Sweden is situated in northern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat and Skagerrak between Finland and Norway. It has an area of 449,964 square kilometres. Its capital city is Stockholm.

Sweden had a population of 8,911,296 in July 1999 and a growth rate of 0.29%. The main language is Swedish with a small Lapp and Finnish speaking minority. The main religion is Evangelical Lutheran.

The country has a temperate climate in the south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers. The north is sub arctic. The terrain is mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands. 68% of the land is used as forest and woodlands.

Sweden gained independence in 1523 and a constitutional monarchy was established in 1809. Members of parliament or the Riksdagare are appointed by popular vote based on proportional representation.

The Swedish economy is based heavily towards foreign trade relying on timber, hydropower and iron ore. Privately owned firms account for over 90% of industrial output. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP. The labour force amounted to 4.552 million consists of 38.2% in social and personal services, 21.2% in manufacturing and mining and 14.1% in commerce. The currency of Sweden is the Euro.

Franchising has grown substantially over the last 15 years.

The Swedish Association of Franchisors is a member of the European Franchise Federation.

There is no specific franchise law in Sweden.