Sweden occupies most of the Scandinavian Peninsula, stretching about 977 miles from north to south and bordered by Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast. It features high mountains along the Norwegian border, forested lowlands, over 100,000 lakes, and a jagged 2,100 mile Baltic Sea coastline. Its capital, Stockholm, lies on an archipelago of roughly 24,000 islands.

Politically, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a ceremonial King Carl XVI Gustaf and real power resting in the 349 member Riksdag, elected every four years. Executive authority lies with a Prime Minister and multi‐party cabinet. It operates a Nordic welfare model offering universal health care, free universities, generous parental leave, and high equality.

Sweden leads on global warming initiatives, aiming for net zero carbon by 2045 with legally binding targets. Roughly 98% of electricity comes from renewables and nuclear, and the last coal plant closed in 2020. It also pioneered environmental policy with the world’s first environmental protection act in 1967.

Historically, Sweden was part of the Kalmar Union with Denmark and Norway until 1523, later becoming a European great power before losing Finland to Russia in 1809. Its last war was in 1814, forming a union with Norway until 1905. Today, it cooperates closely with its Scandinavian neighbors within the EU, NATO, and the Nordic Council.