Sweden became independent from the Kalmar Union in the year 1523, led by Gustav Vasa. For a hundreds of years, Finland was part of the kingdom of Sweden. Sweden became a part of the European Union at the same time as Finland, in the year 1995.

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, meaning that its royal family has official power that is bound to the Swedish constitution. Today, however, actual legislative authority is exercised by the nation's parliament. 

Sweden is home to approximately 9,3 million people, which is a relatively small number when compared to the nation's surface area. Most Swedes live in the densely populated urban areas of Southern Sweden, as well as on the shores of large lakes and the Baltic Sea. Swedish Lapland is relatively uninhabited when compared to Finnish Lapland. Despite this, Sweden is the most populous Nordic nation. Swedish Lapland is also home to approximately 17 000 Sami people. 

Sweden's largest economic sector is the service sector, which provides approximately 72 % of the nation's total gross domestic product. Particularly important industries include machine production, ore mining and steel refining. The pharmaceutical and chemical industries also provide important exports.