Sweden, [f] formally the Kingdom of Sweden, [g] [h] is a Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), [4] Sweden is the largest Nordic country and the fifth-largest country in Europe.

Swedish Empire including overseas territories. The Swedish Empire or the Age of Greatness (Swedish: stormaktstiden) [1] was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden became a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region.During this period it also held territories on the …

In a mythological sense, the first king of Sweden is said to have been Odin as the founder of the house of Yngling. (See also List of legendary kings of Sweden.) The earliest kings whose names appear in different traditions (Beowulf and Ynglingatal) are three kings from the 6th century, starting with Ongentheow or Egil.

Jan 16, 2025 · Today Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a well-established parliamentary democracy that dates from 1917. The thick ice cap that covered Sweden during the last glacial period began to recede in the southern region about 14,800 years ago.

One of the world’s richest countries, Sweden is known for its comprehensive social welfare system. It is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary state with one legislative house; its head of state is the king, and the head of government is the prime minister. The first traces of human life in Sweden date from about 9000 bce.

Jul 18, 2024 · Many Viking expeditions set off from Sweden to both plunder and trade along the Baltic coast and the rivers that stretched deep into present-day Russia. The Vikings traveled as far as the Black and Caspian Seas, where they developed trading links with the Byzantine Empire and the Arab kingdoms.

Feb 2, 2025 · Today it is a constitutional monarchy with a well-established parliamentary democracy that dates from 1917. Swedish society is ethnically and religiously very homogeneous, although recent immigration has created some social diversity.

Nov 20, 2024 · King Carl XVI Gustaf was born on 30 April 1946 as the fifth child and only son of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla. His father died in an air crash in Denmark the following year. Because of his father’s early death, he became King of Sweden at a young age.

In 1389 Margaret declares that her 8-year-old great-nephew Eric of Pomerania (grandson of her elder sister) is king of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The three realms become formally united when he is crowned at Kalmar in 1397.

The Kingdom of Sweden is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. By the 16th century Sweden had evolved into a strongly centralized nation, with Stockholm as its capital. During the 17th century the country was one of the great powers in Europe.