Who lives in Sweden. What is the official language in Sweden? Swedish system of government

Kingdom of Sweden

The name of the country comes from the Scandinavian svear-rige - "the state of the Svens."

Capital

Stockholm.

Area

Population

8875 thousand people

Kingdom Sweden occupies the eastern and southern parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula and the islands of Öland and Gotland in the Baltic Sea. In the west it borders on Norway, in the northeast - on Finland, in the east and south it is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea, separating in the south from Denmark.

Administrative division

Sweden is divided into 24 counties.

Form of government

A constitutional monarchy.

head of state

supreme legislative body

Riksdag (unicameral parliament), elected for a term of 4 years.

Supreme executive body

Government.

Big cities

Gothenburg, Malmö.

Official language

Swedish.

Religion

95% are Lutherans.

Ethnic composition

91% - Swedes, 3% - Finns, 6% - Sami, Norwegians, Danes.

Currency

Swedish krona = 100 ore.

Climate

The climate in Sweden is temperate, transitional from maritime to continental, influenced by the Gulf Stream. In September or at the end of May, when the sun does not set, white nights come. The average January temperature is from 0°С to + 5°С in the south, from - 6°С to - 14°С in the north; July - respectively from + 10°С to + 17°С. The annual amount of precipitation is 1500-1700 mm (in the mountains), 700-800 mm (on the plains of the south), 300-600 mm (in the northeast).

Flora

Forests occupy about 57% of the country's territory. In the north, they are mostly coniferous (spruce and pine), and to the south they gradually turn into deciduous, where oak, maple, ash, beech and linden grow. About 15% of the territory is occupied by swamps.

Fauna

Representatives of the fauna of Sweden are not too diverse, but they are numerous. In Lapland you can meet herds of reindeer, in the forests there are elk, roe deer, squirrels, hares, foxes, martens, and in the northern taiga - lynxes, wolverines, brown bears. There are about 340 bird species and up to 160 fish species.

Rivers and lakes

Short full-flowing rivers - Dal-Elven, Tourne-Elv, etc. - with rapids and waterfalls. Lakes occupy about 10% of the country. The largest of them are Venern (the largest in Western Europe - 5.5 thousand km2), Mälaren, Elmaren.

Attractions

In Stockholm - the Maritime Museum, churches of the 13th century, the royal palace, the Knight's House of the 17th century, the church of St. Nicholas of the 13th century, the National, Historical, Northern museums; in Upsapa and Lund - cathedrals of the XII century; 16th century castles in Gripsholm, Vadsten and Kalmar, etc. Medieval Visby on the island of Gotland is known as a city of ruins and roses, 92 church towers have survived.

Useful information for tourists

Currency exchange is carried out in banks, exchange offices and post offices.
Normal store hours are from 10.00 to 18.00 on weekdays and from 10.00 to 15.00 on Saturday. Many shops are open on Sunday as well. Large department stores are open daily, but on Saturday, Sunday and holidays they have a shortened working day. In July, the “industrial holidays” begin (until mid-August), when all enterprises are closed, and institutions operate in an “economical” mode.

The natural wealth of Sweden has become its calling card for tourists from all over the world. Not every state with such trepidation cares about the environment and what will remain after us to descendants. Sweden has never stood aloof from the world political arena, and since ancient times has occupied an active, leading position on it, which has made it an economically independent and reliable fiefdom for its inhabitants.

General information about the country

The Kingdom of Sweden is in fifth place in terms of area among the countries of Europe - its area is 447,435 km2. The state is a member of the UN, the EU and is a member of the Schengen Agreement.

Where is Sweden located?

The monarchical state of Sweden with its capital in the city is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula and belongs to Northern Europe. Its closest neighbors are Finland, and the so-called "little brothers" of Sweden. The land borders of Sweden are 2233 km, and the coastline is 3218 km.

Climatic conditions in the country

Due to the fact that the territory of Sweden has an elongated position, it includes several climatic zones - continental and subarctic. The northern, western and eastern regions are under the cover of the Alpine mountains, which do not allow the warm breath of the Atlantic to penetrate the continent. In winter, the temperature does not rise above -15°С, and the summer is short and cold - up to +15…+17°С. The climate of Sweden is quite severe, but on the islands of the Baltic Sea and in the south-west of the country from Malmö to Gothenburg, thanks to the warm Atlantic winds, it is much more comfortable than in the rest of Sweden. In winter, it is slightly below zero, and in summer the air warms up to + 22 ° С.

Nature in Sweden

The Scandinavian country has unique natural resources. This land of low mountains and blue lakes has little fertile land, and half of it is covered with dense forests. Hilly plains alternate with full-flowing rivers that flow from west to east. Due to the predominance of coniferous forests, the country's woodworking industry is the most developed.

State structure of Sweden

The state model is a constitutional monarchy, but the Swedish Parliament is the ruling element in the country. The legislative branch is the government, and the executive branch is the government. A feature of Sweden is the increased combat readiness of the army, despite the peaceful way of life and the country's neutral foreign policy. A lot of money is spent on defense in order to protect the population and territory from a possible invasion as much as possible.

The flag and coat of arms of Sweden are yellow and blue. They display the traditional Swedish cross and lions, a symbol of royalty.

Population

The population of Sweden is small - 9.5 million people, and the peoples who inhabit these lands, the advantage is the indigenous people - Swedes, Finns and Finno-Ugric peoples. However, in recent years the population has become much more diverse due to the large number of emigrants of various nationalities and faiths who seek asylum in this stable country.

The official language here is Swedish, which is spoken by 90% of the population.

Cities in Sweden

There are not so many large cities in Sweden. During your stay here, you can have time to visit every one of them:

1. Stockholm- the capital of Sweden, located on 14 islands. 1.5 million inhabitants live here.
2. , the second largest city in Sweden, where the residence of the bishop and numerous museums are located.
3. is the capital of the province of Skåne in Sweden. In this small cozy town you can always feel the friendly disposition of the locals.
4. . Here is the oldest university in the country.
5. Westeros is the center of the Swedish economy and a city with more than 13 thousand students.
6. . The city is home to the famous royal castle and numerous historical monuments.
7. is the center of aircraft manufacturing and an industrial city where history and modern technologies peacefully coexist.
8. - the city where the oldest street in the country is located. Today, it houses many boutiques and interesting ones.
9. - the well-known companies IKEA and Elektrolux are located here.
10. has its own football club.
11. is the center Agriculture country.
12. . The largest university in the country operates in this small town.

Religion

Traditionally, the locals belong to the Swedish Church, namely the Lutheran. It was separated from the state not so long ago, in 2000. In a small number you can meet here Catholics, Baptists and Orthodox. Due to the emigration of the inhabitants of Islamic states to the country, mosques for believers in Allah began to be built everywhere.

History of Sweden

The mention of the first settlement of the Swedes dates back to the 8th century BC. It was found during excavations near Malmö. Ancient people were first engaged in hunting and gathering, gradually leaning towards agriculture, and then began to trade with neighboring states.

The first city that was founded on the lands of Sweden was near. From here the Vikings made their first campaigns, which subsequently made this region the most powerful on the coast. Gradually, the power of the state grew, and more and more new lands were conquered - first Denmark and Finland, and then Russian territories.

At the end of the 17th century, the lands of Germany, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia were under the Swedes. But this was the end of the victorious march of the conquerors, and subsequently they had to give up part of the conquered lands. After Karl Johan XIV ascended the throne, he proclaimed a policy of peace and neutrality, and since then the state of Sweden has adhered to this position.

Interesting places and attractions in Sweden

Possessing an interesting centuries-old history, modern Sweden opens up castles, fortresses, palaces and natural parks to its guests. The most popular were and remain the old ones. Here is just a small list of places that you should definitely visit when you get to this part of the Scandinavian Peninsula:

• Malmö City Hall;
• Royal Park Malmö;
• Gamla Stan;
• Livrustcammaren;
• Södermalm;

The national ones are very interesting, in which those who practice event tourism should definitely participate. And the famous museums of Sweden will not leave anyone indifferent - they are so diverse and numerous.

In the land of the ancient Swedes, you can always be sure that you will be treated everywhere as a distinguished guest. The doors of hostels, hotels, and even palaces are always open for tourists - it all depends on the thickness of the wallet. A royal bed of the 15th century or a sleeping bag - you choose. There are no “stars” familiar to us here - everything is equally simple, concise and “European-style” almost everywhere.

Culinary preferences of the Swedes

Due to its favorable location, Sweden has direct access to the sea, and the main dishes in it are a wide variety of seafood, but herring is valued above all. It is eaten salted, boiled, baked, marinated and even "smelly". Meat products are dominated by game, pork and poultry. The guests of the country will not be left without the "first" - any self-respecting restaurant offers at least 5 varieties of soup to choose from. Buffet snacks are also common here, because this tradition comes from Sweden.

Potatoes most often serve as a side dish, and Scandinavians eat all kinds of waffles, pancakes, buns and puddings for dessert. Traditional coffee is served with dessert, every citizen of Sweden drinks a huge amount of it a year - only the Finns drink it more. At one time, namely 300 years ago, coffee saved the nation from alcoholism. At the state level, a decision was made to ban alcohol, which was replaced by coffee. Since then, alcohol is sold here in strictly designated places. The most famous drink is Absolut vodka. The minimum age to purchase alcohol is 20 years old.

Shopping in Swedish

Shopaholic tourists will be interested to learn about trade. Stockholm from year to year is gaining more and more popularity among Europeans as a trendsetter. Here, regardless of the area of ​​the city, there are many boutiques, arcades and shopping centers, where it is possible to purchase both an exclusive haute couture item and a brand stock. By the way, this concept came from Sweden, where things from the collections of past years and even centuries are very much appreciated, which can be purchased at a reasonable price.

Visitors are very impressed with the fact that taxes in Sweden for purchases made in stores can be returned. This is called tax-free. The purchase amount must be at least $23, and then from 15% to 18% will be returned from it, provided that you take a check with a special designation. Remember that Sweden's currency is the krone, which runs in parallel with the euro. Twice a year, in winter and summer, total sales start in Stockholm with 50-70% discounts.

When going to, you need to familiarize yourself with important information regarding the country's monetary system:

• Swedish currency - krone;
• it is most profitable to change currency in exchange offices, and not in banks;
• at customs, the import and export of currency is allowed without restrictions;
• Receipts and packaging must be retained for the export of tax-refunded goods from the country.

Is a visa required for Sweden?

Since this part of Scandinavia is a Schengen area,. Keep in mind that registration will take some time, so it is better to deal with this issue in advance. Documents can be submitted directly to the Swedish Embassy.

Allows you to judge its inhabitants from the positive side. They treat foreigners very well, regardless of their skin color and the language they speak. It is important that road safety is on the verge of ideal - the death rate from accidents is 3 people per 100,000 people. This was achieved by improving the quality of multi-lane roads and the availability of numerous safe pedestrian crossings.

Transport in Sweden

It is highly developed, and it contains all existing modes of transport. There are airports in all major cities, but only in Stockholm, since it is the only city with a population of one million where there is such a need.

An interesting fact: high-speed trains are called electric trains here. And those who prefer freedom of movement can rent a bike - Sweden has great bike paths.

The tunnel between Denmark and Sweden is unique in its kind - 7845 m long. It looks like an ordinary bridge, but it breaks off the coast of Denmark and goes under water on a special bulk island.

From neighboring countries to Sweden can be reached by ferry. This type of transportation is budgetary, although not very fast.

For long-distance travel, it would be more logical to use airlines. Fans of land transport are advised to get a navigator and set off on their own car, fortunately, the Schengen agreement makes this journey as comfortable as possible.

Sweden

Basic information about Sweden

Sweden (official name: Kingdom of Sweden) is one of the five Scandinavian countries located in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders Norway in the west and Finland in the northeast. The south of Sweden is washed by the Baltic Sea. In the southwest, the Øresund, Kattegat and Skagerrak straits separate the country from Denmark, but are connected to it by the Øresund bridge. Sweden also has maritime borders with the Baltic countries, Germany, Poland and Russia.

Internet domains: .se

Telephone code: +46

Time zones: (UTC+1, summer UTC+2)

The Swedish flag consists of a yellow cross on a blue background. The design and colors were taken from the Coat of Arms of Sweden in 1442: blue divided by gold. Blue and yellow have been used as Swedish colors since at least 1275. The design from 1906 is currently in use.

Small Coat of Arms of Sweden

The state emblem of Sweden is one of the main state symbols of the country. Officially, there are two versions - large and small.

King Gustav Vasa

The last glacier retreated from the Scandinavian peninsula, and from the south peoples who had been gathering and hunting for many generations came to the region. The origin of agriculture began between 4000 and 3200 BC. BC. The first metal objects appeared already around 3000 BC, but still approximately before the 19th century BC. the use of bronze was so commonplace that we can speak of this era as the Bronze Age. After that, the use of iron began as a cheap alternative to bronze, which became the main metal used in the period of the 6th-5th centuries BC. The first writing in the form of runes probably appeared around the 4th century BC, but it seems that their use had only a magical function. For the first time runes will be used as a means of communication only around the ninth year of our era. Around the same time, a more solid social organization is emerging.

The Christianization of Sweden began rather late in the 11th century, but without the intervention of foreign powers. The first historically confirmed Swedish king is Eric the Victorious, but this will be long before kings gain such power and influence that we can speak of them as rulers of a kingdom. During the 12th century, the power of the king began to spread to other provinces. In the 13th century, as the state expanded, beginning with Magnus Eriksson, the central Swedish government spread federal laws throughout the country.

The monarchy strengthened its position in the XIV century. The coast of the Upper Norrland was actively colonized by the Swedes. The Scandinavian countries were united by Denmark in the Union of Kalmar in 1397. For a number of reasons, these countries split up, and after civil war Gustav Vasa in 1523 defeated the Danes, thus seizing power in Sweden. Arbog's meeting in 1435 is often referred to as the first meeting of parliament (Swedish name: riksdag), although before that the kings had already assembled a council of the nation's most powerful representatives. The functions and influence of the latter varied considerably; for a long time the parliament was three-estate. The period before 1680 was marked by the era of the division of power between the king and the nobility, which led to the emergence of powerful nobles. Due to the dissatisfaction of the population, an autocratic monarchy was proclaimed to the Parliament in 1680. During the 17th century, Sweden had a battle-hardened army that enabled it to become a great European power. In the following centuries, it clearly did not have enough internal resources to maintain its power. In 1809, the eastern part of its territory to Finland.

King Charles XIV Johan

As a reaction to defeat in the Great Northern War, the Age of Liberty began in 1719, leading to the creation of a constitutional monarchy governed by various constitutions adopted in 1772, 1789, and 1809, the last of which introduced many civil rights. During the reign of Gustav III, royal power increased for a short time. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Swedes conquered Kiel from Swedish Pomerania. In 1814, Denmark was forced to cede Norway to Sweden in exchange for Swedish territories in Germany. However, Swedish rule did not completely extend over Norway, it adopted its own Constitution. The Danish prince Christian Frederik was elected king there. But the Swedish king Charles XIII, who returned home, heard about this event, and his army attacked Norway. The war did not last long, and Charles XIII was elected king of Norway. Norway retained its constitution, and the two kingdoms formally united on equal terms. The new agreement thus differed from the original agreement in Kiel. After that, Sweden stopped participating in wars.

Industrialization in the 1800s came quite late to Sweden compared to Britain, but very early compared to the rest of the world. The construction of railroads in the 1850s was of great importance for the country. The enterprises of Nitroglycerin AB, Lars Magnus Eriksson's chemical and electrical engineering companies were among the leaders in the world at the end of the 19th century.

During World War I, Sweden remained neutral. The political influence of civil society gradually increased during the 19th century. The first reform of the electoral system was adopted in 1909, giving the right to vote to all men with proportional suffrage. In 1919, a decision was made to introduce universal and equal suffrage in Sweden, after King Gustav agreed to appoint the government of Sweden based on the decision of the Riksdag in 1917. The new suffrage was first applied in the elections of September 1921, after which a social democratic government came to power under the chairmanship of Carl Hjalmar Branting. In the 1920s different parties won the elections, but in 1932 the Social Democrats again headed the government, and from the summer of 1936 they remained the party in power until 1976. During World War II, a coalition government was created.

Even during the Second World War, the Swedes hoped that the Nordic countries would remain neutral in the confrontation between the warring parties, but the hope was buried by the Soviet attack on Finland and the Nazi invasion of Denmark and Norway. These events forced Sweden to pursue a pragmatic policy towards the outside world. After the end of the war, the coalition government disbanded and a purely social democratic government came to power. In the 1950s and 1960s large-scale reforms in social policy were carried out, in the early 1970s the labor market was re-regulated. The economic boom in these years allowed to raise the standard of living of citizens.

Swedish security policy was based on non-alignment with any side in times of peace in order to be able to maintain neutrality in times of war. Later, however, it was shown that formal non-alignment did not prevent close cooperation with NATO. Prime Minister Olof Palme nevertheless pursued an aggressive foreign policy, criticizing, among other things, the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa.

In 1971, the bicameral parliament was replaced by a unicameral one. In 1974, a comprehensive constitutional reform took place. In the 1970s, the economy deteriorated, and the energy issue became more relevant than ever. Criticism of nuclear power led the Riksdag to decide that no more nuclear power plants would be built.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the end of the Cold War led to a rethinking of Sweden's policy of non-alignment. Sweden's participation in the process of European integration has become more active. The Swedish government applied for membership of the European Union (EU) after participating in the EFTA, formed in 1960. Sweden joined the EU on January 1, 1995, after 52.3% of the country's population voted for membership in this organization in a referendum on November 13, 1994.

Sweden is located in northern Europe in the east of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and extends approximately 14 degrees latitude and 13 degrees longitude. In longitude, this difference corresponds to 52 minutes of solar time (between Haparanda in the east and Strömstad in the west). Sweden is the fifth largest country in Europe. The country is bordered by Norway to the west, Finland to the northeast, and Denmark to the southwest across the Øresund Bridge. Sweden also shares maritime borders with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Russia. The surrounding waters are the Gulf of Bothnia, which is part of the Baltic Sea, and in the southwest the Skagerrak, Kattegat and Øresund straits. Sweden is part of the geographical area of ​​the Nordic countries.

The east of Sweden is washed by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, a long coastline greatly affects the climate. To the west, the Scandinavian Mountains separate Sweden from Norway. The old name for this mountain range, both in Norwegian and Swedish, is Köhlen. Sweden, since the XVIII century, has a fairly good watershed of this mountain range. The rivers in Northern Sweden usually flow east of the mountain range and often become quite wide (they are also called northern rivers).

Agricultural land is located mainly in the south of Sweden. The total area of ​​agricultural land is 2.7 million hectares. In general, however, 60% of this total area and 75% of the forest area has been developed. The forest lands of Sweden belong to the western edge of the Eurasian taiga. The population density is also higher in the south and is concentrated mainly in Mälardalen, Bergslagen, the Öresund and Västra Götaland regions. In South Götaland are the headwaters of many rivers flowing in the middle of the highlands of Southern Sweden. In the south of Sweden the rivers are not as long and large as in the north. In Svealand and Götaland, however, there is the largest river in Sweden in terms of water flow and water basin: the Klarälven-Göta-Elv river, which includes Lake Vänern. Sweden has an unusually large number of lakes of various sizes. There are 95,795 lakes in Sweden[i] over 1 hectare and 221,831 islands in the sea and lakes.

Sweden has the most high mountain- Kebnekaise with a height of 2,104 meters above sea level. Two largest islands: Gotland and Öland, two largest lakes: Vänern and Vättern. Sweden stretches for 1,572 km from north to south, the greatest length from west to east is about 500 km.

Timber, hydropower and iron ore are important natural resources, and there is also copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, uranium, arsenic, tungsten, feldspar and manganese in the Baltic Sea.

Climate of Sweden

Sweden enjoys a mild temperate climate with large temperature fluctuations, despite its northerly location, which depends on the warmth of the Gulf Stream. Deciduous trees dominate in southern Sweden, coniferous forests in the north: pines and spruces, birches are usually found in landscaped areas. In the northern part of Sweden, covered with mountains, a subarctic climate prevails. This means that there are longer, colder and snowier winters. To the north of the Arctic Circle, on some days of summer the sun does not set below the horizon, white nights set in, while in winter there is complete darkness. The winter solstice is interrupted by only a few hours of dawn and dusk.

The annual rainfall is about 700 mm with relatively high volumes over the western mountains. The average temperature in January ranges between 0°C in the south, a few degrees below zero in central Sweden down to -18°C in the north. In July, the temperature difference between north and south is much less than in winter. The average air temperature is around 17 °C in both regions of Götaland (just below the highlands in southern Sweden) and Svealand (except for the western part). In the north along the coast, the average temperature decreases from about 17°C in Gavle to 14°C in Haparanda. In the mountains, however, the average temperature in July remains at a level slightly above 10 °C. In Sweden, the lowest temperature of -52.6 °C was recorded on 02/02/1966 in Vuogacholm, Lapland. The highest recorded temperature of 38 ° C was recorded in Ultuna, Uppland (07/09/1933) and the village of Mollilla, Småland, (06/29/1947).

Due to the large difference in latitude (Sweden extends from approximately 55 to 69 degrees north latitude), the vegetation of the north and south differs significantly. Growing zones (for planting trees and crops) and vegetative zones for the natural distribution of vegetation can be distinguished: from trees to grasses. In this regard, Sweden is divided into five main regions:

1. Broad-leaved forest of the southern region.
2. Pine forest of the southern region.
3. Coniferous forest of the northern region.
4. Birch region.
5. Naked mountainous region.

The presence of deciduous forests in the southern region is explained by the offshoot of the distribution of deciduous forests of North-West Europe and the absence of a natural distribution of spruce. The region, covering the southern part of the western coast of the provinces of Skåne and Blekinge, is marked by the spread of beeches and other hardwoods. The number of elms has decreased due to a fungal disease. South Öland belongs to the broadleaf forest zone of the region, but is an exception due to the small presence of spruce.

The pine forest of the southern region is characterized by a mixture of coniferous trees with deciduous trees such as beeches and oaks. The northern border of beech distribution divides this region into two sub-regions. Beech grows in nature, mixed with coniferous trees along the border from the middle of Bohuslän in the Oskarshamn region with exclaves on the Västergötland plain. The border of the distribution of the pine forest of the southern region completely coincides with the northern border of the oak distribution (only rare trees are found north of the pine forest of this region).

The coniferous forest of the northern region is characterized by the spread of spruce, pine, birch, alder, aspen and some other trees. In principle, all deciduous trees can be found here. The coniferous forest of the northern region is a direct offshoot of the Russian-Finnish taiga. The farther north, the rarer the forest.

In the mountainous areas, on low terrain, there is a birch region, where birch is the only large vegetation in the mountains. Low vegetation is flowers, lichens, blueberries.

Above a certain height in the mountains is a bare mountainous region. The height of the trees depends on the latitude and is higher, for example, in the Dala mountains than in the Riksgransen. The tundra may consist of both glacier or bare rock, and low vegetation during the summer.

Government and politics of Sweden

Swedish system of government

Residences of the Cabinet of Ministers (left) and Parliament (right)

Sweden is a state with a representative democracy and an elected parliament (Riksdag), the country is led by a government headed by a prime minister. Formally, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, where the king is the head of state.

The current head of state is King Carl XVI Gustaf, the heir to the throne is Princess Victoria, the head of government is Prime Minister Stefan Leven, and the speaker of parliament is Urban Alin.

The laws of the kingdom are made by a parliament of 349 directly elected members in free elections. Parliament consists of one chamber. The government is accountable to Parliament. New bills are usually created by the government, but members of the Riksdag can also initiate new laws and submit them for discussion. Members of the Swedish Parliament - the deputies of the Riksdag - are elected every four years by a proportional electoral system. Election Day is the second Sunday in September, on the same day members of the city and county councils are elected. Deputies and all other politicians are chosen by voters who vote for different political parties, which, in turn, represent different political ideologies. All citizens over the age of 18 can vote in parliamentary elections and are free to form political parties or stand for election, choosing a political position. The Swedish political system is largely based on representative democracy, in which politicians, as representatives of the people, should reflect the composition of the population as much as possible. In parliamentary elections, there is a 4% barrier that prevents parties that do not overcome this barrier from obtaining a parliamentary mandate.

Sweden has four constitutional laws: the Government Act, the Succession Act, the Freedom of the Press Act and the Freedom of Expression Act. The law of Parliament has the status of constitutional law and customary law. The constitution begins with the following paragraph:

“All state power in Sweden comes from the people. Swedish democracy is based on the free formation of opinions and on universal and equal suffrage. It is implemented through representatives and a parliamentary form of government and through local self-government. State power is exercised in accordance with the law.”

The constitution can only be changed by two identical decisions of Parliament and a general election between them. In addition, if the Riksdag has taken the first decision to change the Constitution, a referendum must be held before the second decision. The result of such a referendum is binding. The Council reviews the new bill and considers how it affects the Constitution and the legal system, the legal security and the rights of the European Union, and how these provisions relate to each other.

In Sweden, the faith no longer has real power, the monarchy performs symbolic state functions with almost exclusively ceremonial duties. The constitution was written partly with the aim of "with a stroke of the pen" to abolish the monarchy and proclaim a republic, the Royal Family, however, is still very popular, so the question of its status, for pragmatic reasons, was no longer raised.

The government governs the country and is appointed after a general election through negotiations in Parliament,led by a speaker. The speaker nominates the prime minister based on who has the most support in the newly elected parliament. On the proposal of the Speaker, Parliament appoints the Prime Minister. The prime minister, in turn, appoints ministers to the government. The government must be supported by a majority of the members of the Swedish Parliament. Parliament also has a controlling function both over the government and over the authorities; the government is controlled, among other things, by a parliamentary constitutional committee. Parliament may also require checking whether the government still enjoys the support of Parliament. Parliament can force the government to resign; this can be realized if at least 35 members unite and put forward a vote of no confidence.

Swedish governance is based on the principles of decentralization. Municipalities and state institutions have an unusually strong position enshrined in the Constitution. There are a total of about 380 different government agencies in Sweden. The Ombudsman is an unusual political institution invented in Sweden. Sweden has several ombudsmen who enforce individual rights against authorities, organizations and companies. The Parliamentary Ombudsman is the main ombudsman who protects the rights of citizens from the side of the authorities.

Sweden is a member of the EU and the Swedish Constitution is subject to the European Union, but the relationship between the two is not entirely clear. About 80% of all new laws adopted in Sweden since the first directives have been approved within the framework of EU laws. Sweden has 20 out of 751 seats in the European Parliament and the Swedish government's representation in the Council of the European Union. Cecilia Malmström, a Swede, sits in the European Commission, but she does not represent Sweden, but the interests of Europe as a whole. Sweden has long been one of the countries that implemented the EU directives the most. However, in recent years, the percentage of sales has slightly decreased. As a result of EU membership, foreign and security policy has been developed in Sweden in part in cooperation with other countries. The government represents Sweden's interests in the EU, but in order to express its parliamentary position in the European Union, the government constantly consults with the Swedish Parliament.

Politics of Sweden

For most of the 20th century, there were five different parties in the Swedish parliament, representing socialism, social democracy, liberalism, conservatism and rural interests. At the end of the 20th century, the Green Party (1988) and the Christian Democrat Party (1991) entered the parliament. The Swedish Democrats have been in Parliament since 2010. In the 1991 elections, the New Democracy party entered parliament, but after the 1994 elections, it almost completely disappears from Swedish politics. Since the 2014 elections, the largest political parties that have not entered parliament are the Feminist Initiative, the Pirate Party and Unity.

Representatives of the Swedish parliamentary parties and the Feminist Initiative party are represented in the EU Parliament after the June 2014 EU parliamentary elections. The Pirate Party in 2009-2014 received two seats in the European Parliament.

Political factions

Government:
Social Democratic Party (113)
Green Party (25)

Opposition:
Moderate coalition party (84)
Swedish Democrats (49)
Center Party (22)
Left Party (21)
People's Party - Liberals (19)
Christian Democratic Party (16)

The Social Democrats have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s and have been in power continuously from 1932 to 1976, holding the majority of seats in parliament between 1968 and 1970. Since the late 1990s, the Social Democratic Party has relied on the support of the Green Party and the Left Party to form a government. In recent decades, the dominance of the Social Democrats has been shaken by the repeated confident victories of the bourgeois parties. In the parliamentary elections in 2006, the Alliance for Sweden, consisting of the Moderate Party, the Liberal People's Party, the Center Party and the Christian Democrat Party, formed a majority coalition. The leader of the Moderate Party, Fredrik Reinfeldt, served as Prime Minister of Sweden, but after the parliamentary elections in 2010 he became the leader of a minority government. After the parliamentary elections in 2014, the Social Democrat Stefan Löfven, who led a minority government together with the Green Party, becomes prime minister again.

In connection with the holding of parliamentary elections, elections are also held for municipal and district councils. The parties currently represented in parliament also make up the majority of seats at the local level. In addition, there are also purely local or regional parties in municipal and district councils, as well as more or less nationwide small parties running in local elections. The Feminist Initiative, the Independent Rural Party, the Communist Party, the Health Party, the Justice Party, the Socialist Party and the Swedish Pensioners' Party are examples of parties outside parliament but which are represented at the local level.

In foreign policy, Sweden participates in multilateral cooperation and is one of those states that are members of most international organizations. Sweden is one of the largest contributors to the UN budget. Sweden also provides one of the highest contributions in the EU and the highest per capita contribution to the UNHCR. Sweden has previously been active in UN peacekeeping operations, but its participation has drastically declined in recent years. Instead, Sweden is cooperating more and more with NATO and has sent more than 500 people to Afghanistan.

Judiciary in Sweden

Until the 19th century, the Swedish judicial system, as in the rest of Europe, imposed cruel and arbitrary punishments on criminals. In the 18th century, criminal law was criticized by Cesare Beccaria and other philosophers of the Enlightenment. Criticisms put forward, including by Beccaria, will have great importance for Swedish modern criminal law. But Beccaria's ideas of abolishing death penalty and other reforms in penal policy found it difficult to find support in the Swedish Parliament on the sole basis that the theocratic doctrine of retribution continued to enjoy strong support. In the 19th century, there were three main criminal ideological schools: the classical school, the school of positivism, and the sociological school. All schools considered the prevention of crime as their main goal, in contrast to the old point of view, which put punishment as a basic principle.

In Sweden, the sociological school dominated the 20th century, although the positivist school also influenced the development of the correctional function and greater efforts to reintegrate the individual into society. The courts in their decisions took into account the individual motives of people, so the sentences of judges for the same crimes varied greatly. Since the main reforms of the Swedish criminal justice system took place at the end of the 20th century, the neoclassical criminological school had a great influence on Swedish law and judicial practice. Neoclassicism was more critical than the previous system, which contained arbitrary and compulsive actions. The school emphasized proportionality, equality, transparency and punishment (rather than correction), as well as the principles on which the Swedish judiciary operates to this day.

The judicial system is divided into general courts, general administrative courts and special courts. General courts deal with both civil cases (disputes between individuals) and criminal cases, while general administrative courts deal with disputes between citizens and authorities. The activities of the general courts are divided into different jurisdictions. These are the local district and administrative courts, whose decisions can be appealed to the regional courts of appeal, courts of appeal, administrative courts of appeal, the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court (formerly the Supreme Administrative Court), as the highest courts in each system.

Some issues are considered in special courts. These include the Labor Court, the Market Court, the Patent Court of Appeal, the Land and Environmental Court, and the Migration Court. Certain labor decisions that have been heard in the District Court of First Instance may be appealed to the Labor Court. Decisions of the Labor Court or the Market Court cannot be appealed.

Swedish Police

A distinctive feature of the Swedish police is that the entire organization, which has 20,040 police officers (of which 33% are women) and 10,299 civil servants (of which 67% are women) as of January 01, 2019, is a public authority, although each police department in the county has its own powers. Average age policemen - 43 years. About 9% of employees will reach the age of 65 within the next 5 years.

Defense of Sweden

The term "general protection" is used in Sweden as a collective term for military and civil defense. Sweden was not in military alliances for most of the 20th century, but now has close cooperation with NATO, participating in the Partnership for Peace, and cooperates with the EU in the field of defense. The word "neutrality" has disappeared from Swedish security policy. The share of defense in 2018 was less than 1.1%.[i] International cooperation is gradually becoming more important than the previously dominant task of defending one's territory from invasion.

The defense of Sweden consists of the army, navy and air force. The navy, in turn, consists of an armed fleet and landing units. All defense forces are included in the Swedish Armed Forces. In the 1990s, a few years after the Cold War, a long period of gradual decline in the Swedish defense force began. The Swedish Armed Forces were constantly replenished with conscripts, but from the beginning of the 1990s, their conscription began to decrease. Compulsory military service has been suspended since July 1, 2010, and the personnel of the Defense Forces are currently composed partly of professional soldiers, partly of volunteers.

Demographics of Sweden

Population density in the municipalities of Sweden (number of inhabitants per 1 km²)

As of January 01, 2019, Sweden has a population of 10,230,185 inhabitants. increased by 109,943 inhabitants (1.086%) compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, of which 78% came from immigrants.

The country has a population density of 22 people per square kilometer. Thus, the country, which occupies the 89th place in the world in terms of population[i] , occupies one of the last places in the world in terms of population density. Population density tends to be higher in southern Sweden. For example, it can be noted that in the province of Lapland with an area of ​​109,702 km²91 666 inhabitants live; and in the municipality of Lund, which has an area of ​​only 439.91 km², lives 122 948 inhabitants.

In 2018, life expectancy was 83.83 years for women and 79.84 years for men.21% of the population were under 17 and 19.9% ​​over 65. The infant mortality rate is one of the lowest in the world: 2.41 children per 1,000 births. The total fertility rate was 1.75 in 2018.

The first ancestors of modern Swedes came to Sweden 12 - 13,000 years ago. These groups of hunter-gatherers crossed the ice and initially settled in Scone. Modern research points to a number of ancient waves of immigration; from the Middle East through the Balkans (haplogroup I), from Central Asia through Southern Europe (haplogroup R1b), from Central Asia from the west (haplogroup R1a), from Southeast Asia through Siberia (haplogroup N), Neolithic farmers who came around 4200 BC (haplogroups E, G, J). Further research shows that ethnic Swedes are mostly (about 80%) descendants of early hunter-gatherers, and only to a lesser extent (20%) are descendants of late Neolithic farmers.

The Saami have indigenous status, immigrating from the east between 8,000 and 5,000 years ago. Today there are over 20,000 Saami in Sweden.[i] Also immigrated to the north were formerly Finnish peoples from the east, who are now known as Tornedalians. Immigrant ethnic minorities are also Swedish Finns (the majority live in Rattvika Finnmark and Orsa Finnmark), Gypsies and Jews; the last two ethnic groups have existed in Sweden since the 16th and 17th centuries, with more coming from the 19th century. Up to a thousand Walloons immigrated in the 17th century.

In 2018, there were 1,955,569 people born in foreign countries (19.1%). In total, 24.1% of the population was born abroad, or both parents were born abroad.

Languages ​​in Sweden

Since 1 July 2009, Swedish has been officially approved as the main language of Sweden, and the same law specifies that Swedish must be the official language of Sweden in an international context. The native languages ​​of national minorities in Sweden are the Sami language, Meenkieli, Finnish, Romani dialects and Yiddish. Romani dialects and Yiddish are so-called extraterritorial languages ​​of national minorities, which means that they are not tied to a particular region or to a particular area. Other languages ​​of national minorities have a stronger position than extraterritorial languages. Representatives of minorities in some municipalities have the right to contact the authorities and receive care for the elderly in their own language. Research and teaching in all five languages ​​must by law be carried out in at least one Swedish university. In Sweden, sign language has a status similar to minority languages. The Elfdalian dialect has recently begun to be considered as a separate language, but does not have the official status of a national minority language.

Medieval immigration to Sweden was modest compared to the size of the local population and consisted of German artisans and merchants in the cities. From the 17th century until the beginning of the 19th century, Sweden had restrictions on the immigration of people who were not Protestants (in practice, the ban was imposed on Catholics and Jews).

After World War II, immigration increased significantly. During the 1950s and 60s, immigrants from Southern Europe came to Sweden in search of work. In particular, Finns, Norwegians, Danes, Germans, Poles, Croats, Albanians, Serbs, Bosnians, Turks, Iraqis, Iranians, Kurds, Assyrians, Syrians, Lebanese, Chileans, Greeks and Somalis immigrated.

From 1875 to 2018, 4,466,013 people immigrated to Sweden, but during the same period, 3,316,010 people left Sweden.

In the post-war period, there were many immigrants from Finland, Germany, Poland, Iran, the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Later, immigrants from the Middle East were Kurds, Assyrians, Syrians, Arabs, Palestinians, Moroccans.

In 2018, 132,602 people immigrated and 46,981 people emigrated.

Religion in Sweden

Sweden is one of the least religious countries in the world. Sociological research on religion shows that up to 85% of the Swedish population can be classified as atheists, agnostics or non-believers in God. 65.9% of all Swedes are formally members of the Lutheran Swedish Church. The Church of Sweden was formerly considered the state church of Sweden and its terms and existence have been enshrined in the Swedish Church Act since 1998. The law came into force in 2000, when the relationship between church and state was changed. In spite of a large number of people who identify themselves as members of the Swedish church, parishioners rarely attend church services. A total of 65% of those born in Sweden are baptized in a Swedish church. A small majority of ceremonies take place outside the Swedish church, but almost 84% of funerals are held as part of church events.

There are other faiths in Sweden brought by immigrants from other parts of the world. Religious minorities include Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims and non-conformist Protestants. Only about 25,000 of the 450,000 Muslims in Sweden are active believers (in the sense that they participate in Friday prayers and pray five times a day). There are also Buddhists, Jews, Hindus and Baha'is in Sweden. Among the rest of the confessions, pagan groups stand out, who practice the modern Asatru and the traditional Sami religion.

The largest cities in Sweden

The population of the largest cities in Sweden as of 01/01/2019

No. p / p	City	Linen	City population	Commune population
1	Stockholm	county Stockholm	1583374	962154
2	Gothenburg	county of Västra Götaland	599011	571868
3	Malmö	flax Skane	316588	339313
4	Uppsala	Uppsala flax	160462	225164
5	Upplands Vesby and Sollentuna	county Stockholm	144826	72528
6	Westeros	county Westmanland	122953	152078
7	Örebro	flax Örebro	120650	153367
8	Linköping	Ostergotland county	111267	161034
9	Helsingborg	flax Skane	109869	145415
10	Jönköping	Jönköping county	96996	139222
11	Norrköping	Ostergotland county	96766	141676
12	Lund	flax Skane	91940	122948
13	Umeå	county Västerbotten	87404	127119
14	Gavle	Gävleborg county	76761	101455
15	Buros	county of Västra Götaland	73782	112178
16	Södertelje	county Stockholm	73383	97381
17	Eskilstuna	county Södermanland	69816	105924
18	Halmstad	len Halland	69419	101268
19	Växjö	len Kronoberg	68059	92567
20	Karlstad	county Värmland	64031	92497

Economy of Sweden

Also, the poverty rate in Sweden is one of the lowest in the world, whether it refers to relative or absolute poverty. Income inequality has been increasing in Sweden for over a decade.

Sweden is one of the countries with a high level of social capital. This means that trust between citizens as individuals and the authorities is very high. One consequence of high social capital is the low level of corruption, as in several other Western European countries.

Infrastructure in Sweden

Public transport in Sweden

Since 1983 local and regional public transport in Sweden has been organized at the county level. A government agency was established in each district. Regional authorities are responsible for metro, tram, city and regional buses, and regional trains. Some authorities are also responsible for other modes of transport (boats).

Energy in Sweden

In 2017, hydropower generated 63.9 TWh of electricity (40.2% of total electricity), nuclear power generated 63 TWh of electricity (39.6%), thermal power generated 14.8 TWh/ h (9.3%) and wind energy - 17.3 TWh (10.9%). Solar energy began to develop only in 2011, and in 2016 it produced 143 GWh of electricity. The trend of recent years shows that the capacity of thermal energy has decreased, and the capacity of wind energy has increased. Overall electricity consumption has decreased slightly and Sweden has become a net exporter of electricity, mainly to Finland.The Swedish high voltage power grid is connected to the power grids of Norway, Finland, Denmark and Poland.

The country has ten nuclear reactors at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant, the Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant and the Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant. Hydroelectric power plants are concentrated in large dams on the rivers of the northern part of the country. Sweden does not produce oil and is therefore dependent on imports of oil and other fuels.

On the other hand, the country has large reserves of forests used as biofuels in remote power plants. Forest and agricultural products can be used for fuel production.

Sweden has a developed network of roads, especially in the southern regions of the country in the settlements of Skåne, Gothenburg, the west coast of Sweden, Östergötland and in the Stockholm region. Secondary roads in sparsely populated areas may be dirt roads, especially in the north of the country. From Skåne, motorways reach Denmark via the Øresund Bridge, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Gävle. From Gothenburg, the motorway goes even further into Norway, the E6 motorway acts as an international transit highway between Copenhagen and Oslo. Roads in Sweden are included in the mainland motorway network and are connected to the rest of Europe via the Øresund Bridge to Denmark, and further to Germany.

Railways in Sweden

In Sweden, railways began to be built from the middle of the 19th century, although many tracks, especially in rural areas, were closed in the second half of the 20th century.

Railways are unevenly developed in the country. The rail network starts with Stockholm as the center and extends to other parts of Sweden. The railways also cover Denmark, Norway, and also via ferries Germany, and are also connected to Finland via Haparanda and are currently intended only for freight traffic. In some regions, the rail network is well developed and rail traffic is very dense, especially in the regions around Stockholm, Gothenburg and Skåne. However, in other regions, the railway networks are very poorly developed. The northern regions generally only have no more than a couple of tracks.

Air travel in Sweden

There are many international airports in Sweden, of which Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is the largest. It is followed by Gothenburg-Landvetter, Stockholm-Bromma Airport, Stockholm-Skavsta Airport, Malmö Airport and Luleå Airport. In the southernmost part of Sweden, the Danish airport Kastrup is widely used. Many major international airlines operate from airports. The largest airline is Scandinavian Airlines, but there are other airlines of great importance, such as Lufthansa and Ryanair. Arlanda Airport also has railway, which runs both south and north with heavy traffic.

Maritime traffic in Sweden

Swedish maritime history is of great importance for the history of Sweden and trade relations, not least because of its geographical position. In practice, shipping is developed in Sweden, like any other island state. With one of the longest coastlines in Europe and fairly good port conditions, maritime traffic accounts for the majority of Sweden's foreign trade - about 90%. The country has more than 200 ships registered in the Swedish ship registry. The total number of Swedish controlled ships, including those registered abroad, is about 600. Tankers and ro-ro ships are the main types of ships, and Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsingborg and Trelleborg are the most important maritime cities.

Administrative divisions of Sweden

Sweden is divided into 21 districts (len). Each county has a county administrative council appointed by the Swedish government and a representation of local peoples. Len is divided into municipalities and there are a total of 290 municipalities. Historically and traditionally, there is also a division of the country into provinces and regions. They have no administrative significance.

Swedish architecture

Until the 14th century, most buildings were built of bricks and wood. But then stone became a building material. Romanesque churches were the first Swedish stone buildings. Many of them that were built in Skåne were Danish churches. For example, this is the Lund Cathedral in Lund, built in the 12th century, and several churches in Dalby. There are also many other ancient Gothic churches built under the influence of the Hanseatic League, as in Ystad, Malmö and Helsingborg.

Cathedrals in other parts of Sweden were built to house Swedish bishops. Skara Cathedral was built in the 15th century and Cathedral Uppsala in the 16th century. The foundation of Linköping Cathedral was laid in 1230, the building material of which was limestone, but the building itself took 250 years to build.

Other old structures include a number of important fortresses and historical buildings, such as Borgholm Castle, Hallthorps Manors and Eketorp Fortress in Åland, Nyköping Castle and the city wall around Visby.

Around 1520, during the reign of King Gustav Vasa, the construction of large mansions, castles and fortresses began. Some of the more grandiose structures include the castles of Kalmar, Gripsholm and Vadstena.

For the next two centuries, Swedish architecture was dominated by the Baroque and later Rococo styles. Notable projects from that time include the city of Karlskrona, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Drottningholm Palace.

1930 was the year of the great Stockholm exhibition, which marked the breakthrough of functionalism. This style came to dominate in the following decades. Some well-known projects of this kind are affordable, but a little strange residential complexes.

Skyscrapers in Sweden

The Scandinavian countries are famous for having many skyscrapers, but Sweden is the country that has built the most. In Malmö and Stockholm there are a few skyscrapers over 80 meters high, but they are not densely built in the so-called business zones (for example, in Frankfurt or La Défense). Turning Torso (Swedish for "Turning Torso") in Malmö is the tallest skyscraper in the Nordic countries and the second tallest residential building in Europe. Many Swedish cities have been inspired by this skyscraper.

Culture in Sweden

Swedish culture is an integral part of Scandinavian, Germanic and Western cultures. August Strindberg is often regarded as one of Sweden's most important writers. Internationally, he is known primarily as a playwright. Also, the writer Astrid Lindgren had great international success. Nobel laureates Selma Lagerlöf and Harry Martinson are well known. The most famous Swedish artists are painters Alexander Roslin, Anders Zorn and Carl Larsson. The famous sculptors of Sweden are Carl Milles and Tobias Sergel. In the 20th century, Swedish culture became known for its films, made by the likes of Moritz Stiller and Viktor David Sjöström. Between the 1920s and the 80s, director Ingmar Bergman, actors Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman became world famous people. Films by Roy Andersson, Lasse Hölström and Lukas Mudisson have won international awards.

Soprano soloists Jenny Lind and Birgit Nilsson achieved worldwide fame in the opera. Swedish popular music has had great success intermittently, thanks to the work of bands and partly to successful producers and songwriters. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the ABBA group played a leading role in pop music, while the Roxette group (Rockset) became famous in the second half of the 1980s, and in the early 1990s became famous group Ace Of Base.

Public support for culture is very common in Sweden. The general population participates in many cultural events, an example of this is the choir with the participation of tens of thousands of Swedes.

Swedish culture is very different from other cultures in the world, being much more universalistic, secular and oriented towards post-materialistic values. It can also be described as egalitarian, anti-nationalist, open to the world and with a pronounced individualism. The main value in Swedish society is the maximum equality between women and men.

Swedish cuisine, like the other Scandinavian countries of Denmark and Norway, is traditionally simple. Fish (especially herring), meat and potatoes play a prominent role in cooking. Spices are used quite modestly. Famous Swedish dishes: These are Swedish meatballs, traditionally served with sauce, boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam; pancakes, dried fish and a buffet. Aquavit is a popular alcoholic drink. In various places in Sweden, herring in Northern Sweden and eel in Skåne in southern Sweden are also important foods.

Based on information sites http://www.scb.se "Statistics of Sweden", https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverige "Sweden", http://imagebank.sweden.se "Official images of the Bank of Sweden" and others.

Swedish society is considered one of the most prosperous in the world. High quality life and a significant level of human development is achieved through a complex political system, which was created over the past two centuries. Having gained invaluable experience of defeats in major international conflicts, the kingdom was forced to focus on developing its own economy and building an open, just society.

Sweden: capital, head of state, state language

The largest is Stockholm. From the moment of its foundation at the beginning of the XIII century, Stockholm immediately declared itself as a major economic center of Northern Europe. Today, the Swedish capital continues to position itself as the capital of all Scandinavia, attracting a large number of tourists from all over the world.

In Stockholm is the residence of the monarch, the country's parliament and the Academy of Sciences, whose members select candidates for the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Committee also meets in the capital.

Sweden, whose official language is Swedish, nevertheless recognizes the right to use its own languages ​​in daily activities. The languages ​​officially recognized by the Swedish government include Sami, Meänkieli, Finnish, Romani and Yiddish.

The northernmost region of Sweden, Norrbotten, is inhabited by Sami and Finns who speak Meänkieli and Finnish. It is in this region that the use of indigenous languages ​​is allowed in official institutions such as kindergartens, nursing homes and schools.

The official language of Sweden is related to Danish and Norwegian. However, despite very similar grammatical systems and great similarities in vocabulary, comprehension is often difficult due to phonetic differences, especially with Danish.

English speaking Sweden

The capital of Sweden, whose official language is Swedish, is almost entirely English-speaking. This is due to the high level of teaching foreign languages ​​in public schools, as well as the fact that many Swedish TV channels broadcast in English with Swedish subtitles. The same applies to foreign films shown in cinemas. Most distributors simply do not dub films, but accompany them with subtitles.

Such a scheme allows not only to save money on voice acting, but also provides an opportunity for constant practice in a foreign language.

Sweden: state language as a matter of pride

The Swedes are very pragmatic about their language and do not consider it necessary to control its natural development in a special way. Unlike France or Iceland, where special state institutions monitor how the language is used, in Sweden the Language Council does not formally control, although it is funded by the government.

This may be due to the fact that Swedish is the most widely spoken in northern Europe with over nine million speakers. However, already in neighboring Finland, the official Finnish Language Research Institute looks after the Swedish language, where Swedish is the second state language and is recognized by the vast majority of Finnish citizens as an integral part of the national culture. At the same time, it should be noted that in the Kingdom of Sweden the state language is not named in the Constitution and has no official status, but de facto all citizens speak it.

Monarch - a symbol of the state

The head of state and the national symbol is the monarch. The current Carl XVl Gustav of the Bernadotte dynasty ascended the throne in 1973. Meanwhile, the dynasty, to which the ruling monarch belongs, established itself in the country in 1818, and its founder was the Napoleonic Marshal Bernadotte, who was a faithful companion of Napoleon Bonaparte for many years in the most difficult military campaigns.

The Swedish monarchical tradition is considered one of the oldest in Europe. The first monarchs, the existence of which is reliably known, ruled in the Swedish lands as early as the Vll century.

The Kingdom of Sweden, whose state language is one of the official languages ​​of the European Union, makes a great contribution not only to the European economy, but significantly enriches the culture of Europe. For example, the famous Finnish writer Tove Jansson wrote her popular books in Swedish.