Sweden: An Illustrated History

The Swedish name for Sweden is Sverige and stems from Svea Rike, or the kingdom of the Svear. Prior to becoming Swedes, the people in Sweden were an amalgamation of folks called Svear, Östgötar, Västgötar, and Smålänningar, among others. Although Svealand (the areas around lake Mälaren in the middle part of the country) and Götaland (in the more southern parts) didn’t become a united Sweden until approximately the early Middle Ages, it is important to study the history that took place prior to this era, and to follow the thread that runs from the first settlers that came to the region, to the evolution of smaller communities, and to the industrialized Sweden that we know today. 

The Swedes are proud of their country with its far-reaching nature, the quality of its healthcare and education, and particularly its democracy. For example, at the writing of this book, Sweden had the lowest child mortality rate in the world, Sweden ranked in the top percent among the world’s nations in the quality of public education, the Social Democratic Party had held power by public election for the past 60 years (less two brief periods totaling nine years), and Sweden had the greatest political equality for women, with 149 (42.7 percent) of the 349 seats in the Swedish parliament held by women. The idea is that all people have equal value, regardless of their origin or status. 

Modern Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, with the monarch acting as a ceremonial head of state. The Riksdag (parliament) is elected every four years, and elects the Prime Minister. Sweden is perhaps best known for its long and strong democratic tradition, or as is written in Swedish law: All offentlig makt i Sverige utgår från folket (All public power in Sweden rests with the people). In combination with the private sector, the Swedish government influences the development of the economy. The Swedish welfare state has reached great achievements in standard of living, economic security, and class and gender equality. For the critics of Swedish socialism, rather than assuming that the Swedes feel their political system is superior, question why, with all of the known weaknesses of socialism, the Swedes choose it with such consistency in free elections. Hopefully, this can be discovered through the study of history. 

Sweden was one of the last regions to emerge from under the ice sheet that covered Europe more than 10,000 years ago. Modern Sweden is a prosperous industrial nation with a small population of nearly 10 million people. Despite the relatively large surface area, Sweden is one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe. Forests of pine, spruce, and birch trees, along with mountains in the north and thousands of lakes, cover more than half of the country. In modern Sweden, only about 10 percent of the country is covered by farmland, mainly around Skåne in the most southern part. 

The first two chapters of this book describe briefly what we know about prehistoric times. The rest of the book explores in more depth the founding of Svea Rike, the wars and unions with what are now Denmark and Norway, the monarchs and dynasties, and the emergence of modern society. Rather than memorizing facts and timelines, I encourage you to explore the correlation of events, the people’s beliefs, and the social system that evolved throughout history. This will help you gain a clearer view and understanding of the Swedish mindset as it relates to det gamla landet (the old country).

Sweden is perhaps best known for its long and strong democratic tradition, or as is written in Swedish law: All offentlig makt i Sverige utgår från folket (All public power in Sweden rests with the people).

 

 

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