King: Carl XVI Gustaf Prime minister: Fredrik Reinfeldt
Population
81,305,856
9,103,788
Life Expectancy
80.190 years
81.180 years
Capital City
Berlin
Stockholm
Largest city
Berlin (population: 3,426,350)
Stockholm (population: 1,253,310)
Human Development Index
0.94
0.958
GDP per capita
$38,400 US
$40,900 US
Literacy Rate
99%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
7.9
9.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
30.6%
47%
Wealthiest Citizens
Karl Albrecht ($21.5bn US)
Ingvar Kamprad & family ($22.0bn US)
Unemployment Rate
6.000%
7.500%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Abolished
Political System
federal republic
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
18 January 1871 (German Empire unification); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and later, France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) proclaimed 7 October 1949 and included the former USSR zone; unification of West Germany and East Germany took place 3 October 1990; all four powers formally relinquished rights 15 March 1991
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)
Religions
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%
Languages
German
Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Exports
machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals
External Debt
$5,624,000,000,000 $
$1,016,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Swedish kronor (SEK) per US dollar - 6.4074 (2008 est.), 6.7629 (2007), 7.3731 (2006), 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.500%
1.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
41
5
Location
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway
Area
357,022 km sq
450,295 km sq
Coastline
2,389 km
3,218 km
Climate
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
