U.S. Department of State

As of May 2012, Background Notes are no longer being updated or produced. They are in the process of being replaced by Fact Sheets that focus on U.S. relations with each country.

PROFILE

Geography
Area: 450,295 sq. km. (173,731 sq. mi.)--slightly larger than California.
Cities: Capital--Stockholm (city population: 1,372,565). Other cities--Goteborg (city population: 549,839), Malmo (city population: 280,415).
Terrain: Generally flat or rolling. Three of the principal rivers, the Ume, the Torne, and the Angerman, flow into the Gulf of Bothnia. The highest areas are found in the Kjolen mountain range along the border with Norway, where peaks rise to over 1,500 m; the highest point is at the northern tip of this range, at Kebnekaise, which reaches 2,111 m (6,926 ft.). South of the mountains is the lakeland area, where the Vanern, the largest lake in Western Europe--over twice the size of Luxembourg--is situated. South of the lakes is the infertile Smaland plateau, surrounded by the lowland plains that border the sea. The mountainous regions and some northern parts of Sweden are covered in snow for much of the year, and only 8% of the country is given over to agriculture.
Climate: Temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; sub-arctic in the north. The north of Sweden lies within the Arctic Circle, and continental influences also contribute to the cold climate. In northern areas, winters are usually long and cold. The south of Sweden benefits from maritime influences and the climate is milder. In the capital city of Stockholm, which lies on the south-east coast, daily average temperatures only fall to −3.1°C (27°F) in February, the coldest month, and are 17.8°C (64°F) in July. The mean annual rainfall in Stockholm is 22 in., with the largest amount of rain falling between July and September.

People
Nationality: Noun--Swedes; adjective--Swedish.
Population (November 2011 est.): 9,480,205.
Annual population growth rate (2011): 0.163%.
Ethnic groups: Indigenous Swedes, ethnic Finns, and ethnic Sami.
Primary immigrants (2010 est.): 14.1% of all people living in Sweden are born abroad. In 2011 95,000 people immigrated to Sweden. The immigrant groups are Finns, Iraqis, ex-Yugoslavia nationals, Somalis, Iranians, Norwegians, Danes, Turks, and Poles.
Religions: Lutheran (official Church of Sweden) (75%), other Protestant groups (5%), Muslim (5%), Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Orthodox, Baptist, Jewish, Buddhist.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Literacy--99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2010 est.)--2.75/1,000. Life expectancy (2010 est.)--men 78.59 years, women 83.26 years.
Work force (2009 est.): 4.93 million. Agriculture--1.1%; industry--28.2%; services--70.7%. Unemployment (2011)--7.5%.

Government
Type: Constitutional monarchy.
Constitution: The Swedish Constitution is based on four fundamental laws: the Instrument of Government (originally dating from June 6, 1809), the Act of Succession (1810), the Freedom of the Press Act (1949), and the Riksdag Act. Following partial reforms in 1968 and 1969, a new Instrument of Government and a new Riksdag Act were adopted in 1973 and 1974, and the revised Constitution came into force on January 1, 1975, replacing the Acts of 1809, 1866, and 1949.
Branches: Executive--monarch (head of state); prime minister (head of government); Cabinet, responsible to Parliament. Legislative--unicameral Parliament (Riksdag--349 members). Judicial--84 district courts, 10 appeal courts and two superior courts.
Subdivisions: 21 counties, 18 county councils, 290 municipalities, and two regions.
Political parties represented in Parliament: the Moderate Party (conservative), the Liberal Party, the Center Party, the Christian Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Party, the Green Party, and the Sweden Democrats.
Suffrage: Universal, 18 years of age. After 3 years of legal residence, immigrants may vote in county council and municipal elections, but not in national elections.

Economy
GDP (2011 est., nominal): $458 billion.
GDP (2011 est., per capita purchasing power parity): $38,000.
Annual GDP growth rate (2011 estimate): 4.5%.
Exchange rate (February 2012): Swedish kronor (SEK) per U.S. dollar = 6.7.
Exchange rate (2011 avg.): Swedish kronor (SEK) per U.S. dollar = 6.75.
Inflation rate (January 2012 est.): 1.9%.
Natural resources: Forests, hydroelectric power, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber.
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing (2010): Approximately 1.7% of GDP. Products--dairy products, meat, grains (barley, wheat), sugar beets, potatoes, wood. Arable land--9 million acres.
Industry (2010): Approximately 26.1% of GDP. Types--machinery/metal products (iron and steel), electrical equipment, aircraft, paper products, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods.
Services (2010): Approximately 72.2% of GDP. Types--telecommunications, computer equipment, biotech.
Trade: Exports (2010)--SEK 728.2 billion (U.S. $102.9 billion). Types--machinery and transport equipment, 44.1%; chemical and rubber products, 13.4%; food, clothing, textiles, and furniture, 12%; wood and paper products, 11.7%; minerals, 10.7%; mineral fuels and electric current, 8.1%. Major trading partners, exports (2010)--Germany 10.1%, Norway 9.9%, U.K. 7.6%, U.S. 7.3%, Denmark 6.5%, Finland 6.2%, France 5.1%, Netherlands 4.7%, Belgium 3.9%, China 3.1%. Imports (2010)--SEK 687.6 billion (U.S. $97.2 billion). Types--machinery and transport equipment, 41.8%; food, clothing, textiles and furniture, 19.6%; mineral fuels and electric current, 13.5%; chemicals and rubber products, 12.8%; minerals, 9.2%; wood and paper products, 3.1%. Major trading partners, imports (2010)--Germany 18.3%, Norway 8.7%, Denmark 8.5%, Netherlands 6.4%, U.K. 5.7%, Finland 5.2%, Russia 4.9%, France 4.8%, Belgium 3.9%, China 3.9%.

PEOPLE
Sweden has one of the world's longest life expectancies and lowest birth rates. The country counts at least 20,000 indigenous Sami among its population. About one in every nine Swedes is an immigrant or has at least one foreign-born parent. The largest immigrant groups are from Finland, Iraq, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Iran, Turkey, Norway, Denmark, and Poland. This reflects Nordic immigration, earlier periods of labor immigration, and more recent refugee and family immigration.

Swedish is a Germanic language related to Danish and Norwegian but different in pronunciation and orthography. English is widely spoken, particularly by Swedes under the age of 50.

Sweden has an extensive child-care system that guarantees a place for all young children ages one through six in a public day-care facility. From ages seven to 16, children participate in compulsory education. After completing the ninth grade, 90% attend upper secondary school for either academic or technical education.

Swedes benefit from an extensive social welfare system, which provides childcare and maternity and paternity leave, a ceiling on health care costs, old-age pensions, and sick leave, among other benefits. Parents are entitled to a total of 480 days' paid leave at 80% of a government-determined salary cap between birth and the child's eighth birthday. The parents may split those days however they wish, but 60 of the days are reserved specifically for the father. The parents may also take an additional 5 months of unpaid leave.

HISTORY
During the seventh and eighth centuries, the Swedes were merchant seamen well known for their far-reaching trade. In the ninth century, Nordic Vikings raided and ravaged the European continent as far as the Black and Caspian Seas. During the 11th and 12th centuries, Sweden gradually became a unified Christian kingdom that later included Finland. Queen Margaret of Denmark united all the Nordic lands in the "Kalmar Union" in 1397. Continual tension within the countries and within the union gradually led to open conflict between the Swedes and the Danes in the 15th century. The union's final disintegration in the early 16th century brought on a long-lived rivalry between Norway and Denmark on one side and Sweden and Finland on the other.

In the 16th century, Gustav Vasa fought for an independent Sweden, crushing an attempt to restore the Kalmar Union and laying the foundation for modern Sweden. At the same time, he broke with the Catholic Church and established the Reformation. During the 17th century, after winning wars against Denmark, Russia, and Poland, Sweden-Finland (with scarcely more than 1 million inhabitants) emerged as a great power. Its contributions during the Thirty Years War under Gustav II Adolf (Gustavus Adolphus) determined the political as well as the religious balance of power in Europe. By 1658, Sweden ruled several provinces of Denmark as well as what is now Finland, Ingermanland (in which St. Petersburg is located), Estonia, Latvia, and important coastal towns and other areas of northern Germany.

Russia, Saxony-Poland and Denmark-Norway pooled their power in 1700 and attacked the Swedish-Finnish Empire. Although the young Swedish King Karl XII (also known as Charles XII) won spectacular victories in the early years of the Great Northern War, his plan to attack Moscow and force Russia into peace proved too ambitious; he fell in battle in 1718. In the subsequent peace treaties, the allied powers, joined by Prussia and England-Hanover, ended Sweden's reign as a great power.

Sweden suffered further territorial losses during the Napoleonic wars and was forced to cede Finland to Russia in 1809. The following year, the Swedish King's adopted heir, French Marshal Bernadotte, was elected Crown Prince as Karl Johan by the Riksdag (Parliament). In 1813, his forces joined the allies against Napoleon. The Congress of Vienna compensated Sweden for its lost German territory through a merger of the Swedish and Norwegian crowns in a dual monarchy. Sweden's last war was fought in 1814. A brief confrontation with Norway to restrain its demands for independence resulted in Norway entering into a union with Sweden, but with its own constitution and Parliament. The Sweden-Norway union was peacefully dissolved at Norway's request in 1905.

Sweden's predominantly agricultural economy shifted gradually from village to private, farm-based agriculture during the Industrial Revolution. This change failed to bring economic and social improvements commensurate with the rate of population growth; as a result about 1 million Swedes immigrated to the United States between 1850 and 1890.

In the 19th century liberal economic influences emerged, which ultimately led to the abolition of guild monopolies in favor of free enterprise. Other modernizing reforms included new taxation laws, voting reforms, and a national military service. This period of time also marked the birth of Sweden's three major political parties: the Social Democratic, Liberal and Conservative parties.

During and after World War I, in which Sweden remained neutral, the country benefited from the worldwide demand for Swedish steel, ball bearings, wood pulp, and matches. Postwar prosperity provided the foundations for the social welfare policies characteristic of modern Sweden. Foreign policy concerns in the 1930s centered on Soviet and German expansionism, which stimulated abortive efforts at Nordic defense cooperation. Sweden followed a policy of armed neutrality during World War II and currently remains nonaligned.

Sweden became a member of the European Union (EU) in 1995. In September 2003 Sweden held a referendum on entering the European Monetary Union. The Swedish people rejected participation, with 56% voting against and 42% for. No new referendum is currently planned.

GOVERNMENT
Sweden's government is a limited constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. The head of state is the monarch, whose authority is symbolic and representational. King Carl XVI Gustaf (Bernadotte) ascended to the throne on September 15, 1973. Sweden has three levels of government: national, regional, and local. Parliamentary, municipal, and county council elections are held every 4 years. In addition, there is a European level, which has acquired increasing importance following Sweden's entry into the EU and the EU’s adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

Popular government in Sweden rests upon ancient tradition. The Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) stems from tribal courts (Ting) and the election of kings during the Viking era. It became a permanent institution in the 15th century. The 349-member unicameral Riksdag has legislative powers, and is in session generally from September through mid-June. Speaker of Parliament is the country's highest-ranking elective office.

Executive authority is vested in the Cabinet, which consists of a prime minister (head of government) and 22 ministers who run the governmental departments. Proposals for new laws are presented by the government, which also implements decisions made by the Riksdag. The government is assisted in its work by the Government Offices, comprising a number of ministries, and some 300 central government agencies and public administrations. The current "Alliance" government, led by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, came to power in September 2006 and was re-elected in September 2010.

Sweden is divided into 21 counties (lan), 18 county councils (landsting), 290 municipalities (kommuner), and two semi-independent regions. Each county is headed by a governor, who is appointed by the central government. The counties coordinate administration with national political goals for the county. The county council (landsting) is a regional government that is popularly elected with particular responsibility for health and medical care. The municipalities are local governments that deal with issues such as education, public transportation and social welfare. Elected municipal councils are headed by executive committees roughly analogous to the boards of commissioners found in some U.S. cities.

Swedish law draws upon Germanic and Roman traditions. It is neither as codified as French law nor as dependent on judicial precedent as U.S. law. Legislative and judicial institutions include, in addition to the Riksdag, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court, the Labor Court, the Law Council, District Courts and Courts of Appeal, and the Public Prosecutor's Office. The parliamentary ombudsmen and the Chancellor of Justice oversee the application of laws with particular attention to abuses of authority.

Principal Government Officials
Head of State--King Carl XVI Gustaf
Speaker of Parliament--Per Westerberg
Prime Minister (Head of Government)--Fredrik Reinfeldt
Minister for Finance--Anders Borg
Minister for the Environment--Lena Ek
Minister for Justice--Beatrice Ask
Minister for Foreign Affairs--Carl Bildt
Minister for EU Affairs--Birgitta Ohlsson
Minister for Social Security--Ulf Kristersson
Minister for International Development Cooperation--Gunilla Carlsson
Minister for Health and Social Affairs--Goran Hagglund
Minister for Energy and Information Technology--Anna-Karin Hatt
Minister for Culture and Sports--Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth
Minister for Children and the Elderly--Maria Larsson
Minister for Education--Jan Bjorklund
Minister for Financial Markets--Peter Norman
Minister for Rural Affairs--Eskil Erlandsson
Minister for Enterprise--Annie Loof
Minister for Defense--Catharina Elmsater-Svard (Acting)
Minister for Gender Equality--Nyamko Sabuni
Minister for Integration--Erik Ullenhag
Minister for Trade--Ewa Bjorling
Minister for Employment--Hillevi Engstrom
Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy--Tobias Billstrom
Minister for Infrastructure--Catharina Elmsater-Svard
Minister for Public Administration and Housing--Stefan Attefall
Ambassador to the United States--Jonas Hafstrom
Ambassador to the United Nations--Marten Grunditz

Sweden maintains an Embassy in the United States at 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. Telephone: 202-467-2600, Internet: http://www.swedenabroad.com/washington

Sweden has honorary consulates in 32 U.S. cities. Contact the Swedish Embassy for locations and telephone numbers.

POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Ordinary general elections to the Swedish Parliament are held every fourth year on the third Sunday in September. County council and municipal council elections take place at the same time. A party must receive at least 4% of the votes in the entire country or 12% in a single electoral district to qualify for any seats in Parliament.

The most recent elections were held on September 19, 2010. The Alliance for Sweden (a coalition of four center-right parties--the Moderate Party, the Liberal Party, the Christian Democrats, and the Center Party) won 173 of the 349 seats, securing Moderate Fredrik Reinfeldt the position of Prime Minister. The 2010 election results for Sweden's major parties were as follows: the Social Democratic Party (30.66%; 112 seats), the Moderate Party (30.06%; 107 seats), the Green Party (7.34%; 25 seats), the Liberal Party (7.06%; 24 seats), the Center Party (6.56%; 23 seats), the Sweden Democrats (5.70%; 20 seats), the Left Party (5.60%; 19 seats), and the Christian Democrats (6.60%; 19 seats).

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has a base of blue-collar workers and public sector employees. It derives much of its power from strong links with the National Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), which represents blue-collar workers. The party program combines a commitment to social welfare programs and government direction of the economy. When the Social Democratic Party lost power in 2006 it had led the government for 65 of 78 years; the 2006 election ended its most recent term of 12 consecutive years in office.

The Moderate Party emphasizes personal freedom, free enterprise, and reduction of the public-sector growth rate, while still supporting social benefits. Its voter base is urban business people and professionals, but the party also attracts young voters, main-street shop owners, and, some blue-collar workers. Moderate Party Leader Reinfeldt has remodeled his party as "New Moderates," moving away from the party's right-wing, upper-class roots to appeal to a large middle ground of voters. In 2006, Reinfeldt was instrumental in uniting the previously separate four center-right parties in the Alliance.

The Green Party is a left-leaning, environmentalist party that attracts young people, particularly in the big cities. The Greens strongly support greater public transportation and environmental taxation, and replacing nuclear energy in Sweden with alternative, environmentally friendly energy sources.

The Liberal Party's platform is "social responsibility without socialism," which includes a commitment to a free-market economy combined with comprehensive Swedish social welfare programs. Foreign aid, education, and women's equality also are popular issues. The Liberal Party base is mainly centered in educated, middle-class voters, and is pro-EU.

The Center Party maintains close ties to rural Sweden. The main priorities of the party include providing a sound economic climate for business and job creation, rural development, and climate change and environmental concerns.

The Sweden Democrats gained representation in Parliament for the first time in 2010. It is a nationalist, right-wing party. Its main priority is to protect Swedish culture and values, mostly by reducing immigration to Sweden. In the 2010 elections, the Sweden Democrats were particularly successful in getting votes from the unemployed, laborers, men, and those between 18 and 30 years old.

The Left Party, formerly the Communist Party, focuses on feminist issues, employment in the public sector, and the environment. It opposes privatization, cuts in public expenditure and Swedish participation in NATO activities. Its voter base consists mainly of young people, public sector employees, feminists, journalists, and former social democrats.

The Christian Democrat Party is conservative and “value-oriented”. Its voter base is primarily among members of conservative churches and rural populations. Christian Democrats seek government support for families and better ethical practices to improve care for the elderly.

ECONOMY
The Swedish economy emerged from the financial crisis as one of the strongest in Europe. A high-tech economy and a comprehensive system of welfare benefits allow Sweden to enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Sweden has one of the most globalized and competitive economies today.

From the early 1990s until 2008, Sweden enjoyed a sustained economic upswing fueled by strong exports and rising domestic demand. In the fourth quarter of 2008, Sweden entered a recession. Exports account for 50% of Swedish GDP, and its mix of exports are the type of capital goods customers stop buying at the onset of a recession, and are quick to resume buying once growth returns. Heavily dependent on exports of autos, telecommunications, construction equipment, and other investment goods, Sweden was hit hard by the contraction in external demand due to the global financial and economic crisis. As a result, GDP fell 4.9% in 2009. Other main Swedish exports include machinery and transport equipment, chemical and rubber products, food, clothing, textiles and furniture, and wood products. The Swedish Government is expanding its export base away from the traditionally European market, seeking to grow in Asia, South America, and the United States.

Sweden’s GDP grew by 5.5% in 2010, beating expectations and setting growth records. The Swedish economy maintained a similar pace in 2011 with third-quarter growth at 4.6%. However, growth projections for the next couple of years were repeatedly revised downward throughout 2011 as the European economy (Sweden’s main export market) contracted. As of February 2012, the Central Bank was projecting growth of only 0.7% for 2012. Both the government and Central Bank expect normal growth rates to return in 2013, assuming the eurozone financial crisis abates. (As of February 2012, the Central Bank projected 2.1% growth in 2013 and 3.2% growth in 2014.)

Central Bank policy is guided by inflation targeting to keep the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at or around 2% on an annual basis. The Central Bank has been steadily lowering rates over the past 6 months to stimulate the economy. The rate currently sits at 1.5%.

One of Sweden’s tools in maintaining solid public finances is a budget process that calls for parliamentary-designated spending ceilings. The ceilings were set for SEK 1.024 trillion (U.S. $144.7 billion) in 2010 and SEK 1.063 trillion (U.S. $150.3 billion) in 2011, and are SEK 1.083 trillion (U.S. $153.1 billion) in 2012 and SEK 1.093 trillion (U.S. $154.5 billion) in 2013. While spending ceilings can technically be surpassed, they represent a promise the government makes to the people, and they are adhered to.

Sweden entered the 2008 financial crisis with a budget surplus due to prior economic growth and conservative fiscal policy. This key factor allowed Sweden to ride out the crisis better than most other economies. In 2008, Sweden had a surplus of SEK 58 billion (U.S. $8.2 billion). By 2009, the surplus dipped into a deficit of SEK 176 billion (U.S. $24.8 billion). The budget showed only a slight deficit for 2010, and went into surplus by November 2011. The Swedish Government released a conservative budget for 2012 aimed at maintaining a surplus and ensuring that Sweden has safety margins in case of a protracted global economic downturn. The goal of the 2012 budget is to counter the slowdown in the labor market and strengthen prospects for long-term employment, growth, and entrepreneurship while also ensuring that the core elements of the welfare system are strong.

The Swedish banking sector is highly concentrated, with the four large banking groups (Nordea, Svenska Handelsbanken, Swedbank, and SEB) accounting for roughly 80% of sector assets. Swedish banks are heavily invested in the Baltic states, some of the countries hardest hit during the 2008 financial crisis. Swedish banks suffered considerably as a result, forcing authorities to respond with a bank support package in 2008. The package included guarantees for new debt insurance, increased deposit insurance, and a fund that would provide up to $6 billion in equity injection to systemically important institutions. In August 2010, the government revoked the license of the embattled HQ Bank, as risky securities deals and an over-valued trading portfolio threatened its survival. The bank was subsequently purchased by investment bank Carnegie. Despite this, the Swedish banking industry is strong. All Swedish banks have passed EU stress tests with wide margins. Swedish banks are far less exposed to the current financial crisis because they do not hold large amounts of debt from Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

Unemployment is slowly falling, and was at 7.1% as of December 2011. The government projects a small increase in unemployment in 2012 and 2013 followed by a leveling off of the rate at 5.5% by 2015. Youth unemployment is disproportionately high at around 20.8% for those between 15 and 24. The 2012 budget includes programs designed to better prepare young people to enter the work force and bring the economy into full employment.

Over 70% of the Swedish labor force is unionized; however, membership is decreasing. For most unions there is a counterpart employers' organization for businesses. The unions and employer organizations are independent of both the government and political parties, although the largest federation of unions, the National Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), always has maintained close links to the largest political party, the Social Democrats. There is no national minimum wage. Instead, wages are set by collective bargaining.

The World Bank ranked Sweden 18th in “ease of doing business” and 43rd in “ease of starting a business” in 2010. Starting a business in Sweden takes 15 days and costs 0.57% of GNI per capita. The World Bank ranking data set included 183 economies worldwide, including 27 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) high-income economies. As of 2009, there were 1,100 American companies operating in Sweden. American companies in Sweden employed 101,700 Swedes in 2008--the largest number of employees of all foreign countries doing business in Sweden. The majority of employees in Swedish-controlled affiliates abroad are in Europe and America, although the number of employees in America was decreasing as of 2008.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
For much of the last 2 centuries, Swedish foreign policy had been based on the premise that national security was best served by staying out of military alliances in peacetime in order to remain neutral in the event of war. However, Sweden has been redefining this position in recent years. Sweden aspires to be at the core of the European Union. In a 2009 unilateral declaration, Sweden said it would not remain passive if another EU member state or Nordic country suffers a disaster or an attack. Internationally, the Swedish Government gives special focus to disarmament, arms control, and nuclear nonproliferation. Sweden has greatly contributed to numerous international peacekeeping operations under UN, EU, and NATO auspices, including the NATO-led peacekeeping forces in the Balkans (KFOR). The country contributes to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and in March 2006 assumed leadership of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mazar-e-Sharif, which was recently re-named a Transitional Support Team (TST) to reflect the transition in Afghanistan from military to civilian-led assistance. Sweden currently has about 500 troops deployed with ISAF. Sweden also has troops serving in Kosovo (KFOR) and in the EU anti-piracy mission ATLANTA off the coast of Somalia. Sweden also participated in Operation Unified Protector over Libya in 2011.

Sweden is an active and vocal participant in the United Nations, the World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Labor Organization (ILO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Health Organization (WHO), and other international institutions. In January 1995 Sweden became a full member of the European Union after a referendum was passed with a 52.3% majority. Sweden became a member partly because it was increasingly isolated outside the economic framework of the Maastricht Treaty. Sweden is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace (PFP). Sweden also cooperates closely with its Nordic neighbors, formally in economic and social matters through the Nordic Council of Ministers and informally in political matters through direct consultation. Sweden is chair of the Arctic Council 2011-2013.

Government leaders focus political and financial attention on fostering democracy in developing countries, paying particular attention to key African nations. During the Cold War, Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries.

U.S.-SWEDEN RELATIONS
Friendship and cooperation between the United States and Sweden is strong and close. The United States welcomes Sweden's membership in NATO's PFP and the countries' ongoing cooperation in promoting global democracy and freedom. Swedish-American friendship is buttressed by the presence of nearly 14 million Americans of Swedish heritage. In 1988, both countries celebrated the 350th anniversary of the first Swedish settlement in the United States.

Embassy Stockholm’s Clean Technology and Environmental Sustainability Initiatives
In 2006, Embassy Stockholm launched a U.S.-Sweden alternative energy partnership that led to around $200 million in commercial partnerships. In 2010, the Embassy and the Swedish Government widened that partnership into the Swedish-American Green Alliance (SAGA), which expands cooperation in “sustainability” in the broadest sense: including clean technology; low carbon development; water; environment; commercial partnerships; sustainable forestry; electric vehicles; and energy efficiency. SAGA also seeks to engage the full range of actors in environmental sustainability, including government agencies, researchers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, journalists, legislators, activists, industry leaders, academics, non-governmental groups (NGOs), and more.

On February 18, 2010, the Embassy launched a website, www.sagastory.blogspot.com, to foster partnerships by enabling people to share stories about what is happening with environmental sustainability in Sweden and United States. During SAGA's first year, among other things, a memorandum of cooperation was generated between the United States and Sweden on sustainable transportation; Sweden joined the Clean Energy Ministerial forum; and the U.S. National League of Cities and the National Association of Swedish Eco-municipalities signed an agreement to collaborate on urban sustainability. The partnership encompasses 1,700 cities in Sweden and the United States.

Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Mark Brzezinski
Deputy Chief of Mission--William R. Stewart
Political Counselor--Angie Bryan
Economic Counselor--Laura Kirkconnell
Public Affairs Counselor--Christopher Dunnett
Management Officer--William Boyle
Commercial Counselor--Frank Carrico
Defense Attache--Col. Jon Klaus
Consul--Martin Tatuch
Information Management Officer--Joel H. Wisner
Regional Security Officer--Hank Jones

The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm is at Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-115 89 Stockholm, Sweden. Telephone: 46-8-783-5300, Fax: 46-8-661-1964, Internet: http://stockholm.usembassy.gov/

Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, Trip Registration
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans traveling and residing abroad through Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings. Country Specific Information exists for all countries and includes information on entry and exit requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found. The travel.state.gov website also includes information about passports, tips for planning a safe trip abroad and more.  More travel-related information also is available at  http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.

The Department's Smart Traveler app for U.S. travelers going abroad provides easy access to country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more that appear on the travel.state.gov site. Travelers can also set up e-tineraries to keep track of arrival and departure dates and make notes about upcoming trips. The app is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

The Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens traveling or residing abroad to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  A link to the registration page is also available through the Department's Smart Traveler app. U.S. citizens without internet access can enroll directly at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  By enrolling, you make your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency and so you can receive up-to-date information on security conditions.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.

Passports
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778); TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Passport information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. You may speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.

Health Information
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication "Health Information for International Travel" can be found at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentYellowBook.aspx.

More Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including more Background Notes, the Department's daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov

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