449,964 sq km (173,732 sq miles).

8,847,625 (1997).

19.7 per sq km.

Stockholm.

711,119 (1995).

Sweden is bordered by Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, with a long Baltic coast to the east and south. Approximately half the country is forested and most of the many thousands of lakes are situated in the southern central area. The largest lake is Vänern, with an area of 5540 sq km (2140 sq miles). Swedish Lapland to the north is mountainous and extends into the Arctic Circle.

Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence from Denmark in 1523. Head of State: King Carl XVI since 1973. Head of Government: Prime Minister Göran Persson since 1996.

Swedish. Lapp is spoken by the Sámi population in the north. English is taught as the first foreign language from the age of nine.

Church of Sweden (Evangelical Lutheran), separated from the state in January 2000; other Protestant minorities.

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

230 volts, 3-phase AC, 50Hz. 2-pin continental plugs are used.

Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 46. Outgoing international code: 00. Unlike in other European countries, telephones are not found in post offices but in special 'Telegraph Offices'. There are three types of payphone: they take cash, phonecards or credit cards. Credit card phones (indicated by a 'CCC' sign) are widely available. Phonecards can be bought from newsagents' shops or kiosks. Fax: Widely available throughout the country. Post: Post offices are open during normal shopping hours (0900-1800 Monday to Friday; 1000-1300 Saturday). Some branches may be closed Saturday during July. Post boxes are yellow. Stamps and aerograms are on sale at post offices and also at most bookstalls and stationers. Airmail within Europe takes three to four days. Poste Restante facilities are widely available in post offices. Press: The provinces have their own newspapers which are widely read in their respective regions; the major dailies are confined largely to the capital. Many papers are financed by political parties but independence and freedom of the press is firmly maintained. All papers are in Swedish.