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Sweden

OFFICIAL NAME: Kingdom of Sweden

DATE OF FORMATION: 1523

POPULATION: 8.9 million

DENSITY: 56 people per square mile

LANGUAGES: Swedish, Finnish, Sámi

RELIGIONS: Evangelical Lutheran 82%, Other 13%, Roman Catholic 2%, Muslim 2%, Orthodox Christian 1%

ETHNIC MIX: Swedish 88%, Foreign-born or first-generation immigrant 10%, Finnish and Sámi 2%

GOVERNMENT: Multiparty elections

CURRENCY: Swedish krona

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Situated on the Scandinavian peninsula with Norway to its west, Sweden is a densely forested country with numerous lakes. The north of Sweden falls within the Arctic Circle; much of the south is fertile and widely cultivated. Sweden has one of the most extensive welfare systems in the world, and is among the world's leading proponents of equal rights for women. It is home to global companies including high-tech firm Ericsson and notable car manufacturers Volvo and Saab. Unlike neighboring Norway, it is an EU member, having joined in 1995.