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The Warnicks hail from Sweden.

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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 has recently been undermined by high unemployment, rising maintenance costs, and a declining position in world markets. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe caused Sweden not to join the EU until 1995, and to forgo the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Flag of Sweden

From the 14th century the coat of arms of Sweden had a blue field with three golden crowns, and the earlier Folkung dynasty used a shield of blue and white wavy stripes with a gold lion. The off-center "Scandinavian" cross was influenced by the flag of the rival kingdom of Denmark. The current flag law was adopted on July 1, 1906.

Geography

Sweden, which occupies the eastern part of the Scandinavian peninsula, is the fourth-largest country in Europe, and is one-tenth larger than California. The country slopes eastward and southward from the Kjolen Mountains along the Norwegian border, where the peak elevation is Kebnekaise at 6,965 ft (2,123 m) in Lapland. In the north are mountains and many lakes. To the south and east are central lowlands and south of them are fertile areas of forest, valley, and plain. Along Sweden's rocky coast, chopped up by bays and inlets, are many islands, the largest of which are Gotland and Oland.

History

The earliest historical mention of Sweden is found in Tacitus's Germania, where reference is made to the powerful king and strong fleet of the Sviones. In the 11th century, Olaf Skottkonung became the first Swedish king to be baptized as a Christian. Around 1400, an attempt was made to unite Sweden, Norway, and Denmark into one kingdom, but this led to bitter strife between the Danes and the Swedes. In 1520, the Danish king Christian II conquered Sweden and in the Stockholm Bloodbath put leading Swedish personages to death. Gustavus Vasa (152360) broke away from Denmark and fashioned the modern Swedish state. He also confiscated property from the Roman Catholic Church in Sweden to pay Sweden's war debts. The king justified his actions on the basis of Martin Luther's doctrines, which were being accepted nationwide with royal encouragement. The Lutheran Swedish church was eventually adopted as the state church.

Sweden played a leading role in the second phase (163035) of the Thirty Years' War (161848). By the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), Sweden obtained western Pomerania and some neighboring territory on the Baltic. In 1700, a coalition of Russia, Poland, and Denmark united against Sweden and by the Peace of Nystad (1721) forced it to relinquish Livonia, Ingria, Estonia, and parts of Finland. Sweden emerged from the Napoleonic Wars with the acquisition of Norway from Denmark and with a new royal dynasty stemming from Marshal Jean Bernadotte of France, who became King Charles XIV (181844). The artificial union between Sweden and Norway led to an uneasy relationship, and the union was finally dissolved in 1905. Sweden maintained a position of neutrality in both world wars.

An elaborate structure of welfare legislation, imitated by many larger nations, began with the establishment of old-age pensions in 1911. Economic prosperity based on its neutralist policy enabled Sweden, together with Norway, to pioneer in public health, housing, and job security programs. Forty-four years of Socialist government were ended in 1976 with the election of a conservative coalition headed by Thorbjorn Falldin. The Socialists were returned to power in the election of 1982, but Prime Minister Olof Palme, a Socialist, was assassinated by a gunman on Feb. 28, 1986, leaving Sweden stunned. Palme's Socialist domestic policies were carried out by his successor, Ingvar Carlsson. Elections in Sept. 1991 ousted the Social Democrats (Socialists) from power. The new coalition of four conservative parties pledged to reduce taxes and cut back on the welfare state but not alter Sweden's traditional neutrality. In Sept. 1994 the Social Democrats emerged again after three years as the opposition party.

In a 1994 referendum voters approved joining the European Union. Although supportive of a European monetary union, Sweden decided not to adopt the euro when it debuted in 1999.

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Official name: Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden).

Form of government: constitutional monarchy and parliamentary state with one legislative house (Parliament [349]).

Chief of state: Sovereign - King Carl XVI Gustaf (1973)

Head of government: Prime Minister - Goran Persson (1996)

Population (1998): 8,860,000.
Population projection: (2000) 8,909,000
Population (2001 est.): 8,875,053
Population projection: (2010) 9,084,000.
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): 0.2 (world avg. 15.7).
(average annual rate of natural increase -0.1%); birth rate: 9.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 3.5/1000; density per sq mi: 51

Area: 173,731 sq mi (449,964 sq km)

Land use (1994):
forest 68.0%;
pasture 1.4%;
agriculture 6.8%,
other 23.8%.

Capital and largest city (1994): Stockholm, 703,627

Largest cities:
Goteborg, 444,553;
Malmo, 242,706;
Uppsala, 181,191

Monetary unit: Krona

Language: Swedish

Ethnicity/race:
white 88%,
Lapp (Sami), foreign-born or first-generation immigrants (Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks) 12%

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

Literacy rate: 99% (1979)

Economic summary:
Gross national product (1996): U.S.$227,315,000,000 (U.S.$25,710 per capita).
GDP/PPP (1999 est.): $184 billion; per capita $20,700.
Real growth rate: 3.8%.
Inflation: 0.4%.
Unemployment: 5.5% plus about 5% in training programs.

Arable land: 7%.
Agriculture: grains, sugar beets, potatoes; meat, milk.
Labor force: 4.3 million (1996); agriculture; 2%; industry, 24%; services, 74% (1999 est.).
Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles.
Natural resources: zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower.
Exports: $85.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999): machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals.
Imports: $67.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999): machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing.
Major trading partners: EU, Norway, U.S.

Communications:
Telephones:
main lines in use: 6.017 million (December 1998);
mobile cellular: 3.835 million (October 1998).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998).
Radios: 8.25 million (1997).
Television broadcast stations: 163 (1997).
Televisions: 4.6 million (1997).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 29 (1999).

Transportation:
Railways: total: 12,821 km (includes 3,594 km of privately-owned railways).
Highways: total: 210,907 km;
paved: 163,453 km (including 1,439 km of expressways);
unpaved: 47,454 km (1998 est.).
Waterways: 2,052 km navigable for small steamers and barges.
Ports and harbors: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall, Kalmar, Karlshamn, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall.
Airports: 256 (1999 est.)

International disputes: none.