:Sweden Government
Long-form name:
Kingdom of Sweden
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Stockholm
Administrative divisions:
24 provinces (lan, singular and plural); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan,
Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan,
Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads
Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan,
Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan,
Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan,
Vastmanlands Lan
Independence:
6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established
Constitution:
1 January 1975
Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament (Riksdag)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess
VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the King (born 14 July 1977)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Carl BILDT (since 3 October 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling four-party coalition consists of the Moderate Party (conservative),
Carl BILDT; Liberal People's Party, Bengt WESTERBERG; Center Party, Olof
JOHANSSON; and the Christian Democratic Party, Alf SVENSSON; Social
Democratic Party, Ingvar CARLSSON; New Democracy Party, Count Ian
WACHTMEISTER; Left Party (VP; Communist), Lars WERNER; Swedish Communist
Party (SKP), Rune PETTERSSON; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf HAGEL; Green
Party, no formal leader
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Riksdag:
last held 15 September 1991 (next to be held NA September 1994); results -
Social Democratic Party 37.6%, Moderate Party (conservative) 21.9%, Liberal
People's Party 9.1%, Center Party 8.5%, Christian Democrats 7.1%, New
Democracy 6.7%, Left Party (Communist) 4.5%, Green Party 3.4%, other 1.2%;
seats - (349 total) Social Democratic 138, Moderate Party (conservative) 80,
Liberal People's Party 33, Center Party 31, Christian Democrats 26, New
Democracy 25, Left Party (Communist) 16; note - the Green Party has no seats
in the Riksdag because it received less than the required 4% of the vote
Communists:
VP and SKP; VP, formerly the Left Party-Communists, is reported to have
roughly 17,800 members and attracted 5.8% of the vote in the 1988 election;
VP dropped the Communist label in 1990, but maintains a Marxist ideology
:Sweden Government
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer) AsDB, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
FAO, G-6, G-8, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIIMOG, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 944-5600; there are Swedish
Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York
US:
Ambassador Charles E. REDMAN; Embassy at Strandvagen 101, S-115 89
Stockholm; telephone [46] (8) 783-5300; FAX [46] (8) 661-1964
Flag:
blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical
part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog
(Danish flag)
:Sweden Economy
Overview:
Aided by a long period of peace and neutrality during World War I through
World War II, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a
mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has
essentially full employment, a modern distribution system, excellent
internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber,
hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy that is
heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for
about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for
50% of output and exports. In the last few years, however, this
extraordinarily favorable picture has been clouded by inflation, growing
absenteeism, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets.
The new center-right government, facing a sagging economic situation which
is unlikely to improve until 1993, is pushing full steam ahead with economic
reform proposals to end Sweden's recession and to prepare for possible EC
membership in 1995. The free-market-oriented reforms are designed to spur
growth, maintain price stability, lower unemployment, create a more
efficient welfare state, and further adapt to EC standards. The measures
include: cutting taxes, particularly the value-added tax (VAT) and levies on
new and small business; privatization; liberalizing foreign ownership
restrictions; and opening the welfare system to competition and private
alternatives, which the government will still finance. Growth is expected to
remain flat in 1992, but increase slightly in 1993, while inflation should
remain around 3% for the next few years. On the down side, unemployment may
climb to slightly over 4% in 1993, and the budget deficit will reach nearly
$9 billion in 1992.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $147.6 billion, per capita $17,200; real
growth rate -1.1% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.0% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
2.7% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $67.5 billion; expenditures $78.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.)
Exports:
$54.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel
products, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products
partners:
EC, (FRG, UK, Denmark), US, Norway
Imports:
$50.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles,
foodstuffs, iron and steel, clothing
partners:
EC 55.3%, US 8.4% (1990)
External debt:
$10.7 billion (November 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate -5.3% (1991)
Electricity:
39,716,000 kW capacity; 142,000 million kWh produced, 16,700 kWh per capita
(1991)
:Sweden Economy
Industries:
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts,
armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles
Agriculture:
animal husbandry predominates, with milk and dairy products accounting for
37% of farm income; main crops - grains, sugar beets, potatoes; 100%
self-sufficient in grains and potatoes, 85% self-sufficient in sugar beets
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.3 billion
Currency:
Swedish krona (plural - kronor); 1 Swedish krona (SKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates:
Swedish kronor (SKr) per US$1 - 6.0259 (March 1992), 6.0475 (1991) 5.9188
(1990), 6.4469 (1989), 6.1272 (1988), 6.3404 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Sweden Communications
Railroads:
12,000 km total; Swedish State Railways (SJ) - 10,819 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 6,955 km electrified and 1,152 km double track; 182 km
0.891-meter gauge; 117 km rail ferry service; privately owned railways - 511
km 1.435-meter standard gauge (332 km electrified); 371 km 0.891-meter gauge
(all electrified)
Highways:
97,400 km (51,899 km paved, 20,659 km gravel, 24,842 km unimproved earth)
Inland waterways:
2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges
Pipelines:
natural gas 84 km
Ports:
Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Malmo, Stockholm; numerous
secondary and minor ports
Merchant marine:
186 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,665,902 GRT/3,646,165 DWT; includes
10 short-sea passenger, 29 cargo, 3 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 12
vehicle carrier, 2 railcar carrier, 33 petroleum tanker, 28 chemical tanker,
4 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 7 combination ore/oil, 12 bulk, 1
combination bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
115 major transports
Airports:
254 total, 252 usable; 139 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 94 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent domestic and international facilities; 8,200,000 telephones;
mainly coaxial and multiconductor cables carry long-distance network;
parallel microwave network carries primarily radio, TV and some telephone
channels; automatic system; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 360 (mostly
repeaters) FM, 880 (mostly repeaters) TV; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 EUTELSAT