FAX: (8) 661 19 64

Flag description: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Sweden Economy

Economy - overview: Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole twentieth century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and 2% of the jobs. In recent years, however, this extraordinarily favorable picture has been somewhat clouded by budgetary difficulties, high unemployment, and a gradual loss of competitiveness in international markets. Sweden has harmonized its economic policies with those of the EU, which it joined at the start of 1995. GDP growth is forecast for 4% in 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $197 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,200 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.2%

industry: 27.9%

services: 69.9% (1999)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7%

highest 10%: 20.1% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.2% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 4.4 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $133 billion

expenditures: $125.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries: iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 146.633 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 5.53%

hydro: 47.24%

nuclear: 45.42%

other: 1.81% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 128.819 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 15.9 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 8.35 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: grains, sugar beets, potatoes; meat, milk

Exports: $95.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals

Exports - partners: EU 55% (Germany 11%, UK 10%, Denmark 6%, Finland 5%, France 5%), US 9%, Norway 8% (1999)

Imports: $80 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners: EU 67% (Germany 18%, UK 10%, Denmark 7%, France 6%), Norway 8%, US 6% (1999)

Debt - external: $66.5 billion (1994)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $1.7 billion (1997)

Currency: Swedish krona (SEK)

Currency code: SEK

Exchange rates: Swedish kronor per US dollar - 9.4669 (January 2001), 9.1622 (2000), 8.2624 (1999), 7.9499 (1998), 7.6349 (1997), 6.7060 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Sweden Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 6.017 million (December 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 3.835 million (October 1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system

domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels

international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 8.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 4.6 million (1997)

Internet country code: .se

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 29 (2000)

Internet users: 4.5 million (2000)

Sweden Transportation

Railways: total: 12,821 km (includes 3,594 km of privately owned railways)

standard gauge: 12,821 km 1.435-m gauge (7,918 km electrified and 1,152 km double track) (1998)

Highways: total: 210,760 km

paved: 162,707 km (including 1,428 km of expressways)

unpaved: 48,053 km (1999)

Waterways: 2,052 km

note: navigable for small steamers and barges

Pipelines: natural gas 84 km

Ports and harbors: Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg,
Hudiksvall, Kalmar, Karlshamn, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm,
Sundsvall

Merchant marine: total: 167 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,205,370 GRT/1,663,091 DWT

ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 28, chemical tanker 31, combination ore/oil 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 29, railcar carrier 1, roll on/roll off 40, short-sea passenger 4, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 17 (2000 est.)

Airports: 255 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 147

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 11

1,524 to 2,437 m: 80

914 to 1,523 m: 28

under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 108

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 103 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)

Sweden Military

Military branches: Swedish Army, Royal Swedish Navy, Swedish Air
Force

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,062,566 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,803,995 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 51,506 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $5 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.1% (FY98)

Sweden Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

@Switzerland

Switzerland Introduction

Background: Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers and Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, may be rendering obsolete the country's concern for neutrality.

Switzerland Geography

Location: Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 41,290 sq km

land: 39,770 sq km

water: 1,520 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries: total: 1,852 km

border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m

highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m

Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt

Land use: arable land: 10%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 28%

forests and woodland: 32%

other: 28% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 250 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: avalanches, landslides, flash floods

Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France and northern Italy, contains the highest elevations in Europe

Switzerland People

Population: 7,283,274 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 16.97% (male 634,030; female 601,929)

15-64 years: 67.73% (male 2,505,450; female 2,427,408)

65 years and over: 15.3% (male 453,366; female 661,091) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.27% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 10.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.73 years

male: 76.85 years

female: 82.76 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.46% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 17,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 150 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Swiss (singular and plural)

adjective: Swiss

Ethnic groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%

Religions: Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none 8.9% (1990)

Languages: German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, other 8.9%

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99% (1980 est.)

male: NA%

female: NA%

Switzerland Government

Country name: conventional long form: Swiss Confederation

conventional short form: Switzerland

local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)

local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian)

Government type: federal republic

Capital: Bern

Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in
French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular -
kanton in German); Aargau, Ausser-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft,
Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden,
Inner-Rhoden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt
Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri,
Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Independence: 1 August 1291 (Founding of the Swiss Confederation)

National holiday: Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

Constitution: 29 May 1874

Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2001); Vice President Kaspar VILLIGER (since 1 January 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly from among its own members for a four-year term

elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms that run concurrently; election last held 6 December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001)

election results: Moritz LEUENBERGER elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 76%; Kaspar VILLIGER elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 72%

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats - members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular vote on a basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections: Council of States - last held in 1999 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2003)

election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 18, CVP 15, SVP 7, SPS 6; National Council - percent of vote by party - SPS 22.5%, SVP 22.6%, FDP 19.9%, CVP 15.8%, other small parties all under 5%; seats by party - SPS 51, SVP 44, FDP 43, CVP 35, Greens 9, other small parties 18

Judicial branch: Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic People's Party
(Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti
Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano
Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra
or PCD) [Adalbert DURRER, president]; Green Party (Grune Partei der
Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito
Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La
Verda) [Ruedi BAUMANN, president]; Radical Free Democratic Party
(Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti
Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale
Svizzero or PLR) [Franz STEINEGGER, president]; Social Democratic
Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti
Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida
Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Christiane BRUNNER,
president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP,
Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or
UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president];
and other minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AsDB,
Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA,
FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN (observer), UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG,
UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Alfred DEFAGO

chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 745-7900