===================

@Sweden

Introduction
Sweden

Background:

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 and in
2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over
the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic
vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the
introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.

Geography
Sweden

Location:

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Geographic coordinates:

62 00 N, 15 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km
water: 39,030 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:

total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline:

3,218 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of
straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy
summers; subarctic in north

Terrain:

mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad
-2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Natural resources:

iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium,
arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 5.93%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 94.06% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,150 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

179 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.68 cu km/yr (37%/54%/9%)
per capita: 296 cu m/yr (2002)

Natural hazards:

ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of
Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Environment - current issues:

acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and
the Baltic Sea

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air P