Long-form name: Kingdom of Sweden

Type: constitutional monarchy

Capital: Stockholm

Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (lan, singular and plural) and 1 city* (stad); Alvsborgs Lan, Blekinge Lan, Gavleborgs Lan, Goteborgs och Bohus Lan, Gotlands Lan, Hallands Lan, Jamtlands Lan, Jonkopings Lan, Kalmar Lan, Kopparbergs Lan, Kristianstads Lan, Kronobergs Lan, Malmohus Lan, Norrbottens Lan, Orebro Lan, Ostergotlands Lan, Skaraborgs Lan, Sodermanlands Lan, Stockholms Lan, Stockholms Stad*, Uppsala Lan, Varmlands Lan, Vasterbottens Lan, Vasternorrlands Lan, Vastmanlands Lan,

Independence: 6 June 1809, constitutional monarchy established

Constitution: 1 January 1975

Legal system: civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June

Branches: legislative authority rests with unicameral parliament (Riksdag); executive power vested in Cabinet, responsible to parliament; Supreme Court

Leaders: CARL XVI Gustaf, King (since September 1973); Ingvar CARLSSON, Prime Minister (since March 1986)

Suffrage: universal but not compulsory over age 18; after three years of legal residence immigrants may vote in county and municipal but not national elections

Elections: every three years; next scheduled for September 1991

Political parties and leaders: Moderate (conservative), Carl Bildt; Center, Olaf Johansson; Liberal People's Party, Bengt Westerberg; Social Democratic, Ingvar Carlsson; Left Party-Communist (VPK), Lars Werner; Swedish Communist Party (SKP), Rune Pettersson; Communist Workers' Party, Rolf Hagel

Voting strength: (18 September 1988 election) total seats 349--Social Democratic 156 seats, Communists 21 seats, Greens 20 seats; main opposition nonsocialist parties--Moderate (conservative) 66 seats, Liberals 44 seats, Center 42 seats

Communists: VPK and SKP; VPK, the major Communist party, is reported to have roughly 17,800 members; in the 1988 election, the VPK attracted 5.8% of the vote

Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC (Free Trade Agreement), EFTA, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, INTELSAT, IPU, ISO, ITU, IWC--International, Whaling Commission, IWC--International Wheat Council, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Anders THUNBORG; Chancery at Suite 1200, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 944-5600; there are Swedish Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York; US--Ambassador Gregory J. NEWELL; Embassy at Strandvagen 101, S-115 27 Stockholm; telephone �46� (8) 7835300

Flag: blue with a yellow cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the @m5Dannebrog (Danish flag)

NOTE: The information regarding Sweden on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sweden Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sweden Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.