Stockholm - Mälarregion

Inhabitants: 2,7 million

Km²: 2 843 km2 (5,7 % of the Swedish areal)

Economy - The economy in the Stockholm Region is based on knowledge and contact-intensive activities. In the last decades it has become leading in areas such as information technology, medical industry, biotechnology, banking and other financial institutions. Furthermore, the Stockholm Region has strong economic clusters in other sectors such as health care, art and culture, management, logistic and engineering.

The presence of international corporations in the Stockholm Region has a long tradition; this is due to the opportunity to combine innovation with capital within a metropolitan area, to the closeness to political and administrative functions and to the good cooperation between public production, research and development.

It is due to these corporations that the Stockholm Region has achieved a high internationalization of its economy and the development of advanced company services. Companies belonging to the New Economy such as IT-consultants, financial services, technical consulting, marketing, biotechnology or media companies constitutes a dynamic part of today's economy in the region.

Especially in the IT and telecommunication sector the Stockholm Region has a leading position in Europe. This sector has largely contributed to the internationalization of the economy in the region and furthermore to make it become one of the world's most innovative metropolitan areas.

Despite its small population and large area, as well as 750-year history, Sweden is a technologically advanced country with good infrastructure, including an efficient transportation and communications system. Swedes have the longest life expectancy, in fact the third highest average life expectancy in the World following Japan and Iceland.

During the 1990s there was an increase of immigration to The Stockholm Region from Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. These countries now represent 6% of all direct immigration. Immigration from Russia seems to be continuing, whilst immigration from other Baltic States appears to be slowing down.

As concerning the data for the year 2000, fewer than 18 000 persons living in Stockholm Region were born in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. There are just over 2000 persons living in the Region who were born in Russia.

It is important node in the various transport networks that dissect the area it is a "market place" and it is the centre of Swedish political power. In these times of transition, when industrial society is rapidly transforming into the knowledge society this region is the preferred location for advanced service companies and high-tech industry. In many respect as it is located at the centre of the evolving Baltic region, Stockholm fulfils these functions also on both a Nordic and a Baltic scale.

Despite its small population and large area, as well as 750-year history, Sweden is a technologically advanced country with good infrastructure, including an efficient transportation and communications system.

Culture & Tourism - Stockholm City has a varied range of cultural activities, with numerous institutions and independent art groups. These include many theatres, dance and music groups that have chosen to work in the city. Of Sweden's roughly 15000 artists and performers with higher education in the various arts spheres, some 50% live in Stockholm County.

The cultural sector makes up a significant share of the labor market in Stockholm. At present, more than 30 000 people are employed in the city's cultural sector, with more than 9000 in other parts of the county. The proportion of self-employed in the sector is high: at more than 8000 of just over 10000 workplaces, sole proprietorships are registered. Since 1997 the number of workplaces has almost doubled and the proportion of sole proprietors has more than doubled. The number of cultural workers has risen by nearly 9000 during the same period.

Museums

There are about 70 museums in Stockholm - for this reason, it has achieved the name of "city of museums". The range is from large and well known museums such as the National Museum of fine arts, the Vasa Ship Museum, the Swedish Museum of Natural History to small but interesting ones like the Postal museum, the Museum of the History of Wine and Spirits and many others.

Theatres
Figurative art is an important sector in Stockholm's cultural life.

Dramaten is one of the biggest theatres in Sweden; the Drottningholm Court theatre is situated at the Drottningholm Palace; Stadsteatern is the City theatre and Södra Teatern is a picturesque theatre on the Southern Island of Stockholm.

Dramaten www.dramaten.se
Drottningholms Court theatre www.drottningholmsslottsteater.dtm.se
Stadsteatern www.stadsteatern.stockholm.se
Södra teatern www.sodrateatern.com
The Royal Swedish Opera www.operan.se

Stockholm has also other theatres emphasising on dance, music and shows.

The Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm is a wellknown operahouse in Sweden with a vast programmes of operas and ballets.