following table shows the distribution of population in that year through the län or administrative districts. The first column shows the older divisions of the county into provinces, the names and boundaries of which differ in many cases from the län. These names, as appears elsewhere in this article, remain in common use. The distribution of provinces and län between the three main territorial divisions, Norrland (northern), Svealand (central) and Götaland (southern) is also indicated.
| Old Provinces. | Län. | Area sq. m. |
Pop. 1900. | |||||||
| Norrland— | ||||||||||
| Lappland, Norrbotten | Norrbotten | 40,867 | 134,769 | |||||||
| Lappland, Vesterbotten | Vesterbotten | 22,771 | 143,735 | |||||||
| Ångermanland, Medelpad | Vesternorrland | 9,855 | 232,311 | |||||||
| Jemtland, Herjedal | Jemtland | 19,675 | 111,391 | |||||||
| Helsingland, Gestrikland | Gefleborg | 7,615 | 238,048 | |||||||
| Svealand— | ||||||||||
| Dalarne (Dalecarlia) | Kopparberg | 11,524 | 217,708 | |||||||
| Vermland | Vermland | 7,459 | 254,284 | |||||||
|
Örebro | 3,511 | 194,924 | |||||||
| Vestmanland | 2,612 | 148,271 | ||||||||
| Södermanland | 2,631 | 167,428 | ||||||||
| Upsala | 2,051 | 123,863 | ||||||||
| Stockholm dist. | 3,015 | 172,852 | ||||||||
| Stockholm, city | 13 | 300,624 | ||||||||
| Götaland— | ||||||||||
|
Östergötland | 4,264 | 279,449 | |||||||
| Skaraborg | 3,273 | 241,069 | ||||||||
| Elfsborg | 4,912 | 279,514 | ||||||||
| Göteborg och Bohus | 1,948 | 337,175 | ||||||||
| Halland | Halland | 1,900 | 141,688 | |||||||
|
Jönköping | 4,447 | 203,036 | |||||||
| Kronoberg | 3,825 | 159,124 | ||||||||
| Kalmar | 4,456 | 227,625 | ||||||||
| Blekinge | Blekinge | 1,164 | 146,302 | |||||||
|
Kristianstad | 2,488 | 219,166 | |||||||
| Malmöhus | 1,864 | 409,304 | ||||||||
| Gotland | Gotland[1] | 1,219 | 52,781 | |||||||
| Öland[2] | — | — | — | |||||||
| Total | 172,875[3] | 5,136,441 |
The population in 1908 was about 5,429,600. In 1751 it was 1,802,373, and in 1865, 4,114,141. The average annual increase was 7.86 per thousand in the 19th century, reaching a maximum of 10.39 in 1841–1860, before the period of extensive emigration set in. Emigrants numbered 584,259 men and 424,566 women between 1851 and 1900, these figures helping to account for the considerable excess of women over men in the resident population, which in 1900 was as 1049 to 1000. The periods of greatest emigration were 1868–1873 and 1879–1893; the decline in later years is regarded as a favourable sign. The United States of America receive a large majority of the emigrants, and only a very small percentage returns. The Swedish people belong to the Scandinavian branch, but the population includes in the north about 20,000 Finns and 7000 Lapps. Other foreigners, however, are few, and the population is as a whole homogeneous. Immigrants in the period 1851–1900 numbered only 165,357.
Population is naturally denser in the south than in the north, and densest of all in the districts along the southern coasts; thus Malmöhus Län has about 220 persons per sq. m., Göteborg och Bohus Län 174 and Blekinge 127. In Norrland as a whole, however, there are less than 9 persons per sq. m., in Norrbottens Län less than 4, and in the uplands of this division and Vesterbottens Län much less than this. However, the annual increase per thousand has been greater in Norrland than elsewhere. The annual excess of births over deaths is high, the proportion being as 1.68 to 1. The birth-rate between 1876 and 1900 averaged 28.51 per thousand; the death-rate between 1891 and 1900 was 16.36 per thousand, the lowest ever recorded over such a period for any European country. The lowest mortality is found in the districts about Lakes Vener and Vetter; the highest in Norbotten, the east midland districts, Skåne, and Göteborg och Bohus Län.
The percentage of illegitimacy is rather high (though it decreased during the second half of the nineteenth century); one cause of this may be found in the fact that the percentage of married persons is lower than in most European countries. As regards social evils generally, however, the low, though undoubtedly improving, standard of Sweden has had one of its chief reasons in the national intemperance. In 1775 Gustavus III. made the sale of spirits (brännvin) a government monopoly, and the drinking habit was actually fostered. About 1830 this evil reached its highest development, and it is estimated that nine gallons of spirits were then consumed annually per head of the population. Mainly through the efforts of Peter Wieselgren, dean of Gothenburg (1800–1877), a strong temperance reform movement set in, and in 1855 important liquor laws were passed to restrict both production and sale of intoxicating liquors. The so-called Gothenburg System, providing for municipal control of the sale of intoxicants (see Liquor Laws), came into full operation in Gothenburg in 1865. The temperance movement has had its reward; the average of consumption of beer and spirits in Sweden is considerably lower than in Europe as a whole, though the effect of intoxicants is sometimes very apparent.
A marked difference of temperament is noticeable between the Swedes and Norwegians, the Swedes being the more lighthearted and vivacious. In some of the more remote parts of the country old customs are maintained and picturesque local costumes still worn, as in Dalecarlia (q.v.). The Lapps moreover retain their distinctive dress. In other cases early costumes are preserved only as a historical reminiscence at festivities. Although the characteristic celebrations at weddings or periodical festivals are, as elsewhere, decreasing in favour, there are certain occasions which are observed as holidays with much ceremony. Such are Christmas Day, and, not unnaturally in this northern land, Midsummer (June 23 and 24). The food of the people in the midlands and south is plentiful and good; in the remoter parts of the north an unfavourable summer is followed by a winter of scarcity or even famine; and in these parts meat is little used. Rye is extensively employed in the rural districts for the making of a hard bread in flat cakes (knäckebröd). A prevalent custom among the better classes is that of beginning meals with a selection of such viands as anchovies, smoked salmon or slices of meat, of which a number of small dishes are provided (smörgåsbord). These are taken with bread and butter and a glass of spirits. The more characteristic Swedish sports are naturally those of the winter. These include ski-running (skidlöpning), skating and skate-sailing, tobogganing and sledging. The numerous inland waters and sheltered channels within the skärgård have caused the high development of sailing as a summer sport, the Royal Swedish Yacht Club having its headquarters in Stockholm. Athletic sports are in high favour, especially such winter sports as snow-shoeing (ski), and, among ball games, lawn-tennis, and to some extent football, together with the game of pärk, peculiar to Gotland, are played.
Towns.—In the first half of the 19th century the percentage of urban population remained nearly stationary at a little less than 10. In 1880 it was 15.12, and in 1900 21.49. The towns with a population exceeding 15,000 in 1900 are Stockholm (300,624), Gothenburg (130,609), Malmö (60,857), Norrköping (41,008), Gefle (29,522) Helsingborg (24,670), Karlskrona (23,955), Jönköping (23,143), Upsala (22,855), Örebro (22,013), Lund (16,621), Borås (15,837), Halmstad (15,362).
Swedish towns, though rarely of quite modern foundation, generally appear so, for the use of brick in building is mainly of modern introduction, and is still by no means general, so that the partial or total destruction of a town by fire is now only less common than formerly. The rectangular method of laying out streets is general, and legislation Architecture. has been directed against narrow streets and buildings of excessive height. The common material of the characteristic domestic architecture in rural districts is wood, except in Skåne, where stone is available and has been used from early times. Some of the old wooden farm-buildings, especially in Dalarne, such as are preserved in Skansen Museum at Stockholm, are extremely picturesque. Another notable form in old wooden building is the belfry (klokstapel) of some village churches, examples of which are seen at Habo near Jönköping and Håsjö in Jemtland on the northern railway. In the midlands and south fine castles and manor houses of the 16th and 17th centuries are fairly numerous, and there are a few remains of previous date. The fortified dwelling-house at Glimmingehus in the extreme south near Simrishamn is a good early example. Several of the southern ports have old citadels. That of Kalmar, on its island, is specially fine, while those at Vestervik (Ståkeholm), Malmö, Falkenberg and Varberg may also be mentloned. Among country palaces or mansions that of Gripsholm is notable, overlooking Lake Mälar, the shores of which are specially
