SWEDEN
Kingdom of Sweden
Konungariket Sverige
CAPITAL : Stockholm
FLAG : The national flag, dating from 1569 and employing a blue and gold motif used as early as the mid-14th century, consists of a gold cross with extended right horizontal on a blue field.
ANTHEM : Du gamla, du fria, du fjallhöga nord (O Glorious Old Mountain-Crowned Land of the North).
MONETARY UNIT : The krona (K R ) is a paper currency of 100 öre. There are coins of 50 öre and 1, 2, 5, and 10 kronor, and notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 kronor. K R 1 = $0.1201 (or $1 = K R 8.33) as of May 2003.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES : The metric system is the legal standard, but some old local measures are still in use, notably the Swedish mile (10 kilometers).
HOLIDAYS : New Year's Day, 1 January; Epiphany, 6 January; Labor Day, 1 May; Midsummer Day, Saturday nearest 24 June; All Saints' Day, 5 November; Christmas, 25–26 December. Movable religious holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension, and Whitmonday.
TIME : 1 PM = noon GMT.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Vegetation ranges from Alpine-Arctic types in the north and upland areas to coniferous forests in the central regions and deciduous trees in the south. Black cock, woodcock, duck, partridge, swan, and many other varieties of birds are abundant. Fish and insects are plentiful.
ETHNIC GROUPS
The Swedes are primarily Scandinavians of Germanic origin. There is also a small the Lapp (Sami) population. The remaining 12% of the population is comprised of foreign-born or first-generation immigrants, including Finns in the north, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, and Turks.
LANGUAGES
Swedish is a national language. In addition to the letters of the English language, it has å , ä , and ö . Swedish is closely related to Norwegian and Danish. Many Swedes speak English and German, and many more understand these languages. The Lapps speak their own language. There is also a spread of Finnish-speaking people from across the frontier.
DEPENDENCIES
Sweden has no territories or colonies.
