Population 8,858,000 (1996 official estimate) Population Density 20 people/sq km (51 people/sq mi) (1996 estimate) Urban/Rural Breakdown 83%Urban 17%Rural Largest Cities Stockholm711,119 Göteborg449,189 Malmö245,699 (1996 estimates) Ethnic Groups 89%Swedish 11%Other including Finns, Sami (Lapps), Danes, Norwegians, Turks, Iranians Languages Official Language Swedish Other Languages Finnish, Sami (Lappish), and other languages Religions 87%Swedish Evangelical Lutheranism 13%Other including other Protestant denominations, Roman Catholicism
Sweden Introduction
07-07-04
Sweden, officially Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden), constitutional monarchy in northern Europe, occupying the eastern portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered on the north and west by Norway, on the north-east by Finland, on the east by the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea, and on the south-west by further bodies of water: the Öresund (Øresund), the Kattegatt, and the Skagerrak. Sweden includes the islands of Gotland and Öland in the Baltic Sea. It is the fourth-largest country in Europe. The total area of Sweden is 449,964 sq km (173,732 sq mi). Stockholm is the country's capital and largest city.
