Forgotten World (120): Sweden
Sweden is a most unusual European country in that it has not been at war since 1814 and is noted for its policy of neutrality.
For most of the last 70 years until 2006, the country was run by the Social Democratic Party through a model involving high taxes and substantial social provision. Now the country is ruled by a four-party Centre-Right coalition that is determined to promote privatisation and market liberalisation.
The 9M Swedes still enjoy an advanced welfare system and their standard of living and life expectancy are almost second to none in the world. The country is a common destination for refugees and asylum seekers – immigrants make up more than 10% of its population.