STOCKHOLM

STOCK-HOLM:Stockholm is the capital and the largest city

of Sweden and constitutes the most popu-

lated urban area in Scandinavia.[4][5] It

is the site of the national Swedish govern-

ment, the Riksdag (parliament), and the

official residence of the Swedish monarch

as well as the prime minister. Since 1980,

the monarch has resided at Drottning-

holm Palace outside of Stockholm and

uses the Royal Palace of Stockholm as his

workplace and official residence. As of

2010, the Stockholm metropolitan area

is home to approximately 22% of Swe-

den’s population. Stockholm is the most

populous city in Sweden, with a popula-

tion of 847,073 in the municipality (2010),

1.25 million in the urban area (2005), and

more than 2 million in the 6,519 km2

(2,517.00 sq mi) metropolitan area (2010).

Founded circa 1250, Stockholm has long

been one of Sweden’s cultural, media, po-

litical, and economic centres. Its strategic

location on 14 islands on the south-central

east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake

Mälaren, by the Stockholm archipelago,

has been historically important. Stock-

holm has been nominated by GaWC as a

global city, with a ranking of Alpha-.[6] In

The 2008 Global Cities Index, Stockholm

ranked 24th in the world, 10th in Europe,

and first in Scandinavia.[7] Stockholm is

known for its beauty, its buildings and ar-

chitecture, its abundant clean and open

water, and its many parks.[8] It is some-

times referred to as Venice of the North.[9]

Stockholm’s location appears in Norse sagas as Agnafit, and in Heimskringla in con-

nection with the legendary king Agne. The earliest written mention of the name

Stockholm dates from 1252, by which time the mines in Bergslagen made it an im-

portant site in the iron trade. The first part of the name (stock) means log in Swedish,

although it may also be connected to an old German word (Stock) meaning fortifica-

tion. The second part of the name (holm) means islet, and is thought to refer to the

islet Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm. The city is said to have been founded by

Birger Jarl to protect Sweden from a sea invasion by foreign navies and to stop the pil-

lage of towns such as Sigtuna on Lake Mälaren.

Stockholm’s core of the present Old Town (Gamla Stan) was built on the central island

next to Helgeandsholmen from the mid-13th century onward. The city originally rose

to prominence as a result of the Baltic trade of the Hanseatic League. Stockholm de-

veloped strong economic and cultural linkages with Lübeck, Hamburg, Gdańsk, Visby,

Reval, and Riga during this time[citation needed].

HISTORY:

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Between 1296 and 1478 Stockholm’s City

Council was made up of 24 members, half

of whom were selected from the town’s

German-speaking burghers. The strategic

and economic importance of the city made

Stockholm an important factor in rela-

tions between the Danish Kings of the Kal-

mar Union and the national independence

movement in the 15th century. The Danish

King Christian II was able to enter the city

in 1520. On 8 November 1520 a massacre

of opposition figures called the Stockholm

Bloodbath took place and set off further

uprisings that eventually led to the breakup

of the Kalmar Union. With the accession

of Gustav Vasa in 1523 and the establish-

ment of a royal power, the population of

Stockholm began to grow, reaching 10,000

by 1600.The 17th century saw Sweden grow

into a major European power, reflected in

the development of the city of Stockholm.

From 1610 to 1680 the population multi-

plied sixfold. In 1634 Stockholm became

the official capital of the Swedish empire.

Trading rules were also created that gave

Stockholm an essential monopoly over

trade between foreign merchants and oth-

er Swedish and Scandinavian territories.

In 1710 a plague killed about 20,000 (36

percent) of the population.[10] After the

end of the Great Northern War the city

stagnated. Population growth halted and

economic growth slowed. The city was in

shock after having lost its place as the capi-

tal of a Great Power. However Stockholm

maintained its role as the political centre of

Sweden and continued to develop cultur-

ally under Gustav III. By the second half of

the 19th century, Stockholm had regained

its leading economic role. New industries

emerged and Stockholm was transformed

into an important trade and service centre

as well as a key gateway point within Swe-

den. The population also grew dramatically

during this time, mainly through immigra-

tion. At the end of the century, less than

40% of the residents were Stockholm-born.

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Settlement began to expand outside the city limits. The 19th century saw

the establishment of a number of scientific institutes, including the Karolin-

ska Institute. The city continued to expand with the creation of additional dis-

tricts such as Rinkeby and Tensta, some with high proportions of immigrants.

The General Art and Industrial Exposition was held in 1897.

Stockholm became a modern, technologically advanced, and ethnically di-

verse city in the latter half of the 20th century. Many historical buildings were torn

down during the modernist era, including substantial parts of the historical dis-

trict of Klara, and replaced with modern architecture. However, in many other

parts of Stockholm (such as in Gamla Stan, Södermalm, Östermalm, Kungsholmen

and Vasastan), many “old” buildings, blocks and streets built before the modern-

ism and functionalism movements took off in Sweden (around 1930-1935) sur-

vived this era of demolition. Throughout the century, many industries shifted away

from work-intensive activities into more high-tech and service industry areas.

Stockholm is located on Sweden’s south-central east coast, where Lake Mälaren meets

the Baltic Sea. The central parts of the city consist of fourteen islands that are continu-

ous with Stockholm archipelago. The geographical city centre is situated on the water,

in the bay Riddarfjärden.

Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways and another 30% is made up of

parks and green spaces; in 2009, Stockholm was awarded title of first European Green

Capital by the European Commission.[11][12]For details about the other municipali-

ties in the metropolitan area, see the pertinent articles. North of Stockholm Munici-

pality: Järfälla, Solna, Täby, Sollentuna, Lidingö, Upplands Väsby, Österåker, Sigtuna,

Sundbyberg, Danderyd, Vallentuna, Ekerö, Upplands-Bro, Vaxholm, and Nor-

rtälje. South of Stockholm: Huddinge, Nacka, Botkyrka, Haninge, Tyresö, Värmdö,

Södertälje, Salem, Nykvarn and Nynäshamn.

GEOGRA-PHY:

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Constitutionally, the 349-member Riksdag (Parliament) holds supreme authority in

modern Sweden. The Riksdag is responsible for choosing the prime minister, who then

appoints the government (the ministers). The legislative power is then shared between

the parliament and the Prime Minister led government. The executive power is exercised

by the government, while the judiciary is independent. Sweden lacks compulsory judi-

cial review, although the non-compulsory review carried out by lagrådet (Law Council)

is mostly respected in technical matters but less so in controversial political matters.

Acts of the parliament and government decrees can be made inapplicable at every level

if they are manifestly against constitutional laws. However, due to the restrictions in this

form of judicial review and a weak judiciary, this has had little practical consequence.

POLITICAL SYSTEM:

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