In the 1700s and early 1800s Sweden
fought a number of wars against Russia.
Sweden lost a great deal of land, including
Finland, to Russia. However, Sweden
later joined with Russia and Great
Britain in a war against France. Sweden
also took Norway from Denmark in
1814. Sweden ruled Norway until 1905.
Modern Sweden
In modern times Sweden has worked to
stay neutral—meaning that it does not
take sides in conflicts between other
countries. Sweden did not fight in either
of the world wars of the 20th century.
In the second half of the 20th century
Sweden became one of the richest countries
in Europe. The Swedish people also
paid some of the highest taxes in the
world. The government used the tax
money to provide many social services,
including free education and health
insurance for all Swedes.
In 1975 Sweden took away the last powers
of its king. A prime minister then led
the government. In 1995 Sweden joined
the European Union (EU), a group of
democratic countries. However, in 2003
Sweden voted against using the euro, the
EU’s form of money.
#More to explore
European Union • Stockholm • Vikings
1100s 1397 1523 1611 1814 1905 1975
Sweden
becomes a
united
kingdom.
Sweden,
Denmark, and
Norway form a
union.
Sweden leaves
the union.
Gustav II Adolf
becomes king
of Sweden.
Sweden takes
Norway from
Denmark.
Sweden gives
Norway
independence.
Sweden takes
power away
from its king
through a new
constitution.
T I M E L I N E
214 Sweden BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Sweet Potato
The sweet potato is an important food
source. It is very nutritious and high in
vitamin A. The sweet potato grows in
most warm, moist climates. Its scientific
name is Ipomoea batatas. The sweet
potato is not related to yams or potatoes.
The sweet potato plant is a climbing
vine. Funnel-shaped flowers grow in
clusters on the vines. The flowers are
shaded with pink or rose violet.
The root of the sweet potato plant is the
part that is eaten. Each plant produces 4
to 10 of these roots. They are usually
oval with pointed ends. The skin of a
sweet potato ranges in color from tan to
brown to purplish red. The inside can be
white, orange, or even purple.
People eat sweet potatoes boiled, baked,
or fried. They can be used as a side dish
or as a filling for pies. The leaves of the
sweet potato plant also can be eaten.
Both the root and the vines are used as
food for animals, too.
#More to explore
Potato • Root
Swimming
Swimming is a popular exercise and
sport. As exercise, swimming provides
all-around conditioning for both young
and old. As a sport, swimming includes
races that are held at athletic clubs,
schools, and national and international
competitions. Swimming is a major part
of the Summer Olympic Games.
Swimming moves a person’s body
through water. Unlike many animals,
humans are not able to swim at birth. A
person must learn how to swim. A
beginning swimmer learns how to repeat
a series of arm and leg movements.
These movements are called swimming
strokes.
Swimming Strokes
Swimming strokes provide the power to
move a swimmer through the water.
There are five major swimming strokes:
freestyle (or crawl), breaststroke, butterfly
stroke, backstroke, and sidestroke.
Freestyle swimming is noted for its
speed. A freestyle swimmer’s arms
alternate, or take turns, in creating the
power stroke. In the breaststroke, both
arms perform a power stroke at the same
time. Then both legs perform a power
stroke called the frog kick. In the
butterfly, the arm movements look
something like the flapping of a
butterfly’s wings. The backstroke is
similar to the freestyle. However, it is
performed with the back to the water
instead of face down. In the sidestroke,
the swimmer lies on either side.
Sweet potatoes are not related to potatoes.
They are the large roots of a separate plant.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Swimming 215
Sport Swimming
A swimming contest is called a meet.
Meets are held in large pools marked
with swimming lanes to guide the swimmers.
The most important international
meet occurs every four years at the
Olympic Games.
The four strokes used in the Olympics
and other international competitions are
freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, and
backstroke. There are races for individual
swimmers and for teams of four.
The team events are called relays. In
most races the swimmers use only one
stroke. However, all four strokes are used
in events called medley races. The races
cover distances ranging from 50 to
1,500 meters (164 to 4,921 feet).
Races longer than 1,500 meters are
called long-distance swimming. Longdistance
races usually take place in lakes
or other natural bodies of water.
One of the most famous distance swims
took place in 1875. In that year MatthewWebb
of Great Britain became the
first person to swim across the English
Channel. The channel is the part of the
216 Swimming BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Atlantic Ocean that separates Great Britain
from France. In 1926 Gertrude
Ederle of the United States became the
first woman to swim the channel.
History
The Egyptians practiced swimming as
early as 2500 BC. In ancient Greece and
Rome young males learned to swim as
