Portal:Sweden
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Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east, and shares a maritime border with Denmark to the south. At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi) and with a population of 10.6 million, Sweden is the largest and most populous Nordic country, and is the fifth-largest country in Europe. Its capital and largest city is Stockholm. The population density is 25.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (66/sq mi), and 88% of Swedes reside in urban areas, mostly in the southern and central portions of the country. Sweden's urban areas together cover 1.5% of its land area. Sweden has a diverse climate owing to the length of the country, which ranges from 55°N to 69°N.
Sweden has been inhabited since prehistoric times around 12,000 BC. The inhabitants emerged as the Geats (Swedish: Götar) and Swedes (Svear), who formed part of the sea-faring peoples known as the Norsemen. A unified Swedish state was established during the late 10th century. In 1397, Sweden joined Norway and Denmark to form the Scandinavian Kalmar Union, which Sweden left in 1523. When Sweden became involved in the Thirty Years' War on the Protestant side, an expansion of its territories began, forming the Swedish Empire, which remained one of the great powers of Europe until the early 18th century. During this era Sweden controlled much of the Baltic Sea. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Imperial Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union, a union which lasted until 1905.
Sweden is a highly developed country ranked fifth in the Human Development Index. It is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy, with legislative power vested in the 349-member unicameral Riksdag. It is a unitary state, divided into 21 counties and 290 municipalities. Sweden maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. It has the world's 14th highest GDP per capita and ranks very highly in quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic competitiveness, income equality, gender equality and prosperity. Sweden joined the European Union in 1995, and in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO in 2024. It is also a member of the United Nations, the Schengen Area, the Council of Europe, the Nordic Council, the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (Full article...)
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The Ängelholm UFO memorial is a monument dedicated to an alleged UFO landing site in the Kronoskogen forest near Ängelholm, Sweden. It includes a concrete scale model of a flying saucer, the purportedly life-size landing impressions on the ground, and copper plaques mounted on pillars. The monument reflects the account of Swedish entrepreneur Gösta Carlsson, who attributed his success in life to encountering a UFO in 1946. The memorial, erected in 1972, is maintained by the local government. Investigations into the account have not corroborated the UFO narrative. Despite a lack of evidence, it has become a tourist destination and national heritage site. (Full article...)
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The Second Älvsborg Ransom (Swedish: Älvsborgs Andra Lösen) was an indemnity, stipulated in the 1613 Treaty of Knäred, which ended the Kalmar War. During the war the Danes had occupied the vital border fortress of Älvsborg Castle (near modern Gothenburg, Sweden), and the Swedes were required to pay the ransom in order to redeem the castle. According to the treaty, the ransom was one million silver rixdollars. The ransom would be financed by a nationwide tax, which would be paid during each of the six years 1613–1618 by the entire population of Sweden. The Danes not only held Älvsborg Castle as a collateral for the ransom, but also the towns of New Lödöse, Old Lödöse and Gothenburg, as well as seven hundreds of Västergötland. Yet, since the return of Älvsborg was uppermost in the mind of the government, the ransom and the tax to pay for it has in history been named after this castle. (Full article...)
Did you know -
- ... that a doctor reattached a farmer's severed hand in a remote Swedish hospital in 1964?
- ... that instead of paying homage to a visiting King Gustaf VI Adolf, Swedish headmaster Carl Segerståhl took his students swimming in a nearby lake?
- ... that Härnösand Residence is one of the earliest examples of Neoclassical architecture in Sweden?
- ... that Swedish naval officer Henrik Johan Nauckhoff fought against the British in the American Revolutionary War?
General images -
Two golden 20 kr coins from the Scandinavian Monetary Union, which was based on a gold standard. The coin to the left is Swedish and the right one is Danish. (from History of Sweden)
Viking expeditions (blue): depicting the immense breadth of their voyages throughout most of Europe, the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean (from History of Sweden)
Coastal defence ship of the Swedish Navy HM Pansarskepp Gustaf V (Agfacolor photo until 1957) (from History of Sweden)
Main line railways built 1860–1930 (from History of Sweden)
The Swedish Crown Prince Charles John (Bernadotte), who staunchly opposed Norwegian independence, only to offer generous terms of union. (from History of Sweden)
Traditional Swedish folk costumes according to Nordisk Familjebok (from Culture of Sweden)
Köttbullar - Swedish meatballs, a typical dish throughout the country (from Culture of Sweden)
Swedish tribes in Northern Europe in 814 (from History of Sweden)
St. Lucy's Day (Luciadagen), an important Swedish annual celebration. (from Culture of Sweden)
Map of Sweden-Norway (from History of Sweden)
Homann's map of the Scandinavian Peninsula and Fennoscandia with their surrounding territories: northern Germany, northern Poland, the Baltic region, Livonia, Belarus, and parts of Northwest Russia. Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724) was a German geographer and cartographer; map dated around 1730. (from History of Sweden)
Gustav Vasa (Gustav I) in 1542 (from History of Sweden)
The Swedish Empire, 1560–1815 (from History of Sweden)
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Malmö Fotbollförening (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈmâlːmøː ˈfûːtbɔlːfœˌreːnɪŋ]), commonly known simply as Malmö FF or MFF, is a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö, Scania. They compete in the Allsvenskan, the top division of Swedish football, and play home matches at the Eleda Stadion. Malmö FF is Sweden's most successful football club in terms of domestic trophies won. They hold 24 Swedish championships and 16 Svenska Cupen titles, both of which are national records.
The club formed in 1910 and is affiliated with the Scania Football Association, winning its first national championship in 1944. Their most successful period was the 1970s, during which they won five Swedish championships, four Svenska Cupen titles and became the only side from the Nordic countries to have reached a European Cup or UEFA Champions League final, losing 1–0 to English club Nottingham Forest in the 1979 final. For this feat, Malmö FF was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal. Malmö FF also became the only Nordic side to be represented at the Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor of the FIFA Club World Cup, by competing in the tournament's 1979 edition. The club is the leader of the overall Allsvenskan table maratontabellen, meaning that they have won the most matches of any side in Allsvenkan history. They also lead the table in terms of total goals scored. (Full article...)
Featured picture -
Map of Gothenburg, Sweden, published by N. P. Pehrsson in 1888
Allehandaborgen is a historic office building in Örebro, Sweden that was built 1891.
Tjörnbron (the Tjörn bridge) is one of three bridges along Tjörnbroleden that connects the islands of Tjörn and Orust to the mainland.
A small greenhouse with grapevines (Vitis vinifera) escaping from the roof hatch, In Gåseberg, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden
Katarina Church and cemetery. Södermalm, Stockholm, Sweden
A view of the Rådhuset metro station in Central Stockholm
A Life Guard in Stockholm
Mount Helagsfjället (left) and Sylan mountain range, seen from Torkilstöten, Ljungdalen
Categories
Main topics
Subdivisions: Counties of Sweden • Municipalities of Sweden • Provinces of Sweden
History: 1975 Occupation of the West German embassy • Ådalen shootings • Consolidation of Sweden • Early Swedish history • Enlightened Absolute Monarchy in Sweden • Early Vasa era • Industrialization of Sweden • Post-war Sweden • Prehistoric Sweden • Rise of Sweden as a Great Power • Suiones • Swedish Empire • Sweden after the Great Northern War • Sweden and the Winter War • Sweden during late 19th century • Sweden during World War II • Swedish allotment system • Swedish emigration to the United States • Union between Sweden and Norway
Politics: Alliance for Sweden • Constitution of Sweden • Foreign relations of Sweden • Government of Sweden • Parliament of Sweden • Riksdag • Swedish general election, 2006 • Swedish general election, 2010 • Swedish neutrality • Swedish welfare
Demographics: Education • Ethnic minorities • Languages • Religion • Subdivisions • Cities • People • Healthcare • Immigration
Culture: Cinema of Sweden • Cuisine of Sweden • Music of Sweden • Sports in Sweden • Swedish literature • Tourism in Sweden
Symbols: Flag • Coat of arms • National anthem
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