Stockholm is the capital and largest city of Sweden. The municipality of Stockholm has a population of 978,770. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. Stockholm is the heart of Swedish commercial and cultural life and a major center for international trade and communications. The city lies on the east coast of Sweden, between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea.
The city
is built on 14 islands and a part of the mainland. About 50 bridges connect these parts of Stockholm. Careful city planning and a magnificent natural setting among heavily wooded hills have made Stockholm one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The contrasts of land and water and of old and new architecture add to its charm.
The heart of Stockholm is Gamla Stan (Old Town). This old section is the site of the huge Royal Palace, which dates from the 1700’s. Sweden’s Parliament building stands near the palace, on its own island. The modern main business and shopping district lies north of Gamla Stan. Most Stockholmers live in large, modern apartment buildings.
Stockholm is the home of Stockholm University and of the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Royal Swedish Opera, the Royal Dramatic Theater, and the National Library of Sweden. It also has many art galleries and museums. Skansen, a popular park, features an amusement park, a zoo, and an open-air museum.
Thousands of islands of various sizes in the sea east of Stockholm form an archipelago. The islands have many cabins and tiny settlements and are popular destinations for recreation and relaxation.
Economy.
Stockholm is Sweden’s economic and administrative center. Most workers have service jobs, and more than a third are employed by the national or local government. Trade, manufacturing, banking, insurance, and commerce also employ many people. The chief industries include publishing and the manufacture of chemicals, machinery, and metal products. Stockholm is Sweden’s second largest port, after Goteborg, and the hub of the nation’s air, highway, and railroad travel. Buses and a subway system serve the city and its suburbs. 
History.
Stockholm probably was founded in the early 1250’s by a Swedish warrior nobleman named Birger Jarl. He built a castle in the area that is now Gamla Stan. Stockholm grew as a trade center, and the city became the capital of Sweden in 1523.
Through the years, Stockholm expanded and prospered. Like other cities, it developed such problems as congestion and urban decay. But a long tradition of sensible city planning has helped Stockholm deal with many of its problems. For example, the city’s population grew rapidly after World War II ended in 1945. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, residential suburbs were built on land purchased by the city as long ago as 1904. Since the mid-1900’s, entire sections of Stockholm have been rebuilt to provide new housing and to replace run-down buildings with new ones. In recent years, efforts have been made to balance the preservation of historic buildings with the development of attractive new ones.
