country is elevated, the northwestern part of the country is mountainous (the highest point is Mount Kebnekaise, 2111 m) and is framed from the east by a vast plateau, in the south the relief is more even and abounds in rivers and lakes (almost 90 thousand reservoirs in the country). Most of the country is covered with forests, in the north, vast areas are occupied by the tundra zone of Swedish Lapland. The coastline is heavily indented and replete with skerries and island groups. The area of ​​the country is 450 thousand square meters. km.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

According to the nature of natural vegetation in Sweden, five main areas are distinguished, confined to certain latitudinal zones:

1) an alpine region, uniting the northernmost and most elevated areas, with a predominance of colorful short grasses and dwarf forms of shrubs;

2) an area of ​​birch crooked forests, where squat trees with strongly twisted trunks grow - mainly birch, less often aspen and mountain ash;

3) the northern region of coniferous forests (the largest in the country) - with a predominance of pine and spruce;

4) the southern region of coniferous forests (largely reduced); in the surviving massifs, oak, ash, elm, linden, maple and other broad-leaved species are mixed with coniferous species;

5) area of ​​beech forests (almost not preserved); in these forests, along with beech, there are oak, alder and, in some places, pine.

In addition, azonal vegetation is widespread. Lush meadow vegetation grows around the lakes, and swamps with specific flora are common in places. On the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea, halophytic communities (plants growing on saline soils) are common.

Animal world

In Sweden, there are such forest dwellers as elk, brown bear, wolverine, lynx, fox, marten, squirrel, white hare. The American mink and muskrat were introduced from North America several decades ago for fur farming, but some individuals escaped and formed quite viable populations in nature, which quickly spread throughout the country (excluding some islands and Far North) and displacing the series native species animals from their ecological niches. Wild reindeer have been preserved in the north of Sweden.

Ducks, geese, swans, gulls, terns and other birds nest on the shores of the seas and lakes. In the rivers there are salmon, trout, perch, in the north - grayling.

Attractions

The country is richly endowed natural beauties and sights - the green fields of the south of the country and the harsh tundra of Lapland, the green hills of the west and the wooded cliffs of Norrbotten, picturesque islands and the skerries of the south and the calm shores of the Gulf of Bothnia, a huge lake system and many wild animals - all this attracts a huge number of tourists to the country. And its rich history and beautiful cities will allow you to get acquainted with original culture countries.

Banks and currency

Swedish krona. 1 crown is equal to 100 era. In circulation are banknotes in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10 kroons and coins of 10, 5, 1 kroon and 50 er.

Banks are open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 to 15:00, and on Thursday - from 9:30 to 17:30. Exchange offices at airports, railway stations, sea berths work seven days a week.

Currency exchange is carried out in banks, exchange offices and post offices.

Useful information for tourists

Normal store hours are from 10.00 to 18.00 on weekdays and from 10.00 to 15.00 on Saturday. Many shops are open on Sunday as well. Large department stores are open daily, but on Saturday, Sunday and holidays they have a shortened working day. In July, the “industrial holidays” begin (until mid-August), when all enterprises are closed, and institutions operate in an “economical” mode.

Sweden

Basic information about Sweden

Sweden ( official name: The Kingdom of Sweden) is one of the five Scandinavian countries, located in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders Norway in the west and Finland in the northeast. The south of Sweden is washed by the Baltic Sea. In the southwest, the Øresund, Kattegat and Skagerrak straits separate the country from Denmark, but are connected to it by the Øresund bridge. Sweden also has maritime borders with the Baltic countries, Germany, Poland and Russia.

Internet domains: .se

Telephone code: +46

Time zones: (UTC+1, summer UTC+2)

The Swedish flag consists of a yellow cross on a blue background. The design and colors were taken from the Coat of Arms of Sweden in 1442: blue divided by gold. Blue and yellow have been used as Swedish colors since at least 1275. The design from 1906 is currently in use.

Small Coat of Arms of Sweden

The State Emblem of Sweden is one of the main state symbols countries. Officially, there are two versions - large and small.

King Gustav Vasa

The last glacier retreated from the Scandinavian peninsula, and from the south peoples who had been gathering and hunting for many generations came to the region. The origin of agriculture began between 4000 and 3200 BC. BC. The first metal objects appeared already around 3000 BC, but still approximately before the 19th century BC. the use of bronze was so commonplace that we can speak of this era as bronze age. After that, the use of iron began as a cheap alternative to bronze, which became the main metal used in the period of the 6th-5th centuries BC. The first writing in the form of runes probably appeared around the 4th century BC, but it seems that their use had only a magical function. For the first time runes will be used as a means of communication only around the ninth year of our era. Around the same time, a more solid social organization is emerging.

The Christianization of Sweden began rather late in the 11th century, but without the intervention of foreign powers. The first historically confirmed Swedish king is Eric the Victorious, but this will be long before kings gain such power and influence that we can speak of them as rulers of a kingdom. During the 12th century, the power of the king began to spread to other provinces. In the 13th century, as the state expanded, beginning with Magnus Eriksson, the central Swedish government spread federal laws throughout the country.

The monarchy strengthened its position in the XIV century. The coast of the Upper Norrland was actively colonized by the Swedes. The Scandinavian countries were united by Denmark in the Union of Kalmar in 1397. For a number of reasons, these countries split up, and after civil war Gustav Vasa in 1523 defeated the Danes, thus seizing power in Sweden. Arbog's meeting in 1435 is often referred to as the first meeting of parliament (Swedish name: riksdag), although before that the kings had already assembled a council of the most powerful representatives of the nation. The functions and influence of the latter varied considerably; for a long time the parliament was three-estate. The period before 1680 was marked by the era of the division of power between the king and the nobility, which led to the emergence of powerful nobles. Due to the dissatisfaction of the population, an autocratic monarchy was proclaimed to the Parliament in 1680. During the 17th century, Sweden had a battle-hardened army that enabled it to become a great European power. In the following centuries, it clearly did not have enough internal resources to maintain its power. In 1809, the eastern part of its territory to Finland.

King Charles XIV Johan

As a reaction to defeat in the Great Northern War, the Age of Liberty began in 1719, leading to the creation of a constitutional monarchy governed by various constitutions adopted in 1772, 1789, and 1809, the last of which introduced many civil rights. During the reign of Gustav III, royal power increased for a short time. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Swedes conquered Kiel from Swedish Pomerania. In 1814, Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden in exchange for Swedish territories in Germany. However, Swedish rule did not completely extend over Norway, it adopted its own Constitution. The Danish prince Christian Frederik was elected king there. But the Swedish king Charles XIII, who returned home, heard about this event, and his army attacked Norway. The war did not last long, and Charles XIII was elected king of Norway. Norway retained its constitution, and the two kingdoms formally united on equal terms. The new agreement thus differed from the original agreement in Kiel. After that, Sweden stopped participating in wars.

Industrialization in the 1800s came quite late to Sweden compared to Britain, but very early compared to the rest of the world. The construction of railroads in the 1850s was of great importance for the country. The enterprises of Nitroglycerin AB, Lars Magnus Eriksson's chemical and electrical engineering companies held leading positions in the world at the end of the 19th century.

During World War I, Sweden remained neutral. The political influence of civil society gradually increased during the 19th century. The first reform of the electoral system was adopted in 1909, giving the right to vote to all men with proportional suffrage. In 1919, a decision was made to introduce universal and equal suffrage in Sweden, after King Gustav agreed to appoint the government of Sweden based on the decision of the Riksdag in 1917. The new suffrage was first applied in the elections of September 1921, after which a social democratic government came to power under the chairmanship of Carl Hjalmar Branting. In the 1920s different parties won the elections, but in 1932 the Social Democrats again headed the government, and from the summer of 1936 they remained the party in power until 1976. During World War II, a coalition government was created.

Even during the Second World War, the Swedes hoped that the Nordic countries would remain neutral in the confrontation between the warring parties, but the hope was buried by the Soviet attack on Finland and the Nazi invasion of Denmark and Norway. These events forced Sweden to pursue a pragmatic policy towards the outside world. After the end of the war, the coalition government disbanded and a purely social democratic government came to power. In the 1950s and 1960s large-scale reforms in social policy were carried out, in the early 1970s the labor market was re-regulated. The economic boom in these years allowed to raise the standard of living of citizens.

Swedish security policy was based on non-alignment with any side in times of peace in order to be able to maintain neutrality in times of war. Later, however, it was shown that formal non-alignment did not prevent close cooperation with NATO. Prime Minister Olof Palme nevertheless pursued an aggressive foreign policy, criticizing, among other things, the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa.

In 1971, the bicameral parliament was replaced by a unicameral one. In 1974, a comprehensive constitutional reform took place. In the 1970s, the economy deteriorated, and the energy issue became more relevant than ever. Criticism of nuclear power led the Riksdag to decide that no more nuclear power plants would be built.

Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 Soviet Union in 1991 and ending cold war led to a revision of the policy of Swedish non-alignment. Sweden's participation in the process of European integration has become more active. The Swedish government applied for membership of the European Union (EU) after participating in the EFTA, formed in 1960. Sweden joined the EU on January 1, 1995, after 52.3% of the country's population voted for membership in this organization in a referendum on November 13, 1994.

Sweden is located in northern Europe in the east of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and extends approximately 14 degrees latitude and 13 degrees longitude. In longitude, this difference corresponds to 52 minutes of solar time (between Haparanda in the east and Strömstad in the west). Sweden is the fifth largest country in Europe. The country is bordered by Norway to the west, Finland to the northeast, and Denmark to the southwest across the Øresund Bridge. Sweden also shares maritime borders with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Russia. The surrounding waters are the Gulf of Bothnia, which is part of the Baltic Sea, and in the southwest the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Øresund straits. Sweden is part of the geographical area of ​​the Nordic countries.

The east of Sweden is washed by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, a long coastline greatly affects the climate. To the west, the Scandinavian Mountains separate Sweden from Norway. The old name for this mountain range, in both Norwegian and Swedish: Köhlen. Sweden, since the XVIII century, has a fairly good watershed of this mountain range. The rivers in Northern Sweden usually flow east of the mountain range and often become quite wide (they are also called northern rivers).

Agricultural land is located mainly in the south of Sweden. The total area of ​​agricultural land is 2.7 million hectares. In general, however, 60% of this total area and 75% of the forest area has been developed. forest land Sweden belong to the western edge of the Eurasian taiga. The population density is also higher in the south and is concentrated mainly in Mälardalen, Bergslagen, the Öresund and Västra Götaland regions. In South Götaland are the headwaters of many rivers flowing in the middle of the highlands of Southern Sweden. In the south of Sweden the rivers are not as long and large as in the north. In Svealand and Götaland, however, there is the largest river in Sweden in terms of water flow and water basin: the Klarälven-Göta-Elv river, which includes Lake Vänern. Sweden has an unusually large number of lakes of various sizes. There are 95,795 lakes in Sweden[i] over 1 hectare and 221,831 islands in the sea and lakes.

In Sweden, the highest mountain is Kebnekaise with a height of 2,104 meters above sea level. The two largest islands: Gotland and Öland, two largest lakes: Venern and Vättern. Sweden stretches for 1,572 km from north to south, the greatest length from west to east is about 500 km.

Timber, hydropower and iron ore are important natural resources, and there is also copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, uranium, arsenic, tungsten, feldspar and manganese in the Baltic Sea.

Climate of Sweden

Sweden enjoys a mild temperate climate with large temperature fluctuations, despite its northerly location, which depends on the warmth of the Gulf Stream. Deciduous trees dominate in southern Sweden, coniferous forests in the north: pines and spruces, birches are usually found in landscaped areas. In the northern part of Sweden, covered with mountains, a subarctic climate prevails. This means that there are longer, colder and snowier winters. To the north of the Arctic Circle, on some days of summer the sun does not set below the horizon, white nights set in, while in winter there is complete darkness. The winter solstice is interrupted by only a few hours of dawn and dusk.

The annual rainfall is about 700 mm with relatively high volumes above western mountains. The average temperature in January ranges between 0°C in the south, a few degrees below zero in central Sweden down to -18°C in the north. In July, the temperature difference between north and south is much less than in winter. The average air temperature is around 17 °C in both regions of Götaland (slightly below highlands in southern Sweden) and Svealand (except for the western part). In the north along the coast, the average temperature decreases from about 17°C in Gavle to 14°C in Haparanda. In the mountains, however, the average temperature in July remains at a level slightly above 10 °C. Sweden has the most low temperature at -52.6 °C was recorded on 02.02.1966 in Vuogacholm, Lapland. The highest recorded temperature of 38 ° C was recorded in Ultuna, Uppland (07/09/1933) and the village of Mollilla, Småland, (06/29/1947).

Due to the large difference in latitude (Sweden extends from approximately 55 to 69 degrees north latitude), the vegetation of the north and south differs significantly. Growing zones (for planting trees and crops) and vegetative zones for the natural distribution of vegetation can be distinguished: from trees to grasses. In this regard, Sweden is divided into five main regions:

1. Broad-leaved forest of the southern region.
2. Pine forest of the southern region.
3. Coniferous forest of the northern region.
4. Birch region.
5. Naked mountain region.

The presence of deciduous forests in the southern region is explained by the offshoot of the distribution of deciduous forests of North-West Europe and the absence of a natural distribution of spruce. The region, covering the southern part of the western coast of the provinces of Skåne and Blekinge, is marked by the spread of beeches and other hardwoods. The number of elms has decreased due to a fungal disease. South Öland belongs to the broadleaf forest zone of the region, but is an exception due to the small presence of spruce.

The pine forest of the southern region is characterized by a mixture of coniferous trees with deciduous trees such as beeches and oaks. The northern border of beech distribution divides this region into two sub-regions. In nature, beech grows mixed with coniferous trees along the border from the middle of Bohuslän in the Oskarshamn region with exclaves on the plain of Västergötland. distribution border pine forest of the southern region completely coincides with the northern border of the oak distribution (only rare trees are found north of the pine forest of this region).

The coniferous forest of the northern region is characterized by the spread of spruce, pine, birch, alder, aspen and some other trees. In principle, all deciduous trees can be found here. The coniferous forest of the northern region is a direct offshoot of the Russian-Finnish taiga. The farther north, the rarer the forest.

In the mountainous areas, on low terrain, there is a birch region, where birch is the only large vegetation in the mountains. Low vegetation is flowers, lichens, blueberries.

Above a certain height in the mountains is a bare mountainous region. The height of the trees depends on the latitude and is higher, for example, in the Dala mountains than in the Riksgransen. The tundra may consist of both glacier or bare rock, and low vegetation during the summer.

Government and politics of Sweden

Swedish system of government

Residences of the Cabinet of Ministers (left) and Parliament (right)

Sweden is a state with a representative democracy and an elected parliament (Riksdag), the country is led by a government headed by a prime minister. Formally, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, where the king is the head of state.

The current head of state is King Carl XVI Gustaf, the heir to the throne is Princess Victoria, the head of government is Prime Minister Stefan Leven, and the speaker of parliament is Urban Alin.

The laws of the kingdom are made by a parliament of 349 directly elected members in free elections. Parliament consists of one chamber. The government is accountable to parliament. New bills are usually created by the government, but members of the Riksdag can also initiate new laws and submit them for discussion. Members of the Swedish Parliament - the deputies of the Riksdag - are elected every four years by a proportional electoral system. Election Day is the second Sunday in September, on the same day members of the city and county councils are elected. Deputies and all other politicians are chosen by voters who vote for different political parties, which, in turn, represent different political ideologies. All citizens over the age of 18 can vote in parliamentary elections and are free to form political parties or stand for election, choosing a political position. Swedish politic system based largely on representative democracy, in which politicians, as representatives of the people, should reflect the composition of the population as far as possible. In parliamentary elections, there is a 4% barrier that prevents parties that do not overcome this barrier from obtaining a parliamentary mandate.

Sweden has four constitutional laws: the Government Act, the Succession Act, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Freedom of Expression Act. The law of Parliament has the status of constitutional law and customary law. The constitution begins with the following paragraph:

“All state power in Sweden comes from the people. Swedish democracy is based on the free formation of opinions and on universal and equal suffrage. It is implemented through representatives and a parliamentary form of government and through local self-government. State power is exercised in accordance with the law.”

The constitution can only be changed by two identical decisions of Parliament and a general election between them. In addition, if the Riksdag has taken the first decision to change the Constitution, a referendum must be held before the second decision. The result of such a referendum is binding. The Council reviews the new bill and considers how it affects the Constitution and the legal system, the legal security and the rights of the European Union, and how these provisions relate to each other.

In Sweden, the faith no longer has real power, the monarchy performs symbolic state functions with almost exclusively ceremonial duties. The constitution was written partly with the aim of "with a stroke of the pen" to abolish the monarchy and proclaim a republic, the Royal Family, however, is still very popular, so the question of its status, for pragmatic reasons, was no longer raised.

The government governs the country and is appointed after a general election through negotiations in Parliament,led by a speaker. The speaker nominates the prime minister based on who has the most support in the newly elected parliament. On the proposal of the Speaker, Parliament appoints the Prime Minister. The prime minister, in turn, appoints ministers to the government. The government must be supported by a majority of the members of the Swedish Parliament. Parliament also has a controlling function both over the government and over the authorities; the government is controlled, among other things, by a parliamentary constitutional committee. Parliament may also require checking whether the government still enjoys the support of Parliament. Parliament can force the government to resign; this can be realized if at least 35 members unite and put forward a vote of no confidence.

Swedish governance is based on the principles of decentralization. Municipalities and state institutions have an unusually strong position enshrined in the Constitution. There are a total of about 380 different government agencies in Sweden. The Ombudsman is an unusual political institution invented in Sweden. Sweden has several ombudsmen who enforce individual rights against authorities, organizations and companies. The Parliamentary Ombudsman is the main ombudsman who protects the rights of citizens from the side of the authorities.

Sweden is a member of the EU and the Swedish Constitution is subject to the European Union, but the relationship between the two is not entirely clear. About 80% of all new laws adopted in Sweden since the first directives have been approved within the framework of EU laws. Sweden has 20 out of 751 seats in the European Parliament and the Swedish government's representation in the Council of the European Union. Cecilia Malmström, a Swede, sits in the European Commission, but she does not represent Sweden, but the interests of Europe as a whole. Sweden has long been one of the countries that implemented the EU directives the most. However, in recent years, the percentage of sales has slightly decreased. As a result of EU membership, foreign and security policy has been developed in Sweden in part in cooperation with other countries. The government represents Sweden's interests in the EU, but in order to express its parliamentary position in the European Union, the government constantly consults with the Swedish Parliament.

Politics of Sweden

For most of the 20th century, there were five different parties in the Swedish parliament, representing socialism, social democracy, liberalism, conservatism and rural interests. At the end of the 20th century, the Green Party (1988) and the Christian Democrat Party (1991) entered the parliament. The Swedish Democrats have been in Parliament since 2010. In the 1991 elections, the New Democracy party entered parliament, but after the 1994 elections, it almost completely disappears from Swedish politics. Since the 2014 elections, the largest political parties that have not entered parliament are the Feminist Initiative, the Pirate Party and Unity.

Representatives of the Swedish parliamentary parties and the Feminist Initiative party are represented in the EU Parliament after the June 2014 EU parliamentary elections. The Pirate Party in 2009-2014 received two seats in the European Parliament.

Political factions

Government:
Social Democratic Party (113)
Green Party (25)

Opposition:
Moderate coalition party (84)
Swedish Democrats (49)
Center Party (22)
Left Party (21)
People's Party - Liberals (19)
Christian Democratic Party (16)

The Social Democrats dominated in the 1930s political life Sweden and constantly headed power from 1932 to 1976, between 1968 and 1970 she owned the majority of seats in parliament. Since the late 1990s, the Social Democratic Party has relied on the support of the Green Party and the Left Party to form a government. In recent decades, the dominance of the Social Democrats has been shaken by the repeated confident victories of the bourgeois parties. In the parliamentary elections in 2006, the Alliance for Sweden, consisting of the Moderate Party, the Liberal People's Party, the Center Party and the Christian Democrat Party, formed a majority coalition. The leader of the Moderate Party, Fredrik Reinfeldt, served as Prime Minister of Sweden, but after the parliamentary elections in 2010 he became the leader of a minority government. After the parliamentary elections in 2014, the Social Democrat Stefan Löfven, who led a minority government together with the Green Party, becomes prime minister again.

In connection with the holding of parliamentary elections, elections are also held for municipal and district councils. The parties currently represented in parliament also make up the majority of seats at the local level. In addition, there are also purely local or regional parties in municipal and district councils, as well as more or less nationwide small parties running in local elections. The Feminist Initiative, the Independent Rural Party, the Communist Party, the Health Party, the Justice Party, the Socialist Party and the Swedish Pensioners' Party are examples of parties outside parliament but which are represented at the local level.

In foreign policy Sweden participates in multilateral cooperation and is one of those states that are members of the majority international organizations. Sweden is one of the largest contributors to the UN budget. Sweden also provides one of the highest contributions in the EU and the highest per capita contribution to the UNHCR. Sweden has previously been active in UN peacekeeping operations, but its participation has drastically declined in recent years. Instead, Sweden is cooperating more and more with NATO and has sent more than 500 people to Afghanistan.

Judiciary in Sweden

Until the 19th century, the Swedish judicial system, as in the rest of Europe, imposed cruel and arbitrary punishments on criminals. In the 18th century, criminal law was criticized by Cesare Beccaria and other philosophers of the Enlightenment. Criticisms put forward by Beccaria among others will be of great importance for modern Swedish criminal law. But Beccaria's ideas for abolition of the death penalty and other reforms in penal policy were hard to find support in the Swedish parliament on the sole ground that the theocratic doctrine of retribution still enjoyed strong support. In the 19th century, there were three main criminal ideological schools: the classical school, the school of positivism, and the sociological school. All schools considered the prevention of crime as their main goal, in contrast to the old point of view, which put punishment as a basic principle.

In Sweden, the sociological school dominated the 20th century, although the positivist school also influenced the development of the correctional function and greater efforts to reintegrate the individual into society. The courts in their decisions took into account the individual motives of people, so the sentences of judges for the same crimes varied greatly. Since the main reforms of the Swedish criminal justice system took place at the end of the 20th century, the neoclassical criminological school has had a great influence on Swedish law and judicial practice. Neoclassicism was more critical than the previous system, which contained arbitrary and compulsive actions. The school emphasized proportionality, equality, transparency and punishment (rather than correction), as well as the principles on which the Swedish judiciary operates to this day.

The judicial system is divided into general courts, general administrative courts and special courts. General courts are considered as civil cases (disputes between individuals), and criminal cases, while general administrative courts deal with disputes between citizens and authorities. The activities of the general courts are divided into different jurisdictions. These are local district and administrative courts, whose decisions can be appealed to the regional courts of appeal, courts of appeal, administrative courts of appeal, the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court (formerly the Supreme Administrative Court), as the highest courts in each system.

Some issues are considered in special courts. These include the Labor Court, the Market Court, the Patent Court of Appeal, the Land and Environmental Court, and the Migration Court. Certain labor decisions that have been heard in the District Court of First Instance may be appealed to the Labor Court. Decisions of the Labor Court or the Market Court cannot be appealed.

Swedish Police

A distinctive feature of the Swedish police is that the entire organization, which has 20,040 police officers (of which 33% are women) and 10,299 civil servants (of which 67% are women) as of January 01, 2019, is a public authority, although each police department in the county has its own powers. The average age of police officers is 43 years. About 9% of employees will reach the age of 65 within the next 5 years.

Defense of Sweden

The term "general protection" is used in Sweden as a collective term for military and civil defense. Sweden was not in military alliances for most of the 20th century, but now has close cooperation with NATO, participating in the Partnership for Peace, and cooperates with the EU in the field of defense. The word "neutrality" has disappeared from Swedish security policy. The share of defense in 2018 was less than 1.1%.[i] International cooperation is gradually becoming more important than the previously dominant task of defending one's territory from invasion.

The defense of Sweden consists of the army, navy and air force. The navy, in turn, consists of an armed fleet and landing units. All defense forces are included in the Swedish Armed Forces. In the 1990s, a few years after the Cold War, a long period of gradual decline in the Swedish defense force began. The Swedish Armed Forces were constantly replenished with conscripts, but from the beginning of the 1990s, their conscription began to decrease. Compulsory military service has been suspended since July 1, 2010, and the personnel of the Defense Forces are currently composed partly of professional soldiers, partly of volunteers.

Demographics of Sweden

Population density in the municipalities of Sweden (number of inhabitants per 1 km²)

As of January 01, 2019, Sweden has a population of 10,230,185 inhabitants. increased by 109,943 inhabitants (1.086%) compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, of which 78% came from immigrants.

The country has a population density of 22 people per square kilometer. Thus, the country, which occupies the 89th place in the world in terms of population[i] , occupies one of the last places in the world in terms of population density. Population density tends to be higher in southern Sweden. For example, it can be noted that in the province of Lapland with an area of ​​109,702 km²91 666 inhabitants live; and in the municipality of Lund, which has an area of ​​only 439.91 km², lives 122 948 inhabitants.

In 2018, life expectancy was 83.83 years for women and 79.84 years for men.21% of the population were under 17 and 19.9% ​​over 65. The infant mortality rate is one of the lowest in the world: 2.41 children per 1,000 births. The total fertility rate was 1.75 in 2018.

The first ancestors of modern Swedes came to Sweden 12 - 13,000 years ago. These groups of hunter-gatherers crossed the ice and initially settled in Scone. Modern research points to a number of ancient waves of immigration; from the Middle East through the Balkans (haplogroup I), from Central Asia through Southern Europe (haplogroup R1b), from Central Asia from the west (haplogroup R1a), from Southeast Asia through Siberia (haplogroup N), Neolithic farmers who came around 4200 BC (haplogroups E, G, J). Further research shows that ethnic Swedes are mostly (about 80%) descendants of early hunter-gatherers, and only to a lesser extent (20%) are descendants of late Neolithic farmers.

The Saami have indigenous status, immigrating from the east between 8,000 and 5,000 years ago. Today there are over 20,000 Saami in Sweden.[i] Also immigrated to the north were formerly Finnish peoples from the east, who are now known as Tornedalians. Immigrant ethnic minorities are also Swedish Finns (the majority live in Rattvika Finnmark and Orsa Finnmark), Gypsies and Jews; the last two ethnic groups have existed in Sweden since the 16th and 17th centuries, with more coming from the 19th century. Up to a thousand Walloons immigrated in the 17th century.

In 2018, there were 1,955,569 people born in foreign countries (19.1%). In total, 24.1% of the population was born abroad, or both parents were born abroad.

Languages ​​in Sweden

Since 1 July 2009, Swedish has been officially approved as the primary language of Sweden, and the same law specifies that Swedish must be the official language of Sweden in an international context. The native languages ​​of national minorities in Sweden are the Sami language, Meenkieli, Finnish, Romani dialects and Yiddish. Romani dialects and Yiddish are so-called extraterritorial languages ​​of national minorities, which means that they are not tied to a particular region or to a particular area. Other languages ​​of national minorities have a stronger position than extraterritorial languages. Representatives of minorities in some municipalities have the right to contact the authorities and receive care for older people on their mother tongue. Research and teaching in all five languages ​​must by law be carried out in at least one Swedish university. In Sweden, sign language has a status similar to minority languages. The Elfdalian dialect has recently begun to be considered as a separate language, but does not have the official status of a national minority language.

Medieval immigration to Sweden was modest compared to the numbers local population and consisted of German artisans and merchants in the cities. From the 17th century until the beginning of the 19th century, Sweden had restrictions on the immigration of people who were not Protestants (in practice, the ban was imposed on Catholics and Jews).

After World War II, immigration increased significantly. During the 1950s and 60s, immigrants from Southern Europe came to Sweden in search of work. In particular, Finns, Norwegians, Danes, Germans, Poles, Croats, Albanians, Serbs, Bosnians, Turks, Iraqis, Iranians, Kurds, Assyrians, Syrians, Lebanese, Chileans, Greeks and Somalis immigrated.

From 1875 to 2018, 4,466,013 people immigrated to Sweden, but during the same period, 3,316,010 people left Sweden.

In the post-war period, there were many immigrants from Finland, Germany, Poland, Iran, the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Later, immigrants from the Middle East were Kurds, Assyrians, Syrians, Arabs, Palestinians, Moroccans.

In 2018, 132,602 people immigrated and 46,981 people emigrated.

Religion in Sweden

Sweden is one of the least religious countries in the world. Sociological research on religion shows that up to 85% of the Swedish population can be classified as atheists, agnostics or non-believers in God. 65.9% of all Swedes are formally members of the Lutheran Swedish Church. The Church of Sweden was formerly considered the state church of Sweden and its terms and existence have been enshrined in the Swedish Church Act since 1998. The law came into force in 2000, when the relationship between church and state was changed. Despite a large number of people who identify themselves as members of the Swedish church, parishioners rarely attend church services. A total of 65% of those born in Sweden are baptized in a Swedish church. A small majority of ceremonies take place outside the Swedish church, but almost 84% of funerals are held as part of church events.

There are other faiths in Sweden brought by immigrants from other parts of the world. Religious minorities include Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims and non-conformist Protestants. Only about 25,000 of the 450,000 Muslims in Sweden are active believers (in the sense that they participate in Friday prayers and pray five times a day). There are also Buddhists, Jews, Hindus and Baha'is in Sweden. Among the rest of the confessions, pagan groups stand out, who practice the modern Asatru and the traditional Sami religion.

Economy of Sweden

Also, the poverty rate in Sweden is one of the lowest in the world, whether it refers to relative or absolute poverty. Income inequality has been increasing in Sweden for over a decade.

Sweden is one of the countries with a high level of social capital. This means that trust between citizens as individuals and the authorities is very high. One consequence of high social capital is the low level of corruption, as in several other Western European countries.

Infrastructure in Sweden

Public transport in Sweden

Since 1983 local and regional public transport in Sweden has been organized at the county level. A government agency was established in each district. Regional authorities are responsible for metro, tram, city and regional buses, and regional trains. Some authorities are also responsible for other modes of transport (boats).

Energy in Sweden

In 2017, hydropower generated 63.9 TWh of electricity (40.2% of total electricity), nuclear power generated 63 TWh of electricity (39.6%), thermal power generated 14.8 TWh/ h (9.3%) and wind energy - 17.3 TWh (10.9%). Solar energy began to develop only in 2011, and in 2016 it produced 143 GWh of electricity. The trend of recent years shows that the capacity of thermal energy has decreased, and the capacity of wind energy has increased. Overall electricity consumption has decreased slightly and Sweden has become a net exporter of electricity, mainly to Finland.The Swedish high voltage power grid is connected to the power grids of Norway, Finland, Denmark and Poland.

The country has ten nuclear reactors at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant, the Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant and the Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant. Hydroelectric power plants are concentrated in large dams on the rivers of the northern part of the country. Sweden does not produce oil and is therefore dependent on imports of oil and other fuels.

On the other hand, the country has large reserves of forests used as biofuels in remote power plants. Forest and agricultural products can be used for fuel production.

Sweden has a developed network highways, especially in the southern regions of the country in the settlements of Skåne, Gothenburg, the west coast of Sweden, Östergötland and in the Stockholm region. Secondary roads in sparsely populated areas may be dirt roads, especially in the north of the country. From Skåne, motorways reach Denmark via the Øresund Bridge, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Gävle. From Gothenburg, the motorway goes even further into Norway, the E6 motorway acts as an international transit highway between Copenhagen and Oslo. Roads in Sweden are included in the mainland motorway network and are connected to the rest of Europe via the Øresund Bridge to Denmark, and further to Germany.

Railways in Sweden

In Sweden, railways began to be built from the middle of the 19th century, although many tracks, especially in rural areas, were closed in the second half of the 20th century.

Railways are unevenly developed in the country. The rail network starts with Stockholm as the center and extends to other parts of Sweden. The railways also cover Denmark, Norway, and also via ferries Germany, and are also connected to Finland via Haparanda and are currently intended only for freight traffic. In some regions, the rail network is well developed and rail traffic is very dense, especially in the regions around Stockholm, Gothenburg and Skåne. However, in other regions, the railway networks are very poorly developed. The northern regions generally only have no more than a couple of tracks.

Air travel in Sweden

There are many international airports in Sweden, of which Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is the largest. It is followed by Gothenburg-Landvetter, Stockholm-Bromma Airport, Stockholm-Skavsta Airport, Malmö Airport and Luleå Airport. In the southernmost part of Sweden, the Danish airport Kastrup is widely used. Many major international airlines operate from airports. The largest airline is Scandinavian Airlines, but there are other airlines of great importance, such as Lufthansa and Ryanair. Arlanda Airport also has a railway that runs both south and north with heavy traffic.

Maritime traffic in Sweden

Swedish maritime history is of great importance for the history of Sweden and trade relations, not least because of its geographical position. In practice, shipping is developed in Sweden, like any other island nation. With one of the longest coastlines in Europe and relatively good port conditions, maritime traffic accounts for the majority of Sweden's foreign trade - around 90%. The country has more than 200 ships registered in the Swedish ship registry. The total number of Swedish controlled ships, including those registered abroad, is about 600. Tankers and ro-ro ships are the main types of ships, and Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsingborg and Trelleborg are the most important maritime cities.

Administrative divisions of Sweden

Sweden is divided into 21 districts (len). Each county has a county administrative council appointed by the Swedish government and a representation of local peoples. Len is divided into municipalities and there are a total of 290 municipalities. Historically and traditionally, there is also a division of the country into provinces and regions. They have no administrative significance.

Swedish architecture

Until the 14th century, most buildings were built of bricks and wood. But then stone became a building material. Romanesque churches were the first Swedish stone buildings. Many of them that were built in Skåne were Danish churches. For example, this is the Lund Cathedral in Lund, built in the 12th century, and several churches in Dalby. There are also many other ancient Gothic churches built under the influence of the Hanseatic League, as in Ystad, Malmö and Helsingborg.

Cathedrals in other parts of Sweden were built to house Swedish bishops. Skara Cathedral was built in the 15th century and Uppsala Cathedral in the 16th century. The foundation of Linköping Cathedral was laid in 1230, the building material of which was limestone, but the building itself took 250 years to build.

Among other old structures, a number of important fortresses and historical buildings stand out, for example, Borgholm Castle, Hallthorps Manors and Eketorp Fortress in Åland, Nyköping Castle and city ​​wall around Visby.

Around 1520, during the reign of King Gustav Vasa, the construction of large mansions, castles and fortresses began. Some of the most grandiose structures include the castles of Kalmar, Gripsholm and Vadstena.

For the next two centuries, Swedish architecture was dominated by the Baroque and later Rococo styles. Notable projects from that time include the city of Karlskrona, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Drottningholm Palace.

1930 was the year of the great Stockholm exhibition, which marked the breakthrough of functionalism. This style came to dominate in the following decades. Some well-known projects of this kind are affordable, but a little strange residential complexes.

Skyscrapers in Sweden

The Scandinavian countries are famous for having many skyscrapers, but Sweden is the country that has built the most. In Malmö and Stockholm there are a few skyscrapers over 80 meters high, but they are not densely built in the so-called business zones (for example, in Frankfurt or La Défense). Turning Torso (Swedish for "Turning Torso") in Malmö is the tallest skyscraper in the Nordic countries and the second tallest residential building in Europe. Many Swedish cities have been inspired by this skyscraper.

Culture in Sweden

Swedish culture is an integral part of Scandinavian, Germanic and Western cultures. August Strindberg is often regarded as one of Sweden's most important writers. On international level he is best known as a playwright. Also, the writer Astrid Lindgren had great international success. Nobel laureates Selma Lagerlöf and Harry Martinson are well known. The most famous Swedish artists are painters Alexander Roslin, Anders Zorn and Carl Larsson. The famous sculptors of Sweden are Carl Milles and Tobias Sergel. In the 20th century, Swedish culture became known for its films, made by the likes of Moritz Stiller and Viktor David Sjöström. Between the 1920s and the 80s, director Ingmar Bergman, actors Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman became world famous people. Films by Roy Andersson, Lasse Hölström and Lukas Mudisson have won international awards.

Soprano soloists Jenny Lind and Birgit Nilsson achieved worldwide fame in the opera. Swedish popular music has had great success intermittently, thanks to the work of bands and partly to successful producers and songwriters. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the ABBA group played a leading role in pop music, while the Roxette group (Rockset) became famous in the second half of the 1980s, and in the early 1990s became famous group Ace Of Base.

Public support for culture is very common in Sweden. The general population participates in many cultural events, an example of this is the choir with the participation of tens of thousands of Swedes.

Swedish culture is very different from other cultures in the world, being much more universalistic, secular and oriented towards post-materialistic values. It can also be described as egalitarian, anti-nationalist, open to the world and with a pronounced individualism. The main value in Swedish society is the maximum equality between women and men.

Swedish cuisine, like the other Scandinavian countries of Denmark and Norway, is traditionally simple. Fish (especially herring), meat and potatoes play a prominent role in cooking. Spices are used quite modestly. Famous Swedish dishes: These are Swedish meatballs, traditionally served with sauce, boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam; pancakes, dried fish and a buffet. Aquavit is a popular alcoholic drink. In various places in Sweden, herring in Northern Sweden and eel in Skåne in southern Sweden are also important foods.

Based on information sites http://www.scb.se "Statistics of Sweden", https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverige "Sweden", http://imagebank.sweden.se "Official images of the Bank of Sweden" and others.

Sweden is distinguished by a low population density (10 million people live here - less than in Moscow), a long sea ​​coast, dense forests and countless lakes. This is one of the northernmost countries in the world. In terms of area, it is comparable to Spain, Thailand or the US state of California. Sweden's borders have not changed since 1905, and the country has not participated in wars since 1814 - which makes Sweden one of the most peaceful countries on the globe.

Contrasts of day and night

Wealth of wildlife

The diversity of Sweden's landscapes is matched by the abundance of its fauna: from wolves and brown bears in the north to roe deer and wild boars in the south. Biological diversity is the result of the richness of the plant and water world.

Large by European standards, the country stretches from north to south for 1572 km. According to the climatic zone, coniferous forests, in particular pine and spruce, predominate in Sweden. The further south, the more often they are adjacent to deciduous groves: birch and aspen. The very south of Sweden is gentle, picturesque fields and hills, thinned out by copses and surrounded by long sandy beaches. Thanks to the limestone-rich soil, combined with the mild climate, the islands of Gotland, Öland and parts of the Scandinavian mountains are characterized by a special flora - including various types of orchids.

Facts and figures

Capital: Stockholm

Population: 10 million

Total area: 528,447 sq. km, the third largest country in Western Europe, after France and Spain

Lifespan: Men - 81 years, women - 84 years

Population born outside the country: 17%

Religion: The Church of Sweden is Evangelical Lutheran. Numerous other faiths and religions are also represented in the country.

Language: Swedish

Form of government: Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy

Parliament: Riksdag, unicameral, 349 deputies

Education: 9 years of compulsory schooling, most pupils study for 12 years (including “gymnasium”). About a third continue their education at universities and colleges.

Working hours: The standard working week is 40 hours, the minimum paid vacation is 5 weeks.

Telephone code: +46

Internet domain:.se

Timezone: GMT+1

Currency: 1 crown (SEK) = 100 ore

GDP per capita (PPP): USD 51,475

GNI per capita: USD 49,680

Population largest cities(including suburbs):

Stockholm: 2,315,612

Gothenburg: 1,015,974

Malmö: 721,926

Main export products: Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and plastic products, electronics and telecommunications equipment, energy products, industrial equipment, road vehicles, minerals, food

National parks

In 1910 Sweden became the first European state who established national parks. The beginning was laid in the mountains of Norrland, a region in the north of the country. This helped to save one of the last corners of virgin nature in Europe from destruction. Then, throughout Sweden, vast areas were declared nature reserves and protected areas of cultural heritage.

The rule of universal access to natural lands ( allemansratten) says that everyone has the right to walk through forests and meadows, pick berries and mushrooms - without separate permission landowners. But this right is also associated with obvious duties: to respect private property and treat nature with care.

Geography of Sweden

Length from north to south: 1,574 km

Length from west to east: 499 km

Urbanized and industrial territories: 3%

Agricultural grounds: 8%

Forests: 53% Swamps: 9%

Fields: 7% Mountains: 12%

Lakes and rivers: 9%

highest mountain: Kebnekaise (2.103 m)

Largest lake: Vanern (5,650 sq km)

National symbols of Sweden

The official Swedish heraldry is the yellow and blue flag, the national symbol "Three Crowns", the national anthem, and the coat of arms in two versions: large and small. The oldest images of a blue flag with a yellow cross that have survived to this day date back to the 16th century. The very symbol of the yellow cross in the Swedish army has been applied to banners and standards since time immemorial. It is based on the outlines of the ancient coat of arms of the kingdom with a blue background, divided into four parts by a golden cross. The sign of the "three crowns" has been used as the state emblem of Sweden since at least 1336, but long before that it was known to Europeans as a symbol of the "Three Wise Kings".

Since 1916, the Swedish Flag Day has appeared in the Swedish calendar - June 6th. In 1983 it was renamed the National Day of Sweden, and in 2004 it was proclaimed public holiday and weekends. The date was chosen immediately for two reasons: on June 6, 1523, the first Swedish king, Gustav Vasa, ascended the throne, and on the same day in 1809, the country adopted a new Constitution that granted citizens civil liberties and rights.

National anthem of Sweden

The text "Du Gamla, Du Fria" ("You are ancient, you are free") was composed by the ballad writer and folklorist Richard Dübeck (1811-1877), and its musical basis was a mid-19th-century folk melody from the province of Västmanland in central Sweden. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, this ballad gained such popularity that it was declared the national anthem of Sweden.

Sweden - Kingdom of Sweden (Sweden, Konungariket Sverige)

State in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The name of the country comes from the Old Norse Svea and Rige - "the state of the Svei". Member of the UN, the European Union since January 1, 1995, a country that has signed the Schengen Agreement. The main types of tourism in the country -excursions, ecotourism, fishing, outdoor activities (mountain skiing, snowboarding).

general information

Location, territory and landscape

Sweden is a country in Northern Europe, located in the eastern and southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the west, Sweden borders on Norway (the length of the border is 1619 km), in the northeast - on Finland (614 km), and from the east and south it is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. In the south, the Øresund, Kattegat and Skagerrak straits separate Sweden from Denmark. Sweden consists of two large islands in the Baltic - Gotland and Öland.

Territory country is 449,964 km².

On the territory of Sweden, two large natural regions can be distinguished - northern and southern. The relief in the north and west is dominated by plateaus and mountains, the Scandinavian mountains stretch along the border with Norway, where the highest mountain Kebnekaise has a height of 2123 m. Between the Scandinavian mountains and the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Sea lie the Norland plateau, the Central Swedish lowland and the Småland upland. The southern peninsula of Skåne is flat.

Population: over 9 million 720 thousand people.

Capital: Stockholm ( Swede. Stockholm, population - 870 thousand people).

Largest cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala.

Languages: Swedish, the majority of the population speaks fairly good English.

Religion: most of the believers (or 70% of the population) belong to the Church of Sweden - the Lutheran Church. Between 250,000 and 450,000 Muslims live in Sweden as a result of immigration, and more than 18,000 Jews. There are also Catholics and Baptists in the country. Part of the Saami professes animism.

Timezone: UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer time).

Telephone code: +46.

Currency: Swedish krona (SEK), 1.00 USD ≅ 6.63 SEK , 1.00 EUR ≅ 9.06 SEK .

Credit cards of payment systems: Visa, MasterCard, American Express.

Climate and average temperature

Despite being located in the northern latitudes, Sweden is a country with a temperate climate, mainly due to the Gulf Stream. The Scandinavian mountains protect the northern, western and eastern regions of Sweden from the Atlantic winds, so winters are colder and summers are short. The average January temperature is around -14°C, and in some areas up to -16°C. In summer, the average temperature is +17 °C. In the southwest of Sweden from Gothenburg to Malmö and on the islands in the Baltic, climatic conditions are moderated by warm Atlantic winds. Winters are warmer here, and summers are longer, but rainy.

Flora and fauna

In the northern parts, taiga forests (pine, spruce, birch, and aspen) predominate; to the south, mixed coniferous-broad-leaved forests; and in the extreme south, broad-leaved forests (oak and beech). The subarctic climate dominates in the northern mountainous regions. Part of the country is located beyond the Arctic Circle, where the sun does not set at night in the summer, and the polar night sets in in winter. The waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia soften the climate even more in the eastern parts.

Sweden is characterized by hilly landscapes, podzolic soils, which are characterized by strong rockiness, low thickness, a predominance of sandy and gravel varieties, as well as coniferous forests. Most of the country is covered with forests (53%), according to this indicator, Sweden ranks first in Europe. Taiga forests predominate on podzolic soils, forming large massifs north of 60°N. sh. and consisting mainly of pine and spruce, with an admixture of birch, aspen and other hardwoods. To the south - mixed coniferous-broad-leaved forests on soddy-podzolic soils, and on the Skåne peninsula - broad-leaved oak and beech forests on brown forest soils. In the north, vast areas are occupied by the tundra zone of Swedish Lapland. The coastline is heavily indented and replete with skerries and island groups.

Mammals in Sweden are not very diverse (about 70 species), but there are many of them. In the north of Lapland, you can easily see herds of reindeer. Roe deer, elk, squirrels, hares, foxes, martens are also found in the forests, in the northern taiga - lynxes, wolverines, brown bears. There are about 340 species of birds: swans, gulls, ducks, geese, terns and other birds nest on the shores of the seas and lakes. More than 160 species of fish live in the rivers: salmon, trout, perch, in the north - grayling.

In 1964, the law on environmental protection came into force, and in Sweden, one of the first European countries, national parks appeared (the first of them was created back in 1909). Now in Sweden there are about 16 national parks and about 900 nature reserves.

How to get there

Regular direct flights by Aeroflot and SAS from Moscow to Stockholm depart daily, the flight duration is about 2 hours. SAS (six times a week) and STC Rossiya (2 flights a week) also fly from St. Petersburg - 1.5 hours in the air. For a trip to the southern part of Sweden, it is better to use Copenhagen Airport: only 20 minutes by train across the bridge separate Malmö from Denmark. Aeroflot and SAS fly to Copenhagen every day from Moscow (2 hours on the way), SAS flies from St. Petersburg 6 times a week. The duration of the flight is 2.5 hours.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit the country is the summer season. when all cities and villages hospitably open the doors of their hotels, museums, restaurants and cafes for numerous tourists. However, you can also come to Sweden in winter, from December to January - very mild climate in Sweden turns out to be a rather pleasant surprise for those who associate the North exclusively with cold.

Popular tourist sites

Stockholm - the capital of Sweden, which is located on 14 islands off the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea, and in the northwest the city is washed by Lake Mälaren. In 1998 Stockholm was elected cultural capital Europe. The Old Town area of ​​Stockholm is over 750 years old. An unusually beautiful city on the islands, where most of the sights of this wonderful country are concentrated, the main ones are Cathedral of Saint Nicholas- the main church of the city, where the Swedish monarchs are crowned; Royal Palace(the largest of these palaces in the world), which is the residence of the Swedish kings; Riddaholm Church- the burial place of Swedish kings and aristocrats; City Hall "Stadhuset" where the Nobel Prize ceremonies take place. The City Hall is located on the island of Kungsholmen. It was built in the style of national romanticism in 1923.

The National Museum of Art contains collections of paintings, sculptures, drawings, graphics from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Here are the works of Cezanne, Goya, Rembrandt and Rubens. Stockholm even has a national city park - "Royal Ecological Park". It is the world's first urban national park. At the service of tourists historical palaces, museums, parks, restaurants, design hotels and shopping. From Stockholm you can also make day trips, for example, to the old university town of Uppsalu or by boat to the skerries.

Gothenburg - the second largest city in the country, which is located on the shores of the Kattegat. It is also the main port of the country and the seat of the bishop. Of the main attractions of this wonderful city, one can single out the oldest building in Gothenburg - Artillery Arsenal Krunhuset(1643) City Hall(1672); the Exchange building, which was built in the 19th century; 62m Sea Tower and the Maritime Center next to the port; church of Christina (17th century); House of the East India Company (1750), which now houses the Historical and Archaeological Museums; Getaplatsen square with Poseidon fountain. From this square begins the main street of the city - Avenue, there are many different shops and restaurants, cafes and entertainment centers. Along the Avenue also stand the Opera House and the Concert Hall, which is considered one of the best in the world.

There are 16 museums in Gothenburg, among which the most interesting are the City Museum, Art Museum, Ethnographical museum, the Ross Museum (the only museum of arts and crafts and design in Sweden), the Museum of the History of Medicine, the Observatory, the Science Museum "Experimentum", the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Navigation "Sjofarhistoriska Museum". Gothenburg is also home to the largest Botanical Garden Sweden, where more than 12,000 species of plants, flowers, herbaceous and forest plants from all over the world are represented. From Gothenburg begins the famous Gyota channel, which ends in the vicinity of the city of Söderköping and connects the Kattegat and the Gulf of Bothnia. A boat trip on the Göta Canal is considered one of the main excursions in Sweden.

Ski resorts in Sweden: Idre(Idre) Selen(Salen) and Ore(Are), which includes ski areas Tegefjell, Ore By, Ore Bjornen and Duved.