Sweden
World Cup hopefuls stay focused before showdown
Mar 22, 2013 00:01 EDT
With just over a year to go until the World Cup, some of Europe's leading nations are hoping to take a major step towards sealing their places in the finals in Brazil in a busy week of qualifying.
Celebrated Romanian writer denounces 'war' on intellectuals
Mar 21, 2013 11:19 EDT
Celebrated Romanian novelist Mircea Cartarescu has told AFP, in an exclusive interview, of a "war" against intellectuals in his country.
Old grandfathers, abuse in women linked to autism
Mar 20, 2013 16:09 EDT
Having an older grandfather or being a mother who was abused in her youth are linked to higher odds of having a child with autism, according to two studies published Wednesday in a leading US psychiatry journal.
Pennetta puts herself in Serena's path at Miami
Mar 19, 2013 22:25 EDT
Italy's Flavia Pennetta booked herself a second-round clash with World No. 1 Serena Williams at the Miami Masters after a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Swede Johanna Larsson.
Four countries bring air pollution under EU limit
Mar 18, 2013 17:28 EDT
Eight European Union countries exceeded the bloc's air pollution limits in 2011, down from 12 the previous year, the European Environment Agency said in a report published on Monday.
UEFA to hear Ibrahimovic ban appeal on March 26
Mar 18, 2013 11:59 EDT
UEFA on Monday said it will hear Paris Saint Germain's appeal against the Champions League ban for star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on March 26, as the French club battle to be able to play him in their quarter-final against Barcelona.
Drugmaker AstraZeneca says to cut 1,600 jobs
Mar 18, 2013 11:08 EDT
British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on Monday said it would axe 1,600 jobs worldwide in a major restructuring of the group over the next three years.
Germans lose Kroos, Benders for Kazakh test
Mar 18, 2013 09:40 EDT
Germany will be without twins Lars and Sven Bender as well as Bayern Munich's Toni Kroos for their World Cup qualifying double header with Kazakhstan on March 22 and 26, the German Football Federation (DFB) said Monday.
ST-Ericsson to cut 1,600 jobs in company split
Mar 18, 2013 06:25 EDT
The unprofitable mobile technology venture between Ericsson and STMicroelectronics, ST-Ericsson, said Monday it would axe 1,600 jobs after splitting the operation.
Rooney can handle Montenegro provocation - Hodgson
Mar 17, 2013 08:20 EDT
England manager Roy Hodgson says that Wayne Rooney will be ready to cope with whatever provocation is thrown at him when he returns to play in Montenegro for a crucial World Cup qualifier.
Miyazato seizes lead at LPGA Founders Cup
Mar 16, 2013 21:34 EDT
Ai Miyazato fired a five-under par 67 and was aided by a penalty on American Stacy Lewis on her way to seizing a four-stroke lead after the third round of the LPGA Founders Cup.
Ireland hit by triple injury blow
Mar 16, 2013 16:17 EDT
Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni was hit by a triple injury blow on Saturday as Aiden McGeady, Anthony Pilkington and Paul McShane were ruled out of his team's World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Austria.
Marimekko's women take '60s success into long bloom
Mar 16, 2013 14:57 EDT
Huge cotton prints drape the entrance of Marimekko's factory in Helsinki, instantly recognisable as the bold, iconic designs that took the fashion world by storm in the 1960s and remain the lifeblood of the Finnish brand today.
Sweden bids farewell to Princess Lilian
Mar 16, 2013 12:18 EDT
Sweden's Welsh-born Princess Lilian, who waited three decades to marry her prince, was buried Saturday after thousands of Swedes paid their respects to one of the most popular members of the royal family.
Lee fires 64 to edge Miyazato for LPGA lead
Mar 16, 2013 01:10 EDT
South Korea's Jee Young Lee fired a bogey-free eight-under par 64 to seize a one-stroke lead over Japan's Ai Miyazato after the second round of the $1.5 million LPGA Founders Cup.
Schweinsteiger back for Germany's double header
Mar 14, 2013 10:25 EDT
Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger was on Thursday recalled to the national squad for the double headers against minnows Kazakhstan in the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Montgomerie set for Avantha debut in India
Mar 13, 2013 22:38 EDT
European Tour great Colin Montgomerie headlines the strongest field ever assembled for the Avantha Masters teeing off in India on Thursday.
Kurd rebels free Turkish prisoners amid peace push
Mar 13, 2013 15:28 EDT
Kurdish rebels on Wednesday freed eight Turkish prisoners in response to a new peace push by Ankara to end a 29-year-old insurgency in southeast Turkey.
Swedish film edited after Palme slander claims
Mar 13, 2013 12:39 EDT
A scene in a Swedish film showing a character similar to slain prime minister Olof Palme having sex with an underaged prostitute has been cut after his family called it slanderous, their lawyer said Wednesday.
Ecuadorian minister visits Assange in London embassy
Mar 13, 2013 11:20 EDT
An Ecuadorian minister said on Wednesday that Julian Assange was in "good spirits" after visiting the WikiLeaks founder inside Ecuador's embassy in London.
Facts from the Wikipedia page:
| Kingdom of Sweden
Konungariket Sverige (Swedish)
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| Motto: (Royal) "För Sverige i tiden" [a] "For Sweden – With the Times" | ||||||
| Anthem: Du gamla, Du fria[b] Thou ancient, thou free Royal anthem: Kungssången The Song of the King | ||||||
 Location of Sweden (dark green)
– on the European continent (light green & dark grey) | ||||||
| Capital (and largest city) | Stockholm 59°21′N 18°4′E / 59.35°N 18.067°E | |||||
| Official languages | Swedish[c] | |||||
| Ethnic groups | 82.1% Swedish[1] 5.1% Finns [2] 12.8% other (2008)[3][4] | |||||
| Demonym | Swedish or Swedes | |||||
| Government | Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy | |||||
| - | Monarch | King Carl XVI Gustaf | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Fredrik Reinfeldt (M) | ||||
| - | Speaker of the Riksdag | Per Westerberg (M) | ||||
| Consolidation | ||||||
| - | Personal union w. Denmark and Norway | 1397 | ||||
| - | de facto independent kingdom | June 6, 1523 | ||||
| - | end of Scandinavian union ratified | 1524 | ||||
| - | Swedish-Norwegian Union begins | November 4, 1814 | ||||
| - | Swedish-Norwegian Union ends | August 13, 1905 | ||||
| - | Current constitution | 1974 | ||||
| EU accession | 1 January 1995 | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 449,964 km2 (57th) 173,745 sq mi | ||||
| - | Water (%) | 8.7 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2009 census | 9,325,429[5] | ||||
| - | Density | 20.6/km2 (192nd) 53.3/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $342.682 billion[6] (32nd) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $37,333[6] (17th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2008 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $478.961 billion[6] (22nd) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $52,180[6] (9th) | ||||
| Gini (2005) | 23 (low) | |||||
| HDI (2007) | ▲ 0.963[7] (very high) (7th) | |||||
| Currency | Swedish krona (SEK) | |||||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Date formats | yyyy-mm-dd, d/m yyyy, dd-mm-yyyy, dd-mm-yy | |||||
| Drives on the | right[d] | |||||
| Internet TLD | .se[e] | |||||
| Calling code | 46 | |||||
| a. ^ För Sverige - I tiden has been adopted by Carl XVI Gustaf as his personal motto.
b. ^ Du gamla, Du fria has never been officially adopted as national anthem, but is so by convention. c. ^ Since July 1, 2009[8][9] Five other languages are officially recognized as minority languages.[10] They are: d. ^ Since 3 September 1967. e. ^ The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states. The .nu domain is another commonly used top-level domain ("nu" means "now" in Swedish). | ||||||
