Country information

Area: 175,500 sq miles (450,000 sq km). Nearly 2.5 times the size of the UK
Population: 9 196 227 (March 08)
Capital City: Stockholm (795,163) (Greater Stockholm area 1,949,516); other cities - Gothenburg (493,502 ), Malmö (280,801 ) (Dec 07).
People: 90% Swedes, 3% Finns, 0.15% Sami (indigenous Lapp inhabitants)
Language: Swedish, but English is widely spoken.
Religions: Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist
Currency: Swedish Krona (SEK)
Major political parties: Social Democrats (130 seats in Parliament / Riksdag), Moderate Party (97), Centre Party (29), Liberal party (28), Christian Democrats (24), Left Party (22), Green Party (19).

Government: The present Government was announced in the Swedish Parliament on 6 October 2006 by Fredrik Reinfeldt of the Moderate Party. Mr Reinfeldt leads the majority government of the Alliance, including the Moderate, Liberal, Centre and Christian Democrat Parties.
Head of State: King Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime Minister/Premier: Fredrik Reinfeldt
Foreign Minister: Carl Bildt
Membership of international groups/organisations: Sweden is an active member of most of the main international organisations. One notable exception is NATO.

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