Exact population: 9,016,596 (July 2006 est.)

Literacy: Total population: 99% (1979 est.); male: NA%; female: NA%

Ethnicities: Indigenous population: Swedes and Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Area: Total: 449,964 sq km; land: 410,934 sq km; water: 39,030 sq km

Land boundaries: Total: 2,233 km; border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km

Terrain: Mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Extremes: Lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m; highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Imports: Germany 18.7%, Denmark 9.2%, Norway 7.6%, UK 7.5%, Netherlands 6.8%, Finland 6.4%, France 5.5%, Belgium 4% (2004)

Exports: US 10.7%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.6%, UK 7.8%, Denmark 6.7%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.8%, Belgium 4.5% (2004)

Industries: Iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles

Source: CIA World Factbook