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Sweden: Progress at its Finest
Sweden is a place that has become one of the most progressive and richest countries to
live in and visit throughout the civilized world. This is due to Sweden’s conservation, intelligent
use, and location of its land, its healthy population, its welcoming immigration policies, and its
culture that contains themes of tolerance and acceptance.
Geography
Sweden’s absolute location lies at 61.3167° N, 14.8333° E, and is over 450,000 square
kilometers large. (Maps of World) Sweden has a very northern position, but one that has
promoted industry over agriculture. As to be expected with a country in the north, the climate is
very cold. The average temperature of the country in the summer is roughly 64°F, and the
temperature in the winter is 26°F. The temperatures of Sweden are even colder in the northernmost areas of the country, with snow remaining on the ground for well over six months. (Junior
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical Geography) The climate of Sweden makes it very unsuited
for an economy based primarily upon Agriculture. This does not limit Sweden, however, for it
lets the country base its economy on Services and Industry. Sweden’s main exports are
telecommunications equipment, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, transport
equipment, and various chemicals. (Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2012)
Looking at Sweden’s top exports shows how little the country relies on agriculture for a source
of income, which is true for many other developed countries.
Looking at Sweden’s physical geography and site give a good idea as to why the
economy of the country is so great. Firstly, Sweden contains many lakes and rivers, some of
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which are the largest in the world. The largest river is the Gota, at 720 kilometers, and the largest
lake is the Vanern, at 5,584 square kilometers. (Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical
Geography) With over one hundred thousand lakes, Sweden can produce a great deal of hydroelectric energy, a renewable, fossil-fuel alternative that almost the entire world craves. With the
amount of hydro-electric being produced in Sweden, the country does not have to spend as much
money on other forms of energy, thus strengthening their economy. Another way the geography
contributes to Sweden’s economy is through mineable resources. Some of the most prominent
minerals in Sweden are iron, kaolin clay, quartz, quartzite, sulfur, marble, and soapstone talc. For
example, over seven-teen million tons of iron were produced in 2009, so it’s no wonder how
Sweden exported over two hundred billion United States dollars worth of goods and services in
2011. (Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations)
The importance of the environment to the Swedish people also shows how progressive
the people of Sweden are. In fact, the Riksdag (Sweden’s legislative assembly) proposed sixteen separate environmental goals in 2005, to be achieved by the end of 2020. Some of which
are: Clean air, a protective ozone layer, and a safe radiation environment. (Government Offices
of Sweden) Not only has the Riksdag made it a point to announce these goals to the public, but it
has also worked to fully realize them. By 2006, Sweden had set aside over ten million acres for
preservation alone, and by 2011, had created 29 national parks, 1,215 nature reserves, and 2,016
other protected landscape areas. (Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2012) This just
goes to show the level of respect the people of Sweden have for nature, a progressive trait that
other parts of the world are only beginning to adopt.
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(Lonely Planet)
Population and Migration
Demographic Indicators
2013
Midyear population (in thousands)
9,119
Growth rate (percent)
0.2
Total fertility rate (births per woman)
1.7
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)
10
Births (in thousands)
94
Life expectancy at birth (years)
81
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Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births)
3
Crude death rate (per 1,000 population)
10
Net migration rate (per 1,000 population)
2
Net number of migrants (in thousands)
15
(U.S. Census Bureau)
One of the main reasons Sweden is so appealing as a place to live is because of its
Demographic statistics and what those numbers say about the state of the country. Sweden’s
current population is 9,119,000 people, and it is densest in Stockholm, the capital of the country.
(United States Census Bureau) The most northern parts of the country remain untouched, most
likely due to the climate of the north, although the lack of population density allows for more
nature reservations to be created.
(Expanding Access)
Sweden’s Crude birth rate is currently 10 (out of 1,000), and its Crude death rate is
also 10. This means the Natural Increase Rate of the country is only 0.2%. This near Zero
Population Growth puts Sweden at stage four of the Demographic Transition. (United States
Census Bureau) The CBR and CDR of a country can show a lot about a country, in Sweden’s
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case, they show that the number of children being born is very low, a good sign for a developed
country, since it also shows that the Infant Mortality Rate is also low (only 3/1000). The Total
Fertility Rate is also very low, at only 1.7 births per woman. (United States Census Bureau) A
low TFR is also a sign that the women of a country are very educated, and know how to protect
themselves from pregnancy.
The health statistics of Sweden also act as a pull factor to people around the world. The
average life expectancy (at birth) of the population is 81 years old. Sweden has the 17th highest
life expectancy of every country in the world, where as another developed country, such as the
United States, ranks 51st with only 78 years. (The World Factbook) This shows that Sweden’s
healthcare is even better than that of the United States. This makes sense, seeing as Sweden spent
about 10% of its GDP on healthcare. (Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2012)
Migration in Sweden is a very popular topic to its people and politicians, for migrants
make up over 1.3 million of its population. Much of the concern comes from the large number of
refugees in the country, over 110 thousand. (Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations,
2012) Sweden has a net-in migration rate of 2/1000, and roughly fifteen thousand immigrants
per year. (United States Census Bureau) These numbers show an obvious interest in Sweden by
immigrants across the world, most likely due to Sweden's international neutrality regarding
foreign affairs. They also show how generous Sweden is when dealing with immigrants. Sweden
does not have many emigrants either; another fact that shows Sweden must be a great place to
live.
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Another reason moving to Sweden is so appealing is because of their welcoming
immigration stance. In fact, in September of 2013, Sweden offered shelter to any Syrian
refugees, who had recently been uprooted from their homes due to the recent civil war in Syria.
(Policy Mic) Not only does this show how kind and forward thinking the Swedish are, being the
only country to offer refuge to the Syrians thus far, it also shows that they are not afraid of their
culture mixing with Syria’s through relocation diffusion.
Culture
Sweden’s most prevalent and relevant religion is The Church of Sweden, a Christian
denomination. The Church of Sweden has proven itself to be tolerant and progressive in more
ways than one. Firstly, although the Church and State of Sweden are combined (non-secular), a
merger generally viewed as a bad decision in some parts of the world, the Church has rarely
imposed itself upon Sweden’s political system. The church of Sweden has also promoted
tolerance and acceptance throughout the country, by holding marriage ceremonies for
homosexuals and parties of other sexuality openly and without harassment. The church has also
had female priests for nearly fifty years, angering many Christian fundamentalists, but
nonetheless bettering the church itself. (Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices)
Due to the attractiveness of Sweden as a place of refuge, the country is also home to
many Muslims, who make up nearly three percent of the total population. The large influx of
Islam to Sweden has caused the building of many masques within the country, greater showing
the acceptance and welcoming attitude of the Swedish people. Along with many Muslims, there
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are also four-thousand Buddhists, eighteen thousand Jews, and four thousand Hindus, greater
improving Sweden’s religious diversity. For the many Europeans and Americans looking to
migrate to Sweden, there is a large number of Orthodox and Roman Catholics within the
country. (Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices)
Although the official language of Sweden is Swedish, one of the common languages for
the people of Sweden is English, since almost 90% of the Swedish population speaks it. This is
most likely due to how similar the languages are, both of them coming from western European
languages. (Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2012) With the large amounts of
English spoken within the country, many people from North America and other parts of Europe
would find it easy to move to Sweden. Immigrant languages within the country include: Arabic,
Greek (14,000), Polish (76,300), Romanian (18,500), Russian (28,900), Spanish (75,200), and
Thai (30,400). (Ethnolauge) The sheer number of languages within Sweden just goes to show
how literarily diverse the population is. People from all over the world would be able to make
Sweden their home.
Seeing as languages and ethnicities go hand in hand, it may be appropriate to discuss
them. The main ethnicities of the countries are Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks,
and Turks. (CIA World Factbook) These ethnicities have very few conflicts between them,
mostly because there is little reason to; the Swedish government treats all of its citizens fairly
and without favor, and what with the migration laws set in place, there are no problems for
people of these ethnicities to enter the country and live there. Due to this, the general population
of Sweden would be called a Multi-ethnic state, and not a Multinational, because there are not
conflicts between the ethnicities, nor is there the desire to become a separate state. The number
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of different and diverse races in Sweden might be thought to stir up racism within the country,
but apart from a very small majority, the people of Sweden are very tolerant of other races.
Ultimately, Sweden is one of the most progressive and richest countries in the world,
making it a place that is very fit for living. All of this is accomplished through Sweden’s
conservation, intelligent use, and location of its land, its healthy population, its welcoming
immigration policies, and its culture that promotes themes of tolerance and acceptance.
Works Cited
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<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html>.
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"Environmental Sweden in Brief." Environmental Sweden in Brief. Ministry of the Environment,
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<http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/sweden/>.
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PolicyMic. N.p., 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
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