NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Kingdom of Sweden
Konungariket Sverige
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment, rising maintenance costs, and a declining position in world markets. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway |
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Geographic coordinates:
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62 00 N, 15 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total: 449,964 sq km
water: 39,030 sq km land: 410,934 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than California |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,205 km
border countries: Finland 586 km, Norway 1,619 km |
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Coastline:
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3,218 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines territorial sea: 12 NM (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas) |
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Climate:
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temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m |
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Natural resources:
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zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 6.8%
permanent crops: 0% other: 93.2% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,150 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic |
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Environment - current issues:
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acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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8,878,085 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 17.7% (male 804,296; female 763,213)
15-64 years: 65% (male 2,933,183; female 2,835,835) 65 years and over: 17.3% (male 654,575; female 886,983) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 40.1 years
male: 39 years female: 41.4 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.01% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.71 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.58 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 3.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 79.97 years
male: 77.31 years female: 82.78 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.54 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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3,300 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 100 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish |
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Ethnic groups:
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indigenous population: Swedes and Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks |
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Religions:
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Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist |
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Languages:
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Swedish
note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1979 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |