Sweden's way of life has often been called the "middle way", because it combines private enterprise with a government that greatly influences the development of the economy. The Swedish government operates one of the mosf far-reaching social security systems in the world. The government provides free education and largely free medical service. It pays pensions to old people, widows, and orphans. After most Swedes retire, they receive annual pensions of about 60 per cent of their average earnings during their 15 highest paid years. The government also provides health insurance and financial aid for housing.

Sweden is one of the largest countries in Europe in area. However, Sweden is also one of the most thinly populated European nations. Only Finland, Iceland, and Norway are less densely populated than Sweden. Forests of such trees as spruce and pine cover more than half of Sweden, and only about a tenth of the country is farmland. Sweden is also a land of beautiful lakes, snowcapped mountains, swift rivers, and rocky offshore islands.

Stockholm, Sweden's capital and largest city, stands on the coast of the Baltic Sea and includes small off-shore islands. Almost a sixth of the people of Sweden live in Stockholm or its suburbs. The northern seventh of Sweden lies inside the Arctic Circle in a region called the Land off the Midnight Sun. There, for periods during the summer, the sun shines 24 hours a day. Above the Arctic Circle is part of a wilderness called Lapland. It extends into Finland, Norway, and Russia. For centuries, people called Sami have led a wandering life tending their herds of reindeer (click here and learn more about the Sami culture).

Sweden, together with Denmark and Norway, is one of the Scandinavian countries. Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians speak similar languages and can usually understand each other. The three Scandinavian nations have close economic and cultural ties.

Cool Facts about Sweden

Swedish politicians invented the word "Ombudsmen", The Riksdag appoints officials called ombudsmen to protect citizens from the illegal or incompetent use of power by government officials or agencies. Sweden founded the world´s first central bank in 1668. Swedes invented the dynamite, the freezer, the computer mouse, the biological system, the propeller, the wrench, the zipper, the match, the 100 degrees Centigrade scale, The Nobel Prize, the Absolut Vodka, the milk seperator, the Tetra pak, the pacemaker, the dialysis machine, etc., Sweden also has been the origin to some famous companies like Volvo (cars, trucks), Saab (cars and airoplanes), Ericsson (telecommunication), Ikea (furniture), Tetra-Laval (packaging) and H&M (clothes).

Sweden is the third largest rock/pop music producer in the world (after USA and Britain) - with artists like ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base, Jennifer Brown, Eagle Eye Cherry, Nene Cherry, Doctor Alban, Robyn, The Cardigans, The Wannabies.

Sweden has the highest per capita consumtion in the world of bananas, paper and coffee. Has the largest winter test track for cars (in Lapland), the world's largest igloo (the Ice Hotel in Lapland, click here to book a room), and the largest mine system (also in Lapland) in the world. Has the second highest rate in the world of home computers among its inhabitants (after USA), one of the highest rates of people with Internet access, the third highest rate of mobile telephones per inhabitant, about 38% (Finland and Norway has higher), Sweden also has the highest divorce rate in the world (more than 50% of all marriages fails in less than 10 years) and the highest income taxes in the world, up to 55% in taxes and 25% V.A.T.

The Sami, who live in the far north, are another large ethnic group in Sweden. The Sami differ in appearance, language, and way of life from most other Swedes. About 17,000 Sami live in Sweden. Many Sami are miners or forestry workers. Since the mid 1900´s, most Sami have settled in towns and villages. However, the men of some families still care for herds of reindeer, wandering over the land as their ancestors did (click here and learn more about the Sami culture).

People of Finnish origin make up Sweden's largest ethnic minority. More than 5% of the Swedish population are immigrants, mainly from other Nordic countries like Finland, Denmark, Norway, but during the last decade more came from other countries like Turkey, former Jugoslavia and Iran. Sweden has become a cultural mixed society following the trends of the rest of Europe.

Ancestry

Most Swedes are descendants of ancient Germanic tribes who settled in the Scandinavian region beginning in 10000 to 5000 B.C. They are thus closely related to the Danes and Norwegians. Most Swedes are tall, with fair or brown hair and blue eyes. A small ethnic group in the north, in Lapland, called Sami, of Asian/Russian origin, are believed to have settled there during the same period (click here and learn more about the Sami culture).

Language

Swedish is a Germanic language that closely resembles Danish and Norwegian. People from Sweden, Denmark, and Norway can usually understand each other. The Sami speak a language related to Finnish. The majority of adult Swedes speak some English, and in many cases, they speak a second foreign language as well, mostly German or French.

Way of Life

Sweden is a land of striking physical and visual contrasts. While it is a highly urbanized nation, it also has countless lakes and vast stretches of forests scattered with villages and towns.

About 84 per cent of the population of Sweden lives in urban areas. The metropolitan area of Stockholm, the largest city in Sweden, has a total population of about 1,5 million people. Sweden's cities are modern and efficient. They feature blends of traditional and functional modern architecture. Many cities in Sweden, especially Stockholm and Kalmar on the southeastern coast, have imposing castles and churches dating from the Middle Ages. Suburbs of the larger cities have high-rise apartment buildings, many of which were built during the 1950´s and 1960´s in response to rapid urbanization.

Roads and public transportation facilities, such as railways and buses, link Sweden's city centres and suburbs. In addition, Stockholm has a sprawling underground railway system. As in other industrialized nations, traffic congestion presents a daily challenge for people who work and live in Sweden's cities. However, because Sweden relies heavily on electrical energy for heating and industry, pollution is less of a problem there than in many other countries.

Religion

The Lutheran Church is the state church. 95% of the people are members. Most Swedes do not attend church regularly, but the country´s churches are full on religious holidays.

in fine restaurants, and on board many Swedish cruise ships. Swedes often eat the foods in a particular order. First they eat cold fish dishes, including anchovies, eels, herring, Salmon, sardines, and shrimp. Next, they eat such cold meats as liver pate, smoked reindeer, sliced beef, and ham with vegetable salad. Next come small hot dishes, such as meatballs, omelettes, sausages, anchovies, or herring cooked in breadcrumbs. Favourite desserts include cheese, fresh fruit, fruit salad, and pastry.

On a daily basis, Swedes usually eat more simple fare. Breakfast often consists of cold cereal or a pastry and strong coffee or milk. Lunch may consist of open sandwiches on thin, hard bread. Dinner is often a meat or fish dish with boiled potatoes. Swedes, like their Scandinavian neighbours, drink vast quantities of coffee at mealtime and during breaks from work. Many Swedes also enjoy beer, which is sometimes accompanied by a strong, colourless spirit known as aquavit They also drink vodka, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.

Education

The Swedish government requires children from 7 to 16 years of age to attend school. Primary and secondary school education are free for Swedish children. The government also operates all the universities and most of the technical and other specialized colleges in the country. Sweden has six universities - in Goteborg, Linkoping, Lund, Stockholm, Umea, Uppsala and Karlstad. The oldest, the University of Uppsala, was founded in 1477.

Recreation

The Swedes are an athletic people and like outdoor activities. Skiing and hockey are the chief winter sports (Sweden has won the World´s Champianship several years including 1998). Every March, thousands of Swedes take part in the world´s largest and oldest cross-country ski race (over 39.000 participant) called the Vasa Race (named after King Gustav Vasa´s escape with skies from the Danish King Kristian the II in 1521), held in the province of Dalarna. The race covers about 90 kilometres (56 miles).

Hunting and fishing are also popular outdoor activi ties in Sweden. Hunters shoot deer, elk, fox, and various wildfowl. Game fish include pike, salmon, and trout.

When the rivers are frozen, people cut holes in the ice and drop their fishing lines through them. The people of Sweden also like hiking and camping, soccer, swimming, sailing, and tennis. A number of Swedes, including Bjorn Borg and Stefan Edberg, have become international tennis stars.

Many Swedes spend their holidays by the sea or on the country's offshore islands, such as Gotland or Oland. Others relax near one of Sweden's many lakes or in the vast wilderness that covers the northern part of the country. In cities, people enjoy Sweden's many city parks, or sip coffee and watch passers-by at pavement cafes.

Few Swedish artists have gained international recognition. Most Swedish painters, sculptors, and architects have followed styles developed elsewhere in Europe. During the early 1900´s, Carl Milles became the best-known Swedish sculptor, chiefly for his monuments and sculpture fountains. Painter Anders Zorn won a reputation in the late 1800`s and early 1900´s for his landscapes and portraits. In architecture, Ragnar Ostberg designed the Stockholm City Hall, which was completed in 1923. The hall's modern style influenced architects throughout Scandinavia.

Sweden, along with other Scandinavian countries, made its greatest contribution to the arts in the field of industrial design. Scandinavia became influential in industrial design in the 1920´s and 1930´s with the creation of simple, harmonious textiles, furniture, glassware, and ceramics. Swedish furniture designers emphasized light-coloured wood and bright upholstery and drapery.

Classical music in Sweden generally has followed the models of the major composers and movements of other European countries. Sweden has an important folk music tradition that extends back to the Middle Ages. The Swedish soprano Jenny Lind became one of the most famous opera and concert singers of the 1800´s. People were so impressed by her singing that they called her the Swedish Nighfingale. Tenor Jussi Bjoerling and dramatic soprano Birgit Nilsson rank among the greatest opera singers of the 1900´s.

During the 1980´s and 1990´s Sweden has become the third largest rock/pop producers in the world (after USA and Britain) with bands and singers like: ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base, The Cardigans, The Wannabies, Europe, Kent, Army of Lovers, Robyn, Dr Alban, Eagle Eye Cherry, Nene Cherry and Jennifer Brown.

Sweden developed an important film industry in the early 1900´s. The famous film actress Greta Garbo began her career in Swedish silent films before moving to the United States in 1925. Ingrid Bergman was another screen actress who started her career in Sweden and then achieved fame in the United States. The most important figure in modern Swedish cinema pictures is director Ingmar Bergman. He first gained recognition as a scriptwriter for Torment (1944). Bergman achieved worldwide recognition for his symbolic, brilliantly photographed films. His films has won many rewards during the years including an Academy Award. Films like The Seventh Seal is considered a masterpiece.

The Swedish Lowland has more people than any other part of the country. This region includes the central and southern plains of Sweden. The broad central plains are broken by lakes, tree-covered ridges, and small hills. Farmland covers more than 40 per cent of these plains.

Sweden's largest lakes, Vänern and Vättern, are in the Swedish Lowland. Lake Vänern covers 5,584 square kilometres (3471 sq. miles) and is one of the largest lakes in Europe. Lake Vättern has an area of 1,911 square kilometres (1188 sq. miles). The southern plains include some of Sweden's most fertile land. Farmland and forests of beechwood cover most of Skane, in the far south of the country. Skane is the most thickly populated and richest farming area of Sweden.

The South Swedish Highland is a rocky upland that rises to about 350 metres (1150 feet) above sea level. This thinly populated area has poor, stony soils, and is covered mostly by forests. The southern part of the region is flat, with small lakes and swamps.

The climate of Sweden varies greatly between the southern and northern parts of the country. Southwesterly winds from the Atlantic Ocean give southern Sweden pleasant summers and mostly mild winters. In contrast, northern Sweden has pleasant summers but cold winters. The Atlantic winds are blocked by the Mountains, and therefore have less effect on northern Sweden. In the extreme south of Sweden, temperatures in January and February, the coldest months, average 0 degrees Centigrade (32 Fahrenheit) and in July, the warmest month, average 17 degrees Celius (63 Fahrenheit). In Kiruna, in the far north of the country, temperatures average about -12 Degrees Centigrade (11 Degrees Fahrenheit) during January and in July an average of 14 Degrees Centigrade (57 Degrees Fahrenheit). In winter, eastern air masses may lower the temperature to - 23 Degrees Centigrade (-9 Degrees Fahrenheit) in Stockholm, and to -50 Degrees Centigrade (-58 Degrees Fahrenheit) in the northern part of Sweden.

Northern Sweden lies in the Land off the Midnight Sun and so has continuous daylight during part of the summer. The number of days of continuous daylight increases as one goes farther north. In northernmost Sweden, the sun stays above the horizon for about 2,5 months. Southern Sweden never has continuous daylight, though it averages 18 hours of daylight a day in midsummer.

In winter, Sweden has similar periods of continuous darkness. In the northernmost areas of the country the sun never rises above the horizon for about 2 months. Southern Sweden has some daylight each day, though it receives only about 7 hours of daylight a day in midwinter. The winter night sky-especially in the northern areas of Sweden - often becomes enriched with brilliant displays of the aurora borealisz or northern lights.

Economy

Sweden is a highly industrialized nation. Its prosperous economy is based on a combination of advanced engineering and service industries (which make up about two-thirds of the total value of Sweden's economic production). It also relies heavily on exports. About 90 percent of Swedish industry is privately owned. Government ownership is restricted chiefly to mines, public transportation, energy, and telecommunications. Abundant natural resources, such as vast forests and rich deposits of iron ore, helped change Sweden from a poor agricultural nation to the advanced industrial society it is today.

Hydroelectric power, along with nuclear power plants, provide much of the nation's energy needs. Rich farmland in the south and central regions of Sweden provides most of the country´s food. Sweden's economic development resulted from the close cooperation among government, employer groups, and trade unions. These groups have sought to promote full employment of the workforce through a labour policy based on the retraining and relocation of displaced workers.

Sweden's government assisted the country's economic development indirectly through its industrial and tax policies. The government has invested public funds in research and development to encourage innovation in technology and other fields. In addition, the Cabinet has devalued the krona periodically in an effort to reduce the cost of Swedish exports and thus make them more competitive abroad.

Service industries account for 65 per cent of Sweden's gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a country in a year. Industry accounts for 31 percent of the GDP, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing-taken together-account for 4 per cent of the GDP.

The iron and steel industry produces high-quality steel, which is used for such products as ball bearings, stainless steel goods for the home, precision tools, and watch springs. Important Swedish engineering products include agricultural machinery, aircraft, cars, and ships. The electrical engineering industry makes equipment for power supplies and communications, telephones and mobile telephones are an important export. The Swedish chemical industry imports most of its raw materials. The chief products include explosives, fertilizers, plastics, and safety matches. Safety matches were invented in Sweden in 1844, and the country is still one of the world's leading producers.

Farmland covers only about 10 per cent of Sweden. A region called Skane, in the extreme south, has a good climate and is the most fertile area. Other agricultural areas lie in the south and around the lakes in central Sweden. However, much of northern Sweden is too cold and infertile for farming. Less than 1 percent of the Inner Northland region is cultivated. Dairy farming and livestock raising are the main sources of income for Swedish farmers. Milk, beef, and pork are the leading farm products.

Sweden has some of the richest iron ore deposits in the world. Most of Sweden's iron ore is near Kiruna in Lapland. The Lapland mines have some of the world's best high-grade ores. Other minerals are copper, gold, lead and silver.

Forests cover more than half of Sweden, and about a fifth of the nation's exports are timber or products made from wood. The main timber regions are in the north and north-central sections, where the most important trees include birch, pine, and spruce.

The value of Sweden's exports is greater than that of its imports. Sweden exports large amounts of paper products and imports almost none. The country imports much larger amounts of petroleum and farm products than it exports. Sweden both exports and imports various types of transportation equipment, electrical machinery, chemicals, and other goods.

Sweden's most important trading partners include Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Sweden became a member of the EC (European Community) in 1995, but still not the EMU (European Monetary Union).

The government owns and operates nearly all the rail ways. It also owns part of the Scandinavian Airlines System, which flies throughout the world. Several airlines provide regular service to all parts of Sweden.

Stockholm has an international airport at nearby Arlanda. Other important airports serve Goteborg and Malmo. Ships carry goods between coastal towns. Sweden's most important port is Goteborg which is Scandinavias largest port. Other port cities include Stockholm, Malmo, and Halsingborg. Allmost all families own a car.

Sweden has about 115 daily newspapers. The largest newspapers are Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter and Expressen, all published in Stockholm. Most of Sweden's newspapers are privately owned. Freedom of the press is guaranteed under Swedish law, and government censorship is forbidden even in wartime.

The Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, run partly by the government, operates two television networks and several radio networks. Sweden also has some private TV and radio stations. Almost all Swedish families own at least one television set and radio. Sweden's telephone and telegraph services are operated by the government.

1540 Lutheranism became Sweden's official religion.
1630-1632 Gustavus Adolphus won victories for Sweden in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).
1709 Swedish power declined after the-Battle of Poltava.
1809 Sweden lost Finland to Russia. A new constitution was adopted.
1814 Sweden gained Norway from Denmark,
1867 Alfrea Nobel, a Swedish chemist, invented the dynamite.
1867-1886 Many Swedes emigrated to the United States due to harsh economic conditions in Sweden.
1905 Norway dissolved its union with Sweden.
1914-1918 Sweden was neutral in World War I.
1939-1945 Sweden remained neutral in World War II.
1959 Sweden and six other nations formed the European Free Trade Association.
1975 Sweden adopted a new constitution that greatly reduced the power of the king.
1986 Prime Minister Olof Palme was killed by an assassin.
1995 Sweden joined the EC (The European Community).

Early Times

Sweden was one of the last regions to lose the ice that covered most of Europe thousands of years ago. The ice had melted from the southern tip of Sweden by about 11000-10000 B.C., and groups of people that hunted and fished began to move from south of the Baltic Sea into this region. People settled farther north as the climate improved.

Beginning about 50 B.C., the people traded with the Roman Empire. They exchanged furs and amber for glass and bronze objects and silver coins. The Romans were the first people to make written records about the Swedes.

The Swedish Vikings

Beginning about A.D. 800, Scandinavian adventurers called Vikings sailed to many parts of the world. They acquired wealth by trade and conquest. Most of the Norwegian and Danish Vikings sailed westward. The Swedish Vikings went eastward across Russia, as far as the Black and Caspian seas. The Swedes traded slaves and furs for gold, silver, and luxury goods. The Viking expeditions lasted until the 1000´s. Much of Sweden's trade with the east then fell to German merchants, who settled in the town of Visby on the island of Gotland.

The Early Kingdom

Christianity was first preached in Sweden in AD. 829 by Saint Anskar, a Frankish monk. His missionary work began a struggle between Christianity and paganism that lasted about 200 years. The first Christian king of Sweden was Olof Skotkonung, who ruled from the late 900´s until the early 1000´s. Christianity brought about great changes in Sweden. The clergy founded schools, encouraged the arts, and set down Sweden's laws in writing.

By the 1000´s, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway had become separate kingdoms. Sweden began to develop along partly feudal lines. There were three social classes the clergy, the nobles, and the peasants. Above them was the king, who was elected by the provincial lawmaking assemblies. In 1249, Sweden conquered much of Finland.

Union with Norway and Denmark

During the 1200´s and 1300´s, constant struggles took place between the rulers of Sweden and the nobles. In 1388, to oppose the growing German influence in Sweden's affairs, the nobles turned for help to Queen Margaret of Denmark and Norway. The Germans were defeated in 1389, and the three Scandinavian countries were united under Margaret in 1397. A treaty called the Union of Kalmar laid down the conditions of the union between the three countries. This treaty provided for a common foreign policy, but separate national councils and the continuation of existing laws in each country. Except for a few short periods of separation, the union lasted more than 100 years.

Under the influence of German merchants, Sweden's economy developed considerably during the 1200´s and early 1300´s. These merchants developed Sweden's mineral resources and controlled Swedish trade. Plague wiped out a large part of Sweden's population in 1350 and caused an economic decline. The German merchants, with their powerful association called the Hanseatic League, increased their control of Swedish trade.

During the late 1400´s, the Riksdag (parliament) developed into a lawmaking and tax-raising body. Members of a new social class, the merchants, joined the other three classes as members of the Riksdag.

The Beginnings of Modern Sweden

The union with Norway and Denmark continued throughout most of the 1400´s. But many struggles took place between supporters and opponents of the union. Gustavus Vasa, a Swedish noble, finally broke away from the union in 1523 after defeating the Danes. He became King Gustavus I of independent Sweden that year. Norway remained under Danish rule. Gustavus encouraged the followers of Martin Luther, the German religious reformer, to spread their ideas. About 1540, the Lutheran religion became the state religion of Sweden. Gustavus also increased the power of the throne and laid the foundations of the modern Swedish state. He centralized the administration, dealt harshly with revolts, built an efficient army, and encouraged trade and industry.

The Age of Expansion

Beginning in the late 1500´s, the Swedes fought a series of wars to gain control of the lands surrounding the Baltic Sea. King Gustavus Adolphus, also known as Gustav II Adolf, won many victories for Sweden and the Protestant cause in the Thirty Years' War. Sweden gained new possessions in Europe, and these gains led to continual wars against Denmark, Poland, and Russia. Between 1617 and 1648, war victories over Russia, Poland, and Denmark gave Sweden territories on both sides of the Baltic Sea, as well as some areas in what are now Germany and Poland. In 1658, under the Treaty of Roskilde, the Swedes forced the Danes to give up their provinces on the Swedish mainland.

Charles XII, who ruled from 1697 to 1718, won many victories during the first half of his reign, making Sweden one of the greatest powers in Europe for a time. In 1709, however, the Swedes were defeated by Czar Peter the Great of Russia in the battle of Poltava. During the next few years, Sweden was forced to give up most of its European possessions, including its Baltic provinces and Bremen and Verden in Germany.

The Age of Liberty

Charles XII died in 1718. Before agreeing to elect a new king, the Riksdag insisted that any monarch chosen should accept a new constitution. This constitution, which was passed in 1720, transferred many of the crown's powers to the Riksdag. The period of parliamentary government that followed was called the Age of Liberty, and lasted until 1772. That year, an unsuccessful war in Germany and serious economicand political troubles at home resulted in a peaceful revolution that reestablished the power of the king.

The Napoleonic Wars

Because of its growing trade with Britain, Sweden became involved in wars against the French Emperor Napoleon in the early 1800´s. As a result of these wars, Sweden lost Finland to Russia, but gained Norway from Denmark. In 1809, Sweden adopted a new constitution. In 1818, Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, a French soldier who had become regent (acting ruler) of Sweden during the Napoleonic Wars, was elected king of Sweden as Charles XIV. Sweden´s present royal family is descended from him.

Industrlal Growth

Great economic and social changes occurred during the 1800´s. More land was brought into use for farming. But food was often in short supply because of a great increase in the population. There were not enough jobs, and nearly 500,000 people left Sweden between 1867 and 1886. Most of them went to the United States and settled mainly in the Midwest.

Emigration decreased after Sweden developed manufacturing, mining, and forest industries. Engineers built many railways in the 1860´s and 1870´s, and Sweden's timber resources were put into use. In 1867, Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, invented dynamite, which speeded the growth of mining (Alfred Nobel also founded the Nobel Price). Engineering industries based on iron and steel were developed. By 1900, Sweden had become an important industrial nation.

The 1800´s and early 1900´s was also a period of sweeping political and social reform in Sweden. Workers formed trade unions and demanded higher wages, shorter working days, and workers' compensation for industrial accidents. Many strikes broke out as workers demanded improved work conditions. Workers also sought the right to vote a privilege previously granted only to those with a certain level of income. The Social Democratic Party was founded in 1889 on the strength of the Swedish trade union movement. The Swedish government responded to these movements by passing a series of laws. An 1881 law limited the employment of children in factories, a 1901 law created workers' compensation insurance, and a 1913 law authorized a fund for workers´ old age pensions. In 1909, Sweden provided for. proportional representation in parliament and granted all adult males the right to vote for members of one chamber of the Riksdag. In 1905, Norway broke away from Sweden. The Norwegians elected a king, and Sweden recognized Norway´s independence.

Sweden was neutral during World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). After Germany conquered Norway in 1940, Sweden let German troops pass through on their way to Norway. Many Swedes opposed this policy, and Sweden stopped it in 1943.

Recent Developments

From the end of World War II to the 1960´s, Sweden experienced strong growth and rapid change in its economy. The economy continued to expand and diversify, with more and more workers taking jobs in the commerce, transportation, and service industries. The number of employees in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and construction has declined proportionately. Sweden´s high standard of living has been spread to all income groups by means of a government welfare system that has fully developed since World War II.

Critics of the system say it makes people so secure that they become bored. Critics also say the system has helped cause high taxation and inflation. But most Swedes support the system.

A new constitution took effect in Sweden in 1975. It greatly reduced the power of the king, and it placed power in the hands of parliament and the Cabinet. The Social Democratic Party controlled Sweden's government from 1932 to 1976, except for a brief period in 1936. From 1976 to 1982, various nonsocialist coalitions governed the country. The Social Democrats returned to power following the 1982 election. A tragedy struck Sweden in 1986, when Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot and killed by an assassin. Ingvar Carlsson succeeded Palme as prime minister. A new party, the Green Party, entered parliament following the September 1988 election.

Sweden remains one of the world´s most prosperous nations. However, the country experienced economic problems during the late 1980´s and early 1990´s. Growth increased little and industrial output declined, but inflation rose greatly. In addition, high wages harmed the ability of Sweden's industries to compete with industries in other countries.

Sweden joined the European Community (EC) in 1995 but will wait, like Britain, Denmark and Greece, to join the European Monetary Union EMU. Closer social, political and economic ties are now being built up with other European countries.

Sweden´s present prime minister is Goran Persson from the Socialists Democratic Party, which won the 1998 September´s election. Next election will be held in 2002.

Members of the EC (European Community)

Austria
Belgium
Denmark (not included in the 1999 - EMU)
Finland
France
Germany
Greece (not included in the 1999 - EMU)
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Nerherlands
Portugal
Spain
Sweden (not included in the 1999 - EMU)
United Kingdom (not included in the 1999 - EMU)

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