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Sweden

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Sweden is a large country in Northern Europe.

EU-Sweden
EU-Sweden

It sits on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders Norway to the west and north. It also borders Finland to the east. To the south, it is near Denmark. The capital and largest city is Stockholm.

Hogsta domstolen Stockholm
Hogsta domstolen Stockholm

Sweden is the largest Nordic country by area and population. It is also the fifth-largest country in Europe. The country has a diverse climate. This is because it is a very long country.

Koppen-Geiger Map v2 SWE 1991–2020
Koppen-Geiger Map v2 SWE 1991–2020

Many people live in Sweden today. There are about 10.6 million people. Most people live in urban areas. About 88% of Swedes live in cities. These cities are mostly in the central and southern parts. The urban areas only cover 1.5% of the land.

SWE-Map Kommuner2007
SWE-Map Kommuner2007

Most of the land is not crowded. This means there is a low population density. The country is divided into 21 counties. It also has 290 municipalities. These are smaller areas used for local rules.

Sweden has a very old history. People have lived there since around 12,000 BC.

Vendel I helmet 456057
Vendel I helmet 456057

Long ago, groups like the Geats and Swedes lived there. They were part of the Norsemen. Some were Vikings who traveled far.

Vikings-Voyages
Vikings-Voyages

They went to places like Finland and even Baghdad. In the 10th century, a unified Swedish state began. Later, Sweden joined a union with Norway and Denmark. This was called the Kalmar Union. Sweden left that union in 1523.

Gustav Vasa
Gustav Vasa

Sweden was once a very strong power. During the Thirty Years' War, it grew much larger. This time was known as the Swedish Empire.

Swedish Empire
Swedish Empire

Sweden controlled much of the Baltic Sea. However, it lost many lands later on. In 1809, it lost Finland to Russia. The last war Sweden was in was in 1814. That was a conflict with Norway.

Marten's Poltava
Marten's Poltava

Since then, Sweden has focused on being a peaceful country. It has many modern systems to help its people.

Today, Sweden is a highly developed nation. It ranks fifth in the Human Development Index.

The country has a social welfare system. This system provides health care for everyone. It also provides college education for citizens. Sweden is a parliamentary democracy. It also has a constitutional monarchy. The country joined the European Union in 1995. It joined NATO on 7 March 2024.

P20230705AS-0417 (53233830047)
P20230705AS-0417 (53233830047)

People there enjoy a high quality of life.

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🖼️ Images & Media (44)
United States Navy Band - Sweden.ogg
Kungssången.ogg
File:EU-Sweden (orthographic projection).svg
EU-Sweden (orthographic projection).svg
File:EU-Sweden.svg
EU-Sweden.svg
File:Vendel I helmet 456057.jpg
Vendel I helmet 456057.jpg
File:Vikings-Voyages.png
Vikings-Voyages.png
File:Bildsten med skepp 800-1099 Tjängvide, Gotland.jpg
Bildsten med skepp 800-1099 Tjängvide, Gotland.jpg
File:Map of Sweden ca 1280.png
Map of Sweden ca 1280.png
File:Gustav Vasa.jpg
Gustav Vasa.jpg
File:Gustave Adolphe at Breitenfeld-Johann Walter-f3706497.jpg
Gustave Adolphe at Breitenfeld-Johann...
File:Swedish Empire.svg
Swedish Empire.svg
File:Marten's Poltava.jpg
Marten's Poltava.jpg

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