Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/397

 SWASTIKA

347

SWEDEN

project. The name is due to the fact that the members wore a medal of the Blessed Virgin to which was attached a swan, the symboUc meaning being variously interpreted.

Juno, Miscellanea (Leipzig, 1739), I, 133 sqq.: II, 46 eqq.; Stillfbied-Hanle, Das Buck von Schwanenorden (Berlin, 1881).

Charles Moeller. Swastika. See Cross and Crucifix, The.

Sweden, the largest of the three Scandinavian countries and the eastern half of the Scandinavian peninsula, lies between 35° and 68° north latitude and 12° and 24° east longitude. It is bounded on the west by Norway, the Slcager Rack, and the Cattegat, on the cast by Russian Finland and the Baltic. (For map see Denmark.) Including the Islands of Gotland and Oland, Sweden has an area of 172,876 square miles, of which 73,040 are forest land; 15,0(X), water; over 20,000, farming and grass land, while what is left consists of barren land, moorland, and pasture land. Although the elevation of the land is on the whole considerably higher than that of Denmark, still the country lacks the moun- taininis districts of Norway; it is only in the northern part that there are found some mountain peaks, as Suliteluma, which rises to a height of 61.50 ft. and glaciers such as Sylfjell. The ground consists chiefly of primitive rock, granite, and gneiss, the disin- tegrated parts of which form the soil. In Gotland and Oland chalk also appears, and in Skine coal is found. No coimtry in Europe, with e.xception of Russia, has larger lakes than Sweden. The largest is Lake Wenern (2200 square miles), the most beautiful is the Wettern (733 square miles), the one containing the greatest number of islands and most frequented is Lake Millar. Stockholm, tlic beautiful capital of Swe- den, is situated on the outlet that connects Lake Ma- lar with the sea. The country's many, and generally swift, rivers not only form beautiful waterfalls, as TroUha'ttan, Ta;nnforsen etc., but also contain in their great abundance of water about 5,000,(X)0 horse- power. Lakes and rivers are frequently connected with one another and with the sea by canals; one of the most important is the Gota Canal. The climate is relatively mild, especially in the southern provinces and Gotland. The rainfall is fairly regular. In sum- mer the days are not only long and bright, but also very warm. In the northern part of Sweden the sun does not set from the end of May until the middle of July. Naturally the winter is a complete contrast to this: for months the land ia covered with hea\'y snow, and the water has a thick covering of ice.

Sweden is very heavily wooded; in the south the forests consi.st chiefly of beeches and oaks; in the higher latitudes conifers take the place of these; birches are found below 69° N. lat. The forests and open country give shelter and food to large num- bers of wild animals; besides hares and deer there are also reindeer and squirrels. Formerly wolves and bears were numerous, but now the}' are only found in the most unfrequented parts of the northern provinces and will before long disappear. In .Southern and Cen- tral .Sweden the s.ame varieties of grain and vegetables are cultivated as are grown in Germany, Denmark, and Northern France. In .sheltered places grapes are grown as high as 60° N. lat. and at times are sweet in this latitude, but .are not suit.able for wine. Much at- tention is given to the breeding of cattle and the mak- ing of butter and cheese. The mines, especially at Gellivare, yield a Large quantity of fine iron ore. The river and high-.sea fishing (salmon, cod, herring) has attained large pn)portions. The Scandinavian ex- hibition held ill lS!t7 showed the extraordinary develop- ment of manufacture during the Last hundred years. The most val\i,able exports are wood, either in the ro\igh or worked, and iron in the ore or in b.ars; the annual value of the export of the first is 200,000,000

kronen and of the second 100,000,000 kronen. But- ter and cheese to the value of about 40,000,000 kro- nen are exported annually; live-stock, hides, and fish, 20,000,000 kronen. The value of the most important imports is as follows: coal, 66,000,000 kronen; all kinds of groceries and manufactures, 50,000,000 kro- nen; grain, 52,000,000 kronen. Traffic and com- merce are promoted by the numerous canals and the excellent roads; by a large number of railways, having a length altogether of 8694 miles and owned partly by the .State and partly by private citizens; by an excel- lent postal, telegraph, and telephone system. In

1909 the Swedish merchant marine included 1800 sail- ing vessels with 200,000 tons, and 1200 steamships with 583,000 tons. In 1908 more than 35,000 ships entered or left Swedish ports. The unit of coinage is the krone, which equals 100 ore or 112 marks of the German coinage, and equals 27 cents in U. S. money. Weights and measures follow the metric system.

The great majority of the population of 5,500,000 persons consist of Swedes {Svear and Golar), and of people of Danish descent settled in the southern provinces who are now Swedish in speech and thought. In the north Finns and Lapps are found who, al- though they understand Swedish, still hold to their own customs and languages. Officially nearly the en- tire population belongs to the Lutheran State Church. Nevertheless, large numbers are indifferent or have no belief; the sects are steadily multiplying. The few thousand Catholics are scattered through the entire covmtry and regularly organized parishes exist only at Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Norrkoping, and Gefle. The number of marriages (33,000) is in- creasing, while the annual birth-rate changes but little. Divorce has become quite frequent. Emigra- tion, however, has declined. As regards education and training, there are five schools of high rank, in- cluding the two well-endowed universities Upsala and Lund; a large number of technical schools, gyimiasia, primary and itinerant schools. The national wealth is estimated at fotu' milliards; the national debt in

1910 amounted to .527,000,000 kronen.

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy; the crown is hereditary in accordance with the law of primogeni- ture. The Parliament consists of two houses, and the king has the right of veto. Administration and jus- tice in Sweden, like the same departments of govern- ment in Englaiiil, have retained many German pecu- liarities. For adniinist ration the kingdom is divided into twenty-five districts, culled Iccns, each of which is governed by a kindshoefding. Justice is administered by district and upper courts. For ecclesiastical pur- poses Sweden is divided into twelve dioceses, each containing a Large number of parishes; at the head of each diocese is a bishop. The primate of Sweden is the Archbishop of Upsala; the king is the summus episcopus. In Sweden liability to militajy service lasts twenty years; twelve years are spent in the first levy (Beviering), eight years in the reserve. The time of actual service is short, being barely one year in most instances. Naturally the officers receive a thorough military training. In times of peace the army numbers 66,(X)0 men, of whom 6000 serve in the cavalry, 7000 in the artillery, 2(HX) in the engi- neer corps. In war t ime the army can easily be doubled. The Swedish navy is small but good; it is only used for coast defence. Its equipment consists of lOtX) officers and non-commissioned officers and 4000 marines and sailors. The national colours are yellow and blue. The battleflag is blvie with a yellow horizontal cross that runs out into a tongue; the two blue sections of the flag likewise end in tongues. The flag of the mer- chant marine is square, blue in colour with a yellow horizontal cross. There are several decorations of honour, the highest being the Order of the .Seraphim. The Order of Charles XIII is only intended for Free- masons. The present King of Sweden is Gustavus V,