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SWEDEN.

About three- fifths of the population of Sweden are devoted to agricultural pursuits, and one-third of the rural population are owners of the land which they are cultivating. The nobility, which is very numerous, there being no law of primogeniture, and titles, as well as property, descending equally to all children, enjoyed formerly considerable privileges; but they have nearly all been annulled. The last and most important, that of sitting unelected in the Diet, was repealed in December 1865. Emigration from the country, commencing with the year 18G0, shows a tendency to assume considerable proportions. In 1860, the number of emigrants was 348; in 1865 it rose to 6,691 ; in 1866 to 7,206; in 1867 to 9,334 ; and in 1868 to 27,024.

Education is well advanced in Sweden. Public instruction is gratuitous and compulsory, and children not attending schools under the supervision of the Government must furnish proofs of having been privately educated. In the year 1866, seventy-seven per cent, of all the children between eight and fifteen years visited the public schools. There were above 5,000 teachers and professors in the country in 1867. The vast majority of the population are Protest- ants, the census of 1867 showing but 2,157 dissenters, including 419 Roman Catholics, and 1,326 Jews.

Trade and Industry.

The commercial intercourseof Sweden is chiefly with Great Britain, both as regards imports and exports, and, next to it, with Germany, Denmark, and Russia, in the order here indicated. The imports consist mainly of textile manufactures, coal, machinery, and colonial merchandise, while the staple exports are timber, bar iron, and corn. The value of the total imports and exports of Sweden, in each of the five years 1864 to 1868, was as follows: —

Years

Total Imports

Total Exports

Riksdaler

&

Riksdaler

&

1864

96,549,000

5,363,833

94,003,000

5,222,388

1865

lo,863,oo

5,831,277

108,086.000

6,004,777

1866

112,910,000

6,222,778

107,066,000

5,948,112

1867

134,181,000

7,454,501

128,639,000

7,146,611

1868

137,740,000

7,652,222

119,524,000

6,640.222

The commerce of Sweden with Great Britain is twice as great as that with any other country. Subjoined is a tabular statement giving the total value of the exports from Sweden to Great Britain and Ireland, and of the imports of British and Irish produce into Sweden in each of the five years 1865 to 1869 : —