Sweden, officially Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden), constitutional monarchy in northern Europe, occupying the eastern portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered on the north and west by Norway, on the north-east by Finland, on the east by the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea, and on the south-west by further bodies of water: the Öresund (Øresund), the Kattegatt, and the Skagerrak. Sweden includes the islands of Gotland and Öland in the Baltic Sea. It is the fourth-largest country in Europe. The total area of Sweden is 449,964 sq km (173,732 sq mi). Stockholm is the country's capital and largest city.

Population
        8,858,000
        (1996 official estimate)
Population Density
        20 people/sq km
        (51 people/sq mi)
        (1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
        83%Urban
        17%Rural
Largest Cities
        Stockholm711,119
        Göteborg449,189
        Malmö245,699
        (1996 estimates)
Ethnic Groups
        89%Swedish
        11%Other
        including Finns, Sami (Lapps), Danes, Norwegians, Turks, Iranians 
Languages
Official Language
        Swedish
Other Languages
        Finnish, Sami (Lappish), and other languages
Religions
        87%Swedish Evangelical Lutheranism
        13%Other
        including other Protestant denominations, Roman Catholicism