瑞典(Sweden)
正式名称瑞典王国（Kingdom of Sweden）
瑞典语作Sverige
北欧国家，位於斯堪的那维亚半岛。面积449,964平方公里。人口约8,888,000（2001）。首都︰斯德哥尔摩。居民多属同种族的，另有芬人、拉普人两少数民族和10%的移民或其後裔。语言︰瑞典语（官方语）。宗教︰瑞典教会（路德派，国教）。货币︰瑞典克朗（SKr）。瑞典分成三个区。多山的诺尔兰涵盖全国3/5的地区，有许多森林及丰富的铁矿。斯韦阿兰有起伏的冰川山脉和全国近90,000个湖泊大部分集中於此。约塔兰则包含了包括斯莫兰高地和极南端面积不大而富庶的平原斯科讷地区。瑞典北部近15%的土地在北极区内。经济大多以服务业、重工业和国际贸易为主。有丰富的铁矿；工业包括了采矿、伐木、钢铁生产和旅游业。农产品则有谷物、糖用甜菜、马铃薯和畜产。为全世界最富裕的国家之一，以其广泛的社会福利体系闻名。政府形式是君主立宪政体，一院制。国王是国家元首，总理是政府首脑。
第一批居民明显地是在西元前12000年前後从欧洲越过陆桥过来的猎人。在维京人时期（9～10世纪），瑞典人控制着波罗的海与黑海之间欧洲东部的河上贸易，并袭击欧洲西部的土地。11～12世纪瑞典人松散地团结在一起，实现基督教化。12世纪时征服了芬兰，14世纪时与挪威和丹麦统一在一个君主国下。1523年在古斯塔夫一世领导下退出联合。17世纪时成为欧洲波罗的海地区一支强大的力量，但在第二次北方战争（1700～1721）中被击败後，它的优势就衰退下来。1809年瑞典成为君主立宪国，1815～1905年间与挪威联合；1905年承认挪威独立。在两次世界大战中瑞典都保持中立。它是联合国的创始成员，但在1990年代以前放弃北大西洋公约组织和欧洲联盟的成员资格。1975年起草的新宪法将君主的权力减少到只作为国家的礼仪首脑。1997年瑞典决定开始关停它有争议的核能工业。
English version：
Sweden
SwedishSverigeNation, northern Europe, located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Area: 173,732 sq mi (449,964 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 8,863,000. Capital: Stockholm. The population is largely homogeneous, although there are Finnish and Lappish minorities and 10% of the inhabitants are immigrants or their descendents. Language: Swedish (official). Religion: Church of Sweden (Lutheranism) (official). Currency: Swedish krona. Sweden has three regions. Mountainous Norrland covers about three-fifths of the country and has vast forests and large ore deposits. Svealand has undulating glacial ridges and contains most of the country's 90,000 lakes. Gotaland comprises the stony Sm?land highlands and the rich Sk?ne plains. About 15% of Sweden lies north of the Arctic Circle. Its economy is largely based on services, heavy industries, and international trade. It has large deposits of iron ore; industries include mining, lumbering, steel manufacturing, and tourism. It raises grains, sugar beets, potatoes, and livestock. One of the world's richest countries, it is known for its comprehensive social welfare system. It is a constitutional monarchy with one legislative house; its chief of state is the king, and the head of government is the prime minister. The first inhabitants were apparently hunters who crossed the land bridge from Europe c. 12,000 BC. During the Viking era (9th-10th century), the Swedes controlled river trade in eastern Europe between the Baltic Sea and Black Sea and also raided western European lands. Sweden was loosely united and Christianized in the 11th-12th century. It conquered the Finns in the 12th century and in the 14th united with Norway and Denmark under a single monarchy. It broke away in 1523 under Gustav I Vasa. In the 17th century it emerged as a great European power in the Baltic region, but its dominance declined after its defeat in the Second Northern War (1700-21). It became a constitutional monarchy in 1809 and united with Norway 1815-1905; it acknowledged Norwegian independence in 1905. It maintained its neutrality during both World Wars. It was a charter member of the U.N., but abstained from membership in NATO and the European Union until the 1990s. A new constitution drafted in 1975 reduced the monarch's powers to ceremonial head of state. In 1997 it decided to begin the controversial shutdown of its nuclear power industry.