United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2006) | Sweden (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 16.4% (male 759,488/female 717,812)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,007,899/female 2,926,220) 65 years and over: 17.9% (male 707,687/female 911,982) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk |
Airports | Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable
Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable Johnston Atoll: 1 - closed and not maintained Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938 Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006) |
250 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 152
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 38 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 98
914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 92 (2007) |
Area | total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km
Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km |
total: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km water: 39,030 sq km |
Area - comparative | Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
slightly larger than California |
Background | The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.
Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force. Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge. Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony. Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001. |
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. |
Birth rate | - | 10.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $241.2 billion
expenditures: $229.1 billion (2007 est.) |
Capital | - | name: Stockholm
geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year |
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north |
Coastline | Baker Island: 4.8 km
Howland Island: 6.4 km Jarvis Island: 8 km Johnston Atoll: 34 km Kingman Reef: 3 km Midway Islands: 15 km Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km |
3,218 km |
Constitution | - | 1 January 1975 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige |
Death rate | - | 10.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $598.2 billion (30 June 2006) |
Dependency status | unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon |
- |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael M. WOOD
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | chief of mission: Ambassador Jonas HAFSTROM
chancery: 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $1.7 billion (1997) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP and 2% of employment. Sweden is in the midst of a sustained economic upswing, boosted by increased domestic demand and strong exports. This and robust finances have offered the center-right government considerable scope to implement its reform program aimed at increasing employment, reducing welfare dependence, and streamlining the state's role in the economy. The govenment plans to sell $31 billion in state assets during the next three years to further stimulate growth and raise revenue to pay down the federal debt. In September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system concerned about the impact on the economy and sovereignty. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 134.1 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 21.97 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 14.58 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 153.2 billion kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m |
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m |
Environment - current issues | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources
Kingman Reef: none Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: NA |
acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | - | indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks |
Exchange rates | - | Swedish kronor per US dollar - 6.7629 (2007), 7.3731 (2006), 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5 October 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) election results: Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175 out of 349 votes |
Exports | - | 231,100 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | - | machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals |
Exports - partners | - | Germany 9.8%, US 9.3%, Norway 9.2%, UK 7.1%, Denmark 6.9%, Finland 6%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.7%, Belgium 4.5% (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of the US is used | blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 29.2% services: 69.4% (2007 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 3.4% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W
Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W |
62 00 N, 15 00 E |
Geography - note | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific |
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas |
Heliports | - | 2 (2007) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 22.2% (2000) |
Imports | - | 580,600 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing |
Imports - partners | - | Germany 17.3%, Denmark 9.1%, Norway 8.2%, UK 6%, Netherlands 5.8%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.6%, Belgium 4.1% (2006) |
Independence | - | 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 4% (2007 est.) |
Industries | - | iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ADB (nonregional members), AfDB, Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
Irrigated land | - | 1,150 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet) |
Labor force | - | 4.66 million (2007 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 2%
industry: 24% services: 74% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | none | total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 5.93%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 94.06% (2005) |
Languages | - | Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
Legal system | the laws of the US, where applicable, apply | civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%, Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, Liberal People's Party 8.0%, Christian Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, Liberal People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 80.63 years
male: 78.39 years female: 83 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania
Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa |
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Merchant marine | - | total: 194 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,883,695 GRT/2,451,123 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 23, carrier 1, chemical tanker 49, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 37, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 35, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 22 foreign-owned: 34 (Denmark 4, Finland 10, Germany 4, Italy 7, Japan 1, Norway 5, UK 2, US 1) registered in other countries: 198 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 5, Barbados 5, Bermuda 15, Cayman Islands 1, Cook Islands 9, Cyprus 2, Denmark 4, Finland 2, France 10, Gibraltar 10, Isle of Man 3, Italy 1, South Korea 2, Liberia 11, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands 27, Netherlands Antilles 3, Norway 31, Panama 9, Portugal 2, Singapore 17, St Vincent and The Grenadines 2, UK 19, US 5) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | - |
Military branches | - | Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.5% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | - | Swedish Flag Day, 6 June (1916); National Day, 6 June (1983) |
Nationality | - | noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish |
Natural hazards | Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA |
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic |
Natural resources | terrestrial and aquatic wildlife | iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 798 km (2007) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Liberal People's Party [Jan BJORKLUND]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; Social Democratic Party [Mona SAHLIN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife staff |
9,031,088 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 0.159% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 11,528 km
standard gauge: 11,528 km 1.435-m gauge (7,527 km electrified) (2006) |
Religions | - | Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.058 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.028 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.776 male(s)/female total population: 0.982 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: highly developed telecommunications infrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed-line, mobile-cellular, Internet and broadband penetration
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels international: country code - 46; submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 6.379 million (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 9.087 million (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor | mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.66 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 4.5% (2007 est.) |
Waterways | - | 2,052 km (2005) |