The mineral products of Sweden, which are extremely rich, include some gold and silver (which, however, do not pay the cost of working), copper in abundance, iron of the finest quality, alum, vitriol, marble, sulphur, lead, plumbago, cobalt, nickel, zinc, and some coal of very inferior quality.
Next to agriculture, mining ,constitutes the most important branch of national indus try. and in some provinces is the principal employment, The Danemora mines, in in Upsala Lan, yield a metal which is capable of being converted into the finest steel, and which is for the most part purchased for the English market. At Gellivare in south Lapland enormous quantities of iron ore of superior quality have recently been extracted from mines, which promise to rival those in Upsala.
Ship-building forms an extensive branch of local industry The merchant-sailing marine numbered in 1874, 4,368 vessels with a tonnage of about 4,10,000; the number of " vessels that cleared the Swedish ports in 1876, was 16,775, with a tonnage of about 2,533,500, of which one-third belonged to Sweden.
Exports and Imports.—The chief articles of export are iron and timber, coppdr, cobalt, alum, hemp, oil, birch-bark, hides, furs, paper, tobacco, home-spun linens, pitch and tar, etc. The Baltic lands, Great Britain, France, Portugal, and the Brazils take the greater part of these articles. The imports include yarn, wool, cotton, leather, coals, salt, machines, manure, textile fabrics, wines, and the ordinary colonial produce. The value of the imports in 1874 was 306,810,000 rixdalers, or about £18,111,670; that of exports, 243,332,000 rixdalers, or about 112,962,914.
In 1858 the decimal was introduced into Sweden, when the standard foot, which was retained, was divided into 10 in. of 10 lines, and the old standard pound made the basis of the hundredweight of 100 pounds. The rixdaler rixmynt = 100 oere, or about ls. 2d., now usually called krona, has been made to supersede the old rixdaler-banco of 150 oere.
Revenue, etc.—The revenue is derived from direct and indirect taxation, state property, railways, customs, etc. The budget for 1877 gave the annual receipts at 78,258,000 rixdalers, or about £4,347,670, and the expenditure at the same figure; of which about 10,000,000 rixdalers were for extraordinary expenses. The frequent sur
plus of expenditure, which is almost invariably due to the prosecution of national and public works, is formally sanctioned by the diet, which annually provides means for covering the deficit by the appropriation of certain state funds for the purpose, and by the levying of a general income-tax. At the end of 1877 the national debt of Sweden was 182,157,84 rixdalers or crowns, nearly four-fifths of which are held by foreigners.
Army, Sacy, etc.—The Swedish army, which is nominally rated at about 150,000 men, has a special and peculiar organization, as it consists, in addition to the vtlrfvade or enlisted troops, of the " indelta," or cantoned militiamen, who are maintained at the cost, and on the property, of the landed proprietors: each estate being mulcted accord ing to its value or extent to maintain one or more men, and provide them with " torps" or cottages, a certain portion of land, and a fixed rate of payment. In return these reserve soldiers, who are for the most part married men, serve the proprietor as field laborers in times of peace, except during the four weeks of each year in which they are called out for drill. In case of war they can be sent with the companies in which they are enrolled into active service, and they are then paid by the crown. The rest of the army is made up of volunteers, who serve for six years, every Swede between the age of 20 and 25 years being, moreover, bound to serve in the bevaring or national guard. In addition to these corps, companies of volunteer free-shooters were created in 1861 for the general defense of the country, and plar:ed under the command of officers appointed by the crown. The fleet consisted in 1878 of 150 vessels (of which 52 were steamers), carrying in all about 400 guns. There are on an average 7,800 men engaged in active service: while in time of war, a coasting merchant fleet of 3,200 vessels can be called into requisition, together with a reserve of 25,000 men. The principal fortresses are Karlssten, Karlskrona, and Vaxholm near Stockholm. The military and other orders are the Seraphim, the Sword, the Northern Star, and the Order of Vasa. The order of Charles XIII. embraces the highest rank of freemasons in Sweden.