|
Sweden |
United Arab Emirates |
| Country name |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige etymology: name ultimately derives from the North Germanic Svear tribe, which inhabited central Sweden and is first mentioned in the first centuries A.D. |
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates conventional short form: none local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah local short form: none former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States abbreviation: UAE etymology: self-descriptive country name; the name "Arabia" can be traced back many centuries B.C., the ancient Egyptians referred to the region as "Ar Rabi"; "emirates" derives from "amir" the Arabic word for "commander," "lord," or "prince" |
| Government type |
parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
federation of monarchies |
| Capital |
name: Stockholm geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
name: Abu Dhabi geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions |
21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarna, Gavleborg, Gotland, Halland, Jamtland, Jonkoping, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Norrbotten, Orebro, Ostergotland, Skane, Sodermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Varmland, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland, Vastmanland, Vastra Gotaland |
7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn |
| Independence |
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king of Sweden, marking the abolishment of the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) |
2 December 1971 (from the UK) |
| National holiday |
National Day, 6 June (1983); note - from 1916 to 1982 this date was celebrated as Swedish Flag Day |
Independence Day (National Day), 2 December (1971) |
| Constitution |
history: several previous; latest adopted 1 January 1975 amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires simple majority vote in two consecutive parliamentary terms with an intervening general election; passage also requires approval by simple majority vote in a referendum if Parliament approves a motion for a referendum by one-third of its members; amended several times, last in 2014 (changes to the "Instrument of Government") (2016) |
history: previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996 amendments: proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present, and approval by the Supreme Council president; amended 2009 (2016) |
| Legal system |
civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law |
mixed legal system of Islamic law and civil law |
| International law organization participation |
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Citizenship |
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Sweden; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Sweden and the father unknown dual citizenship recognized: no, unless the other citizenship was acquired involuntarily residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 30 years |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
limited; note - rulers of the seven emirates each select a proportion of voters for the Federal National Council (FNC) that together account for about 12 percent of Emirati citizens |
| Executive branch |
chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977) head of government: Prime Minister Stefan LOFVEN (since 3 October 2014); Deputy Prime Minister Isabella LOVIN (since 25 May 2016) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister |
chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Vice President MUHAMMAD BIN RASHID Al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SAIF bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan, MANSUR bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan (both since 11 May 2009) cabinet: Council of Ministers announced by the prime minister and approved by the president elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by the Federal Supreme Council - composed of the rulers of the 7 emirates - for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held 3 November 2009 (next election NA); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid Al-Nuhayyan reelected president; FSC vote NA note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the 7 emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets 4 times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power |
| Legislative branch |
description: unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; 310 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 39 members in "at-large" seats directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 14 September 2014 (next to be held on or before 9 September 2018) election results: percent of vote by party - SAP 31.0%, M 23.3%, SD 12.9%, MP 6.9%, C 6.1%, V 5.7%, L 5.4%, KD 4.6%, other 4.1%; seats by party - SAP 113, M 84, SD 49, MP 25, C 22, V 21, L 19, KD 16 |
description: unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members indirectly elected by an electoral college whose members are selected by each emirate ruler proportional to its FNC membership, and 20 members appointed by the rulers of the 7 constituent states; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 3 October 2015 (next to be held in 2019); note - the electoral college was expanded from 129,274 electors in the December 2011 election to 224,279 in the October 2015 election; 347 candidates including 78 women ran for 20 contested seats in the 40-member FNC election results: 19 men and 1 woman were elected; seats by emirate - Abu Dhabi 4, Dubai 4, Sharjah 3, Ras al-Khaimah 3, Ajman 2, Fujairah 2, Umm al-Quwain 2; note - only 1 woman (from Ras Al Khaimah) won an FNC seat |
| Judicial branch |
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Sweden (consists of 16 justices including the court chairman); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 18 justices including the court president) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court justices nominated by the Board of Judges, a 9-member nominating body consisting of high-level judges, prosecutors, and members of Parliament; justices appointed by the Government; following a probationary period, justices' appointments are permanent subordinate courts: first instance, appellate, general, and administrative courts; specialized courts that handle cases such as land and environment, immigration, labor, markets, and patents |
highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of the court president and 4 judges; jurisdiction limited to federal cases) judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the federal president following approval by the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative authority consisting of the 7 emirate rulers; judges serve until retirement age or the expiry of their appointment terms subordinate courts: Federal Court of Cassation (determines the constitutionality of laws promulgated at the federal and emirate level; federal level courts of first instance and appeals courts; the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ra's al Khaymah have parallel court systems; the other 4 emirates have incorporated their courts into the federal system; note - the Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts and the Dubai International Financial Center Courts both adjudicate civil and commercial disputes. |
| Political parties and leaders |
Center Party (Centerpartiet) or C [Annie LOOF] Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna) or KD [Ebba Busch THOR] Green Party (Miljopartiet de Grona) or MP [Isabella LOVIN and Gustav FRIDOLIN] Left Party (Vansterpartiet) or V [Jonas SJOSTEDT] Liberal Party (Liberalerna) or L [Jan BJORKLUND] Moderate Party (Moderaterna) or M [Ulf KRISTERSSON] Swedish Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) or SAP [Stefan LOFVEN] Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) or SD [Jimmie AKESSON] |
none; political parties are banned |
| Political pressure groups and leaders |
Confederation of Swedish Enterprise (Svenskt Naringsliv) [Carola LEMNE] Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations or SACO [Goran ARRIUS] Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees or TCO [Eva NORDMARK] Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen) or LO [Karl-Petter THORWALDSSON] other: environmental groups; media |
NA |
| International organization participation |
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
ABEDA, AfDB (nonregional member), AFESD, AMF, BIS, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US |
chief of mission: Ambassador Karin Ulrika OLOFSDOTTER (since 17 September 2017) chancery: The House of Sweden, 2900 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Yusif bin Mana bin Said al-UTAYBA (since 28 July 2008) chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400 FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432 consulate(s) general: Boston, Los Angeles, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US |
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David E. LINDWALL (since 20 January 2017) embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64 |
chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Steven C. BONDY (since 22 March 2018) embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200 FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603 consulate(s) general: Dubai |
| Flag description |
blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the colors reflect those of the Swedish coat of arms - three gold crowns on a blue field |
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side; the flag incorporates all four Pan-Arab colors, which in this case represent fertility (green), neutrality (white), petroleum resources (black), and unity (red); red was the traditional color incorporated into all flags of the emirates before their unification |
| National symbol(s) |
three crowns, lion; national colors: blue, yellow |
golden falcon; national colors: green, white, black, red |
| National anthem |
name: "Du Gamla, Du Fria" (Thou Ancient, Thou Free) lyrics/music: Richard DYBECK/traditional note: in use since 1844; also known as "Sang till Norden" (Song of the North), is based on a Swedish folk tune; it has never been officially adopted by the government; "Kungssangen" (The King's Song) serves as the royal anthem and is played in the presence of the royal family and during certain state ceremonies |
name: "Nashid al-watani al-imarati" (National Anthem of the UAE) lyrics/music: AREF Al Sheikh Abdullah Al Hassan/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB note: music adopted 1971, lyrics adopted 1996; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of Tunisia |
AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham)
AUD (Australian Dollar)
BDT (Bangladeshi Taka)
BRL (Brazilian Real)
CAD (Canadian Dollar)
CHF (Swiss Franc)
CNY (Chinese Yuan(CNY/RMB))
COP (Colombian Peso)
EGP (Egyptian Pound)
EUR (EURO)
GBP (British Pound)
HKD (Hong Kong Dollar)
INR (Indian Rupee)
JMD (Jamaican Dollar)
JPY (Japanese Yen(JPY))
LKR (Sri Lankan Rupee)
MYR (Malaysian Ringgit)
NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
PESO (Mexican Peso(MXN))
PHP (Philippine peso)
PKR (Pakistani Rupee)
PLN (Poland złoty)
RUB (Russian Ruble)
SEK (Swedish Krona)
SGD (Singapore Dollar)
THB (Thai Baht)
TRY (Turkish lira)
USD (United States Dollar)
ZAR (South African Rand)