Sweden

Stockholm is Sweden’s capital and largest city, home to the Riksdag (parliament) and the Royal Palace. Founded in the 13th century, it spans 14 islands where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, and it hosts the Nobel Prize ceremonies (except the Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo). Its political, cultural, and economic centrality makes it the clear capital. By contrast, Göteborg (Gothenburg) is the major west-coast port, Malmö anchors the south near the Øresund Bridge to Denmark, and Uppsala is a historic university and ecclesiastical center. Memory tip: Stock the crown and laws in Stockholm—the place where Sweden keeps its “stock” of power.