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{{Sweden | {{CountrySidebar | ||
|Country=Sweden | |||
|Name=Sweden | |||
|Type=Topic | |||
|Topic Type=Background | |||
|Background=History | |||
|Rating=Acceptable | |||
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== History == | |||
Germanic peoples have inhabited Sweden since prehistoric times, emerging into history as the Geats and Swedes and constituting the sea peoples known as the Norsemen. Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, while the north is heavily forested. Sweden is part of the geographical area of Fennoscandia. | |||
Today, the sovereign state of Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with a monarch as head of state, like its neighbor Norway. The capital city is Stockholm, which is also the most populous city in the country. Legislative power is vested in the 349-member unicameral Riksdag. Executive power is exercised by the government chaired by the prime minister. Sweden is a unitary state, currently divided into 21 counties and 290 municipalities. | |||
An independent Swedish state emerged during the early 12th century. When Sweden became involved in the Thirty Years War on the Reformist side, an expansion of its territories began and eventually the Swedish Empire was formed. This became one of the great powers of Europe until the early 18th century. Swedish territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were gradually lost during the 18th and 19th centuries, ending with the annexation of present-day Finland by Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Norway was militarily forced into personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, maintaining an official policy of neutrality in foreign affairs The union with Norway was peacefully dissolved in 1905. Sweden was formally neutral through both world wars and the Cold War. | |||
After the end of the Cold War, Sweden joined the European Union on 1 January 1995, but declined NATO membership. Sweden maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. It has the world's eleventh-highest per capita income and ranks highly in numerous metrics of national performance, including quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic competitiveness, equality, prosperity and human development.<ref>Wikipedia Contributors. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden Sweden]</ref> | |||
==Timeline== | ==Timeline== | ||
ca 300 - Migrations to Sweden after fall of Western Roman Empire<br> | |||
ca 793 - Vikings began large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading<br> | |||
829 - Ansgar's introduces Christianity to Sweden<br> | |||
1004 - King Olof Skötkonung baptized beginning transition to Christianity as dominant religion<br> | |||
1087 - Pagan temple at Uppsala destroyed by order of King Inge the Elder<br> | |||
1252 - City of Stockholm is founded<br> | |||
1341 - Magnus Erikssons Rural Law (Landslag) and City Law (Stadslag) were passed<br> | |||
1397 - The Union of Kalmar united Sweden with Denmark and Norway<br> | |||
1477 - The University of Uppsala was founded<br> | |||
1523 - The Union of Kalmar dissolved. Gustaf Vasa reasserts Sweden's independence and was elected King of Sweden<br> | |||
1527 - The Lutheran Church becomes the state religion of Sweden<br> | |||
1540 - The first translation of the Bible in Swedish is published (Gustav Vasa Bible)<br> | |||
1621 - City of Gothenburg (Göteborg) is founded<br> | |||
1630 - Sweden enters Thirty Years War (1618-1648)<br> | |||
1638 - New Sweden Colony established along Delaware River<br> | |||
1648 - Thirty Years' War ends, Sweden granted Western Pomerania, Wismar, and bishoprics of Bremen-Verden<br> | |||
1658 - Treaty of Roskilde: Blekinge, Bornholm, Bohuslän, Scania, Trøndelag and Halland are ceded to Sweden<br> | |||
1675 - Denmark invades to recapture Scania (Skåne), Scanian War (1675-1679)<br> | |||
1753 - Sweden changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar<br> | |||
1809 - Sweden lost Finland to Russia<br> | |||
1814 - Norway united with Sweden<br> | |||
1905 - Norway dissolved the union with Sweden<br> | |||
1914 - World War I started. Sweden was neutral<br> | |||
1939 - World War II began. Sweden remained neutral<br> | |||
1948 - The [[Genealogical Society of Utah]] begins microfilming on 19 October<br> | |||
==Additional Resources== | ==Additional Resources== | ||
The | The FamilySearch Library has some published histories of Sweden, such as: <br>''Den Svenska historien'' (Swedish History). Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag, 1966. 10 vols. (FS Library Scand book 948.5 H2dh.)<br>Scott, Franklin D. ''Sweden, The Nation's History''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977. (FS Library book 948.5 H2sc.) | ||
=== Local Histories === | === Local Histories === | ||
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Local societies publish their own histories, including stories of emigration and genealogical research done. | Local societies publish their own histories, including stories of emigration and genealogical research done. | ||
The | The FamilySearch Library has many local histories for Swedish towns. They are listed in the catalog under the above headings. Some of these histories are also available at major public and university libraries in the midwestern United States. | ||
=== Calendar Changes === | === Calendar Changes === | ||
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*For a timeline of Sweden, go to the [[Sweden: Timeline|Sweden: Timeline]] page. | *For a timeline of Sweden, go to the [[Sweden: Timeline|Sweden: Timeline]] page. | ||
*For a 20th Century timeline of Sweden, go to the [[Sweden: History 20th century|Sweden: History 20th century]] page. | *For a 20th Century timeline of Sweden, go to the [[Sweden: History 20th century|Sweden: History 20th century]] page. | ||
== References == | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
[[Category:Sweden History]] [[Category:Histories]] | |||
[[Category:Sweden History]] [[Category: | |||
edits