Country	Sweden
Capital	Stockholm
Continent	Europe
Currency	Swedish krona(SEK)
Languages	Swedish

Locaion

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Geographic Co ordinates

62 00 N, 15 00 E

Land Boundries

Total:2,233 km
Border countries:Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km

Geography - note

strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

Population

9,074,055 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world:89

Nationality

Noun:Swede(s)
Adjective:Swedish

Ethnic groups

indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Religions

Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%

Languages

Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Country Name

Conventional long form:Kingdom of Sweden
Conventional short form:Sweden
Local long form:Konungariket Sverige
Local short form:Sverige

Government Type

constitutional monarchy

Capital

Name:Stockholm
Geographic coordinates:59 20 N, 18 03 E
Time difference:UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions

21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarna, Gavleborg, Gotland, Halland, Jamtland, Jonkoping, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Norrbotten, Orebro, Ostergotland, Skane, Sodermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Varmland, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland, Vastmanland, Vastra Gotaland

Independence

6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)

National Holiday

Swedish Flag Day, 6 June (1916); National Day, 6 June (1983)

Constitution

1 January 1975

Legal system

civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
Head of government:Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5 October 2006)
Cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually the prime minister

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
Elections:last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010)
Election results:percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 35%, Moderates 26.2%, Center Party 7.9%, Liberal People's Party 7.5%, Christian Democrats 6.6%, Left Party 5.8%, Greens 5.2%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, Liberal People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet)

Political Parties and Leaders

Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Liberal People's Party [Jan BJORKLUND]; Moderate Party (liberal-conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; Social Democratic Party [Mona SAHLIN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Children's Rights in Society; Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees or TCO; Swedish Federation of Trade Unions or LO
other: media

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Jonas HAFSTROM
Chancery:The House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
Telephone:[1] (202) 467-2600
FAX:[1] (202) 467-2699
Consulate(s) general:New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Matthew W. BARZUN
Embassy:Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm
Mailing address:American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750
Telephone:[46] (08) 783 53 00
FAX:[46] (08) 661 19 64

Flag description

blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors reflect those of the Swedish coat of arms - three gold crowns on a blue field

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