Sweden

Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. more...

Home
Knives, Swords & Blades
Militaria
1700-74
1784-1860
1866-97, Indian Wars
1903-13
1919-38
1946-49
1954-60
1976-89
Civil War (1861-65)
Current Militaria (1991-Now)
Desert Storm (1990-91)
Korea (1950-53)
Militaria (Date Unknown)
Other Militaria
Pre-1700
Revolutionary War (1775-83)
Spanish-Amer War (1898-1902)
Surplus
Vietnam (1961-75)
WW I (1914-18)
WW II (1939-45)
Australia
Canada
China
France
Germany
Books
Edged Weapons
Hats, Helmets
Medals, Pins, Ribbons
Other WWII German Items
Paper Items, Newspapers
Personal, Field Gear
Photos, Prints, Posters
Uniforms
Great Britain
Italy
Japan
Other Countries
Russia
Sweden
United States
Books
Bullets, Grenades
Buttons
Correspondence, Mail
Documents, Maps
Edged Weapons
Field Gear, Equipment
Flags, Banners
Hats, Helmets
Home Front
Medals, Ribbons
Other WWII US Items
Patches
Personal Gear
Photos
Pins
Postcards
Posters, Prints
Uniforms
Science Fiction
Tobacciana
Trading Cards
Transportation

It has been a member of the European Union since 1995. Its capital city is Stockholm.

At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country in Western Europe and fifth in all of Europe. Sweden has a low population density except in its metropolitan areas; 84% of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3% of the total land area. The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and liberal, with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts. Nature conservation, environmental protection and energy efficiency are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden.

Sweden has a long tradition as a major exporter of iron, copper and timber. Improved transportation and communication allowed more remote natural assets to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably timber and iron ore. In the 1890s, universal schooling and industrialization enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a welfare state, consistently achieving a high position among the top-ranking countries in the UN Human Development Index (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.

Modern Sweden emerged out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century. In the early 19th century Finland and the remaining territories outside the Scandinavian peninsula were lost. After its last war in 1814, Sweden entered into a personal union with Norway which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and neutrality in wartime.

History

Prehistory

The early record of human activity in Scandinavia is sparse and the interpretations of the records from the Nordic Stone Age (10,000 BC – 1700 BC) are often conflicting. The oldest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of flint tools from 9,500 to 9,000 BC. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millennia.

Read more at Wikipedia.org