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Iozoo Web Directory Sweden

SWEDEN

Sweden, whose official name is the Kingdom of Sweden, is located in the Northern part of Europe, on the geographic location of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is a Nordic country, known for its rich heritage with other similar societies. Its borders are defined by Finland and Norway, with the Oresund Bridge connecting the country with Denmark. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden.

The area known as Sweden today emerged in 1397 from the Kalmar Union, as well as through the unification efforts of King Vasa in the 1500's. The boundaries of Sweden were expanded in the 1600's, forming the Swedish Empire, however, the majority of these new territories were lost by the 19th century. After the final war of 1814, Sweden has remained at peace, adopting a neutrality policy in foreign and wartime matters.

The earliest recorded account of Sweden can be found in the Aspa runestone, which was created in the 11th century BC. However, archaeologists have unearthed evidence of ancient civilizations in the area dating back to as early as 12,000 BC. Through numerous national and international wars, the rise and fall of Swedish influences and culture influenced both the people of Sweden as well as in other lands. The country was finally and officially defined as a democracy in 1917, and has since continued to flourish in its political and international agenda, in its economy, and in its gross domestic product.