Sweden

Airports

total: 252 usable: 248 with permanent-surface runways: 138 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 94

Highways

total: 205,000 km paved: 69,754 km (including 936 km of expressways) unpaved: gravel 45,900 km; unimproved earth 38,060 km; NA 51,286 km (1990)

Inland waterways

2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges

Merchant marine

161 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,049,554 GRT/2,516,350 DWT, bulk 10, cargo 24, chemical tanker 25, combination ore/oil 1, container 2, oil tanker 30, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 39, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 13

Pipelines

natural gas 84 km

Ports

Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous secondary and minor ports

Railroads

12,084 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ) 11,202 km - 10,819 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track; 182 km 0.891-meter gauge; 117 km rail ferry service; privately-owned railways 882 km - 511 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified) and 371 km 0.891-meter gauge (all electrified)

Telecommunications

excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones; mainly coaxial and multiconductor cables carry long-distance network; parallel microwave network carries primarily radio, TV and some telephone channels; automatic system; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 360 (mostly repeaters) FM, 880 (mostly repeaters) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT

Branches

Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $5.2 billion, 2.6% of GDP (FY93/94)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,146,145; fit for military service 1,874,787; reach military age (19) annually 55,262 (1994 est.)

Agriculture

animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for 37% of farm income; main crops - grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100% self-sufficient in grains and potatoes; Sweden is about 50% self-sufficient in most products; farming accounted for 1.2% of GDP and 1.9% of jobs in 1990

Budget

revenues: $45.1 billion expenditures: $73.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94)

Currency

1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 oere

Economic aid

donor: ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion

Electricity

capacity: 39,716,000 kW production: 142.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 16,560 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 8.1255 (January 1994), 7.834 (1993), 5.8238 (1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188 (1990), 6.4469 (1989)

Exports

$49.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products partners: EC 55.8% (Germany 15%, UK 9.7%, Denmark 7.2%, France 5.8%), EFTA 17.4% (Norway 8.4%, Finland 5.1%), US 8.2%, Central and Eastern Europe 2.5% (1992)

External debt

$19.5 billion (1992 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for narcotics shipped via the CIS and Baltic states for the European market

Imports

$42.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing partners: EC 53.6% (Germany 17.9%, UK 6.3%, Denmark 7.5%, France 4.9%), EFTA (Norway 6.6%, Finland 6%), US 8.4%, Central and Eastern Europe 3% (1992)

Industrial production

growth rate 0.8% (1993 est.)

Industries

iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.4% (1993 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $153.7 billion (1993)

National product per capita

$17,600 (1993)

National product real growth rate

-2.7% (1993)

Overview

Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. In the last few years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. Although Prime Minister BILDT's center-right minority coalition had hoped to charge ahead with free-market-oriented reforms, a skyrocketing budget deficit - almost 14% of GDP in FY94 projections - and record unemployment have forestalled many of the plans. Unemployment in 1993 is estimated at around 8% with another 5% in job training. Continued heavy foreign exchange speculation forced the government to cooperate in late 1992 with the opposition Social Democrats on two crisis packages - one a severe austerity pact and the other a program to spur industrial competitiveness - which basically set economic policy through 1997. In November 1992, Sweden broke its tie to the EC's ECU, and the krona has since depreciated about 25% against the dollar. The government hopes the boost in export competitiveness from the depreciation will help lift Sweden out of its 3-year recession. To curb the budget deficit and bolster confidence in the economy, BILDT continues to propose cuts in welfare benefits, subsidies, defense, and foreign aid. Sweden continues to harmonize its economic policies with those of the EU in preparation for scheduled membership by early 1995, which will help to broaden European economic unity.

Unemployment rate

8.2% (1993 est.)

Area

total area: 449,964 sq km land area: 410,928 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than California

Climate

temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Coastline

3,218 km

Environment

current issues: acid rain damaging soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea natural hazards: ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with navigation international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

1,120 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total 2,205 km, Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km

Land use

arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 2% forest and woodland: 64% other: 27%

Location

Nordic State, Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Norway and Finland

Map references

Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower potential

Note

strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas

Terrain

mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Administrative divisions

24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands Lan

Capital

Stockholm

Constitution

1 January 1975

Digraph

SW

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Carl Henrik LILJEGREN chancery: Suites 1200 and 715, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: (202) 944-5600

Executive branch

chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977) head of government: Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since 3 October 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Bengt WESTERBERG (since NA) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister

FAX

(202) 342-1319 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

FAX

[46] (8) 661-1964

Flag

blue with a yellow cross that extends 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)

Independence

6 June 1809 (constitutional monarchy established)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral parliament (Riksdag): elections last held 15 September 1991 (next to be held NA September 1994); results - Social Democratic Party 37.6%, Moderate Party (conservative) 21.9%, Liberal People's Party 9.1%, Center Party 8.5%, Christian Democrats 7.1%, New Democracy 6.7%, Left Party (Communist) 4.5%, Green Party 3.4%, other 1.2%; seats - (349 total) Social Democratic 138, Moderate Party (conservative) 80, Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16; note - the Green Party has no seats in the Riksdag because it received less than the required 4% of the vote

Member of

AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTRC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC

Names

conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige

National holiday

Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June

Political parties and leaders

ruling four-party coalition consists of Moderate Party (conservative), Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Bengt WESTERBERG; Center Party, Olof JOHANSSON; and the Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; Social Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON; New Democracy Party, Harriet COLLIANDER; Left Party (VP; Communist), Gudrun SCHYMAN; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green Party, no formal leader

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

constitutional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas SIEBERT embassy: Strandvagen 101, S-115 89 Stockholm mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [46] (8) 783-5300

Birth rate

13.5 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

10.9 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

white, Lapp (Sami), foreign born or first-generation immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)

Infant mortality rate

5.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

4.552 million (84% unionized,1992) by occupation: community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)

Languages

Swedish note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities; immigrants speak native languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.25 years male: 75.47 years female: 81.2 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Swede(s) adjective: Swedish

Net migration rate

2.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

8,778,461 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.52% (1994 est.)

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal 1%, other 3.5% (1987)

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (1994 est.)