Sweden

Sweden officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic province on the Scandinavian Peninsula inwards Northern Europe. Sweden borders amongst Kingdom of Norway as well as Republic of Finland as well as is connected to Kingdom of Denmark past times a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.

At 450,295 foursquare kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the 3rd largest province inwards the EU past times area, amongst a full population of nigh 9.4 million. Sweden has a depression population density of 21 inhabitants per foursquare kilometre (54 /sq mi) amongst the population by as well as large concentrated to the southern one-half of the country. About 85% of the population alive inwards urban areas. Sweden's working capital alphabetic quality is Stockholm, which is also the largest city.

Uppsala University (established 1477)

Sweden emerged every bit an independent as well as unified province during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the province expanded its territories to shape the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to live ane of the bully powers of Europe inwards the 17th as well as early on 18th century. Most of the conquered territories exterior the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th as well as 19th centuries. The eastern one-half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russian Federation inwards 1809. The concluding state of war inwards which Sweden was straight involved was inwards 1814, when Sweden past times armed forces agency forced Kingdom of Norway into a personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned unusual policy inwards peacetime as well as neutrality inwards wartime.

View of the Stora Sjöfallet National Park

Today, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy amongst a parliamentary republic of regime as well as a highly developed economy. In 2010, it ranked 4th inwards the footing inwards The Economist's Democracy Index as well as 9th inwards the United Nations' Human Development Index. In 2010, the World Economic Forum ranked Sweden every bit the minute most competitive province inwards the world. Sweden has been a fellow member of the EU since 1 Jan 1995 as well as is a fellow member of the OECD.

Lake landscape at the outskirts of Ramsjö

Climate

Most of Sweden has a temperate climate, despite its northern latitude, amongst iv distinct seasons as well as mild temperatures throughout the year. The province tin give notice live divided into 3 types of climate; the southernmost role has an oceanic climate, the fundamental role has a humid continental climate as well as the northernmost role has a subarctic climate. However, Sweden is much warmer as well as drier than other places at a like latitude, as well as fifty-fifty somewhat further south, mainly because of the Gulf Stream. For example, fundamental as well as southern Sweden has much warmer winters than many parts of Russia, Canada, as well as the northern United States. Because of its high latitude, the length of daylight varies greatly. North of the Arctic Circle, the Sun never sets for role of each summer, as well as it never rises for role of each winter. In the capital, Stockholm, daylight lasts for to a greater extent than than xviii hours inwards belatedly June precisely entirely about vi hours inwards belatedly December. Sweden receives betwixt 1,100 to 1,900 hours of sunshine annually.

Riksdag building

Temperatures vary greatly from N to south. Southern as well as fundamental parts of the province accept warm summers as well as mutual frigidity winters, amongst average high temperatures of xx to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F) as well as lows of 12 to fifteen °C (54 to 59 °F) inwards the summer, as well as average temperatures of -4 to 2 °C (25 to 36 °F) inwards the winter, spell the northern role of the province has shorter, cooler summers as well as longer, colder as well as snowier winters, amongst temperatures that oft driblet below freezing from September through May. The highest temperature e'er recorded inwards Sweden was 38 °C (100 °F) inwards Målilla inwards 1947, spell the coldest temperature e'er recorded was −52.6 °C (−62.7 °F) inwards Vuoggatjålme inwards 1966.

Stockholm Palace, the official topographic point of the Swedish King

On average, most of Sweden receives betwixt 500 as well as 800 mm (20 as well as 31 in) of atmospheric precipitation each year, making it considerably drier than the global average. The southwestern role of the province receives to a greater extent than precipitation, betwixt 1000 as well as 1200 mm (39 as well as 47 in), as well as some mount areas inwards the N are estimated to have upward to 2000 mm (79 in). Despite northerly locations, southern as well as fundamental Sweden may accept almost no snowfall inwards some winters.

Nordstan, the largest shopping mall inwards northern Europe

Transport

Sweden has 162,707 km (101,101 mi) of paved route as well as 1,428 km (887 mi) of expressways. Motorways run through Sweden, Kingdom of Denmark as well as over the Öresund Bridge to Stockholm, Gothenburg, Uppsala as well as Uddevalla. The organisation of motorways is yet nether structure as well as a novel thruway from Uppsala to Gävle was finished on 17 Oct 2007. Sweden had left-hand traffic (Vänstertrafik inwards Swedish) from roughly 1736 as well as continued to produce hence good into the 20th century. Voters rejected right-hand traffic inwards 1955, precisely subsequently the Riksdag passed legislation inwards 1963 changeover took house inwards 1967, known inwards Swedish every bit Dagen H.

Stockholm metro.

The Stockholm subway scheme is the entirely subway organisation inwards Sweden as well as serves the metropolis of Stockholm, 100 subway scheme stations are inwards use.

The runway carry marketplace position is privatized, precisely spell in that location are many privately owned enterprises, many operators are yet owned past times state. The counties accept financing, ticket as well as marketing responsibleness for local trains. For other trains the operators handgrip tickets as well as marketing themselves. Operators include SJ, Veolia Transport, DSB, Green Cargo, Tågkompaniet as well as Inlandsbanan. Most of the railways are owned as well as operated past times Trafikverket.

The Öresund Bridge betwixt Malmö as well as Copenhagen inwards Denmark

The largest airports include Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (16.1 ane chiliad 1000 passengers inwards 2009) twoscore km (25 mi) N of Stockholm, Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport (4.3 ane chiliad 1000 passengers inwards 2008), as well as Stockholm-Skavsta Airport (2.0 ane chiliad 1000 passengers). Sweden hosts the 2 largest port companies inwards Scandinavia, Port of Göteborg AB (Gothenburg) as well as the transnational companionship Copenhagen Malmö Port AB.