Geography-note: strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic
and North Seas

@Sweden:People

Population: 8,886,738 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 852,520; female 808,600)
15-64 years: 64% (male 2,885,783; female 2,792,964)
65 years and over: 17% (male 653,631; female 893,240) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.26% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 11.7 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 10.78 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 3.93 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.19 years
male: 76.52 years
female: 82 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.76 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish

Ethnic groups: white, Lapp (Sami), foreign-born or first-generation
immigrants 12% (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks)

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 94%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Pentecostal
1%, other 3.5% (1987)

Languages: Swedish
note: small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1979 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%

@Sweden:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden
local long form: Konungariket Sverige
local short form: Sverige

Data code: SW

Government type: constitutional monarchy

National 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 1523, Gustav VASA was elected king; 6 June 1809,
a constitutional monarchy was established

National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June

Constitution: 1 January 1975

Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, wi