STOCKHOLM, the capital of Sweden, is situated in 20' N. lat., 18° E. long., on the channel by which the Millar Lake discharges its waters into the Baltic, about 36 miles from the sea by the wiudings of the channel, but not more than 24 miles in a straight line. The channel is interspersed with numerous rocky islands.
The city of Stockholm is built partly on the continent and partly on nine islands formed by the above-mentioned channel : the islands are called holmen. The Staden Island, or Stockholm, occupies the centre of the town, and contains several fine public and private buildings. The royal palace, an edifice of great architectural merit, completed in 1753, stands on an eminence, and has attached to it a large garden. It contains a library and collections of paintings, coins, and antiquities. Near the palace is the colossal statue of Gustavus III., of bronze; and in its vicinity, along the eastern shore of the island, is the proper harbour of the town, in which the largest vessels find excellent anchorage. The Staden contains also the cathedral, or St. Nicolai church, in which the kings of Sweden are now crowned ; sod the Iliddarhue, or ball of assembly of the nobles, in front of which is a statue of Gustavus Vasa, of bronze. From the Staden a stone bridge leads to the Riddarholmen, which is much smaller than Stockholmen, but which contains the old palace and the old church of Riddarholmen, in which the kings and distinguished persona born in Sweden are buried, and about 5000 flags are hung up, the trophies of the Swedes in their numerous wars. In this church are the remains of Gustavus Adolphus. Riddarholmeu Island contains several other public buildings.
Sider Maim, or the southern division of Stockholm, is built on the island of the same name, which is about 3 miles long and nearly 2 miles across in the widest part ; it is joined to Stockholmen by a long bridge of boats, and provided with a large lock on account of the great rapidity with which Lake birder sometimes discharges its waters. In the Seder Maim is the great depot Of iron. The most remarkable of the buildings are the town-hall, the Danviken, or Great Hospital, and the Maria Magdalene and the St. Catharine church. The island of Lang Mohnen, which is farther west, and is united to the Stider Malm by a bridge, contains the houses of correction ; and on Raising Holmen, which likewise is joined to Soder Maim by a bridge, there is a park.
The Norr Maim, or northern division of the town, is on a gentle slope, which gradually rises about 200 feet above the sea-leveL It is much better built than the Soder Mahn, and has several fine squares and streets. A well-built bridge connects it with Stoekbolrnen. On the finest of the squares, called that of Gustavus Adolphus, is the bronze equestrian statue of that great king. Near the squares is the king's garden, which is used as a public promenade. Among the churches of this part of Stockholm, that of Adolphus Frederick is distinguished by its beauty. The observatory is well provided with astronomical instruments and a library ; there is also a botanical garden. The island of Knogsholmen, which lies west of Norr Maim, is joined to it by two bridges. the great iron-foundry estab lished by an Englishman, Mr. Owen ; a large hospital, the Bible
printing-office, and the royal cannon-foundry of Marieberg. Contigu ous to the Norr Malm on the east. is Ladugords Giirdet, part of which has been built upon, whilst another part has been converted into a royal park, called Humblegord (lion-garden), to which the public has access. The island of Blasii Holmen has been converted into a peninsula by filling up the narrow channel which divided it from the continent, and now constitutes a portion of Norr Maim. It contains some fine buildings. Kastellhol mon, a very elevated island, Is planted with fine trees; a castle is built here for the defence of the entrance of the harbour.
Stockholm is distinguished for the beauty of its environs. This arises in part from the diversified channels which separate the islands on which the city is built, and the picturesque variety of the channel banks. Country-houses are dispersal over the hills surrounding the town ; bnt the chief place of holiday resort is the zoological garden, which lice eastward of the town. It occupies a peninsula two miles long and about one mile wide. Within the zoological garden is the royal country-seat of Johansdal, formerly called Itosendal, which is surrounded by a large park. The most distinguished of the royal country-houses lie to the west of the town, on islands in the Lake of 31alarti; they are Gripeholm, Drottningholm, and Savartajo.
Stockholm is the seat of the government, and the place where the legislative bodice generally meet. It contains the offices of the branches of administration and the superior courts of justice. Besides the Royal Society of Sciences of Stockholm, which has greatly con tributed to the advancement of natural philosophy, chemistry, and natural history, there are a royal academy of literature, history, and antiquities; the Swedish academy, whose object is to promote the cultivation of the native language; an academy of military sciences; an academy of liberal arts; a musical academy ; an academy of agriculture, and numerous scientific, literary, and benevolent Institu tions. The institutions for education are also numerous.
The population of Stockholm in 1844 was 84,161; in 1850 it was 93,070. Stockholm is the most industrious and commercial town of Sweden. There are manufactures of cloth, cotton, calico, silk, ribands, sugar, tobacco, leather, cast-iron, and soap. Large quantities of foreign, and especially English, manufactures are annually imported. Nearly the whole of the superfluous produce of the countrica north and west of Stockholm is brought here, to be exported to foreign countries. It is mostly shipped in Swedish vessels. The most import ant article of export is iron. Timber, boards, tar, pitch, copper, cobalt, ready-built vessels, steel, bricks, and a few manufactured articles are exported. An active commerce is carried on with England, the United States of North America, Denmark, France, Prussia, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Italy. The most important articles of import are sugar, coffee, woollen manufactured goods, cotton, silk, linens, china and crockery, cheese, hides and skins, tallow and candles, dyeing-woods, raisins, tea, butter, wool, and spirits.