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 APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090018-7

The Economy

'''FIGURE 1. Centers of industrial activity (U/OU)''' (map)

A. Characteristics of development (U/OU)

Sweden, despite a relatively small population, has one of the most highly developed economies in the world. Although the country is large in area, much of Sweden is sparsely populated, and economic activity, along with the population, is heavily concentrated in the south and to a lesser extent in the center (Figure 1). The country's natural resources include abundant timber, iron ore, and hydroelectric power, and the labor force is literate and highly skilled. With the resource base Sweden has built a sophisticated industrial complex that produces high-quality, specialized manufactures, including advanced machinery and equipment.

With a per capita gross national product (GNP) that ranks second only to that of the United States, Sweden has one of the world's highest levels of living. In 1971 the GNP reached US$17.8 billion in current prices — about $4,700 per capita, compared with $5,100 per

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090018-7