Sweden

The Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish language: ''Konungariket Sverige'' ) is a Nordic countries in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait and the Kattegat Strait on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia on the east. Sweden has a low population density in all but its Metropolitan Areas of Sweden, with most of the inland consisting of large peaceful forests and mountainous wilderness. The official list of Swedish monarchs starts about a 1000 years ago, about as long as Sweden has been Christian. After the allegedly notorious Vikings, Sweden spent a couple of centuries in battles with its neighbouring countries Denmark from the 12th century – 1710, and Norway in the 16th century and 17th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Realm of Sweden was through warfare extended to a Great Power of twice its size – subsequently lost within a century. Since 1816, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a policy of armed neutrality. Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe in the 19th century, and shaped by a dogmatic Protestantism, until its natural assets – timber, iron ore, grains – allowed it to fund a social democratic welfare state in the early 20th century. The country is today defined by liberal tendencies and a strong national quest for equality. == History == ''Main article: History of Sweden'' === Pre-history === Sweden was inhabited by hunter-gatherer during the Stone Age (6000 BC – 4000 BC), following the recession of the last ice age – the Weichsel glaciation. The region developed rather slowly compared to southern Europe; while the Romans wrote poetry, Scandinavia had just entered the Iron Age. Sweden was first mentioned in the 1st century, by Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote that the Suiones lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. After that, the sources are scarce. Sweden (etymology) originated in a so-called "back-formation" from the plural form Swedes (Old English ''Sweo�eod'', Swedish ''Svear''), the people of the Suiones. This referred to the inhabitants of Svealand primarily around lake M�laren; towns of Stockholm, Sigtuna and Birka. The southern parts were on the other hand inhabited by Geats (''G�tar'') in G�taland. During the Scandinavian Viking culture of the 9th century and 10th century, the Swedes primarily went east, to Balticum, Russia and the Black Sea, and by lakes of Russia down to southern Europe. The Kievan Rus', from which Russia takes its name, traces its heritage to the Swedes. === Middle Ages === With the Christianization in the 12th century, the country was consolidated, with its center at the water-ways of the northern Baltic and the Gulf of Finland. Like the rest of Europe it was in the 14th century struck by the Black Death (the Plague), with all the effect. But Sweden's expansion into the northern wilderness of Laplandia, the Scandinavian peninsula, and present-day Finland continued; the country today known as Finland was a part of Sweden from 1362 until 1809. [[Image:Gustav Vasa.jpg|thumb|left|King Gustav I of Sweden]] In 1389, the three countries of Norway, Denmark and Sweden were united in the Kalmar Union under a single monarch. After several wars and disputes between the nations, the King Gustav I of Sweden (Vasa) ultimately broke free in 1521 and established a nation state, considered the Foundation of modern Sweden, and shortly thereafter carrying through a Protestant Reformation. Gustav Vasa is the closest to a Father of the Nation the Swedes know. === A major power === The 17th century saw Rise of Sweden as a Great Power as one of the great powers in Europe, due to successful participation, initiated by King Gustav II Adolph of Sweden, in the Thirty Years' War. Mighty as it was, it crumbled in the 18th century with Imperial Russia taking the reins of northern Europe in the Great Northern War, and finally in 1809 when the Grand Duchy of Finland was created out of the eastern half of Sweden. The Campaign against Norway, 1814, led to the Treaty of Kiel, whereby Norway was forced into a union with Sweden that wasn't dissolved until 1905. But the campaign also signified the last of the Swedish wars and its 200 years of peace are arguably unique in the world today. === Modern history === The 19th century saw a significant population increase, generally attributed to the three factors of peace, vaccination and potatoes, doubling the population from 1750 to 1850. Many people on the countryside, the home for the majority, found themselves out of work, leading to poverty and alcoholism. Therefore a massive emigration to mainly the U.S occurred 1850-1910. However, as the Industrial revolution in Sweden progressed during the century, people gradually began moving into the Cities of Sweden and factory work, where they organized in Socialistic unions. A threatening Socialist revolution was avoided in 1917, following the re-introduction of Parliamentarism, and the country was democratized. === Recent history === In the 20th century, Swedish neutrality during World War I and World War II and continued to stay non-aligned during the Cold War – still today not being a member of any military alliance. Following the second World War, Sweden made use of its natural resources and undemolished state, making it possible to expand its industry to supply the rebuilding of Europe, leading to Sweden being one of the richest countries in the world by 1960. As other economies were re-established, Sweden was surpassed in the 1970's, but still ranks among the top nations concerning well being of its inhabitants. == Politics == ''Main articles: Politics of Sweden'' Sweden has been a monarchy for almost a millennium, with its taxation controlled by the Riksdag (parliament). It consisted of Riksdag of the Estates, made up by representatives from the 4 categories peasants, nobility, clerics and townsmen, until 1866 when Sweden became a Constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. Its First Chamber is indirectly elected by local governments, and the Second Chamber directly elected in national elections every four years. Legislative power was shared between king and parliament until 1975. In 1971 the Riksdag became unicameral. Constitutionally, the 349-member Riksdag holds supreme authority in Sweden, and its acts are not subject to judicial review. However, acts of the parliament must at every level be made inapplicable if they obviously are against constitutional laws. Legislation may be initiated by the Cabinet of Sweden or by members of Parliament. Members are elected on the basis of proportional representation for a four-year term. The Constitution of Sweden can be altered by the Riksdag, which requires a supermajority and confirmation after the following general elections. Sweden has three other constitutional laws: the Act of Royal Succession, the Freedom of Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. Executive power was shared between the King and a noble Privy Council until 1680, followed by the King's autocracy initiated by the common estates of the Parliament. As a reaction to the failed Great Northern War, Parliamentarism was introduced in 1719, followed by three different flavours of Constitutional Monarchy in 1772, 1789 and 1809, Swedish constitution of 1809 granting several civil liberties. The monarch remains as the formal, but merely symbolic head of state with ceremony duties. Social Democrat has played a dominant political role since 1917, after Reformists had confirmed their strength and the Revolution left the party. Social Democratic influence over society and government is often described as Hegemony. After 1956, the Cabinet of Sweden have been dominated by the Social Democrats. It is considered the reason for the Swedish post-war welfare state. === Welfare state === Swedes benefit from an extensive social welfare system, whereby the government provides for childcare, maternity and paternity leave, a ceiling on health care costs, retirement pensions, and sick leave. Parents are entitled to a total of 480 days paid leave between birth and the child's eighth birthday, with 30 days reserved specifically for each parent, in effect providing the father with a so called "daddy-month". And a ceiling on health care costs makes it easier for Swedish workers to take time off for medical reasons. === Education === ''Main article: Education in Sweden'' As part of its social welfare system, Sweden provides an extensive child-care system that guarantees a place for all young children from 1-5 years old in a public day-care facility. Between ages 6-16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school. After completing the ninth grade, 90% continue with a three year upper secondary school leading to either an exam in a technical profession, or the qualifications for further studies at a ''H�gskola'' or Universities of Sweden. == Geography == ''Main article: Geography of Sweden'' [[Image:Tarfala.jpg|right|thumb|Image from Lappland in the north]] [[Image:Scania outside Malm� at Lockeby.jpg|right|thumb|Image from Scania in the south]] Sweden enjoys a mostly temperate climate despite its northern latitude, mainly due to the Gulf Stream. In the south of Sweden leaf-bearing trees are prolific, in the north pines and hardy birches dominate the landscape. In the mountains of northern Sweden a sub-arctic climate predominates. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets during the summer, and in the winter night is unending. East of Sweden is the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, providing a long coastline, and mellowing the climate further yet. To the west is the Scandinavian mountain chain, a range that separates Sweden from Norway. The southern part of the country is chiefly agricultural, with forests covering a larger percentage of the land the further north one goes. Population density is also higher in southern Sweden, with centers being in the valley of lake M�laren and the �resund region. Gotland and �land are the two largest Islands of Sweden. === Counties === ''Main article: Counties of Sweden'' Sweden is divided into 21 county or ''l�n''. In each county there is a County Administrative Boards of Sweden or ''l�nsstyrelse'' which is appointed by the Government. In each county there is also a separate County Councils of Sweden or ''landsting'', which is the municipal representation appointed by the county electorate. Each county further divides into a number of Municipalities of Sweden or ''kommuner'', making a total of 290 municipalities, in 2004. There are also older historical divisions of the Realm of Sweden, primarily into Provinces of Sweden and Lands of Sweden. == Economy == ''Main article: Economy of Sweden'' [[Image:1 Krona 2001.jpg|thumb|The Swedish Krona, depicting King Carl XVI Gustav]] Aided by peace and neutral country for the whole of the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labour force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economics 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. This is one of the reasons why Sweden's Per Capita Income is so high. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of Gross Domestic Product and 2% of the jobs. The Government of Sweden commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, revenue declines, and spending increases. The Swedish Sveriges Riksbank is focusing on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth is expected to reach 3.5% in 2004, assuming a continued moderate global recovery. However, open unemployment has steadily increased since 2001 and stood at 5.5% as of March 2005, although there are a great many more persons of working age without a job. The Communications in Sweden and Transportation in Sweden systems of Sweden are important components of the infrastructure. == Demographics == ''Main article: Demographics of Sweden'' Sweden has one of the world's highest life expectancies. As of approximately August 12, as of 2004, the total population of Sweden for the first time exceeded 9,000,000, according to Statistics Sweden. The country is inhabited by some 17,000 Indigenous people Sami people. Also some 50,000 of the ethnic Finns of Sweden consist an indigenous minority, although many more of the Sweden Finns descend from 20th century immigrants. The Swedish nation has been transformed from a nation of emigration ending after World War I to a nation of immigration from World War II and on. Currently, almost 12% of the residents are born abroad, and about one fifth of Sweden's population are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. The largest immigrant groups are from Finland, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Iran, Norway, Denmark, and Poland, in that order. This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labor immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration. [[image:Sweden red house.jpg|thumb|right|280px|A typical 19th century, early 20th century farmer's house on the rural countryside]] Soviet intervention against the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the Prague Spring resulted in the first surges of intellectual political refugees. Some United States deserters from the Vietnam War also found refuge among the Swedes, who in international politics took a clear stand against what they typically viewed as imperialism executed by both the Soviet Union and the United States of America. After the 1973 coup in Chile, and the following military dictatorships in Chile and other South American countries, political refugees came to dominate the image of immigration to Sweden, including refugees from Iran, Iraq and Palestinian territories. == Language == ''Main article: Swedish language'' Swedish is a Germanic language, related to Danish and Norwegian, but different from them in pronunciation and orthography. Like the U.S., Sweden has no official language, but the Swedish language has held a ''de facto'' status as such. The dominating language has always been Swedish and there has never been a political issue about making it an official language. However, with the recognition of five minority languages of Sweden on April 1, 2000, the issue of whether Swedish should be declared official language has been raised. Most Swedes, especially those under 50, have no difficulty in understanding and speaking English due to the globalisation. Many pupils have also learnt an additional language in school; often German language. == Culture == ''Main article: Culture of Sweden'' * See further: Music of Sweden The most successful Swedish popular music artist are ABBA, Roxette, The Cardigans, Ace of Base and guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen. In underground circles, Sweden is known for a large number of death metal and black metal acts such as Bathory (band), Opeth, Dark Tranquility, Naglfar, In Flames and Vintersorg. The best known internationally opera singers are the 19th century soprano Jenny Lind and the 20th century tenor Jussi Bj�rling, who had great success abroad. Also sopranos Christina Nilsson Birgit Nilsson, and tenorss Nicolai Gedda, baritone H�kan Hageg�rd and the contemporary mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter are worth mentioning. Swedish 20th century culture is noted by pioneering works in the early days of cinema, with Mauritz Stiller and Victor Sj�str�m. In the 50's – 80's, the filmmakers Ingmar Bergman and Bo Widerberg received Academy Awardss, and actresseses Greta Garbo, Zarah Leander, Ingrid Bergman and Anita Ekberg made careers abroad. More recently, the films of Lukas Moodysson have gotten international recognition. Swedish authors of worldwide recognition include Carolus Linnaeus, August Strindberg, Selma Lagerl�f, Vilhelm Moberg and Astrid Lindgren. Many well-known inventions and discoveries, historical and modern, were made by Swedes. The most notable figures are Alfred Nobel, Anders Celsius, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Lars Magnus Ericsson, Svante Arrhenius and Anders Jonas �ngstr�m. Swedes are among the greatest consumers of newspapers in the world and every town is served by a local rag. The country's main quality dailies are Svenska Dagbladet and Dagens Nyheter, but the most popular are the evening tabloids Aftonbladet and Expressen. The free international morning paper, Metro International, was originally founded in Stockholm, Sweden. Related topics: *Cuisine of Sweden **Systembolaget ==Sports== Sport activites are a national movement with half of the population actively participating. The two main spectator sports are soccer and ice hockey. Some notable soccer stars of Sweden include Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrik Larsson and Fredrik Ljungberg, while some famous Swedish hockey players include Peter Forsberg, Mats Sundin, Niklas Lidstr�m, B�rje Salming and Pelle Lindbergh. Second to soccer, Horse#Horses_in_sport_today have the highest number of practitioners, mostly confined to the female population. Thereafter follow golf, track and field, and the team sports of handball, floorball, basketball and in northern parts bandy. American sports such as baseball and American football are also practiced but have no widespread popularity. Successful tennis players include former world No. 1's Bj�rn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg; in skiing sports, Ingemar Stenmark, Pernilla Wiberg and Anja P�rson have all had dominating periods in alpine skiing, and Gunde Svan and Thomas Wassberg ranked among the greatest cross country skiers. Other famous Swedish athletes include the Heavy Weight Boxing Champion Ingemar Johansson, golfer Annika S�renstam, former five times World table tennis Champion Jan-Ove Waldner and the World Speedway Champion Tony Rickardsson. In schools, on meadows and in parks, the game br�nnboll, a sport similar to baseball, is commonly played for fun. Other leisure sports are the historical game of kubb and boules among the older generation. == Religion == Before the 11th century, the heathen religion was devoted to �satr�, which meant worshipping of the Aesir gods with a centre at the Temple at Uppsala. With the Christianisation in the 11th century the laws of the country were shaped and worshipping of other deities forbidden. After the Protestant Reformation in the 1530's, the Church and State became united and the State (including the King) was allowed to tell people what to believe. Not until a globalisation in the late 18th century, it became allowed for believers of other faiths, including Judaism and Catholicism, to live and work in Sweden. The 19th century saw other Christian denominations, such as the Episcopalian Church; and towards the end of the century Socialism began attracting attention, leading to people distancing themselves from Church rituals such as baptism. With the 20th century a personal belief became possible, including leaving the Church of Sweden to join any other religion, but not until the 1970's was it formally allowed to stand outside of all religious communities. Today about 78% of Swedes belong to the Church of Sweden, but the number is decreasing with about one percentage point every year, and church sermons are scarsely attended. However, a majority of Swedes claim to believe in "something" – a higher being of some kind. Also of significanse are the about 100,000 muslim believers. == Holidays == ''Main article: Holidays in Sweden'' Apart from traditional Protestantic Liturgical years, Sweden also celebrates some unique holidays, some of a a pre-christian tradition. They include Midsummer, celebrating the summer solstice; Walpurgis Night on April 30 lightning bonfires; May 1st is a business free day and dedicated to Socialistic demonstrations; and December 13th, the day of Saint Lucy the lightgiver. Apart from these there are also Flag days in Sweden observances and a Namesdays in Sweden calendar. == Miscellaneous topics == *Allemansr�tten *Government agencies in Sweden *Ethnic Swedes *Foreign relations of Sweden *Military of Sweden **List of Swedish regiments *Swedish Royal Academies *Non-governmental organizations in Sweden *Communications in Sweden **Postage stamps and postal history of Sweden *Transportation in Sweden *Media in Sweden *Church of Sweden *Catholic Church of Sweden *Tourism in Sweden *Reporters without borders World-wide Press Freedom Index 2002: Rank 11 out of 139 countries *List of Sweden-related topics ==International rankings== *[http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html CIA World Factbook - GDP] - Purchasing power parity per capita **2004: 26th of 232 countries [http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html] *Save the Children: State of the World's Mothers (2004) [http://www.savethechildren.org/mothers/report_2004/images/pdf/SOWM_2004_final.pdf Report] (pdf-format) **Mothers' index rank: 1st of 119 countries **Womens' index rank: 1st of 119 countries **Childrens' index rank: 10th of 119 countries **Infant mortality rate: lowest **% women with seats in the national government: 50% (highest) *UN Human Development Index (2004) ** 2nd of 177 countries *World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report [http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Gcr/Growth_Competitiveness_Index_2003_Comparisons] (2004) ** 3rd of 104 countries == References == *CIA World Factbook - [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sw.html Sweden] *United States Department of State - [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2880.htm Sweden] == Notes == * [http://www.islamiska.org/ Swedish Muslim Association] * [http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/ Church of Sweden] == External links == *[http://www.sweden.se/ SWEDEN.SE] - The Official Gateway to Sweden *[http://www.sweden.gov.se/ The Swedish Government] - Official site *[http://www.riksdagen.se/Index_en.asp The Riksdag] - Official site *[http://www.visit-sweden.com/ Sweden's Travel and Tourism Council] Official site *[http://www.radiosweden.org/ Radio Sweden (in English)] Public service *[http://www.thelocal.se/ The Local] - Sweden's news in English, commercial *[http://terragalleria.com/europe/sweden Photos of Sweden - Terra Galleria] Monarchies Sweden European Union member states ang:Sw�oland bs:Švedska got:𐍃𐍅𐌴𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐌹 la:Suecia lv:Zviedrija li:Zwaede ms:Sweden zh-min-nan:Sverige nds:Sweden se:Ruoŧŧa sq:Suedia simple:Sweden vi:Thụy Điển yi:שװעד

Sweden

user:Anders T�rlind wrote in an edit summary: ''Not a colony, so no independence.'' :Would Sweden's leaving the Kalmar Union not be an appropriate thing to put in that box? --User:Brion VIBBER user:Henrik Clausen While the Danish kings were trying to extend their rule to unite the three Scandinavian countries, they never succeeded, and the various governmental institutions (Rigsr�d etc.) remained separate during the Kalmar union. Thus Sweden was still a separate nation that happened to have the same monarch as Denmark and Norway. Eventually several of the Danish monarchs messed up so much they were rejected and an independent Swedish king came to power. ---- Anders, thanks for helping to edit this page. A few notes on your edits: * the English name for the Swedish currency (and the Norwegian and Danish) is krone, not krona * Sweden may never have been a colony, but the history tells that Sweden separated from Denmark in 1523 under Vasa. Wouldn't that be the independence date? regards, User:Jheijmans :Aha! Well, I was certainly now aware that it was krone...Thought I'd read otherwise somewhere, but I will take your word for it :-) ::Hmmm, atlapedia lists it as Krona. Have a look: http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/sweden.htm --User:Anders T�rlind :Regarding independence, this is an interesting point. Also, I don't know the bitish/american standpoint on this, but in the Swedish educational system, it is counted as liberation from foregin occupation more than independence...Splitting hairs maby... cheers, User:Anders T�rlind :RE Swedish currency: I would check the website of the Swedish National bank and see if it has an English translation, then use the name for the currency that is mentioned there - they print it and managed it so they should know what it's called... User:WojPob ::Well, checking out the English version of http://www.riksbanken.se/ yields "Swedish krona", so I guess that's what it'll be then :-) --User:Anders T�rlind : You appear to be right - a google search gives the same outcome. I should throw my dictionary out of the window... Well, I liked the Swedish name better anyway :-) User:Jheijmans :: You could also see the old Encyclopedia Britannica: http://1911encyclopedia.org/S/SW/SWEDEN.htm --User:Ruhrjung ---- Something to satisfy you statistics freaks out there, from the Swedish central bureau of statistics: http://www.scb.se/allmanmanadsstatistik/tabellereng.asp --User:Anders T�rlind The english version of the website of the Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics is;http://www.scb.se/default____2154.asp. --User:84.217.8.122 :Yeah, but that url doesn't look very impervious. :-) : http://www.scb.se/ is better. There one can most definitely expect a link to the English language section. : /User:Tuomas 23:21, 22 Apr 2005 (UTC) ---- This page is still lacking a decent government and culture section. Shall I move it to main or wait for a good editor to arrive? User:Jheijmans It looks good to me. I don't think there is anything wrong with one or two empty headings but anything more than that really starts to look unprofessional and unfinished. --User:Maveric149 :I'd say go for transferring it as well. Culture is something that should ideally be added by a Swede anyway. -User:Scipius :Second that, transfer away! --User:Anders T�rlind ---- "In the 13th century, the three countries of Norway, Denmark and Sweden were united under a single king, who founded Sweden." It is unclear what this refers to, and it is difficult to reconcile it with the List of Swedish monarchs for that century.
S. This is something I never heard of, I doubt that it ever happened. Does anyone know? -User:XeoX ---- == Official language (1) == On official language. Even though Swedish may not hold status as official language it is far more than just ''most common''. Laws are given, and official documents are published, only in Swedish. It is the language of the dominant culture and few countries may have been so exclusively comitted to a single language culture, as Sweden (after 1809). The terminology ''de facto standard language'' may be replaced by a better one, albeit accurate. -User:Mic On Swedish (language) I'm about to write: ''Swedish is the national (but not official) language of Sweden, mother tongue for the Sweden-born inhabitants (7,881,000) and aquired by nearly all immigrants (1,028,000) (figures according to official statistics for end of 2001).'' The prior statement there (Swedish being spoken by nearly all inhabitants of Sweden) wasn't really to my liking. At the same time, I propose the term "national language", but please change it back if it looks awkward. On official language (continued) I was taught (in my Swedish class) that Swedish was declared the sole language of the government in the late 17th century. I'm puzzled by not being able to find any references to this. (I mean: I don't find it in the Real World, on the library.) -- User:Ruhrjung 11:02 May 15, 2003 (UTC) :I think the term national language works. It is potentially confusing but to some extent it is an improvement over previous terminology in making it less officious. There is currently a government bill proposing to give Swedish status of official language. The bill is meant to be analogous with introduction of the minority languages, but the general sentiment is that the it will fail to become law due to lack of support in parliament. -- User:Mic 11:51 16 May 2003 (UTC) ---- Hmm I have wondered hwt shall we do about the coat of arms, as the "lesser arms" were shown but now have been replace by the "greater arms", the are both coat of arms but what one should be shown? or should they btoh be some how fited in? -fonzy :As you know there are two official "Riksvapen", or coats of arms of the realm. The larger one represents the Monarchy and Sweden as a state. The lesser arms is a part of the larger and primarily used to represent the authority of the elected government within Sweden. There is Coats of Arms article in the works as well as more on official heraldry in Sweden. -- User:Mic 12:07 May 4, 2003 (UTC) ---- I remove the following paragraph from the page: ::Sweden is one of the world's most secularism societies, and the church has so many members only because, until recently, Swedes automatically became members of the State Church at birth. Seems rather POV to me, and maybe hard data of attendance to mass, daily prayer, communion, or feeling of closeness to God would be better? -- User:Ruhrjung 11:31 16 May 2003 (UTC) ::Swedes do become members of the church at birth, though - it takes some considerable legal effort to revoke one's membership, too - User:David Stewart 12:03 16 May 2003 (UTC) :::Apparently that was before 1995. If one of a childs parents was a member then the child would automatically become a member too. And leaving the church just requires filling out a form.. at least according to [http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/]. Here are some statistics on how many people have joined/left the church in the last years [http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/statistik/inuttrade.htm]. -- User:Jniemenmaa 13:59 May 16, 2003 (UTC) ::::The Church of Sweden was the official registrar of Swedish citizenship and domicile until 1990, when these tasks were transferred to the tax authorities. The separation of church and state was effectuated on January 1, 2000. It has been possible to transfer membership to another church since 1850s and leaving the church altogether since 1950s. Leaving the church requires a filling out a form, which has to be completed and returned by November 1 if the member wishes to leave the following year. Many chose to leave the church over membership fees, amounting to roughly 1% of the income, and still beeing collected by the tax authorities. -- User:Mic 16:36 16 May 2003 (UTC) :Being a Scanian, I might agree that ''Scania'' is one of the worlds most secularized countries :-))), but you don't have to go further than to Sm�land (i.e. to Sweden) to find lots of churches of different denominations in also the smallest villages. Well, seriously, I think the removed sentence was rather unneccessary. In an American Criminal Court drama, the Defence would have shouted "Objection, speculations" or something similar. -- User:Johan Magnus 01:21 19 May 2003 (UTC) Users have been latinizing all manner of place names in Swedish location names on the English pages. This has to stop. I swear, this is an over the top offensive slight to the pages and to Scandinavians. When a page is written in English, that does not mean pseudo-latin. I, for one, am severely disgusted. Somebody with some enforceable authority change and protect those pages, please. Latino-maniac arrogance has no place in non-latin location names.
[http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Special:Contributions&target=68.0.150.158 68.0.150.158] :Well, if you couldn't find a more important fight to pick, start editing and be bold in updating pages. With regards to pre-20th century concepts, you ought to consider that also for English speakers Latin was the lingua franca.--User:Ruhrjung 17:07, 30 Sep 2003 (UTC) ::See Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Swedish provinces -- User:Mic 15:16, 1 Oct 2003 (UTC) ---- I asked this on Image talk:Sw-map.png, but (not surprisingly) it appears that no one reads that: Why does the map of Sweden show a bridge? —User:Bkell 08:16, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC) Probably since someone thinks the �resund bridge is very important - and maybe it is.
--User:Ruhrjung 10:05, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC) ---- == Languages (Was: Official language (2)) == I think we should write the six official language that are stated in the laws. Swedish is not the national language either, only a country language. Compare CIA fact book over Sweden, which lists some of them, although not all of them. Why does it hurt to list them all? It's a good info! // User:Rogper 04:43, 28 May 2004 (UTC) :As it is stated in the article and as is discussed elsewhere on this talk page Sweden does not have an official language. Further information is also available at Swedish language. The minority languages, which recently received official standing as such, does not constitute official languages of Sweden. They are, as the term might preclude, minority languages, not official languages. -- User:Mic 08:05, May 28, 2004 (UTC) :: The six languages have been domestic before the formation of Sweden 1550 (or similar date..) and the Sami group have an own "constitution" since end of 1980s. Instead of Official languages one would rather use "Domestic Languages" or simply Languages. I think one of the meaning of the fact box is to show what languages that have been spoken in the region during the kingdom's lifetime since mid-16ths. Swedish have taken word from these languages, e.g. tjej, pojk, h�rk, jo, Kiruna, etc. are non-Swedish and not to mention the usage of � instead of �. ::I think it is good information to write these six languages in the fact box, and this is my wish. :-) // User:Rogper 19:38, 28 May 2004 (UTC) :::The content of the factbox follows the template at Wikipedia:WikiProject Countries. The reason why there is a template is to make it easier for the reader, and not to have separate definitions and layouts for each country. -- User:Mic 06:24, May 29, 2004 (UTC) :::: There is the point where I wanted to come. Other countries with no official languages, not many official languages, list their domestic ones. Therefore I think the article about Sweden should do so too. // User:Rogper 20:23, 29 May 2004 (UTC) :::: (cf. Australia, Eritrea, Luxembourg, Tuvalu) // User:Rogper 20:27, 29 May 2004 (UTC) :::::Firstly, it is somewhat unclear what you are getting at. It would seem that you are implying that existance of erroneous information elsewhere ought to be an argument to enter incorrect information here. Such an argument is needless to say moot. Secondly, for me it is hard to see the point of pursuing an issue like this. It would seem more productive for someone concerned with the Languages of Sweden in general, or the position of the minority languages, to set about creating articles on these subjects instead of inappropriately fitting information where it would not belong. -- User:Mic 09:05, 30 May 2004 (UTC) :::::: Well, wheter right or wrong one can in that case really wonder wheter there should be any language in the fact box at all. We simply write :::::::"Languages (no official lanugage): Swedish.
''note:'' small Sami, Finnish, Tornevalleyfinn and Romany-speaking minorities." (cf. [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sw.html]) :::::: I think that Wikipedia:WikiProject Countries should note this since the already existing ones treats "officially language" as the major language spoken. Don't you like to hear that there are other languages also (I'm native, too) or is it simply because you are unaware? 25% of Swedish territory don't speak Swedish daily and they haven't since stone age (when there was no inhabitans)! :-) Regards, User:Rogper 23:59, 30 May 2004 (UTC) Official language is a good criterion and it serves its purpose well. What can be considered in the case we're discussing is whether, or how, to improve on the present information given. I would see no problem in supplying more information in an additional footnote. The information given there ought to be brief and to the point. I can see a breakdown in three instances which may considered in such a case (1) the Finnish and Sami speaking communities, (2) the recognized minority languages and (3) minority languages in general. The reasoning on which of the cases to choose is may not be as simple however. It should be understood that the use of languages will always transcend the bounds of official or majority languages, and any country may at any given time contain sizeable minority groups each with their own languages. Merely looking at the demographics of Sweden, and just to make an example, one could inquire whether or not Balkan and Middle Eastern languages are receiving enough attention. An appropriate footnote link in this case might be to the demographics article. Minority languages in general enjoy protection in Swedish law, but five languages have been listed and enjoy a comparatively higher degree of protection, earning them the position of recognized minority languages. It would be more essential to explain the concept rather than listing its components and the footnote should link to a new article describing the position of the recognized minority languages in Sweden. Finnish and Sami belongs to the group of recognized minority languages, but they also have a certain status in a number of municipalities in Norrbotten, where they may be used in dealing with authorities, schools and healthcare. This is a somewhat stronger position than the other minority and recognized minority languages and here it may be proper to refer to them as the Finnish and the Sami speaking communities. So, what ought to be singled out? The Finnish and Sami languages that enjoy a special position? The middle group of recognized minority languages? Or, finally the entire group of minority languages? Despite the clear-cut definition and sanction existing in the second case, I would say that either the first or the third cases seemingly provides more relevant information. On a more personal note; am I to understand by your comment and your recent focus on Sami topics that you yourself belong to this lineage? If this is the case, I think it is very positive to have someone with direct knowledge of the Sami culture contributing articles, and when I'm able I'll be glad to assist in this field. Have you given any thought of starting a Wikipedia:WikiProject Sami? -- User:Mic 12:39, 31 May 2004 (UTC) :I guess groups descenting with foreign languages are larger than the groups with minority languages (although I don't know if they use it daily.) I think these six languages are brief enough and suited in the fact box. Information in the fact box makes the reader more intrested -- I didn't know what m�ki�li was although I've m�ki�li friends (I never learn how to spell it ... it has a completely different name in Swedish !) :-) :The crown statement (=konungatiteln) was from the beginning (with Gustav Vasa) an abbrevation over the peoples and not the territory. This have laterwards only included G�ter, Svear and Vender, but from the beginning also Samis, Finns, Estonians and Livonians was included. The latter ones fall of because territories was lost and perhaps some miss-honor to be associated with Sami, Finns, Estonians, Livonians. But the old sources views Sweden as rather a "Nordic union" (cf. European union) than "United kingdom" in the beginning. :I originally had ideas to start with project about Native Americans (cv. Etymological_list_of_U.S._states) but turned later to Sami. But I have thoughs of WikiProjects (I'm not native Sami.) Regards, User:Rogper 20:47, 31 May 2004 (UTC) == National motto == ''F�r Sverige i tiden'' - but that is the motto of our current king. Does that make it a national motto? User:Habj 19:25, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC) :It certainly does not. The cowardly way out would be to change 'national' into 'royal'. The straightforward way out would be to remove it altogether. Sweden has no national motto. -- User:Jao 09:30, 23 Jun 2004 (UTC) ::Good observation. I won't subscribe to the idea of whether one action or the other may have a particular moral value, but there certainly is a distinction. The motto adopted by Carl XVI Gustaf is his personal motto in the role as Swedish monarch, and even though Sweden is a monarchy this does not make it a national motto. In fact in can be argued whether it is a royal motto (in the same way as in the United Kingdom, ie a motto for the monarchy), or merely the personal motto of a reigning monarch. I can see two possible solutions where it is either displayed like in the United Kingdom article, or making it into a footnote. -- User:Mic 14:14, 23 Jun 2004 (UTC) :Indeed the motto given is not a motto of Sweden. I am not aware of a motto of Sweden. I would have changed it myself, but couldn't understand the format. The article on Norway gives the corresponding information correctly. Please change this someone. ::I did so, although the result is rather lengthy footnotes, that maybe can be improved by someone else. User:Johan Magnus 20:04, 1 Nov 2004 (UTC) == Holidays == Under Holidays, it is said that: "The Swedish holiday calendar consists mainly of Christian holidays. Many of these are however a continuation of pre-christian customs, such as Midsummer and Walpurgis Night." This gives the impression that Midsummer and Walpurgis Night are, in fact, today considered a Christian holiday. To the best of my knowledge, it is not. Does anyone have an explanation of the reasons behind the chosen wording? User:Alarm 13:51, 5 Sep 2004 (UTC) Well, both are or were, according to my understanding. ...although I don't have energy right now to go and check it up, I am told that ''"Midommardagen"'' and ''"Valborgsm�ss"'' (''-m�ss'' meaning the sacral mass) were taken up by the Nordic churches as holidays. In Danish, this is more obvious, where Midsummer is celebrated to S:t Hans.
--User:Ruhrjung 15:30, 2004 Sep 6 (UTC) == The Swedish Economy == Hi! I'm doing a project on Sweden,and i need to know about the economy. I was searching for some info, and i noticed that there isn't anything about the economy. Could someone find the Gross Domestic Product of Sweden in 2000? I seem to have trouble! Thanks. user:Proud Canadian == Independence of Sweden == I believe that the independence of Sweden usually is counted since Sweden left the Kalmar Union (or when Gustav Vasa formally became King). The CIA fact book share the veiw[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sw.html] and I think that I remember seeing it elsewhere. I'm not sure if the council has to be abolished for a country to lose it's independence. I personally have no real prefernce if the Kalmar union should count as indpendence or not. I just want to make sure that we have the correct facts (if there is anything right or wrong in this case) - User:Jeltz user talk:Jeltz 11:03, 14 Jan 2005 (UTC) :Wikipedia strives to be correct instead of repeating common misunderstandings. Also the US government and its agencies do sometimes misunderstand things. So is the case here. A state can't get independent unless it's been dependent. It's IMHO rather safe to rely on the opinion of the locals in a case like this.
--User:Ruhrjung 15:33, Jan 14, 2005 (UTC) ::Hmmm, I am one of the locals. :) I agree with you about that we should not repeat common missunderstandings and that the world factbook isn't the most reliable source. In this case I have no idea of what is correct. User:Jeltz user talk:Jeltz 17:27, 14 Jan 2005 (UTC) :::You see the discussion higher up on this page?
--User:Ruhrjung 23:10, Jan 17, 2005 (UTC) :::: And yet, interestingly, we still rip the entire economy section straight from the CIA Factbook: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sw.html#Econ ... someone should change this, as its blatant plagarism, right? --User:Freshraisin 03:18, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::::: Yes - however, that's been one of the cornerstones of Wikipedia, to fill up with public domain material until someone cares to write something better. Go ahead! ::::: --User:Johan Magnus 06:37, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC) ::::::To add my view on the independance "thing" (I to am a local :). I don't count the leaving of the Kalmar Union as an independance day. Strikly speaking, Sweden was in the union by free will and had existed as an independant state since at least the middle of the 13th century. The wars at the beginning of the 16th century was about leaving the union yes but it wasn't a war like the US indenpendance war. Just because a state is in a union doesn't mean it ceases to exist as an indenpendant state. == Pronunciation == International Phonetic Alphabet for ''Sverige'' would be nice. X-SAMPA svErjE I think == French map == I know the phobia of "other" language, but the French map is clearly superior in that it shows lakes and rivers. --User:Fred chessplayer-User_talk:Fred chessplayer 08:37, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC) :I agree with you on this. The French map is a better map and so much superior that it should replace the English map untill a better one is found. I think that the World Factbook maps are of quite low quality. User:Jeltz user talk:Jeltz 12:33, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC) :: I have made some improvements of the map and uploaded it. --User:Fred chessplayer-User_talk:Fred chessplayer 01:01, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC) == Suggestion to cut down text == I would like your opinion on this. To give people a better overview, I would like to cut down on the text so that every section is 4-5 paragraphs long. The rest of the section would be merged with the "main" article. Are there objections to this? If so, please give your own opinions. --User:Fred chessplayer-User_talk:Fred chessplayer 22:29, 10 Jun 2005 (UTC) : Ok I've made som changes. : Concerning the massive history of the intro, I wrote it to go along with the anthem "du lever p� minnet av fornstora dar". : --User:Fred chessplayer-User_talk:Fred chessplayer 12:14, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC) == edit conflict... == i was just about to edit the pre-history, but I will wait a while and paste it here for the time being. === Pre-history === Sweden was inhabited by hunter-gatherer during the Stone Age (6000 BC – 4000 BC), following the recession of the last ice age – the Weichsel glaciation. The region developed rather slowly compared to southern Europe; while the Romans wrote poetry, Scandinavia had just entered the Iron Age. Sweden was first mentioned in the 1st century, by Roman historian Tacitus, who wrote that the Suiones lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. After that, the sources are scarce. Sweden (etymology) originated in a so-called "back-formation" from the plural form Swedes (Old English ''Sweo�eod'', Swedish ''Svear''), the land of the Suiones. This referred to the inhabitants of eastern Sweden only, in �sterg�tland, primarily around lake M�laren; towns of Stockholm, Sigtuna and Birka. The western parts were on the other hand inhabitet by ''G�tar'' in V�sterg�tland. During the Scandinavian Viking culture of the 9th century and 10th century, the Svears primarily went east, to Balticum, Russia and the Black Sea, and by lakes of Russia down to southern Europe. The Kievan Rus', from which Russia takes its name, traces its heritage to the Sveas. With the Christianization in the 12th century, the country was consolidated, with its center at the water-ways of the northern Baltic and the Gulf of Finland. Like the rest of Europe it was in the 14th century struck by the Black Death (the Plague), with all the effect. But Sweden's expansion into the northern wilderness of Laplandia, the Scandinavian peninsula, and present-day Finland continued; the country today known as Finland was a part of Sweden from 1362 until 1809. --User:Fred chessplayer-User_talk:Fred chessplayer 10:18, 17 Jun 2005 (UTC) == A minor detail about Boule == I see that the link to the game called boule is showing a totally different article and it's not about the game boule, could anyone who knows the rules of boule make a disambiguation page about boule (or is this game known under another name in English?) : I added a note at the page of boule, and corrected the link here to point to the correct name boules. --User:Fred chessplayer-User_talk:Fred chessplayer 19:14, Jun 22, 2005 (UTC) ::Looking at the boules page I wonder if it shouldn't be changed to P�tanque instead. This rings a bell for me. It seems like the English term for the specific game known as "Boule" in Sweden, whereas "Boules" seems to be a collective term for several games played with metal balls. / User:Alarm ::: As the game is known as Boule is Sweden, "boules" seems like an appropriate term. I also can not state with certainty that the game played in Sweden is the specific variant petaneque and not the other mentioned variants bocce or bowls, it may also be a unique variant, or the rules may differ as with br�nnboll and krocket. -- You can of course add petanuque in paranthesis afterwards if you think this is highly vital. --User:Fred chessplayer-User_talk:Fred chessplayer 21:13, Jun 22, 2005 (UTC)

Sweden

European Union member states European countries Nordic countries Scandinavia Baltic Sea na:Category:Sweden ka:კატეგორია:შვეცია

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S

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Words begining with Sweden:

Sweden
Sweden
Sweden
Sweden's_ministry_for_foreign_affairs
Sweden,_economy_of
Sweden,_Maine
Sweden,_ME
Sweden,_New_York
Sweden-actor-stub
Sweden-bio-stub
Sweden-Finland
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Sweden-geo-stub
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Sweden-related_stubs
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Sweden/Communications
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Sweden/Geography
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Sweden/People
Sweden/Transnational_issues
Sweden/Transportation
Swedenborg
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Swedenborgian_Church
Swedenborgian_Church_of_North_America
Swedenbourg
Sweden_(etymology)
Sweden_3-skilling_banco_yellow_error_of_color
Sweden_and_the_Great_Nordic_War
Sweden_and_the_Great_Northern_War
Sweden_and_the_Winter_War
Sweden_and_the_Winter_War
Sweden_at_the_1972_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_1976_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_1980_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_1984_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_1988_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_1992_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_1996_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_2000_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics
Sweden_Communist_Party
Sweden_Democrats
Sweden_during_World_War_II
Sweden_during_World_War_II
Sweden_During_World_War_Two
Sweden_Finland
Sweden_Finn
Sweden_Finns
Sweden_Finns
Sweden_geography_stubs
Sweden_infobox
Sweden_national_football_team
Sweden_national_men's_ice_hockey_team
Sweden_Proper
Sweden_proper
Sweden_Rock_Festival
Sweden_topics_notice_board/to_do
Sweden_Township,_PA
Sweden_Township,_Pennsylvania
Sweden_Wikipedians'_notice_board
Sweden_Wikipedians'_notice_board
Sweden_women's_national_football_team