Sweden, officially Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden), constitutional monarchy in northern Europe, occupying the eastern portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered on the north and west by Norway, on the north-east by Finland, on the east by the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea, and on the south-west by further bodies of water: the Öresund (Øresund), the Kattegatt, and the Skagerrak. Sweden includes the islands of Gotland and Öland in the Baltic Sea. It is the fourth-largest nation in Europe. The total area of Sweden is 449,964 sq km (173,732 sq mi). Stockholm is the nation's capital and largest city.

Population
	8,858,000
	(1996 official estimate)
Population Density
	20 people/sq km
	(51 people/sq mi)
	(1996 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
	83%Urban
	17%Rural
Largest Cities
	Stockholm711,119
	Göteborg449,189
	Malmö245,699
	(1996 estimates)
Ethnic Groups
	89%Swedish
	11%Other
	including Finns, Sami (Lapps), Danes, Norwegians, Turks, Iranians 
Languages
Official Language
	Swedish
Other Languages
	Finnish, Sami (Lappish), and other languages
Religions
	87%Swedish Evangelical Lutheranism
	13%Other
	including other Protestant denominations, Roman Catholicism