Sweden, Facts and Figures

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, in which King Carl XVI Gustaf is Head of the nation, but royal power has long been limited to official and ceremonial functions.

The nation's legislature is the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag), with 349 members. Parliamentary elections are held every four years. The government is appointed by the Riksdag. The prime minister is the chairman of the Moderates, Mr Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Facts

• Area: 450,000 km² (174,000 sq. mi.), third largest country in Western Europe
• Longest north-south distance: 1,574 km (978 mi.)
• Capital: Stockholm, about 1 million inhabitants
• Population: 9 million inhabitants
• Languages: Swedish; recognized minority languages: Sami, Finnish, Meänkieli (Tornedalen Finnish), Yiddish, Romani Chib.

Weather

The average temperature in Stockholm in October will be about +10 degrees Celsius. Evenings and nights will be colder. It may be useful to bring an umbrella or raincoat.

More information about Sweden, www.visitsweden.com