STOCICHOLK, the capital of Sweden, is situated at the eastern extremity of the Maelar lake, in 59° 20' n. lat., and 18° e. long. The pop. was in 1877, 163,677. Stockholm, which is one of the most beautiful capitals of Europe, is built partly on the continent, and partly ou nine holms, or islands, lying in the channel through which the Maelar lake discharges its waters into the Baltic, about 36 m. distant. The Helge-aand, Stads, and Riddar holms, which formed the nucleus of the ancient city, founded in 1250 by Birgir Jarl, contains some of the finest public and private buildings, among which we may instance the royal palace, built in 1753, in the Italian style, and situated on a hill, commanding a view of the romantic shores of the lake. Near the palace, which possesses good antiquarian, numismatic, and other collections, a library, gallery of paintings, large gardens. etc., is the colossal statue of Gustavus III., on one of the fine quays which skirt the chief harbor of Stockholm; the cathedral, or St. Nicolai's; the Knights' hall, with the adjoining market, ornamented with the fine statue of Gustavus Vasa, the council-house, the riddarsholm kirke, where all the kings of Sweden since Charles X, have been buried, etc. Among the other public buildings, the most note worthy are the observatory, the church of St. James, the college of ,surgery, and the opera-house, with the neighboring and corresponding palace, in the aristocratic quarter of Norrmalm, which, with the new parade-ground, its public gardens, and its fine wide and even streets, ranks as the handsomest part of the town. The most picturesque of the nine islets orStockholm is the Sodermalm, on whose steep sides the houses, con nected more frequently by steps than roads, rise in terraced rows to the even summit, which is crowned by St. Catherine's church. Numerous public gardens, suunner palaces, and country-houses extend along the n.e. shores of the lake, and on the margins of tLe Ladugaard's holm, the central portions of which present a picturesque blending of rocks, wooded heights, and romantic glens. Omthis side of Stockholm lies the famous
Djurgaard, or zoological gardens, one of the finest public parks in Europe, which occupies a peninsula two m. long, and one m. wide, whose natural beauties have been judiciously aided by art. Stone and wooden bridges connect together the various islands of the town. The streets of the older quarters are narrow, crooked, and ill-paved; but in the better parts of the town there are fine straight streets and capacious squares and open places, with well-built stone houses; while in the suburbs the houses are mostly of wood. Stockholm is the seat of the government, and of the chief courts of law and administration, the residence of the sovereign, and the place of assembly for the legisla tive chambers. It is the center of the literary.and social activity of the country, and has numerous scientific, artistic, educational. and benevolent institutions. In the immediate vicinity of Stockholm are the Karlsberg academy. for naval and military cadets; and the Ulriksdal hospital, for invalided soldiers. No city has more picturesque environs, or more numerous public gardens and walks, than Stockholm; while the many channels and canals connected with its large and commodious harbors facilitate traffic and intercommunication With the Interior, and with foreign ports. Stockholm is the princi pal emporium of Swedish commerce; iron, timber, and deal planks are its main articles of export; but it is also the center of an active trade in the various manufactures of the place—as, for instance, leather, cotton, woolen, and silk fabrics, glass and porcelain, iron and steel goods, steam-engines, etc., which it sends, together with the ordinary colonial and other imports, to all the other towns of Sweden.