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{{otheruses}} {{otheruses}}
{{Infobox Country or territory
{{redirect|Sverige}}
|native_name = ''Kongeriket Norge''<br/>''Kongeriket Noreg''
{{Infobox Country or territory
|conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Norway''
|native_name = {{lang|sv|''Konungariket Sverige''}}
|common_name = Norway
|conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Sweden
|common_name = Sweden |image_flag = Flag of Norway.svg
|image_flag = Flag of Sweden.svg |image_coat = Coat of arms of Norway.svg
|image_coat = Sweden greater coa1908.png |image_map = Europe location NOR.png
|image_map = Location Sweden EU Europe.png |map_caption = {{map_caption |region=on the ]}}
|national_motto = <div style="line-height:125%;">]: ''Alt for Norge'' <small>("Everything for Norway")</small><br/>1814 ]: ''Enige og tro til ] faller''<br/><small>("United and faithful until the mountains of Dovre crumble")</small></div>
|map_caption = {{map_caption |region=on the ] |subregion=the ] |location_color=dark green |subregion_color=light green |region_color=dark grey |legend=}}
|national_anthem = '']''
|national_motto = <span style="line-height:1.33em;">]&nbsp;{{lang|sv|''"För Sverige - I tiden"''}}&nbsp;<sup>1</sup><br/><small>"For Sweden – With the Times"&nbsp;<sup>2</sup></small></span>
|national_anthem = {{lang|sv|'']''}}<br/><small>''Thou ancient, thou free''</small> |royal_anthem = '']''
|official_languages = ] (] and ]){{smallsup|1}}
|royal_anthem = {{lang|sv|'']''}}<br/><small>''The King Song''</small>
|official_languages = ] <sup>3</sup> |capital = ]
|latd=59 |latm=56 |latNS=N |longd=10 |longm=41 |longEW=E |CCTLD=no
|capital = ]
|latd=59 |latm=21 |latNS=N |longd=18 |longm=4 |longEW=E
|largest_city = capital |largest_city = capital
|government_type = ] |government_type = ]
|leader_title1 = ] |leader_title1 = ]
|leader_name1 = ] |leader_name1 = ]
|leader_title2 = ] |leader_title2 = ]
|leader_name2 = ] (]) |leader_name2 = ]
|leader_title3 = ] |established_event1 = ]
|leader_name3 = <br/>] (]) |established_date1 = 17 May, 1814
|sovereignty_type = ] |established_event2 = ] from union with ]
|sovereignty_note = prehistoric |established_date2 = <br/>declared 7 June, 1905
|accessionEUdate = ] ] |area_rank = 61st{{smallsup|2}}
|EUseats = 19
|area_rank = 55th
|area_magnitude = 1 E11 |area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area = 449,964 |area = 385,155
|areami² = 173,732 |areami² = 148,746<!--Do not remove per ]-->
|percent_water = 8.7 |percent_water = 7.0{{smallsup|3}}
|population_estimate = 9,142,817<sup>4</sup> |population_estimate = 4,711,626
|population_estimate_rank = 88th |population_estimate_rank = 114th
|population_estimate_year = 2007 |population_estimate_year = 2007
|population_census = 8,587,353 |population_density = 12
|population_densitymi² = 31 <!--Do not remove per ]-->
|population_census_year = 1990
|population_density = 20 |population_density_rank = 202nd
|population_densitymi² = 52
|population_density_rank = 185th
|GDP_PPP = $291 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 34th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2006 |GDP_PPP_year = 2006
|GDP_PPP = $213.6 billion <ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/no.html</ref>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $32,200
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 18th |GDP_PPP_rank = 42nd
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $46,300 <ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/no.html</ref>
|GDP_nominal = $385 ]
|GDP_nominal_rank = 19th |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 3rd
|GDP_nominal = $335.3 billion <ref></ref>
|GDP_nominal_rank = 25th
|GDP_nominal_year = 2006 |GDP_nominal_year = 2006
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $72305.6 <ref></ref>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $42,400
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 10th |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 2nd
|Gini = 25
|Gini_year = 2000 |Gini_year = 2000
|Gini_rank = 4th |Gini = 25.8
|Gini_rank = 6th
|Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font> |Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font>
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.951
|HDI_rank = 5th
|HDI_year = 2004 |HDI_year = 2004
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.965
|HDI_rank = 1st
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font> |HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
|currency = ] |currency = ]
|currency_code = SEK |currency_code = NOK
|country_code = SWE
|time_zone = ] |time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +1 |utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = ] |time_zone_DST = ]
|utc_offset_DST = +2 |utc_offset_DST = +2
|cctld = ]<sup>5</sup> |cctld = ]{{smallsup|5}}] and ]
|calling_code = 46 |calling_code = 47
|footnote1 = The official national language is Norwegian ] and ]. ] is used additionally in the municipal administration in six municipalities and ] in one other.
|footnote1 = {{lang|sv|''För Sverige - I tiden''}} has been adopted by Carl XVI Gustaf as his personal motto.
|footnote2 = See |footnote2 = Includes Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
|footnote3 = The ] is the national language. Five other languages are officially recognized as minority languages. |footnote3 = This percentage is for the mainland and also includes glaciers&nbsp;
|footnote4 = Statistics Norway estimation (], ]) using variant MMMM from . See also
|footnote4 = {{cite web |url=http://www.scb.se/templates/tableOrChart____193257.asp |title=Population in the country, counties and municipalities on 31/12/2006 and Population Change in 2006 |publisher=Statistiska centralbyrån |accessdate=2007-04-21}}
|footnote5 = The ] domain is also used, as it is shared with other ] member states. The ] domain is another commonly used TLD ("nu" means "now" in Swedish). |footnote5 = Two more TLDs have been assigned, but ] not used: ] for Svalbard and Jan Mayen; ] for ].
}} }}
'''Sweden''', officially the '''Kingdom of Sweden''' (]: {{Audio|Sv-Konungariket_Sverige.ogg|''Konungariket Sverige''}}), is a ] on the ] in ]. It is surrounded by ] (west), ] (northeast), the ], ] and ] ]s (southwest) and the ] (east). It has maritime borders with ], ], ], ], ], ], and ], and it is also linked to ] (southwest) by the ]. It has been a member of the ] since 1995. Its ] city is ].


'''Norway''', officially the '''Kingdom of Norway''' ({{lang-no|Kongeriket Norge (]); Kongeriket Noreg (])}}), is a country in ] that occupies the western portion of the ]. It is bordered by ], ], and ]. Norway has a very elongated shape; the country's extensive coastline along the ] is home to its famous ]s.
At 449,964 km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the third largest country in ]. Sweden has a low ] except in its ]; 84% of the population lives in urban areas, which take up only 1.3% of the total land area.<ref>Statistics Sweden. ''Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007''. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in .</ref>
The citizens enjoy a high standard of living and the country is generally perceived as modern and ],<ref>: "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 labor force. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for 1% of GDP and 2% of employment."</ref> with an organizational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts.<ref>De Geer, Hans, Tommy Borglund and Magnus Frostenson (2003). ''An Anglo-Swedish affair – Changing relations in an international acquisition''. The 17th Nordic Conference on Business Studies in Reykjavík, 14-16 August 2003. Working paper within the project "Scandinavian Heritage", p. 9. Available online through the University of Iceland.</ref> ], ] and ] are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden.<ref>Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) (2006). . A progress report from the Swedish Environmental Objectives Council. De Facto, 2006, p. 9: "Swedes in general feel that environmental issues and action to reduce impacts on the environment are important". See also and : "Swedish greenhouse gas emissions per head of population are among the lowest in the member states of the OECD."</ref><ref>Kristrom, Bengt and Soren Wibe (1997). . Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – Department of Forest Economics, Working paper 246, 27 August 1997.</ref>
Sweden has a long tradition as a major exporter of ], ] and ]. ] and ] allowed more remote natural assets to be utilized on a larger scale, most notably ] and ]. In the 1890s, universal schooling and ] enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a ], consistently achieving a high position among the top-ranking countries in the ] (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.


The ] of Norway also includes the ] island territories of ] and ]. Norwegian ] of Svalbard is based upon the ], but this does not apply to Jan Mayen. ] in the South Atlantic Ocean and a claim for ] in the South ] are also external ], but these are not part of the Kingdom. Norway also claims ] in ], where it has established the ] permanent research station.
Modern Sweden emerged out of the ] formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King ] in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the ]. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century. In the early 19th century ] and the remaining territories outside the Scandinavian peninsula were lost. After its last war in 1814, Sweden entered into a ] with ] which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a ] foreign policy in peacetime and ] in wartime.<ref> "Swedish foreign policy is based on the premise that national security is best served by staying free of alliances in peacetime in order to remain neutral in the event of war...During the Cold War, Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries. With the end of the Cold War, that suspicion has lessened somewhat, although Sweden still chooses to remain nonaligned."</ref>

Since ], Norway has changed from being one of the poorest countries in ], to be one of the wealthiest in the world, with a fully developed welfare system. This economic progress is caused mainly by strategic investment from the country's vast oil and gas reserves alongside the coast. Norway has ranked top among all countries in ] since 2001. <ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/Human_Development_Index</ref> It also rated the most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 servey by ]. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/6704767.stm</ref>


==History== ==History==
{{main|History of Sweden}} {{main|History of Norway}}
]]]


Archaeological finds indicate that there were people in Norway as early as the 10th millennium BC (12,000 years ago). Archaeological research shows that they came from either southern regions (northern ]), or from the north-east (northern ] or ]). From there they settled along the coastline.
===Prehistory===
{{main|Prehistoric Sweden}}
] in ], southern Sweden.]]
The early record of human activity in Scandinavia is sparse and the interpretations of the records from the ] (10,000&nbsp;BC&nbsp;&ndash; 1700&nbsp;BC) are often conflicting.<ref>Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). ''Scandinavia since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, p. 1: "The record of human activity in Scandinavia spans about eleven thousand years. By far the greatest share of this, about ten thousand years (from the earliest evidence of human presence to the Viking Age), belongs to prehistory, to the past at its most obscure. Evidence for these times is fragmentary, scattered, and often subject to conflicting interpretations."</ref> 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&nbsp;BC. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millennia.<ref name="NB3-14"/><!--- Another possibility is that the first population came from the east, and were the ancestors of the ] (see ] and cultures){{Fact|date=February 2007}}.---><!---Making this invisible until a source can be located.--->


In the 9th century it seems that Norway consisted of a number of ]s. According to tradition, ] gathered the small kingdoms into one in 872AD with the ]. He became the first king of a united Norway.
In 4200&nbsp;BC, fired pottery, systematic farming and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of Mediterranean-style megalithic graves dated 3300–2000 BC have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early ]s and farmers were followed between 2500 and 2000 BC by a new ethnolinguistic group, the so-called ], named for their stone weapons and graves. They may have been ]-speaking nomads who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia.<ref name="NB3-14"> Nordstrom, Byron (2000). ''Scandinavia Since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, pp. 3–14.</ref> This period was followed by the ] (1700–500 BC), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the battle ax people.<ref name="NB3-14" /><!--- Nordstrom, Byron (2000). ''Scandinavia Since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, p.6: "t is clear that early in the period a chieftain-trader class, whose roots may have extended back to the battle axe people, enjoyed both prominence and affluence based on herding, exploitation of local resources, and control of trade with areas as far off as the Middle East. Rich in amber, furs, honey, wax, and (probably) slaves, an elite in southern Bronze Age Scandinavia appears to have exchanged these goods for copper, tin, bronze, and gold." ----> Archaeological finds of this era are the petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites.<ref name="NB3-14"/> Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas, with no recognized borders yet existing in Scandinavia. Societies in Sweden remained on the preliterate tribal and ] levels until the emergence of writing on ] in the ]. It is not known when and how the kingdom of Sweden was born, but the ] is drawn from when the first kings who ruled ] (Sweden) and ] (Gothia) as one. Sweden and Gothia were two separate nations long before that. It is unknown how long they have existed.


The ] age (8th to 11th centuries) was one of unification and expansion. Norwegians established settlements on ], the ], ] and parts of Britain and Ireland, and attempted to settle at ] in ], ] (the "]" of the '']''). Norwegians founded the modern-day ] cities of ], ], and ]<ref>RF Foster: "The Oxford History of Ireland", Oxford University Press, 1989</ref> and established trading communities near the ]ic settlements of ] and ]{{Fact|date=February 2007}} which later became Ireland's two most important cities. The spread of Christianity in Norway in this period is in large part attributed to the missionary kings ] (995–1000) and ] (1015–1028), although ] was Norway's first Christian king. ] were slowly replaced during the 9th and 10th centuries.
A tribe populating a region of what is today Sweden was first mentioned in 98&nbsp;AD by the Roman historian ], who wrote about the ] who lived out in the sea and were powerful in both arms and ships. According to Tacitus, they venerated wealth and therefore had a single ruler who exacted unlimited obedience from them and governed without restriction in power. Tacitus expressed concern that these Suiones might ally with neighboring tribes and cause trouble for the Roman Empire. Some scholars believe that Tacitus referred to the inhabitants of present-day eastern Sweden: ], primarily the region around lake ]. The modern name ''Sweden'' is derived through "back-formation" from Old English ''Sweoðeod'', which meant "people of the Swedes" (Old Norse ''Svíþjóð'', Latin ''Suetidi''). This word is derived from ''Sweon/Sweonas'' (Old Norse ''Sviar'', Latin S''uiones'') (see ]). The southern parts, on the other hand, were inhabited by the ]s in the ] territory, and '']'' described semi-legendary ] in the ]. The northern part, ], was probably mostly populated by ].


In 1349, the ] killed between 40% and 50% of the Norwegian population,<ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2197762&dopt=Abstract The Black Death in Norway </ref> causing a decline in both society and economics. During this decline, it is probable that the ] died out in 1387. Ostensibly, royal politics at the time resulted in several personal unions between the Nordic countries, eventually bringing the thrones of Norway, ], and ] under the control of Queen ] when the country entered into the ] with Denmark and Sweden. Suddenly, Sweden declared its independence in 1523, but Norway remained under the ] dynasty for 434 years until 1814. During the ] of the 19th century, this period was by some referred to as the "400-Year Night", since all of the kingdom's royal, intellectual, and administrative power was centred in ], Denmark. However, it must be said that the common people of Norway had more freedom and paid lower taxes than the Danish people because it was difficult for royal bureaucracy to have strict control over its distant Norwegian provinces. Other factors also contributed to Norway's decline in this period. With the introduction of ] in 1537, the archbishopric in Trondheim was dissolved, and the church's incomes were distributed to the court in ] in Denmark instead. Norway lost the steady stream of pilgrims to the relics of ] at the ] shrine, and with them, much of the contact with cultural and economic life in the rest of Europe. Additionally, Norway saw its land area decrease in the 17th century with the loss of the provinces ], ], and ] to Sweden, as a result of the wars between ] and Sweden.
The Swedish ] lasted roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries AD. During this period, it is believed that the ] expanded from eastern Sweden and incorporated the ] to the south.<ref>The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 </ref> While Vikings from what is today Norway, Denmark and the west coast and south of Sweden traveled south and west, ] traveled east and south, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, Russia and the Mediterranean. Their routes passed the ] down south to ] (]) (present-day ], ]) on which they did numerous raids. The Byzantine Emperor ] noticed their great skills in war, and invited them to serve as his personal bodyguard, these were called the ]. Swedish Vikings are believed to have created Russia. In the 9th century Swedish Vikings which were called "]" by people in Eastern Europe, were invited by ] tribes to come and rule them and they became a ruling warrior elite which later conquered many European cities and founded colonies.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

===Middle Ages===
], a medieval city on ].]]
{{seealso|Early Swedish history|Foundation of Modern Sweden}}
During the early stages of the Scandinavian ], ] in ] and ] on ], in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Remains from 600–700&nbsp;AD of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad.<ref name="Sawyer" /> In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the ninth and tenth century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbour with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era hoarded more silver than the rest of the population of Scandinavia combined.<ref name="Sawyer">Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). ''Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392, pp. 150-153.</ref>

] introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace ] until the twelfth century and onward. During the eleventh century Christianity took place as the most common religion, and from year 1050 Sweden is counted as a Christian nation. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms, including struggles for territory and comparative power.<ref name="NB3-14"/> Swedish kings also began to expand the Swedish-controlled territory in ], creating conflicts with the ].<ref>Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In ''The New Cambridge Medieval History''. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 052136289X, p. 724: "Swedish expansion in Finland led to conflicts with Rus', which were temporarily brought to an end by a peace treaty in 1323, dividing the Karelian peninsula and the northern areas between the two countries."</ref>

In the fourteenth century, Sweden was struck by the ] (the Plague). During this period the Swedish cities also began to acquire greater rights and were strongly influenced by German merchants of the ], active especially at ]. In 1319, Sweden and Norway were united under king ], and in 1397 Queen ] effected the personal union of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark through the ]. However, Margaret’s successors, whose rule was also centered in Denmark, were unable to control the Swedish nobility. Real power was held for long periods by regents (notably those of the ] family) chosen by the Swedish parliament. King ], who asserted his claim to Sweden by force of arms, ordered a massacre in 1520 of Swedish nobles at Stockholm. This came to be known as the “]” and stirred the Swedish nobility to new resistance and, on the 6th of June (Sweden's national holiday) in 1523, they made ] their king. This is sometimes considered as the ]. Shortly afterwards he rejected ] and led Sweden to the ]. Gustav Vasa is by some considered to be Sweden's "]".

===Swedish Empire===
{{seealso|Rise of Sweden as a Great Power|Swedish Empire|Swedish colonial empire|Sweden and the Great Northern War|Absolute Monarchy in Sweden|Sweden-Finland|Union between Sweden and Norway}}
] in 1658 (orange) overlaid by present day Sweden (dark orange).]]
The seventeenth century saw ] as one of the ]s in Europe. Sweden also had colonial possessions as a minor ] that existed from 1638-1663 and later 1785-1878.

Sweden was during Imperial times the most powerful country of northern Europe and the ]. Sweden's Imperial status took its start with ] as king, and his successful participation in the Thirty Years' War, which made Sweden the recognized leader of Continental Protestantism in Europe until 1721 when the Empire collapsed.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Sweden's Imperial status during this period is largely credited to ]'s major changes on the Swedish economy in the mid-1500s, and his introduction of ].{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

The mid 1600s and the early 1700s were Sweden's most successful years as a Great Power. Sweden reached its largest territorial extent during the rule of ] (1622–1660) after the ] in 1658. However, after more than a half century of almost constant warfare the Swedish economy had deteriorated. It would become the lifetime task of Charles' son, ] (1655-1697), to rebuild the economy and refit the army. His legacy to his son, the coming ruler of Sweden ], was one of the finest arsenals in the world, a large standing army and a great fleet. Sweden's largest threat at this time, Russia, had a larger army but was far behind in both equipment and training. The Swedish army crushed the Russians at the ] in 1700, one of the first battles of the ]. This led to an overambitious ] in 1707, however, ending in a decisive Russian victory at the ] (1709). The campaign had a successful opening for Sweden, which came to occupy half of ] and making Charles able to claim the Polish throne. But after a long march exposed by ] raids, the Russian Tsar ]'s scorched-earth techniques and the ], the Swedes stood weakened with a shattered confidence, and enormously outnumbered against the Russian army at Poltava. The defeat meant the beginning of the end for Sweden as Empire.

Even though Sweden had lost almost half of its army during these times of intense war, Charles XII still attempted to invade Norway 1716, and the Swedish Empire crumbled when having to sign the ] losing the war 1721. Three years earlier the king had been shot during a siege attempt at ] (] ]). The lands Sweden had to cede clearly marked the end of Sweden's role as the foremost nation of the Baltic Sea with Russia taking its place. It also made Russia able to step forward as a new ], and become one of Europe's leading nations.

In the eighteenth century, Sweden did not have enough resources to maintain its territories outside Scandinavia and most of them were lost, culminating with the 1809 loss of the territory once named ] (Eastern district) and the eastern part of ] to Russia: these parts became the semi-autonomous (]) of Finland of ].

After Denmark-Norway was defeated in the ], Norway was ceded to the king of Sweden on ], 1814, at the ]. The Norwegian attempts to keep their status as a sovereign state were rejected by the Swedish king, ]. He launched a military campaign against Norway on July 27, 1814, ending in the ], which forced Norway into a ] with Sweden, which was not dissolved until 1905. The 1814 campaign was also the last war in which Sweden participated as a combatant.

===Modern history===
{{see|Modernization of Sweden|Swedish emigration to North America}}
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw a significant population increase, which the writer ] in 1833 famously attributed to ''"the peace, the (]) ], and the ]"''.<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=Paul Robert Magocsi |year=1998 |title=Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |location= |pages=1220 |id=ISBN 0-8020-2938-8}}</ref> Between 1750 and 1850, the population in Sweden doubled. According to some scholars, mass emigration to America became the only way to prevent famine and rebellion; over 1% of the population emigrated annually during the 1880s. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} Nevertheless, Sweden remained poor, retaining a nearly entirely agricultural economy even as Denmark and Western European countries began to industrialize.<ref>Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, p.8-9 "In economic and social terms the eighteenth century was more a transitional than a revolutionary period. Sweden was, in light of contemporary Western European standards, a relatively poor but stable country. It has been estimated that 75-80% of the population was involved in agricultural pursuits during the late eighteenth centur. One hundred years later, the corresponding figure was still 72%."</ref><ref>Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). ''Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia''. Praeger Publishers, p.9: "Though Denmark, where industrialization had begun in the 1850s, was reasonably prosperous by the end of the nineeenth century, both Sweden and Norway were terribly poor. Only the safety valve of mass emigration to America prevented famine and rebellion. At the peak of emigration in the 1880s, over 1% of the total population of both countries emigrated annually."</ref> Many looked towards America for a better life during this time. It is believed that between 1850 and 1910 more than one million Swedes moved to the ].<ref>Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). ''Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia''. Praeger Publishers, p.8.</ref> In the early 20th century, more Swedes lived in ] than in ] (Sweden's second largest city). Most Swedish immigrants moved to the ], with a large population in ]. Some Swedes moved to ]. Some also moved to ] and others in smaller numbers to ].

]. (See also: )]]
Despite the slow rate of industrialization into the 19th century, many important changes were taking place in the agrarian economy due to innovations and the large population growth.<ref name="Koblik9-10">Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, pp. 9-10.</ref> These innovations included government-sponsored programs of ], aggressive exploitation of agricultural lands, and the introduction of new crops such as the potato.<ref name="Koblik9-10"/> Due also to the fact that the Swedish peasantry had never been enserfed as elsewhere in Europe,<ref> (2007). In'' Encyclopædia Britannica''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 19 February 2007.</ref> the Swedish farming culture began to take on a critical role in the Swedish political process, which has continued through modern times with modern Agrarian party (now called the Centre Party).<ref>Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, p. 11: "The agrarian revolution in Sweden is of fundamental importance for Sweden's modern development. Throughout Swedish history the countryside has taken an unusually important role in comparison with other European states."</ref> Between 1870 and 1914, Sweden began developing the industrialized economy that exists today.<ref>Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970'' University of Minnesota Press, p. 90. "It is usually suggested that between 1870 and 1914 Sweden emerged from its primarily agrarian economic system into a modern industrial economy."</ref>

During the late nineteenth century, Sweden was influenced by Protestant ]s, mainly of American origin. As a result of their intense propaganda, it is often claimed that alcohol consumption was unusually high in Sweden at this time.<ref>For instance: "As regards social evils generally, however, the low, though undoubtedly improving, standard of Sweden has had one of its chief reasons in the national intemperance."&nbsp;.</ref> However, there is no factual ground for believing that alcohol consumption was higher than in other comparable countries.

Strong grassroots movements sprung up in Sweden during the latter half of the nineteenth century (unions, temperance groups, and independent religious groups), creating a strong foundation of democratic principles. These movements precipitated Sweden's migration into a modern parliamentary democracy, achieved by the time of ]. As the ] progressed during the twentieth century, people gradually began moving into ] to work in ], and became involved in ] ]. A ] ] was avoided in 1917, following the re-introduction of ], and the country was ].

===Recent history===
{{seealso|Sweden during World War II|Cold war Sweden|Sweden after the Cold War}}
Sweden remained officially ] during ] and ], although its neutrality during World War II has been highly debated.<ref name="Koblik303-313">Koblik, pp. 303-313.</ref><ref>Nordstrom, p. 315: "Sweden's government attempted to maintain at least a semblance of neutrality while it bent to the demands of the prevailing side in the struggle. Although effective in preserving the country's sovereignty, this approach generated criticism at home from many who believed the threat to Sweden was less serious than the government claimed, problems with the warring powers, ill feelings among its neighbors, and frequent criticism in the postwar period."</ref> Sweden was forcibly under German influence for most of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades.<ref name="Koblik303-313"/><!---Koblik, pg. 307. "Through the blockade of foreign trade that culminated in the establishment of the Skagerack blockade in connection with the German invasion of Denmark and Norway in April 1940, Swedish imports were reduced by approximately one-half and exports by about one-third in comparison with the average volume of 1936-1938."---> The Swedish government felt that it was in no position to openly contest Germany,<ref name="NB313-319"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 315 "Charting a path that might ensure the survival of the state was the government's primary goal."---><!---Nordstrom, pg. 319 "For a time virtually all of Sweden's production of industrial goods and raw materials went to Germany in exchange for necessary fuels, food stuffs, and manufactured goods."---> but it did attempt to help the Allies in secret. Towards the end of the war, Sweden played a major role in the humanitarian efforts and many refugees, among them many Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe, were saved partly because of the Swedish involvement in rescue missions at the internment camps and partly because Sweden served as a haven for refugees, primarily from ] and the ].<ref name="NB313-319"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 317: "In the last year of the war, Sweden became a factor in humanitarian efforts and attempts to end the war. It also became a haven for refugees from Norden and the Baltic states, and Swedes were involved in rescuing Scandinavian victims of internment camps." --- Nordstrom, p. 318: "By late 1943 Sweden was a haven for some 11,000 refugees from Denmark, including over 7,000 Danish Jews, and about 30,000 Norwegians."--->. Nevertheless, internal and external critics have argued that Sweden could have done more to resist the Nazi war effort, even if risking occupation.<ref name="NB313-319">Nordstrom, pp. 313-319.</ref>

Following the war, Sweden took advantage of an intact industrial base, social stability and its natural resources to expand its industry to supply the rebuilding of Europe.<ref name="NB335-339">Nordstrom, pp. 335-339.</ref><!---Recovery from the material damage and economic shocks of the war was more rapid than many expected."---> By the 1960s, Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, had become an affluent consumer society and welfare state.<ref name="NB335-339"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 339. "Sustained economic expansion, which transformed the Nordic states into affluent consumer societies and provided the bases for the welfare states, came in the 1950s and 1960s.---> Sweden was part of the ] and participated in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (]),<ref name="NB335-339"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 339. " was helped along in all of Norden except Finland by U.S. support through the Marshall Plan and participation in the Organization of European Cooperation and Development (OECD)."</ref> but continued to stay non-aligned during the ], and is still not a member of any ]. During most of the post-war era, the country was governed by the ] (in ]: ''Socialdemokraterna'') and the ] established was built built on socialist principles with a strong social safety-net. With steadily increasing tax revenues,<ref name="NB335-339"/><!---Nordstrom, pg. 339 "The welfare safety net was built with steadily increasing tax revenues."---> many of the policies aiming to improve the quality of life for the general population, in particular Sweden's working class, were successfully implemented.

During the ], Europe's non-aligned Western countries, except Ireland, had considered membership unwise, as the EU predecessor, the ], had been strongly associated with NATO countries. Following the end of the Cold War, however, Sweden, ] and ] joined, though in Sweden's case without adopting the ]. Sweden remains non-aligned militarily, although it participates in some joint military exercises with ] and some other countries, in addition to extensive cooperation with other European countries in the area of defence technology and defence industry. Among others, Swedish companies export weapons that are used by the American army in Iraq.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=3013&date=20060207
|title=New Swedish weapon in Iraq
|author=The Local
|accessdate=2007-06-23}}</ref> Sweden also has a long history of participating in international military operations, including most recently, ], where Swedish troops are under NATO command, and in EU sponsored peace keeping operations in ], ], and ].

Sweden, like countries around the globe, entered a period of economic decline and upheaval, following the oil embargoes of 1973-74 and 1978-79.<ref>Nordstrom, p. 344: "During the last twenty-five years of the century a host of problems plagued the economies of Norden and the West. Although many were present before, the 1973 and 1980 global oil crises acted as catalysts in bringing them to the fore."</ref> Because the Rehn-Meidner ] economic model allowed capitalists owning very productive and efficient firms to retain excess ] at the expense of the firms’ workers, workers in these firms began to agitate for a share of the profits in the 1970s, just as women working in the state sector began to assert pressure for better wages. The economist Rudolf Meidner established a study committee that came up with a 1976 proposal that entailed transferring the excess profits into investment funds controlled by the workers in the efficient firms. Swedish capitalist confederations immediately distinguished this proposal as ], and launched an unprecedented opposition--including calling off the class compromise established in the 1938 ] Agreement.<ref>Berman, Sheri. 2006. The Primacy of Politics: Social Democracy and the Making of Europe’s Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, MA.</ref> In the 1980s pillars of Swedish industry were massively restructured. Shipbuilding was discontinued, wood pulp was integrated into modernized paper production, the steel industry was concentrated and specialized, and mechanical engineering was digitalized.<ref>Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International.</ref> Swedish capital was increasingly moving Swedish investment into other European countries as the ] coalesced, and a ] consensus was forming among the elite financial community: ] and pro-egalitarian redistribution became economic heresy.<ref>Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.</ref>

1980s ] measures--such as ] the currency, dropping corporate taxation and taxation on high income-earners, and switching from anti-unemployment policies to anti-inflationary policies--were exacerbated by international ], unchecked ], and a ] government led by ] (1991-1994), creating the fiscal crisis of the early 1990s.<ref> Englund, P. 1990. "Financial deregulation in Sweden." European Economic Review 34 (2-3): 385-393. Korpi TBD. Meidner, R. 1997. "The Swedish model in an era of mass unemployment." Economic and Industrial Democracy 18 (1): 87-97. Olsen, Gregg M. 1999. "Half empty or half full? The Swedish welfare state in transition." Canadian Review of Sociology & Anthropology, 36 (2): 241-268.</ref> When the Social Democrats returned to power in 1994, they responded to the fiscal crisis by stabilizing the currency--and by reducing the ] and ] public services and goods, as governments did in many countries influenced by the ] movement. Social Democratic Party leaders--including ], ], and ]--promoted European Union (E.U.) membership, and the Swedish referendum passed by 52-48% in favor of joining the E.U. on August 14, 1994. Sweden joined the ] on January 1 in 1995.

Social Democrats initiated studies on the effects of the neoliberal changes, and the dismal picture that emerged from those findings allowed the party to reduce many ], slightly increase taxes on high income-earners, and significantly reduce taxes on food. The Social Democratic Finance Minister increased spending on child support and continued to pay down the public debt.<ref>Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.</ref> By 1998 the Swedish macro-economy recovered from the 1980s industrial restructuring and the monetarist excesses, and the country has since performed very well macro-economically.<ref>Krantz, Olle and Lennart Schön. 2007. Swedish Historical National Accounts, 1800-2000. Lund: Almqvist and Wiksell International.</ref>At the turn of the twenty-first century, Sweden has a well-regarded, generally robust economy, and the average quality of life, after government transfers, is very high, ] is low (the ] is 25.0<ref name=Gini>] : Gini Index calculated for all countries.</ref>), and ] is high (compared to the affluent ] and Catholic countries).<ref>Steinmo, Sven. 2001. "Bucking the Trend? The Welfare State and Global Economy: The Swedish Case Up Close." University of Colorado, December 18.</ref> A country known for very low crime rates compared to other developed countries, Sweden has nevertheless seen two prominent politicians assassinated in recent history: Prime Minister ] in 1986, and foreign minister ] in 2003.

==Geography==
]. Laponia is the largest tract of unspoiled natural land in ].]]
{{main|Geography of Sweden}}
Situated in ] ], Sweden lies west of the ] and ], providing a long coastline, and forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. To the west is the ] (Skanderna), a range that separates Sweden from ].

At 449,964&nbsp;km² (173,720 square miles), Sweden is the 55th largest country in the world. It is the 5th largest in Europe, and the largest in Northern Europe. The country is slightly larger than the ] of ], with a population in 2006 of 9.1 million people.

Sweden has three main regions. ], covering about three-fifths of the country, is mountainous and has vast forests and large ore deposits. ] has undulating glacial ridges and contains most of the country's 90,000 lakes. ] comprises the stony ] highlands and the rich ] plains. About 15% of Sweden lies north of the ]. Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, with increasing forest coverage northward. The highest population density is in the ] region in southern Sweden, and in the valley of lake ] in central Sweden. ] and ] are Sweden's largest ]; ] and ] are Sweden's largest lakes.

Sweden enjoys a mostly ] despite its northern ], mainly because of the ]. In the south of Sweden, leaf-bearing ]s are prolific, further north ]s, ]s and in the very north hardy ]es dominate the landscape. In the mountains of northern Sweden a sub-Arctic climate predominates. North of the ], the sun never sets for part of each summer, and in the winter, night is similarly unending.

==Administrative divisions==
===Counties===
{{main|Counties of Sweden}}
] from ] in northern ]]]

Sweden is divided into ] ({{lang|sv|'']''}}). They are ],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
],
] and
].

Each county has a ] or ''länsstyrelse'', which is appointed by the Government (the first Swedish County Administrative Board was made up by the Swedish Prime minister Axel Oxenstierna in 1634). In each county there is also a separate ] or ''landsting'', which is elected directly by the people. Each county further divides into a number of ] or ''kommuner'', making a total of 290 municipalities in 2004. There are also older historical divisions, primarily the ] and ], which still retain some significance.

===Largest municipalities===
], ].]]
] ], northern ].]]
], in southern ].]]
Denotes inhabitants in the ] (''kommun'') area. Area is in ]. The figures are as of December 31, 2006.<ref> from the ] website.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Municipality
! Population
! Land Area
! Density
|-align=right
|1 ||align=left| ] || '''788,269''' || 187.74 || 4,124.91
|-align=right
|2 ||align=left| ] || '''490,961''' || 450.71 || 1,080.58
|-align=right
|3 ||align=left| ] || '''278,319''' || 155.56 || 1,752.60
|-align=right
|4 ||align=left| ] || '''185,494''' || 2,189.10 || 84.01
|-align=right
|5 ||align=left| ] || '''138,805''' || 1,435.80 || 96.08
|-align=right
|6 ||align=left| ] || '''133,274''' || 962.78 || 137.46
|-align=right
|7 ||align=left| ] || '''129,482''' || 1,380.11 || 92.87
|-align=right
|8 ||align=left| ] || '''125,935''' || 1,503.61 || 82.95
|-align=right
|9 ||align=left| ] || '''124,301''' || 346.25 || 353.35
|-align=right
|10 ||align=left| ] || '''122,524''' || 1,488.75 || 81.43
|-align=right
|11 ||align=left| ] || '''110,587''' || 2,331.39 || 47.58
|-align=right
|12 ||align=left| ] || '''103,693''' || 430.27 || 238.11
|-align=right
|13 ||align=left| ] || '''100,570''' || 915.22 || 108.88
|-align=right
|14 ||align=left| ] || '''94,549''' || 3,208.70 || 29.33
|-align=right
|15 ||align=left| ] || '''92,456''' || 1,615.07 || 57.12
|}
{{see|List of municipalities of Sweden by population}}


].]]
==Demographics==
After Denmark–Norway was attacked by ], it entered into an alliance with ], and in 1814 found itself on the losing side in the ] and in dire conditions and mass starvation in 1812. The Dano-Norwegian ] king was forced to cede Norway to the king of ], while the old Norwegian provinces of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands remained with the Danish crown. Norway took this opportunity to declare independence, adopted a constitution based on ] and ] models, and elected the Danish crown prince ] as king on ], ]. However, Sweden militarily forced Norway into a ] with Sweden, establishing the ] dynasty as rulers of Norway. Under this arrangement, Norway kept its liberal constitution and independent institutions, except for the foreign service. See also ].
{{main|Demographics of Sweden|Swedish people}}
As of April 2007, the total population of Sweden was estimated to be 9,131,425.<ref>Statistics Sweden.. ''Population statistics'', 1 January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2007.</ref> The population exceeded 9,000,000 for the first time as of approximately ] ], according to the ]. Of the 2004 population, 1.1 million, or 12%, were foreign-born<ref name="Integrationsverket">The Swedish Integration Board (2006). ''Pocket Facts: Statistics on Integration''. Integrationsverket, 2006. ISBN 9189609301. Available online in . Retrieved 14 February 2007.</ref> and approximately 16.7% (1.53 million) had at least one parent born abroad or were themselves born abroad.<ref>SCB. 31 December 2006. (In Swedish). Retrieved 3 April 2007.</ref> This reflects the inter-Nordic migrations, earlier periods of labour immigration, and later decades of refugee and family immigration. Sweden has been transformed from a nation of ] ending after ] to a nation of ] from ] onwards. In 2006, immigration to Sweden reached its highest level since records began.<ref></ref>


This period also saw the rise of the ] cultural movement, as Norwegians sought to define and express a distinct national character. The movement covered all branches of culture, including literature (], ], ], ], ]), painting (], ]), music (]), and even language policy, where attempts to define a native written language for Norway led to today's two official written forms for ]: ] and ].
Immigration from the other Nordic countries reached a peak of more than 40,000 per year in 1969-70 when the new immigration rules introduced in 1967 had made it more difficult for immigrants from outside the Nordic region to settle in Sweden for labour market policy reasons.<ref name="Integrationsverket" /> Immigration by refugees and immigrating relatives of refugees from outside the Nordic region increased drastically during the late 1980s, with many of the immigrants arriving from Asia and Latin America, especially from Iran and Chile. During the 1990's and onwards another large immigrant group came from former Yugoslavia and the Middle East.<ref>Nordstrom, p. 353. (Lists Former Yugoslavia and Iran as top two countries in terms of immigration beside "Other Nordic Countries," based on Nordic Council of Ministers ''Yearbook of Nordic Statistics'', 1996, 46-47)</ref>


], a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman, was Prime Minister of Norway from 1905 to 1907. Michelsen is most known for his central role in the peaceful separation of Norway from Sweden on ], ]. Norway's growing dissatisfaction with the union with Sweden during the late 19th century combined with nationalism to prompt the dissolution of the union. After a national referendum confirmed the people's preference for a monarchy over a republic, the Norwegian government offered the throne of Norway to the Danish Prince Carl and ] unanimously elected him king. He took the name of ], after the medieval kings of independent Norway. In 1898, all men were granted universal suffrage, followed by ] in 1913.
The largest immigrant group living in Sweden as of 2005 consists of people born in ], followed by people born in ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name="Integrationsverket" /> The official list of immigrant arrivals in 2005 by country of birth, compiled by the Swedish Integration Board, shows that biggest group of immigrants to Sweden still comes from the Nordic countries: of the 20,162 Nordic born immigrants moving to Sweden in 2005, more than half (11,066) were people born in Sweden returning to Sweden, while 3,494 were born in Denmark, 2,793 born in Finland and 2,425 in Norway. Of the other groups arriving in 2005, 16,739 were immigrants born in Asia, 5,625 were immigrants born in Africa and 2,655 were born in Latin America.<ref name="Integrationsverket"/>


During ], Norway was a neutral country. Norway also attempted to claim neutrality during ], but was ] on ], ]. The Allies also had plans to invade Norway, in order to take advantage of her strategically important Atlantic coast, but were thwarted by the German operation. Norway was unprepared for the German surprise attack, but military resistance continued for two months, longer than any country invaded by the Germans, save the ]. During the ], the ] lost many ships including the brand new cruiser ]. The battles of ] and ] eventually became the last strongholds of Norwegian resistance in southern Norway in May, while the armed forces in the north launched an offensive against the German forces in the ], until they were forced to surrender on ] after losing allied help following the ]. King Haakon and the Norwegian government continued the fight from exile in ], ]. On the day of the invasion, the collaborative leader of the small National-Socialist party ] &mdash; ] &mdash; tried to seize power, but was forced by the German occupiers to step aside. Real power was wielded by the leader of the German occupation authority, ] ]. Quisling, as ''minister president'', later formed a collaborationist government under German control. During the five years of ], Norwegians built a strong ] which fought the German occupation forces with both armed resistance and civil disobedience. More important to the ] war effort, however, was the role of the Norwegian ]. At the time of the invasion, Norway had the fourth largest (as well as fastest and most effective) merchant navy in the world. It was led by the Norwegian shipping company ] under the Allies throughout the war and took part in every war operation from the ] to the ].
A sizable community from the ] (], ] and ]) arrived during the Second World War, but most of them returned to their countries of birth after the war.<ref name="Integrationsverket"/>


Following the war, the Social Democrats came to power and ruled the country for much of the cold war. Norway joined ] in 1949, and became a close ally of the ]. Two ]s to join the ] failed by narrow margins in 1972 and 1994. Large reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the 1960s, which lead to a continuing boom in the economy.
Finns make up about 5% of the whole population and in the areas near the border to Finland, they make up some 50% of the population.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The original population of northern Sweden, the ], (a folk group living in 4 countries) is only about 20,000 persons. Approximately 77,500 of the nation's population is of ] ] ancestry.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The majority of ''Afro-Swedes'' are immigrants who came for political refuge and economic opportunity, including ] who fled from Communist rule in the 1970s and 1980s, and ] fleeing ongoing fighting there since the 1990s.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


==Geography, climate and environment==
] intervention against the ] and the ] resulted in the first surges of intellectual ]s. Some ] deserters from the ] also found refuge among the Swedes. The then ruling social democrats, in particular Olof Palme took in international politics a clear stand against what they typically viewed as the ] of both the Soviet Union and the United States. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}Following the ] in ], a large number of Chilean political refugees arrived in Sweden. Others came from ]n countries including ] and ] following the rise of military dictatorships. Sweden has also taken in refugees from the Middle East, particularly ], ] and ]. Some ] and ] immigration (], ]ns, ]is and ]) into Sweden have notable numbers. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} The influx of ] also has been notable during the last years, up to 40,000 ] are expected to seeking asylum in 2007.<ref></ref>
{{main|Geography of Norway}}
]
Norway comprises the western part of ] in ]. The rugged coastline, broken by massive fjords and thousands of islands, stretches over ]. Norway shares a ] land border with ], ], and ] to the east. To the west and south, Norway is bordered by the ], the ], and ]. The ] washes on Norway's northern coasts.


At ] (including Jan Mayen, Svalbard), Norway is approximately the size of Germany, but much of the country is dominated by mountainous or high terrain, with a great variety of natural features caused by prehistoric ]s and varied ]. The most noticeable of these are the ], deep grooves cut into the land flooded by the sea following the end of the ]; the longest is ]. Norway also contains many glaciers and ].
==Language==
]
{{main|Swedish Language|Languages of Sweden}}
The land is mostly made of hard ] and ] rock, but ], ] and ] are also common, and the lowest elevations have marine deposits. Due to the ] and prevailing westerlies, Norway experiences warmer temperatures and more precipitation than expected at such northern latitudes, especially along the coast. The mainland experiences four distinct seasons, with colder winters and less precipitation inland. The northernmost part has a mostly maritime ], while Svalbard has an ] ] climate.
The primary language of Sweden is ], a ], related and very similar to ] and ], but differing in pronunciation and ]. Norwegians have little difficulty understanding Swedish and Danes can also understand it, with a bit more difficulty than the Norwegians. The area around ] (across from ]) has the most ].{{Fact|date=May 2007}} The dominant language has always been Swedish, though this designation was never made ]. However, with the recognition of five ] (], ], ], ] and ]) on ], ], the issue of whether Swedish should be declared the official language was raised. On ] ], the parliament voted, but with a count of 147 to 145 and certain voting errors the proposal failed.<ref>, '']'', 2005-12-07. Retrieved on July 23 2006. (in Swedish)</ref>


There are large seasonal variations in daylight. In areas north of the ], the summer sun may never completely descend beneath the horizon, hence Norway's description as the "Land of the ]." During summer, inhabitants south of the ] still experience sunlight nearly 20 of the day's 24 hours.
A majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, understand and speak ] thanks to trade links, the popularity of overseas travel, a strong Anglo-American influence and the tradition of ] rather than dubbing foreign television shows and films. English became a compulsory subject for ] students studying ]s as early as 1849, and has been a compulsory subject for all Swedish students since the late 1940s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www3.lu.se/info/lum/LUM_07_99/01_engelska.html |title=English spoken - fast ibland hellre än bra |publisher=Lund University newsletter 7/1999 |language=Swedish}}</ref> Depending on the local school authorities, English is currently a compulsory subject between ] and ], with all students continuing in secondary school studying English for at least another year. Most students also learn one and sometimes two additional languages, the most popular being ], ], ], and ]. {{Fact|date=August 2007}} Some ], ], ] and ] is at times also taught as part of the Swedish course for native speakers to emphasize differences and similarities between the languages. {{Fact|date=August 2007}}


==Politics== ==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Sweden}}<!--Please add new information to relevant articles of the series--> {{main|Politics of Norway}}
Norway is a ] with a ] of ].


The Royal House is a branch of the princely family of ], originally from ] in ]. As it stands, the functions of the ], ], are mainly ceremonial, but he has influence as the symbol of national unity. Although the ] of 1814 grants important executive powers to the King, these are always exercised by the ] in the name of the King (King's Council, or cabinet). The reserve powers vested in the Monarch by the ] are in reality symbolic, but has on a few occasions been important like World War II, when the Monarch said he would step down if the government should accept the German demand. The Council of State consists of a ] and other ministers, formally appointed by the King. ] has evolved since 1884 and entails that the cabinet must not have the parliament against it, and that the appointment by the King is a formality when there is a clear majority in Parliament for a party or a coalition of parties. But after elections resulting in no clear majority to any party or coalition, the leader of the party most likely to be able to form a government is appointed Prime Minister by the King. Norway has often been ruled by minority governments. The King has government meetings every Friday at ] (Council of State), but the government decisions are decided in advance in government conferences, headed by the Prime Minister, every Tuesday and Thursday. The King opens the Parliament every September, he receives ambassadors to the Norwegian court, and he is the symbolically ] of the ] and the Head of the ].
===Political system===
Sweden is a ], in which ] is head of state, but royal power has long been limited to official and ceremonial functions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____2713.aspx |title=Sweden in Brief/A Political Society |publisher=Sweden.se |accessdate=2007-02-14}}</ref> The nation's modern legislative body is the Swedish Parliament (]), with 349 members, which chooses the ]. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, on the third Sunday of September.


]
====Political history====
The Norwegian ], '']'', currently has 169 members (increased from 165, effective from the ] of 12 September, 2005). The members are elected from the nineteen ] for four-year terms according to a system of ]. When voting on legislation, the ''Storting'' – until the 2009 election – divides itself into two chambers, the '']'' and the '']''. Laws are in most cases proposed by the government through a Member of the Council of State, or in some cases by a member of the ''Odelsting'' in case of repeated disagreement in the joint ''Storting''. Nowadays, however, the ''Lagting'' rarely disagrees, effectively ] the ''Odelsting'''s decisions. A constitutional amendment of ], ] will repeal the division after the 2009 general election.
] (Swedes) and ] (Geats) before the ninth century.]]
No one can really say where in history the beginning of Sweden as a nation can be marked. It depends most on if Sweden was not a nation until the '']'' (swedes) of historical ] ruled over '']'' (]) of the provinces of historical ] or if you could say that Sweden was a nation already when the Suiones only had to rule Svealand. If so, Sweden was first mentioned to have one single ruler year 98 by Tacitus, but it's impossible to know for how long it had been this way. Historians usually start the line of ] from when Svealand and Götaland were ruled under the same king, namely ] and his son ]. Earlier kings, ] and ] can be read about in ]. These events are often described as the ], although substantial areas including ] and ], were added later.


Impeachment cases are very rare (the last being in 1927, when Prime Minister ] was acquitted) and may be brought against Members of the Council of State, of the ] (''Høyesterett''), or of the ''Storting'' for criminal offenses which they may have committed in their official capacity.
The title ''Sveriges och Götes Konung'' was last used for ], after which the title became "], ] and ]" (''Sveriges, Götes och Vendes Konung'') in official documentation. Up until the beginning of the 1920s, all laws in Sweden were introduced with the words, "We, the king of Sweden, of the Goths and Wends". This title was used up until 1973.<ref> . SFS 1973:702. Justitiedepartementet L6, 19 September 1973.</ref> The current king of Sweden, ] was the first monarch officially proclaimed "King of Sweden" (''Sveriges Konung'') with no additional peoples mentioned in his title.
The term "Riksdag" was used for the first time in the 1540s, although the first meeting where representatives of different social groups were called to discuss and determine affairs affecting the country as a whole took place as early as 1435, in the town of Arboga.<ref name="Riksdagen">The Swedish Parliament. . Retrieved 13 February 2007.</ref> During the assemblies of 1527 and 1544, under King ], representatives of all four ] (''clergy, ], townsmen'' and '']'') were called on to participate for the first time.<ref name="Riksdagen"/> The monarchy became hereditary in 1544.


Prior to an amendment to the Norwegian Constitution on ], ] indictments were raised by the ''Odelsting'' and judged by the ''Lagting'' and the Supreme Court justices as part of the High Court of the Realm. In the new system impeachment cases will be heard by the five highest ranking Supreme Court justices and six lay members in one of the Supreme Court courtrooms (previously cases were heard in the Lagting chamber). Storting representatives may not perform as lay judges. Indictments will be raised by the Storting in a plenary session.
Executive power was historically shared between the King and a noble ] until 1680, followed by the King's ] initiated by the common estates of the Parliament. As a reaction to the failed ], ] was introduced in 1719, followed by three different flavours of ] in 1772, 1789 and 1809, ] granting several civil liberties. The monarch remains as the formal, but merely symbolic ] with ] duties.


The ''Storting'' otherwise functions as a ] parliament and after the 2009 general election the division into Odelsting and Lagting for passing legislation will be abolished. Legislation will then have to go through two – three in case of dissent – ]s before being passed and sent to the King for ].
The ] consisted of two chambers. In 1866 Sweden became a ] with a ] parliament, with the First Chamber indirectly elected by ]s, and the Second Chamber directly elected in national elections every four years. In 1971 the Riksdag became ]. Legislative power was (symbolically) shared between king and parliament until 1975. Swedish ] is controlled by the ] (parliament).


The ] consists of the Supreme Court (eighteen permanent judges and a ]), courts of appeal, city and district courts, and conciliation councils. Judges attached to regular courts are appointed by the ].
====Modern Political System====
] building, Stockholm.]]
Constitutionally, the 349-member Riksdag (]) holds supreme authority in modern Sweden. This Riksdag is responsible for choosing the ], who then appoints the government (the ministers). The ] is then shared between the parliament and the Prime Minister led government. The ] is exercised by the government, while the ] is independent. Sweden lacks compulsory ], although the non-compulsory review carried out by ''lagrådet'' (Law Council) is mostly respected in technical matters but less so in controversial political matters. Acts of the parliament and government decrees can be made inapplicable at every level if they are manifestly against constitutional laws. However, due to the restrictions in this form of judicial review and a weak judiciary, this has had little practical consequence.


In order to form a government, more than half the membership of the Council of State is required to belong to the ]. Currently, this means at least ten out of nineteen members.
Legislation may be initiated by the ] or by members of Parliament. Members are elected on the basis of ] for a four-year term. The ] can be altered by the Riksdag, which requires a simple but absolute majority and two decisions with general elections in between. Sweden has three other constitutional laws: the Act of Royal Succession, the Freedom of Press Act and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression.


In December each year, Norway gives a ] to the ], in thanks for the UK's assistance during World War II. A ceremony takes place to erect the tree in ].
The ] has played a leading political role since 1917, after ]s had confirmed their strength and the ] left the party. After 1932, the ] have been dominated by the Social Democrats. Only four general elections (1976, 1979, 1991 and 2006) have given the centre-right bloc enough seats in Parliament to form a government. There has been broad political consensus regarding the rapid extension of the ],{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, with government expenditure at its peak being 67% of the ]. However, poor economical performance since the beginning of the 1970s, and especially the crisis at the beginning of the 1990s, have forced Sweden to reform its political system to become more like other European countries, although it is one of only two European countries with taxes that exceed 50% of GNP (the another being ]). In the 2006 general election the Moderate Party, allied with the Centre Party, Liberal People's Party, and the Christian Democrats, with a common political platform, won a majority of the votes. Together they have formed a majority government under the leadership of the Moderate party's leader ].


==Foreign relations==
]
{{stubsection}}
The following political parties hold seats in the Riksdag (the most recent elections were held in September 2006; the next elections will be held in ])<ref>{{cite web
{{See|Foreign relations of Norway}}
|url=http://www.val.se/val/val2006/slutlig/R/rike/roster.html
|title=Val till riksdagen
|author=The Official Website of the Swedish Election Authority
}}</ref>:
* ] (s, Social Democrats): 130 seats, 35.0% (2002: 39.8% of votes, 144 seats)
* ] (m, Moderates): 97 seats, 26.2% (2002: 15.2% of votes, 55 seats)
* ] (c, Centre Party): 29 seats, 7.9% (2002: 22 seats, 6.1% of votes)
* ] (fp, Liberal People's Party): 28 seats, 7.5% (2002: 13.3% of votes, 48 seats)
* ] (kd, Christian Democrats): 24 seats, 6.6% (2002: 33 seats, 9.1% of votes)
* ] (v, Left Party): 22 seats, 5.8% (2002: 28 seats, 8.3% of votes)
* ] (mp, Greens): 19 seats, 5.2% (2002: 17 seats, 4.6% of votes)


== Counties and municipalities ==
Each of the following parties received between 0.1 and 4.0% of the votes (5.4% combined), but did not make the 4% limit to gain seats<ref>{{cite web
{{main|Counties of Norway|Municipalities of Norway}}
|url=http://www.val.se/val/val2006/slutlig/R/rike/ovriga.html
{{see|Regions of Norway|Subdivisions of Norway}}
|title=Val till riksdagen
]s (''fylker;'' "counties")]]
|author=The Official Website of the Swedish Election Authority
}}</ref>:


Norway is divided into nineteen first-level administrative regions known as ''fylker'' ("]"; singular ''fylke'') and 431 second-level ''kommuner'' ("]"; singular ''kommune''). The ''fylke'' is the intermediate administration between state and municipality. The King is represented in every county by a "Fylkesmann".
* ] (Sweden Democrats) 2.9%
* ] (Feminist Initiative) 0.7%
* ] (Pirate Party) 0.6%
* ] (Swedish Senior Citizen Interest Party) 0.5%
* ] (June List) 0.5%
* ] (Health Care Party) 0.2%


There is ongoing debate as to whether the nineteen ''fylker'' should be replaced with five to nine larger regions.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Some expect this to happen by 2010, whereas others expect the intermediate administration to disappear entirely. Another option would probably require consolidating the municipalities into larger entities and delegating greater responsibility to them.
There is also a proliferation of tiny political parties, of which most are ], while others have stable organizations and party programmes, but few adherents.


The ] are:
Sweden has a history of strong political involvement by ordinary people through its "popular movements" ("Folkrörelser" in Swedish), the most notable being ], the ], the ], and – more recently – the sports movement. Gudrun Schyman founded the Feminist Initiative party, commonly referred to simply as F!, in 2005. Ms. magazine quoted Schyman's view of Sweden's reputation for progressive initiatives: "In Sweden there’s a gap between words and reality.... Internationally a lot of people look upon Sweden as ] paradise, but that is not the truth – and now things are actually going backwards."<ref>Mosey, Chris. Ms. magazine. Fall 2006.</ref>
{{columns |width=180px |gap=5px

|col1 =
Election turnout in Sweden has always been high in international comparisons, although it has declined in recent decades, and is currently around 80% (80.11 in ], 81.99 in ]). Swedish politicians enjoyed a high degree of confidence from the citizens in the 1960s but it has since declined steadily and Sweden was by the end of the 1990s one of the Western countries with the lowest degree of trust between citizens and politicians.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
*]

*]
Some Swedish political figures that have become known worldwide include ], ], former ] of the ] ], ], former Prime Minister, ] former Prime Minister and currently ], ] former President of the ] and ] former ] inspector in Iraq.
*]

*]
===Energy politics===
*]
:''Further information: Nuclear power phase-out in Sweden and ]''
*]
The ] strengthened Sweden's commitment to decrease dependence on imported fossil fuels. Since then, electricity has been generated mostly from ] and nuclear power. The use of nuclear power has been limited, however. Among other things, the accident of ] (]) prompted the ] to hold a ] on nuclear power. The referendum led to a decision that no further nuclear power plants should be built and that a nuclear power phase-out should be completed by 2010. ], the use of ] amounted to 26% of the energy supply in Sweden. The two largest categories of renewables are ] and ], the latter mainly used to produce heat for ] and ] and industry processes. The total usage of biomass energy is currently 112 TWh per year.<ref></ref>
*]

|col2 =
In 2006, out of a total electricity production of 139 TWh, electricity from hydropower accounted for 61 ] and 44% of the country's production of ] with nuclear power delivering 65 TWh (47%). At the same time, the use of ]s, ] etc. produced 13 TWh (9%) of electricity, while wind power produced 1 TWh (1%). Sweden was a net importer of electricity by a margin of 6 TWh. <ref></ref>
*]

*]
In March 2005, an opinion poll showed that 83% supported maintaining or increasing nuclear power.<ref></ref> Since then however, reports about radioactive leakages at a nuclear waste store in Forsmark, Sweden, have been published,<ref></ref> although this does not seem to have changed the public support of continued use of nuclear power. Sweden decided to phase out ] before 2020, although it is very unlikely that this will happen.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
*]

*]
In an effort to phase out the dependency on ] and ], the Swedish government has launched a multi-billion dollar program to promote ] and energy efficiency.<ref name="Agenda21"/><ref name="Vidal"/> The country has for many years pursued a strategy of indirect taxation as an instrument of environmental policy, including energy taxes in general and ] taxes in particular.<ref name="Agenda21">Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden. ''''. 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997.</ref> Also in 2005, Sweden garnered international attention by announcing its intention to break its dependence on foreign oil within 15 years, with the goal of becoming the world's first oil-free economy.<ref name="Vidal">Vidal, John. . The Guardian, 2/8/06. Retrieved 2/13/07.</ref> ('']'')
*]

*]
===Foreign policy===
|col3 =
Throughout the twentieth century, ] was based on the principle of ] in peacetime and ] in wartime.<ref name="NB335-339" /><!---Nordstrom, p. 335---> "Sweden's government was left to pursue an independent course based on a foreign policy defined as nonalignment in times of peace so that neutrality would be possible in the event of war."
*]

*]
Sweden's doctrine of neutrality is often traced back to the 19th century as it has not participated in any war since the end of the ] against ] in 1809. During the ] Sweden joined neither the ] nor ] powers. This has been disputed by many since in effect Sweden allowed the Nazi regime to use its railroad system to transport troops and goods,<ref name="Koblik303-313" /><!---Koblik, p. 313---><ref name="NB313-319" /> especially iron ore from the rich mines in northern Sweden, of vital need to the German war machine.<ref>Nordstrom p. 302: "In fact, the plans were mostly a ruse to establish control of the crucial Norwegian port of Narvik and the iron mines of northern Sweden, which were vitally important to the German war efforts."</ref><ref name="NB313-319" /> This also carries on to ] era politics in which Sweden was not under the ] and received only minimal aid from the ].
*]

*]
During the early Cold War era, Sweden combined its policy of non-alignment with a low profile in international affairs, although it also pursued a security policy based on strong national defense to deter attack.<ref>Nordstrom, p 336: "As a corollary, a security policy based on strong national defenses designed to discourage, but not prevent, attack was pursued. For the next several decades, the Swedes poured an annual average of about 5% of GDP into making their defenses credible."</ref> At the same time, the country maintained relatively close informal connections with the Western bloc, especially in the realm of intelligence exchange. In 1952 a Swedish ] was ] over the Baltic sea by a Soviet Fighter. Later investigations revealed that the plane was actually gathering information for ].{{Fact|date=April 2007}} Another plane, a ] ] craft, was sent out a few days later and shot down by the Soviets as well. Olof Palme the former prime minister of Sweden visited Cuba during the 1970s and showed his support for Cuba in his speech which was in Spanish.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
*]

*]
Beginning in the late 1960s, Sweden for a period attempted to play a more significant and independent role in international relations. This involved significant activity in international peace efforts, especially through the ], and in support to the ]. Since the murder of ] in 1986 and the end of the Cold War, this has been significantly toned down, although Sweden remains comparatively active in peace keeping missions and maintains a generous foreign aid budget.
}}

In 1981 a Soviet ] ran aground close to the Swedish naval base at ] in the southern part of the country. It has never been clearly established whether the submarine ended up on the shoals through a navigational mistake or if it was a matter of ] against Swedish military potential. The incident triggered a diplomatic crisis between Sweden and the Soviet Union.

Since 1995 Sweden has been a member of the ], and as a consequence of a new world security situation the country's foreign policy doctrine has been partly modified, with Sweden playing a more active role in European security co-operation as well.

==Military==
{{main|Swedish Armed Forces}}
The Swedish Armed Forces (''Försvarsmakten'') is a Government agency responsible for the peacetime operation of the armed forces of Sweden. The primary task of the agency is to train and deploy peace support forces abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to refocus on the defense of the country in the event of war. The Armed Forces is branched into Army, Air Force and Navy. As a Government agency, it reports to the Swedish Ministry of Defence. The head of armed forces is the ] (Överbefälhavaren, ÖB), and beside the Sovereign is the most senior officer in the country.

Sweden's military is built on conscription, and until the end of the Cold War nearly all males reaching the age of military service were conscripted. In recent years, the number of conscripted males has reduced dramatically, while the number of female volunteers has increased slightly. Recruitment has generally shifted towards finding the most motivated recruits, rather than solely those otherwise most fit for service. All soldiers serving abroad must by law be volunteers. In 1975 the total number of conscripts was 45,000. By 2003 it was down to 15,000. After the Defense Proposition 2004, the number of troops in training will decrease even more to between 5,000 and 10,000 each year, while emphasizing the need to recruit only the soldiers later prepared to volunteer for international service. The total forces gathered would consist of about 279,000 men. This could be compared with the 80s before the fall of the Soviet Union, when Sweden could gather up to 800,000 men.

Swedish units have taken part in peacekeeping operations, in ], ], ], ] and ].

Currently, one of the most important tasks for the Swedish Armed Forces is to form a Swedish-led EU Battle Group to which Norway, Finland and Estonia will also contribute, perhaps also Ireland. The ] (NBG) is to have a 10-day deployment readiness during the first half of 2008.


==Economy== ==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Sweden}} {{main|Economy of Norway}}
Norway possesses the second highest ] and third highest ] in the world, and has maintained 1st place in the world in the ] ] (HDI) for the fifth consecutive year (2006). Cost of living is about 30% higher in Norway than in the US, and 25% higher than the UK.
] (GRP) per capita in thousands of crowns (2004).]]
Sweden is an export oriented market economy featuring a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labour force. ], ], and ] constitute the resource base of an ] heavily oriented toward ]. Sweden's engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Telecommunications, the automotive industry and the pharmaceutical industries are also of great importance. ] accounts for 2% of ] and employment.


The Norwegian economy is an example of ], featuring a combination of ] activity and large government ownership. The government controls key areas, such as the strategic ] sector (], ], hydroelectric energy production ]), and the largest Norwegian bank (]) and telecommunication provider (]). The government controls 31.6% of publicly listed companies. When non-listed companies are included the state has even higher share in ownership (mainly from direct oil license ownership).
According to the book, ''The Flight of the Creative Class'', by the U.S. economist, Professor ] of ], Sweden is ranked as having the best creativity in Europe for business and is predicted to become a talent magnet for the world’s most purposeful workers. The book compiled an index to measure the kind of creativity most useful to business – talent, technology and tolerance – and found Sweden to be the number one spot in Europe and the world. The top ten countries, in descending order, are: Sweden, Japan, Finland, the US, Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany.<ref>", Invest in Sweden Agency, 25 June 2005.</ref>


The control mechanisms over petroleum resources are a combination of state ownership in major operators in the Norwegian fields (] approx. 70% in 2005, ] 43% in 2004) and the fully state owned ] (market value of about twice Statoil) and ]. Finally the government controls licensing of exploration and production of fields.
Sweden's industry is overwhelmingly in private control; unlike some other industrialized Western countries, such as Austria and Italy, publicly owned enterprises were always of minor importance. 80% of the workforce is organized through the trade-unions which have the right to elect two representatives to the board in all Swedish companies with more than 25 employees.<!---http://www.samhallsguiden.riksdagen.se/sg-295.asp#P1687_231108---><!--- Link not working ---><ref></ref>


The country is richly endowed with natural resources: ], ], ], ], and ]. Norway has obtained one of the highest standards of living in the world, partly from petroleum production and the substantial income related to this sector. Norway also has a very low unemployment rate, currently below 2% (June 2007). The hourly productivity levels, as well as average hourly wages in Norway are among the highest in the world. The egalitarian values of the Norwegian society{{Fact|date=July 2007}} ensures that the wage difference between the lowest paid worker and the CEO of most companies is much smaller than in comparable western economies.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
Sweden is known for its high ]es and large ]. According to the statistics collected by the ] (''see ]''), Sweden has the highest total tax revenue, as a share of the country's income, of any ranked country (as of ]). It is also the only country in the world with a total tax revenue higher than 50%.


In 2006, oil and gas accounted for 58% of exports.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Only ] and OPEC member ] export more oil than Norway, which is not an OPEC member. To reduce over-heating from oil-money, the uncertainty from the oil income volatility, and save money for an aging population, the Norwegian state started in 1995 to save petroleum income (taxes, dividends, licensing, sales) in a ] (]). This also reduces the boom and bust cycle associated with raw material production and the marginalization of non-oil industry (see also ]).
The Swedish ] - founded in 1668 and thus making it the oldest central bank in the world - is currently focusing on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth is expected to reach 3.3% in 2006. High taxes have however ensured a higher degree of government influence on household consumption decisions than in most other Western nations. Public sector spending amounts to 53% of the GDP; the high figure primarily reflects the large transfer payments of the Swedish welfare state.<!--Note that it is incorrect to say that public sector spending contributes 53% to GDP, as much of that is transfer payments-->


Because of its size the fund is invested in developed financial markets outside Norway. The budgetary rule ("Handlingsregelen") is to spend no more than 4% of the fund each year (assumed to be the normal yield from the fund ). By January 2006, the Fund was at USD 200 billion, representing 70% of GDP in Norway. During the first half of 2007, the pension fund became the largest fund in Europe, totaling about USD 300 billion. Already (April 2007), Norway has the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation. Projections indicate that the Norwegian pension fund is set to become the largest capital fund in the world. Conservative estimates tell that the fund may reach USD 800-900 billion by 2017. Other natural resource-based economies (examples: Russia and Chile) are trying to learn from Norway by establishing similar funds.
Swedish unemployment figures are highly contested, with the Social-Democrats defending the official figure of 5.4% (as of 2006) and the centre-right ] claiming a much higher figure. These numbers do not, however, include people in government unemployment programmes (about 2% of the workforce), people on extended sick-leave, those in early retirement or those outside the unemployment system. Unemployment is higher amongst younger people. Many Swedes work abroad in ], ] and the ], where they are desired and viewed as a skilled workforce.{{Fact|date=July 2007}} Because of the contradiction – unemployment despite a growing commercial enterprise economy – politicians and analysts often speak of the "jobless growth". According to Eurostat the unemployment rate in February 2007 was at 6.7% down from 7.4% from February 2006.<ref></ref>


The future size of the fund is of course closely linked to the oil price and the developments in international financial markets in which the fund is invested.
Sweden also still bears scars from an economical crisis in the 1990s, which resulted in thousands of people unemployed and a great national debt. Two remnants are an increase in ] ] {{Fact|date=February 2007}} and a ] of approximately 1,248 billion ] (approx. €134 billion, 01.2007).<ref>(2006).</ref>


Referendums in 1972 and ] indicated that the Norwegian people wished to remain outside the ] (EU). However, Norway, together with ] and ], participates in the ]'s single market via the ] (EEA) agreement. The EEA Treaty between the ] countries and the ] countries &ndash; transposed into Norwegian law via "EØS-loven"<ref>http://www.lovdata.no/all/nl-19921127-109.html</ref> &ndash; describes the procedures for implementing European Union rules in Norway and the other EFTA countries. This makes Norway a highly integrated member of most sectors of the EU internal market. However, some sectors, such as agriculture, oil and fish, are not wholly covered by the EEA Treaty. Norway has also acceded to the ] and several other intergovernmental agreements between the EU member states.
==Welfare state==
{{main|Swedish welfare}}
], the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Sweden.]]
In recent years, economic liberalization has ensured that Sweden is now more similar to other European countries with comparatively high tax rates. However, some still claim that the ] is mid-way between ] and ], i.e. a ]. The Swedish "welfare state" model of the 20th century is an example (some economists and socialists said) of effective use of national taxes, although others disagree about its continuing effectiveness. The Swedish welfare system remains extensive, but a recession in the 1990s forced an introduction of a number of reforms, such as ]s in 1992 and decentralization of some types of healthcare services to municipal control.<ref></ref>


In 2000, the government sold one-third of the then 100% state-owned oil company ] in an ]. The next year, the main telecom supplier, ], was listed on ]. The state also owns significant shares of Norway's biggest bank, ] and the airline ]. Since 2000, ] has been rapid, pushing unemployment down to levels not seen since the early 1980s.
While similar in form to other governments in Western Europe, the Swedish state is among the most generous in the scope of government services provided. These include tax-funded childcare, parental leave, a ceiling on health care costs, tax-funded education (all levels up to, and including university), retirement pensions, tax-funded dental care up to 20 years of age and ] (partly paid by the employer). Parents are entitled to a total of 480 days partly paid leave between birth and the child's eighth birthday, with 60 days reserved specifically for each parent, in effect providing the father with two so-called "daddy-months". The ceiling on health care costs makes it easier, relative to other nations, for Swedish workers to take time off for medical reasons.


The Norwegian currency is the ].
Since the late 1960s, Sweden has had the highest tax quota (as percentage of GDP) in the industrialized world, although today the difference between other high-tax countries such as France, Belgium and Denmark has narrowed. Sweden has a two step ] scale with a municipal income tax of about 30% and an additional high-income state tax of 20&ndash;25% when a salary exceeds roughly 300 000 SEK per year. The employing company pays an additional 32% of an "employer's fee". In addition, a national ] of 25% or 18% is added to many things bought by private citizens, with the exception of food (12% VAT), transportation, and books (6% VAT). Certain items are subject to additional taxes, e.g. electricity, petrol/diesel and alcoholic beverages.


==Education== ==Demography==
{{main|Education in Sweden}} {{main|Demography of Norway}}
]]]
As part of its social welfare system, Sweden provides an extensive ] system that guarantees a place for all young children from 1-5 years old in a public day-care facility (''förskola'' or ''dagis''). Between ages 6-16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school, divided in three stages. After completing the ninth grade, 90% continue with a three-year upper secondary school (''gymnasium'') leading sometimes to a vocational diploma and always to qualifications for further studies at a ]. Both upper secondary school and university studies are financed by taxes. Some Swedes go straight to work after secondary school. Along with several other European countries, the government also subsidizes tuition of international students pursuing a degree at Swedish institutions, although there has been talk of this being changed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.studyinsweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____4962.aspx |title=Fees and costs - SWEDEN.SE |accessdate=2007-06-18 |format= |work=}}</ref>


As of 2005, Norway's population of 4.6 million is growing by 0.363% per year. Most Norwegians are ], a ]/North ] people, while small minorities in the north are ] and ]. The Sami are considered an indigenous people and traditionally live in the central and northern parts of Norway and Sweden, as well as in northern Finland and in Russia on the Kola Peninsula. The largest concentration of Sami people is, however, found in Norway's capital and main city, ]. Norway also has a small ] community originally from ], like the Sami the Finns speak a native Finno-Ugric language in addition to Norwegian, which in the northern part of Norway are called Kven. Other groups defined as national minorities of Norway are ], ], ] and ].
==Religion==
Before the eleventh century, Swedes adhered to ], worshiping ] gods, with its centre at the ]. With ] in the 11th century, the laws of the country were changed, forbidding worship of other deities into the late nineteenth century.


In recent years, ] has accounted for more than half of Norway's population growth. In 2006, Statistics Norway (SSB) found that record 45,800 immigrants arrived in the country — 30% higher than 2005. At the beginning of 2006, there were 387,000 persons in Norway with an immigrant background (i.e. immigrants, or born of immigrant parents), comprising 8.3 per cent of the total population. The largest immigrant groups by country of origin, in order of size, are ], ], ], ], ] and ]. The Iraqi immigrant population has shown a large increase in recent years, and now ranks as the third-largest immigrant group.
After the ] in the 1530s, the Church and State were separated and the authority of Roman Catholic bishops abolished, allowing ] to prevail. This process was completed by the ]. During the era following the ], usually known as the period of ], small groups of non-Lutherans, especially ] ], the ] and ]s or ] from ], played a significant role in trade and industry, and were quietly tolerated as long as they kept a low religious profile. The ] originally had their own shamanistic religion, but they were converted to Lutheranism by Swedish missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries.


There were 285,000 non-Western legal immigrants in Norway as of January 2006, most common country of origin is ], followed by ], ] and ]. Ekhaugen’s study shows that 50% of the non-western immigrants who settled in Norway in the period from 1966 to 1975 were welfare dependent 25 years later.<ref></ref> Oslo has by far the largest non-western immigrant population of about 99,000, or 18% of the population. The largest increase in 2005 was of immigrants from ], ], and ].<ref>http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/innvbef_en/</ref>
Not until liberalization in the late 18th century, however, were believers of other faiths, including ] and ], allowed to openly live and work in Sweden, although it remained ] until 1860 for Lutheran Swedes to convert to another religion. The 19th century saw the arrival of various ] ]es, and, towards the end of the century ], leading many to distance themselves from Church rituals. Leaving the ] became legal with the so-called dissenter law of 1860, but only under the provision of entering another denomination. The right to stand outside any religious denomination was established in the Law on ] in 1951.


===Religion===
Today about 75% of Swedes belong to the Church of Sweden, but the number is decreasing by about 1% every year, and Church of Sweden services are sparsely attended (hovering in the single digit percentages of the population).<ref>, </ref> The reason for the large number of inactive members is partly that until 1996, children became members automatically at birth if at least one of their parents were a member. Since 1996, all children that are baptised become members. Some 275,000 Swedes are today members of various free churches (where congregation attendance is much higher), and, in addition, ] has meant that there are now some 92,000 ] and 100,000 ] living in Sweden.<ref></ref> Due to ], Sweden also has a significant ] population. As many as 500,000 are Muslims by tradition<ref></ref> and between 80,000 - 400,000 of these are practising Islam. ''(See also ])''
In common with other ]n peoples, Norway's ancestral inhabitants &ndash; the indigenous Norse &ndash; followed a form of native ] known as ]. By the end of the tenth century, when Norway had been ], the indigenous Norse religion and practices were prohibited. Anti-] laws, however, were removed early in the twentieth century.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Many remnants of the native religion and beliefs of Norway exist today, including referential names of cities and locations, to the days of the week, to the everyday language. For example, the word for performing magic is 'å trylle', which comes from 'å trolle', which in turn litterally means 'to troll', and the Norwegian word for magician is 'trollmann', or 'troll man'. The word for thunder is 'torden', or 'Thor's roar'.


Nearly 83% of Norwegians are members of the state ]. Many remain in the state church to be able to use services such as ], ], marriage and burial, rites which have strong cultural standing in Norway.
According to the most recent Eurostat "Eurobarometer" poll, in 2005,<ref> (] format)</ref> 23% of Swedish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 53% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 23% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". Sweden ranks aside with ] and ] on having a large minority of its citizens who have ]. Independent of these statistics, it is generally known that Swedish society, collectively, is comparatively secular and non-religious.<ref>Celsing, Charlotte. . The Swedish Institute, 1 September 2006. Retrieved 19 February 2007.</ref>


Other ] denominations total about 4.5% of the population. These include the ], the ], ], the ], ] and others. Among non-Christian religions, ] is the largest, representing about 1.5% of the population; it is practiced mainly by the ], ], ]i, ] and ] communities. Other religions comprise less than 1% each, including ] (see ]), the ], and ]). ]n immigrants introduced ] to Norway, but account for only 0.50% of the population. There are eleven ] organizations, grouped under the ] organisation, which make up 0.42% of the population. Around 1.5% of Norwegians adhere to the secular ]. About 5% of the population is unaffiliated.<ref></ref>
==Culture==
], painted in the traditional Swedish ].]]
] skyscraper in ] is the tallest ] in Sweden and the second-tallest residential building in Europe.]]
Sweden has many authors of worldwide recognition including ], and nobel prize winners ] and ]. In total 7 Nobel prizes of literature has been awarded to Swedes. The nation's most well-known artists are painters such as ] and ], and the sculptors ] and ].
].]]


In 2005, a survey conducted by Gallup International in sixty-five countries indicated that Norway was the least religious country in Western Europe, with 36% counting themselves as being ], 9% as being atheists, and 46% neither.<ref> from ] on a survey on religion.</ref>;
Swedish twentieth-century culture is noted by pioneering works in the early days of ], with ] and ]. In the 1920s&ndash;1980s, the filmmaker ] and actors ] and ] became internationally noted people within cinema. More recently, the films of ] and ] have received international recognition.


===Languages===
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Sweden was seen as an international leader in what is now referred to as the "]", with gender equality having particularly been promoted.<ref>{{cite news ||http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____12355.aspx |title=The Swedish Myths: True, False, or Somewhere In Between? |publisher=Sweden.se |accessdate=2007-02-14 |}}</ref> At the present time, the number of single people is one of the highest in the world. The early Swedish film '']'' (1967) reflected a liberal view of sexuality, including scenes of love making that caught international attention, and introduced the concept of the "Swedish sin". Sweden has also become, in recent decades, fairly liberal regarding ], as is reflected in the popular acceptance of films such as '']'', which is about two young ] in the small Swedish town of Åmål. In the absence of legislation on ]s, Sweden offers both ] and ] for same-sex couples.
{{main|Languages of Norway}}
{{seealso|Sami languages}}


The ] has two official written forms, '']'' and '']''. They have officially equal status, i.e. they are both used in public administration, in schools, churches, radio and television, but Bokmål is used by the vast majority, about 85-90%. Around 95% of the population speak Norwegian as their native tongue, although many speak ]s that may differ significantly from the written language. In general Norwegian dialects are inter-intelligible, though some may require significant effort. Several ] are spoken and written throughout the country, especially in the north, by the ]. The state recognises these languages as official, and speakers have a right to receive communications from government in various ] The ] minority speak Kven, a variety of Finnish. The ] Norwegian language and the ] Sami and Kven languages are entirely unrelated.
===Music===
{{see|Music of Sweden}}


The main foreign languages (''primærfremmedspråk'') taught in Norway are ], ] and ]. People may contact the authorities or take their exams in any of the three main foreign languages as well as in the two other Scandinavian languages (] and ]).
Sweden has a rich musical tradition, ranging from medieval folk ballads to ]. The music of the pre-Christian Norse has been lost to history, although historical recreations have been attempted based on instruments found in Viking sites. Instruments used were the ] (a sort of trumpet), simple string instruments, wooden flutes and drums. It is possible that the Viking musical legacy lives on in some of the old ].


Any Norwegian student who is a child of immigrant parents is encouraged to learn the Norwegian language. The Norwegian government offers language instructional courses for immigrants wishing to obtain Norwegian citizenship.
Sweden has a significant ] scene, both in the traditional style as well as more modern interpretations which often mix in elements of rock and jazz. ] is more of a traditionalist group, using a unique traditional Swedish instrument called the ] while ], ], and ] have more modern elements. ] is a popular folk musician. There is also ] music, called the ], which is actually a type of chant which is part of the traditional Saami animistic spirituality but has gained recognition in the international world of folk music as well. Sweden has a major market for ] and ] or ] aware music, as well a large portion of pop and rock music have ] and ] political messages.


Norwegian is highly similar to the other ] languages, ] and ]. All three languages are intelligible and all the languages can be used to communicate with each other.
Sweden also has a prominent choral music tradition, deriving in part from the cultural importance of the Swedish folk songs. In fact, out of a population of 8.9 million, it is estimated that between five hundred thousand and six hundred thousand people sing in choirs.<ref>Durant, Colin (2003). ''Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice'', Routledge, pp. 46-47. ISBN 0415943566: "Sweden has a strong and enviable choral singing tradition. All those interviewed placed great emphasis on the social identification through singing and also referred to the importance of Swedish folk song in the maintenance of the choral singing tradition and national identity."</ref>


==Individual human rights==
] was one of the first well-known popular music band from Sweden, and the only one that ranks among the most well-known in the world. With ABBA, Sweden entered into a new era, in which Swedish pop music gained international prominence. Sweden is one of the largest exporters of pop and rock music in the world, and is often referred as the third largest one in the world after the US and the UK, though this is difficult to verify.<ref> at ] website, accessed Feb. 2007.</ref> There have been many other internationally successful bands since. Sweden has also become known for a large number of ] (mostly ] and ],), as well as ]- and ] bands.
] holding Norwegian flags lead a parade on the 17 May, ]]]


Norway is the current top-ranked nation in the ], an index made up by literacy rate, education level and per capita income.
===Media===
{{main|Media in Sweden}}
Swedes are among the greatest consumers of ]s in the world, and nearly every town is served by a local paper. The country's main quality morning papers are ] (liberal), ] (liberal), ] (conservative) and ] (liberal). The two largest evening ]s are ] (social democratic) and ] (liberal). The ad-financed, free international morning paper, ], was originally founded in Stockholm, Sweden. The country's news is reported in English by, among others, ] (liberal).


] is enshrined in Article 100 of the ]. ] is enshrined in Article 2 of the Constitution, which also establishes the state religion as ]. The press is not censored. Editors adhere to self-imposed commandments of caution, in order to protect people's privacy and other civic rights ("]").
Until 1991, the Swedish Public Service company, with its two television channels SVT1 and SVT2 (plus three digital channels), had a monopoly on broadcasting television on the ]. Swedes were not able to receive any other television channels until satellite dishes became available in the 1980s. In 1987, ] began sending commercial television to Sweden via satellite in London. Two other channels, ] and ], soon followed suit.


Public radio and TV broadcast mostly without interference from the government, although permission to broadcast depends on the programme spectrum. Broadcast advertisement is regulated, with particular restrictions on paid political messages and advertising directed at children.
In 1991 the government announced it would begin taking applications from private television companies wishing to broadcast on the ]. TV4, which had previously been broadcasting via satellite, was granted a permit and began its terrestrial broadcasts in 1992, becoming the first private channel to broadcast television content from within the country.


The constitution forbids ]s, punishment not based on laws and court decisions, and the use of ]. ] for ] during wartime was abolished in 1979.<ref>http://www.amnesty.no/web.nsf/pages/3E4F597A47A70816C1256A6900444132</ref>
In 2007, that Sweden became the first country to open an embassy in virtual world Second Life. The Embassy serves to promote Sweden's image and culture, rather than providing any real or virtual services.


In 1999, the Human Rights conventions of the ] and the ] were constituted as law in Norway (''menneskerettsloven'') and given superiority to all laws after the constitution.<ref>http://www.lovdata.no/all/nl-19990521-030.html</ref>
===Inventions===
However, Norwegian lawyers have joined the Council of Europe's Committee Against Torture to express their concern about the long-term detention of criminal defendants and the use of solitary confinement in Norway, deeming it to be torture.<ref>http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikker/article1274357.ece</ref> The use of ] and ] on a group of ] who, armed with ], shot and killed a police officer in 2004, was deemed illegal by Norwegian courts. Long processing times for asylum seekers and the treatment of those arriving without identity papers has also been under discussion.
{{cleanup-section|August 2007}}
The famous ] bottles introduced in 1916 were designed by the Swedish-American Alex Samuelsson.<ref></ref> The ] was invented in 1913 by Swedish-American ] who improved the primitive zip-lock to the model we are using in nowadays. Carl Richard Nyberg got a patent on the ] in 1881.<ref></ref> The ] stove or "Primus" kitchen was invented by ] in 1892 which was a huge Swedish export success. The 100-scale ] was invented in the mid 18th century by ]. Probably the most famous Swedish invention, ] was created by ] in 1867. ] invented the life-saving gas-driven ] used in shorelines all around the world. Dalén received the ] in 1912 for his invention. In 1907 ] created the spheric bearing, since 1907 the world's only bearing factory, ] was set up by Wingquist. In the 1920's ] and Carld Munters created a ] with no mechanic parts based on the absorptions-principle. This was a world sensation and was retailed worldwide by ] which still is a market leading company. The first ] ever installed in a living person was built by the inventor ] and the surgery was completed by Åke Senning in 1958. In 1878, ] created the ], separating milk from cream and making production of butter much easier and faster. The heritage of Gustav de Laval is still existent in the world leading company ]. The modern ] used in ships was created by ] in 1839. The ], invented in 1844 by ], still makes ] a world leading company. The improvement of ]'s invention in 1876, ] constructed the first hand held phone for which he got patents in 1895. ] is today one of the world's largest ] corporations. In 1930 ] and Erik Åkerlund founded the company "Åkerlund & Rausing" which invented the plastic-covered cardboard cases. ] is still the world leading producer of this kind of packages. ] invented the ] in 1888 which was designed so that the grip gets tighter while the wrench is being pulled. ] is also a swedish invention.


In 2005, the international conventions against discrimination of women and race discrimination were incorporated into (but not made superior to) Norwegian law. ] has recently focused on violence against women in Norway and a shortage of public services to victims of violence.<ref>http://www.amnesty.no/web.nsf/pages/71EA018C83278F58C125711D003A4239</ref>
===Holidays===
{{main|Public holidays in Sweden}}
Apart from traditional Protestant ], Sweden also celebrates some unique holidays, some of a pre-Christian tradition. They include ], celebrating the summer ]; ] on ] lighting bonfires; ] on ] is dedicated to socialist demonstrations; and ], the day of ] the lightgiver. ] is ] and as of 2005 a public holiday. Furthermore, there are ] observances and a ] calendar. In August many Swedes have kräftskivor (crayfish dinner parties). ] Eve is celebrated in ] in November with ''Mårten Gås'' parties, where roast goose and ] ('black soup', made of goose stock, fruit, spices, spirits and goose blood) are served. The ], one of Sweden's indigenous minorities, have their holiday on ] and Scania celebrate their Scanian Flag day on the third Sunday in July.


Norway has ] for men. Conscripts are drafted at age 18 for initial service (''førstegangstjeneste'') of between six to twelve months (Service may begin at age 17 with parental consent). After completion of the initial service period, personnel are transferred to reserve units, which may be called up for periodic training (''repetisjonstjeneste'') until age 44. ]s serve twelve months in an alternative civilian national service. If a candidate refuses to attend the assessment of fitness (''sesjon''), where any objections to future military service are to be stated, they are liable to prosecution. A person who is deemed fit for service and who is not a conscientious objector, but still refuses military service is also liable to prosecution. Changes to the structure of the armed forces has resulted in a lower demand for conscripts, and the number of males needing to serve is decreasing.
===Cuisine===
{{main|Swedish cuisine}}
Swedish cuisine, like that of the other ]n countries (] and ]), is traditionally simple. ] (often ]), ] and ]es play prominent roles. Spices are sparse. Famous dishes include Swedish meatballs, traditionally served with gravy, boiled potatoes and ]; pancakes, ], and '']'', or lavish buffet. ] is a popular alcoholic ], and the drinking of '']'' is of cultural importance. Regionally important foods are the ] (a fermented fish) in Northern Sweden and ] in ] in Southern Sweden.


Homosexuality was officially decriminalized in 1972 and homosexual partnerships legalized in 1993. According to ] (SSB), 192 homosexual partnerships were recorded in 2004. Since 2002, it has become possible for homosexual partners to adopt each other's children from previous relationships, although joint adoption is not allowed as of 2007.
===Fashion===
Sweden has in late years taken an interest in the fashion industry, through headquartering famous brands like ] (operating as H&M), ] (operating as JL), ] and ] within its borders. These companies, however, are comprised largely of buyers who import fashionable goods from throughout Europe and the Americas, continuing the trend of Swedish business toward multinational economic dependency like many of its neighbors. This large influx of fashion goods has resulted in a large element of the population adopting a very trendy European style.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}

==Public health==
Healthcare in Sweden is viewed as very developed. Sweden ranks in the top five countries with respect to low ]. It also ranks high in life expectancy and in safe ]. The ] in ], the ] in ], the ] in ], and the ] in ] are examples of world-class hospitals in Sweden.

==Sports==
{{main|Sport in Sweden}}
Sport activities are a national movement with half of the population actively participating, much thanks to the heavy government subsidies of sport associations ("föreningsstöd"). The two main spectator sports are ] and ]. Some notable Swedish football stars include ], ], ], ] and ]. Swedish hockey players have often been regarded as some of the best in their sport. The Swedish ice hockey team ] won both the olympic and world championships in ]. Second to football, ] have the highest number of practitioners, mostly women. Thereafter follow ], ], and the ]s of ], ], ] and ]. American sports such as ] and ] are practiced but doesn't enjoy widespread popularity.

Successful ] players include former world No. 1's ], ] ] and doubles star ] ; in ] sports, ], ] and ] have all had dominating periods in ], as have ], ], ], ] and ] in ]. In ], ] revolutionized the sport with his new technique, the V-style.

A number of Swedes have been internationally successful in ]. In the 1940s runner ] dominated ]. In recent years, stars include ]ers such as the European record holder ], ], and Athens Olympic gold medalist ]. Two other Swedish athletes won gold medals in the ]: ] ] and ]er ].

Other famous Swedish athletes include the ] ] champion ], ]ers ], ] and ], former five times World ] Champion ], the World Speedway Champion ], and ], a player who has been voted as the ] Player of the Century.

In schools, on meadows and in parks, the game ], a sport similar to ], is commonly played for fun. Other leisure sports are the historical game of ] and ] among the older generation.

Sweden hosted the ] and the ] in ]. Other big sports events held here include ], ], and several championships of ], ], ] and ].


==International rankings== ==International rankings==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left" {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Organization
|+'''Rankings'''
! Survey
!Name
! Ranking
!Year
!Place
!Out of #
!Reference
|- |-
| ]
|]
| ]
|2006
| 2nd out of 232 (2006)
|2nd
|133
|
|- |-
| ]
|]
| ]
|2006
| 1st out of 177 (2001-2006)
|13th
|175
|
|- |-
| ]&nbsp;/ ]
|Amnesty Report
|
|2005
| 14th out of 111
|n/a
|
|
|- |-
| ]&nbsp;/ '']''
|CIA World Factbook – GDP – ] per capita
|
|2005
| 30th out of 155
|18th
|194
|
|- |-
| ]
|International Monetary Fund – ]
| ]
|2006
| 6th out of 168 (1st&nbsp;2002-2005)
|10th
|182
|
|- |-
|] - Mother's Index Rank | ]
| {{spaces|2}}{{smaller|(Children)}}
|2007
|1st | 1st out of 119
|141
|
|- |-
|] - Women's Index Rank | ]
| {{spaces|2}}{{smaller|(Women)}}
|2007
| 6th out of 119
|1st
|141
|
|- |-
|] - Children's Index Rank | ]
| {{spaces|2}}{{smaller|(Mothers)}}
|2007
| 6th out of 119
|4th
|141
|
|- |-
| ]
|] - ]
|
|2007
| 7th out of 21 industrial countries
|2nd
|141
|
|- |-
| ]
|] - % seats in the national government held by women
|
|2004
| 8th out of 145
|1st (47%)
|141
|
|- |-
|] ] | ]
|
|2006
| 9th out of 117
|5th
|177
|
|- |-
| ]
|] Global Competitiveness Report |2006-2007
|
|
| 5th out of 27
|3rd
|125
|
|- |-
| ]
|] world-wide press freedom index
|
|2006
| 3rd out of 111
|8th
|168
|{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
|- |-
| ]/]
|] Intelligence Unit's democracy index
|
|2006
| 2nd out of 146
|1st
|167
|
|- |-
| ]
|] Intelligence Unit's worldwide quality of life index
|
|2005
| 177th out of 177 (177th being the best rating)
|5th
|111
|
|- |-
| ]
|Nation Master's list by economic importance
| ]
|
| 1st out of 121
|19th
|25
|
|-
|Nation Master's list by Technological Achievement
|
|4th
|68
|
|-
|]'s European rankings on protection of civil liberties
|2006
|24th
|25
|
|-
|]
|2007
|21st
|157
|
|-
|]
|2007
|7th
|121
|
|} |}



==Literature==
{{main|Norwegian literature}}

The history of Norwegian literature starts with the ] ] and ] of the 9th and 10th centuries with poets such as ] and ]. The arrival of Christianity around the year 1000 brought Norway into contact with European medieval learning, hagiography and history writing. Merged with native oral tradition and Icelandic influence this was to flower into an active period of literature production in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Major works of that period include '']'', '']'' and '']''.

Little Norwegian literature came out of the period of the Scandinavian Union and the subsequent Dano-Norwegian union (1387—1814), with some notable exceptions such as ] and ]. In his play ], Ibsen characterized this period as "Twice two hundred years of darkness/brooded o'er the race of monkeys", although the latter line is not as frequently quoted as the former. During the union with Denmark, written Norwegian was replaced by Danish.

Two major events precipitated a major resurgence in Norwegian literature. In 1811 a Norwegian university was established in ] Seized by the spirit of revolution following the American and French Revolutions, the Norwegians signed their first constitution in 1814. Soon, the cultural backwater that was Norway brought forth a series of strong authors recognized first in Scandinavia, and then worldwide; among them were ], ], ] and ].

By the late 19th century, in the ] of Norwegian literature, the so-called ''Great Four'' emerged: ], ], ], and ]. Bjørnson's "peasant novels", such as "En glad gutt" (A Happy Boy) and "Synnøve Solbakken" are typical of the national romanticism of their day, whereas Kielland's novels and short stories are mostly realistic. Although an important contributor to early Norwegian romanticism (especially the ironic ]), ]'s fame rests primarily on his pioneering realistic dramas such ] and ], many of which caused moral uproar because of their candid portrayals of the middle classes.

In the twentieth century three Norwegian novelists were awarded the ]: ] in 1903, ] for the book "]" ("Growth of the Soil") in 1920, and ] in 1928. In the 20th century writers like ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] have made important contributions to Norwegian literature.

{{seealso|List of Norwegian writers}}

==National flower==
Norway has two national flowers.

At an international congress for ] held in ] in 1935, '']'' was elected national flower of Norway.
Later, in 1976, the ] held an referendum on one of their programs which elected '']'', commonly known as heather, as national flower.

Both plants are accepted as national flowers.


==See also== ==See also==
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==Notes== ===Lists===
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==References== ==References==
{{reflist}}
* Bagge, Sverre (2005). "The Scandinavian Kingdoms". In ''The New Cambridge Medieval History''. Eds. Rosamond McKitterick et al. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 052136289X.
*] –
* Council for Official Statistics. .
* Durant, Colin (2003). ''Choral Conducting: philosophy and practice'', Routledge, pp. 46-47. ISBN 0415943566.
* Einhorn, Eric and John Logue (1989). ''Modern Welfare States: Politics and Policies in Social Democratic Scandinavia''. Praeger Publishers, 1989. ISBN 0275931889.
* Invest in Sweden Agency (ISA) (2005). . Press release, 25 June 2005.
* Koblik, Steven (1975). ''Sweden's Development from Poverty to Affluence 1750-1970''. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0816607575.
* Magocsi, Paul Robert (1998). ''Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples''. University of Minnesota Press, 1998. ISBN 0802029388.
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden. ''''. 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997.
* Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). ''Scandinavia since 1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 2000. ISBN 0816620989.
* Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). ''Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392.
* Ståhl, Solveig. (1999). . ''LUM, Lunds universitet med''delar, 7:1999, 3 September 1999. In Swedish.
* Statistics Sweden. .
* Statistics Sweden. . ''Population statistics'', 1 January 2007.
* Statistics Sweden. ''Yearbook of Housing and Building Statistics 2007''. Statistics Sweden, Energy, Rents and Real Estate Statistics Unit, 2007. ISBN 9789161813612. Available online in .
* . In ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition, 2001-05.
* . In ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 1911.
* (2007). In ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
*
*
* ] –
*
* Uddhammar, Emil (1993). ''Partierna och den stora staten: en analys av statsteorier och svensk politik under 1900-talet''. Stockholm, City University Press.
*{{cite web |url=http://lawfam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/2/154 |title=RADICAL PRINCIPLES AND THE LEGAL INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE: DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY IN SWEDEN -- BRADLEY 4 (2): 154 -- International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family |accessdate=2007-06-13 |format= |work=}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Sweden}} {{sisterlinks|Norway}}
* – Official portal
{{wikiatlas|Sweden}}
* – the Official sites abroad
*{{wikitravel|Sweden}}
*
* – Official website of the Swedish Royal House
* – Official travel guide to Norway
*
* – Official travel and tourism website for Sweden *
* {{wikitravel|Norway}}
* – The Official Gateway to Sweden
* – Public service
* – Official site
* – Official site
* – Official guide to studying in Sweden
* – Statistics Sweden (governmental)
* – Government agency
*
* - EH.Net Encyclopedia


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Revision as of 13:29, 25 August 2007

For other uses, see Sweden (disambiguation).
Kingdom of NorwayKongeriket Norge
Kongeriket Noreg
Flag of Norway Flag Coat of arms of Norway Coat of arms
Motto: Royal: Alt for Norge ("Everything for Norway")
1814 Eidsvoll oath: Enige og tro til Dovre faller
("United and faithful until the mountains of Dovre crumble")
Anthem: Ja, vi elskerRoyal anthem: Kongesangen
Location of Sweden (orange) in Europe (white)Location of Sweden (orange)

in Europe (white)

Capitaland largest cityOslo
Official languagesNorwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk)
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy
• Monarch Harald V
• Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
Establishment
• Constitution 17 May, 1814
• Independence from union with Sweden
declared 7 June, 1905
• Water (%)7.0
Population
• 2007 estimate4,711,626 (114th)
GDP (PPP)2006 estimate
• Total$213.6 billion (42nd)
• Per capita$46,300 (3rd)
GDP (nominal)2006 estimate
• Total$335.3 billion (25th)
• Per capita$72305.6 (2nd)
Gini (2000)25.8
low inequality (6th)
HDI (2004)Increase 0.965
Error: Invalid HDI value (1st)
CurrencyNorwegian krone (NOK)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code47
ISO 3166 codeNO
Internet TLD.no.sj and .bv
  1. The official national language is Norwegian bokmål and nynorsk. Sami is used additionally in the municipal administration in six municipalities and Finnish in one other.
  2. Includes Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
  3. This percentage is for the mainland and also includes glaciers 
  4. Statistics Norway estimation (September 5, 2006) using variant MMMM from Table 10. See also
  5. Two more TLDs have been assigned, but to date not used: .sj for Svalbard and Jan Mayen; .bv for Bouvet Island.

Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway (Template:Lang-no), is a country in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered by Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Norway has a very elongated shape; the country's extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean is home to its famous fjords.

The Kingdom of Norway also includes the Arctic island territories of Svalbard and Jan Mayen. Norwegian sovereignty of Svalbard is based upon the Svalbard Treaty, but this does not apply to Jan Mayen. Bouvet Island in the South Atlantic Ocean and a claim for Peter I Island in the South Pacific Ocean are also external dependencies, but these are not part of the Kingdom. Norway also claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica, where it has established the Troll permanent research station.

Since World War II, Norway has changed from being one of the poorest countries in Europe, to be one of the wealthiest in the world, with a fully developed welfare system. This economic progress is caused mainly by strategic investment from the country's vast oil and gas reserves alongside the coast. Norway has ranked top among all countries in human development since 2001. It also rated the most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 servey by Global Peace Index.

History

Main article: History of Norway
Rock carvings at Alta

Archaeological finds indicate that there were people in Norway as early as the 10th millennium BC (12,000 years ago). Archaeological research shows that they came from either southern regions (northern Germany), or from the north-east (northern Finland or Russia). From there they settled along the coastline.

In the 9th century it seems that Norway consisted of a number of petty kingdoms. According to tradition, Harald Fairhair gathered the small kingdoms into one in 872AD with the Battle of Hafrsfjord. He became the first king of a united Norway.

The Viking age (8th to 11th centuries) was one of unification and expansion. Norwegians established settlements on Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and parts of Britain and Ireland, and attempted to settle at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada (the "Vinland" of the Saga of Eric the Red). Norwegians founded the modern-day Irish cities of Limerick, Dublin, and Waterford and established trading communities near the Celtic settlements of Cork and Dublin which later became Ireland's two most important cities. The spread of Christianity in Norway in this period is in large part attributed to the missionary kings Olav Trygvason (995–1000) and St. Olav (1015–1028), although Haakon the Good was Norway's first Christian king. Norse traditions were slowly replaced during the 9th and 10th centuries.

In 1349, the Black Death killed between 40% and 50% of the Norwegian population, causing a decline in both society and economics. During this decline, it is probable that the Fairhair dynasty died out in 1387. Ostensibly, royal politics at the time resulted in several personal unions between the Nordic countries, eventually bringing the thrones of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden under the control of Queen Margrethe when the country entered into the Kalmar Union with Denmark and Sweden. Suddenly, Sweden declared its independence in 1523, but Norway remained under the Oldenburg dynasty for 434 years until 1814. During the national romanticism of the 19th century, this period was by some referred to as the "400-Year Night", since all of the kingdom's royal, intellectual, and administrative power was centred in Copenhagen, Denmark. However, it must be said that the common people of Norway had more freedom and paid lower taxes than the Danish people because it was difficult for royal bureaucracy to have strict control over its distant Norwegian provinces. Other factors also contributed to Norway's decline in this period. With the introduction of Protestantism in 1537, the archbishopric in Trondheim was dissolved, and the church's incomes were distributed to the court in Copenhagen in Denmark instead. Norway lost the steady stream of pilgrims to the relics of St. Olav at the Nidaros shrine, and with them, much of the contact with cultural and economic life in the rest of Europe. Additionally, Norway saw its land area decrease in the 17th century with the loss of the provinces Båhuslen, Jemtland, and Herjedalen to Sweden, as a result of the wars between Denmark–Norway and Sweden.

The 1814 constitutional assembly, painted by Oscar Wergeland.

After Denmark–Norway was attacked by Great Britain, it entered into an alliance with Napoleon, and in 1814 found itself on the losing side in the Napoleonic Wars and in dire conditions and mass starvation in 1812. The Dano-Norwegian Oldenburg king was forced to cede Norway to the king of Sweden, while the old Norwegian provinces of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands remained with the Danish crown. Norway took this opportunity to declare independence, adopted a constitution based on American and French models, and elected the Danish crown prince Christian Fredrik as king on May 17, 1814. However, Sweden militarily forced Norway into a personal union with Sweden, establishing the Bernadotte dynasty as rulers of Norway. Under this arrangement, Norway kept its liberal constitution and independent institutions, except for the foreign service. See also Norway in 1814.

This period also saw the rise of the Norwegian romantic nationalism cultural movement, as Norwegians sought to define and express a distinct national character. The movement covered all branches of culture, including literature (Henrik Wergeland, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Moe, Henrik Ibsen), painting (Hans Gude, Adolph Tiedemand), music (Edvard Grieg), and even language policy, where attempts to define a native written language for Norway led to today's two official written forms for Norwegian: Bokmål and Nynorsk.

Christian Michelsen, a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman, was Prime Minister of Norway from 1905 to 1907. Michelsen is most known for his central role in the peaceful separation of Norway from Sweden on June 7, 1905. Norway's growing dissatisfaction with the union with Sweden during the late 19th century combined with nationalism to prompt the dissolution of the union. After a national referendum confirmed the people's preference for a monarchy over a republic, the Norwegian government offered the throne of Norway to the Danish Prince Carl and Parliament unanimously elected him king. He took the name of Haakon VII, after the medieval kings of independent Norway. In 1898, all men were granted universal suffrage, followed by all women in 1913.

During World War I, Norway was a neutral country. Norway also attempted to claim neutrality during World War II, but was invaded by German forces on April 9, 1940. The Allies also had plans to invade Norway, in order to take advantage of her strategically important Atlantic coast, but were thwarted by the German operation. Norway was unprepared for the German surprise attack, but military resistance continued for two months, longer than any country invaded by the Germans, save the Soviet Union. During the Norwegian Campaign, the Kriegsmarine lost many ships including the brand new cruiser Blücher. The battles of Vinjesvingen and Hegra eventually became the last strongholds of Norwegian resistance in southern Norway in May, while the armed forces in the north launched an offensive against the German forces in the Battles of Narvik, until they were forced to surrender on June 10 after losing allied help following the fall of France. King Haakon and the Norwegian government continued the fight from exile in Rotherhithe, London. On the day of the invasion, the collaborative leader of the small National-Socialist party Nasjonal Samling — Vidkun Quisling — tried to seize power, but was forced by the German occupiers to step aside. Real power was wielded by the leader of the German occupation authority, Reichskommissar Josef Terboven. Quisling, as minister president, later formed a collaborationist government under German control. During the five years of Nazi occupation, Norwegians built a strong resistance movement which fought the German occupation forces with both armed resistance and civil disobedience. More important to the Allied war effort, however, was the role of the Norwegian merchant navy. At the time of the invasion, Norway had the fourth largest (as well as fastest and most effective) merchant navy in the world.page 93 It was led by the Norwegian shipping company Nortraship under the Allies throughout the war and took part in every war operation from the evacuation of Dunkirk to the Normandy landings.

Following the war, the Social Democrats came to power and ruled the country for much of the cold war. Norway joined NATO in 1949, and became a close ally of the United States. Two plebiscites to join the European Union failed by narrow margins in 1972 and 1994. Large reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the 1960s, which lead to a continuing boom in the economy.

Geography, climate and environment

Main article: Geography of Norway
Satellite image of continental Norway in winter

Norway comprises the western part of Scandinavia in Northern Europe. The rugged coastline, broken by massive fjords and thousands of islands, stretches over 2,500 km. Norway shares a 2,542 km land border with Sweden, Finland, and Russia to the east. To the west and south, Norway is bordered by the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea, and Skagerak. The Barents Sea washes on Norway's northern coasts.

At 385,155 km² (including Jan Mayen, Svalbard), Norway is approximately the size of Germany, but much of the country is dominated by mountainous or high terrain, with a great variety of natural features caused by prehistoric glaciers and varied topography. The most noticeable of these are the fjords, deep grooves cut into the land flooded by the sea following the end of the Ice Age; the longest is Sognefjorden. Norway also contains many glaciers and waterfalls.

Typical Western Norwegian landscape with village (Geiranger)

The land is mostly made of hard granite and gneiss rock, but slate, sandstone and limestone are also common, and the lowest elevations have marine deposits. Due to the Gulf Stream and prevailing westerlies, Norway experiences warmer temperatures and more precipitation than expected at such northern latitudes, especially along the coast. The mainland experiences four distinct seasons, with colder winters and less precipitation inland. The northernmost part has a mostly maritime Subarctic climate, while Svalbard has an Arctic tundra climate.

There are large seasonal variations in daylight. In areas north of the Arctic Circle, the summer sun may never completely descend beneath the horizon, hence Norway's description as the "Land of the Midnight Sun." During summer, inhabitants south of the Arctic Circle still experience sunlight nearly 20 of the day's 24 hours.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Norway

Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government.

The Royal House is a branch of the princely family of Glücksburg, originally from Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. As it stands, the functions of the King, Harald V, are mainly ceremonial, but he has influence as the symbol of national unity. Although the constitution of 1814 grants important executive powers to the King, these are always exercised by the Council of State in the name of the King (King's Council, or cabinet). The reserve powers vested in the Monarch by the constitution are in reality symbolic, but has on a few occasions been important like World War II, when the Monarch said he would step down if the government should accept the German demand. The Council of State consists of a Prime Minister and other ministers, formally appointed by the King. Parliamentarism has evolved since 1884 and entails that the cabinet must not have the parliament against it, and that the appointment by the King is a formality when there is a clear majority in Parliament for a party or a coalition of parties. But after elections resulting in no clear majority to any party or coalition, the leader of the party most likely to be able to form a government is appointed Prime Minister by the King. Norway has often been ruled by minority governments. The King has government meetings every Friday at Oslo Palace (Council of State), but the government decisions are decided in advance in government conferences, headed by the Prime Minister, every Tuesday and Thursday. The King opens the Parliament every September, he receives ambassadors to the Norwegian court, and he is the symbolically Supreme Commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Head of the Church of Norway.

Stortinget, Oslo.

The Norwegian parliament, Stortinget, currently has 169 members (increased from 165, effective from the elections of 12 September, 2005). The members are elected from the nineteen counties for four-year terms according to a system of proportional representation. When voting on legislation, the Storting – until the 2009 election – divides itself into two chambers, the Odelsting and the Lagting. Laws are in most cases proposed by the government through a Member of the Council of State, or in some cases by a member of the Odelsting in case of repeated disagreement in the joint Storting. Nowadays, however, the Lagting rarely disagrees, effectively rubber-stamping the Odelsting's decisions. A constitutional amendment of February 20, 2007 will repeal the division after the 2009 general election.

Impeachment cases are very rare (the last being in 1927, when Prime Minister Abraham Berge was acquitted) and may be brought against Members of the Council of State, of the Supreme Court (Høyesterett), or of the Storting for criminal offenses which they may have committed in their official capacity.

Prior to an amendment to the Norwegian Constitution on February 20, 2007 indictments were raised by the Odelsting and judged by the Lagting and the Supreme Court justices as part of the High Court of the Realm. In the new system impeachment cases will be heard by the five highest ranking Supreme Court justices and six lay members in one of the Supreme Court courtrooms (previously cases were heard in the Lagting chamber). Storting representatives may not perform as lay judges. Indictments will be raised by the Storting in a plenary session.

The Storting otherwise functions as a unicameral parliament and after the 2009 general election the division into Odelsting and Lagting for passing legislation will be abolished. Legislation will then have to go through two – three in case of dissent – readings before being passed and sent to the King for assent.

The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court (eighteen permanent judges and a chief justice), courts of appeal, city and district courts, and conciliation councils. Judges attached to regular courts are appointed by the King in council.

In order to form a government, more than half the membership of the Council of State is required to belong to the Church of Norway. Currently, this means at least ten out of nineteen members.

In December each year, Norway gives a Christmas tree to the United Kingdom, in thanks for the UK's assistance during World War II. A ceremony takes place to erect the tree in Trafalgar Square.

Foreign relations

This section needs expansion. You can help by making an edit requestadding to it .
Further information: Foreign relations of Norway

Counties and municipalities

Main articles: Counties of Norway and Municipalities of Norway Further information: Regions of Norway and Subdivisions of Norway
A geopolitical map of Norway, exhibiting its nineteen first-level administrative divisions (fylker; "counties")

Norway is divided into nineteen first-level administrative regions known as fylker ("counties"; singular fylke) and 431 second-level kommuner ("municipalities"; singular kommune). The fylke is the intermediate administration between state and municipality. The King is represented in every county by a "Fylkesmann".

There is ongoing debate as to whether the nineteen fylker should be replaced with five to nine larger regions. Some expect this to happen by 2010, whereas others expect the intermediate administration to disappear entirely. Another option would probably require consolidating the municipalities into larger entities and delegating greater responsibility to them.

The counties of Norway are:

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Economy

Main article: Economy of Norway

Norway possesses the second highest GDP per-capita and third highest PPP per-capita in the world, and has maintained 1st place in the world in the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI) for the fifth consecutive year (2006). Cost of living is about 30% higher in Norway than in the US, and 25% higher than the UK.

The Norwegian economy is an example of mixed economy, featuring a combination of free market activity and large government ownership. The government controls key areas, such as the strategic petroleum sector (Statoil, Hydro, hydroelectric energy production Statkraft), and the largest Norwegian bank (DnBNOR) and telecommunication provider (Telenor). The government controls 31.6% of publicly listed companies. When non-listed companies are included the state has even higher share in ownership (mainly from direct oil license ownership).

The control mechanisms over petroleum resources are a combination of state ownership in major operators in the Norwegian fields (Statoil approx. 70% in 2005, Norsk Hydro 43% in 2004) and the fully state owned Petoro (market value of about twice Statoil) and SDFI. Finally the government controls licensing of exploration and production of fields.

The country is richly endowed with natural resources: petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals. Norway has obtained one of the highest standards of living in the world, partly from petroleum production and the substantial income related to this sector. Norway also has a very low unemployment rate, currently below 2% (June 2007). The hourly productivity levels, as well as average hourly wages in Norway are among the highest in the world. The egalitarian values of the Norwegian society ensures that the wage difference between the lowest paid worker and the CEO of most companies is much smaller than in comparable western economies.

In 2006, oil and gas accounted for 58% of exports. Only Russia and OPEC member Saudi Arabia export more oil than Norway, which is not an OPEC member. To reduce over-heating from oil-money, the uncertainty from the oil income volatility, and save money for an aging population, the Norwegian state started in 1995 to save petroleum income (taxes, dividends, licensing, sales) in a Sovereign wealth fund ("Government Pension Fund - Global"). This also reduces the boom and bust cycle associated with raw material production and the marginalization of non-oil industry (see also Dutch Disease).

Because of its size the fund is invested in developed financial markets outside Norway. The budgetary rule ("Handlingsregelen") is to spend no more than 4% of the fund each year (assumed to be the normal yield from the fund ). By January 2006, the Fund was at USD 200 billion, representing 70% of GDP in Norway. During the first half of 2007, the pension fund became the largest fund in Europe, totaling about USD 300 billion. Already (April 2007), Norway has the largest capital reserve per capita of any nation. Projections indicate that the Norwegian pension fund is set to become the largest capital fund in the world. Conservative estimates tell that the fund may reach USD 800-900 billion by 2017. Other natural resource-based economies (examples: Russia and Chile) are trying to learn from Norway by establishing similar funds.

The future size of the fund is of course closely linked to the oil price and the developments in international financial markets in which the fund is invested.

Referendums in 1972 and 1994 indicated that the Norwegian people wished to remain outside the European Union (EU). However, Norway, together with Iceland and Liechtenstein, participates in the European Union's single market via the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. The EEA Treaty between the European Union countries and the EFTA countries – transposed into Norwegian law via "EØS-loven" – describes the procedures for implementing European Union rules in Norway and the other EFTA countries. This makes Norway a highly integrated member of most sectors of the EU internal market. However, some sectors, such as agriculture, oil and fish, are not wholly covered by the EEA Treaty. Norway has also acceded to the Schengen Agreement and several other intergovernmental agreements between the EU member states.

In 2000, the government sold one-third of the then 100% state-owned oil company Statoil in an IPO. The next year, the main telecom supplier, Telenor, was listed on Oslo Stock Exchange. The state also owns significant shares of Norway's biggest bank, DnB NOR and the airline SAS. Since 2000, economic growth has been rapid, pushing unemployment down to levels not seen since the early 1980s.

The Norwegian currency is the krone.

Demography

Main article: Demography of Norway
Borgund stave church

As of 2005, Norway's population of 4.6 million is growing by 0.363% per year. Most Norwegians are ethnic Norwegians, a Nordic/North Germanic people, while small minorities in the north are Sami and Kven. The Sami are considered an indigenous people and traditionally live in the central and northern parts of Norway and Sweden, as well as in northern Finland and in Russia on the Kola Peninsula. The largest concentration of Sami people is, however, found in Norway's capital and main city, Oslo. Norway also has a small Finnish community originally from Finland, like the Sami the Finns speak a native Finno-Ugric language in addition to Norwegian, which in the northern part of Norway are called Kven. Other groups defined as national minorities of Norway are Jews, Forest Finns, Roma/Gypsies and Romani people/Travellers.

In recent years, immigration has accounted for more than half of Norway's population growth. In 2006, Statistics Norway (SSB) found that record 45,800 immigrants arrived in the country — 30% higher than 2005. At the beginning of 2006, there were 387,000 persons in Norway with an immigrant background (i.e. immigrants, or born of immigrant parents), comprising 8.3 per cent of the total population. The largest immigrant groups by country of origin, in order of size, are Pakistanis, Swedes, Iraqis, Danes, Vietnamese and Somalis. The Iraqi immigrant population has shown a large increase in recent years, and now ranks as the third-largest immigrant group.

There were 285,000 non-Western legal immigrants in Norway as of January 2006, most common country of origin is Pakistan, followed by Iraq, Vietnam and Somalia. Ekhaugen’s study shows that 50% of the non-western immigrants who settled in Norway in the period from 1966 to 1975 were welfare dependent 25 years later. Oslo has by far the largest non-western immigrant population of about 99,000, or 18% of the population. The largest increase in 2005 was of immigrants from Poland, Iraq, and Russia.

Religion

In common with other Scandinavian peoples, Norway's ancestral inhabitants – the indigenous Norse – followed a form of native Germanic paganism known as Norse paganism. By the end of the tenth century, when Norway had been Christianized, the indigenous Norse religion and practices were prohibited. Anti-heathenry laws, however, were removed early in the twentieth century. Many remnants of the native religion and beliefs of Norway exist today, including referential names of cities and locations, to the days of the week, to the everyday language. For example, the word for performing magic is 'å trylle', which comes from 'å trolle', which in turn litterally means 'to troll', and the Norwegian word for magician is 'trollmann', or 'troll man'. The word for thunder is 'torden', or 'Thor's roar'.

Nearly 83% of Norwegians are members of the state Church of Norway. Many remain in the state church to be able to use services such as baptism, confirmation, marriage and burial, rites which have strong cultural standing in Norway.

Other Christian denominations total about 4.5% of the population. These include the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Pentecostal congregations, the Methodist Church, Adventists and others. Among non-Christian religions, Islam is the largest, representing about 1.5% of the population; it is practiced mainly by the Arab, Albanian, Pakistani, Somalian and Turkish communities. Other religions comprise less than 1% each, including Judaism (see Jews in Norway), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jehovah's Witnesses). Indian immigrants introduced Hinduism to Norway, but account for only 0.50% of the population. There are eleven Buddhist organizations, grouped under the Buddhistforbundet organisation, which make up 0.42% of the population. Around 1.5% of Norwegians adhere to the secular Norwegian Humanist Association. About 5% of the population is unaffiliated.

In 2005, a survey conducted by Gallup International in sixty-five countries indicated that Norway was the least religious country in Western Europe, with 36% counting themselves as being religious, 9% as being atheists, and 46% neither.;

Languages

Main article: Languages of Norway See also: Sami languages

The Norwegian language has two official written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk. They have officially equal status, i.e. they are both used in public administration, in schools, churches, radio and television, but Bokmål is used by the vast majority, about 85-90%. Around 95% of the population speak Norwegian as their native tongue, although many speak dialects that may differ significantly from the written language. In general Norwegian dialects are inter-intelligible, though some may require significant effort. Several Sami languages are spoken and written throughout the country, especially in the north, by the Sami people. The state recognises these languages as official, and speakers have a right to receive communications from government in various Sami languages The Kven minority speak Kven, a variety of Finnish. The Germanic Norwegian language and the Finno-Ugric Sami and Kven languages are entirely unrelated.

The main foreign languages (primærfremmedspråk) taught in Norway are English, German and French. People may contact the authorities or take their exams in any of the three main foreign languages as well as in the two other Scandinavian languages (Danish and Swedish).

Any Norwegian student who is a child of immigrant parents is encouraged to learn the Norwegian language. The Norwegian government offers language instructional courses for immigrants wishing to obtain Norwegian citizenship.

Norwegian is highly similar to the other Scandinavian languages, Swedish and Danish. All three languages are intelligible and all the languages can be used to communicate with each other.

Individual human rights

Scouts holding Norwegian flags lead a parade on the 17 May, Norway's Constitution Day

Norway is the current top-ranked nation in the UN Human Development Index, an index made up by literacy rate, education level and per capita income.

Freedom of expression is enshrined in Article 100 of the Constitution of Norway. Freedom of religion is enshrined in Article 2 of the Constitution, which also establishes the state religion as "Evangelical Lutheran". The press is not censored. Editors adhere to self-imposed commandments of caution, in order to protect people's privacy and other civic rights ("Vær Varsom-plakaten").

Public radio and TV broadcast mostly without interference from the government, although permission to broadcast depends on the programme spectrum. Broadcast advertisement is regulated, with particular restrictions on paid political messages and advertising directed at children.

The constitution forbids retroactive laws, punishment not based on laws and court decisions, and the use of torture. Capital punishment for high crime during wartime was abolished in 1979.

In 1999, the Human Rights conventions of the United Nations and the Council of Europe were constituted as law in Norway (menneskerettsloven) and given superiority to all laws after the constitution. However, Norwegian lawyers have joined the Council of Europe's Committee Against Torture to express their concern about the long-term detention of criminal defendants and the use of solitary confinement in Norway, deeming it to be torture. The use of leg-irons and handcuffs on a group of robbers who, armed with G3s, shot and killed a police officer in 2004, was deemed illegal by Norwegian courts. Long processing times for asylum seekers and the treatment of those arriving without identity papers has also been under discussion.

In 2005, the international conventions against discrimination of women and race discrimination were incorporated into (but not made superior to) Norwegian law. Amnesty International has recently focused on violence against women in Norway and a shortage of public services to victims of violence.

Norway has compulsory military service for men. Conscripts are drafted at age 18 for initial service (førstegangstjeneste) of between six to twelve months (Service may begin at age 17 with parental consent). After completion of the initial service period, personnel are transferred to reserve units, which may be called up for periodic training (repetisjonstjeneste) until age 44. Conscientious objectors serve twelve months in an alternative civilian national service. If a candidate refuses to attend the assessment of fitness (sesjon), where any objections to future military service are to be stated, they are liable to prosecution. A person who is deemed fit for service and who is not a conscientious objector, but still refuses military service is also liable to prosecution. Changes to the structure of the armed forces has resulted in a lower demand for conscripts, and the number of males needing to serve is decreasing.

Homosexuality was officially decriminalized in 1972 and homosexual partnerships legalized in 1993. According to Statistics Norway (SSB), 192 homosexual partnerships were recorded in 2004. Since 2002, it has become possible for homosexual partners to adopt each other's children from previous relationships, although joint adoption is not allowed as of 2007.

International rankings

Organization Survey Ranking
International Monetary Fund GDP per capita 2nd out of 232 (2006)
United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index 1st out of 177 (2001-2006)
A.T. Kearney / Foreign Policy Globalization Index 2005 14th out of 111
Heritage Foundation / Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom 2006 30th out of 155
Reporters Without Borders Worldwide press freedom index 6th out of 168 (1st 2002-2005)
Save the Children State of the World's Mothers 2004  (Children) 1st out of 119
Save the Children State of the World's Mothers 2004  (Women) 6th out of 119
Save the Children State of the World's Mothers 2004  (Mothers) 6th out of 119
UNICEF Child Well-being league table 7th out of 21 industrial countries
Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2004 8th out of 145
World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006 9th out of 117
Nationmaster Labour Strikes 5th out of 27
The Economist Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005 3rd out of 111
Yale University/Columbia University Environmental Sustainability Index, 2005 (pdf) 2nd out of 146
The Fund for Peace Failed States Index, 2007 177th out of 177 (177th being the best rating)
The Economist Global Peace Index 1st out of 121


Literature

Main article: Norwegian literature

The history of Norwegian literature starts with the pagan Eddaic poems and skaldic verse of the 9th and 10th centuries with poets such as Bragi Boddason and Eyvindr Skáldaspillir. The arrival of Christianity around the year 1000 brought Norway into contact with European medieval learning, hagiography and history writing. Merged with native oral tradition and Icelandic influence this was to flower into an active period of literature production in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Major works of that period include Historia Norwegie, Thidreks saga and Konungs skuggsjá.

Little Norwegian literature came out of the period of the Scandinavian Union and the subsequent Dano-Norwegian union (1387—1814), with some notable exceptions such as Petter Dass and Ludvig Holberg. In his play Peer Gynt, Ibsen characterized this period as "Twice two hundred years of darkness/brooded o'er the race of monkeys", although the latter line is not as frequently quoted as the former. During the union with Denmark, written Norwegian was replaced by Danish.

Two major events precipitated a major resurgence in Norwegian literature. In 1811 a Norwegian university was established in Christiania Seized by the spirit of revolution following the American and French Revolutions, the Norwegians signed their first constitution in 1814. Soon, the cultural backwater that was Norway brought forth a series of strong authors recognized first in Scandinavia, and then worldwide; among them were Henrik Wergeland, Peter Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Moe and Camilla Collett.

By the late 19th century, in the Golden Age of Norwegian literature, the so-called Great Four emerged: Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Alexander Kielland, and Jonas Lie. Bjørnson's "peasant novels", such as "En glad gutt" (A Happy Boy) and "Synnøve Solbakken" are typical of the national romanticism of their day, whereas Kielland's novels and short stories are mostly realistic. Although an important contributor to early Norwegian romanticism (especially the ironic Peer Gynt), Henrik Ibsen's fame rests primarily on his pioneering realistic dramas such The Wild Duck and A Doll's House, many of which caused moral uproar because of their candid portrayals of the middle classes.

In the twentieth century three Norwegian novelists were awarded the Nobel prize in literature: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1903, Knut Hamsun for the book "Markens grøde" ("Growth of the Soil") in 1920, and Sigrid Undset in 1928. In the 20th century writers like Dag Solstad, Jostein Gaarder, Jens Bjørneboe, Kjartan Fløgstad, Lars Saabye Christensen, Johan Borgen, Herbjørg Wassmo, Jan Erik Vold, Rolf Jacobsen, Olaf Bull, Jan Kjærstad, Georg Johannesen, Tarjei Vesaas, Sigurd Hoel, Arnulf Øverland and Johan Falkberget have made important contributions to Norwegian literature.

See also: List of Norwegian writers

National flower

Norway has two national flowers.

At an international congress for botanists held in Amsterdam in 1935, Saxifraga cotyledon was elected national flower of Norway. Later, in 1976, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation held an referendum on one of their programs which elected Calluna vulgaris, commonly known as heather, as national flower.

Both plants are accepted as national flowers.

See also

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Lists

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References

  1. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/no.html
  2. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/no.html
  3. "World Economic Outlook Database, GDP (PPP)"
  4. "World Economic Outlook Database, GDP (nominal per capita)"
  5. http://en.wikipedia.org/Human_Development_Index
  6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/6704767.stm
  7. RF Foster: "The Oxford History of Ireland", Oxford University Press, 1989
  8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2197762&dopt=Abstract The Black Death in Norway
  9. http://www.lovdata.no/all/nl-19921127-109.html
  10. Immigrants on Welfare: Assimilation and Benefit Substitution
  11. http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/innvbef_en/
  12. More members in religious and philosophical communities
  13. Article from Klassekampen on a survey on religion.
  14. http://www.amnesty.no/web.nsf/pages/3E4F597A47A70816C1256A6900444132
  15. http://www.lovdata.no/all/nl-19990521-030.html
  16. http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikker/article1274357.ece
  17. http://www.amnesty.no/web.nsf/pages/71EA018C83278F58C125711D003A4239

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