The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-07-27
Sweden and Norway.

Recent events in the Scandinavian
peninsula lend interest to statistics Just
compiled in the bureau Of statistics Of
the department Of commerce and labor
regarding the population, comparative
resources and industries of Sweden and
Norway. Sweden and Norway have a
combined area of 297, OO6 square miles.
about equal to that of Texas and the
Indian Territory. Their population is
7,4S4,3O1, practically the same as that
of the state Of New York. The area
of Sweden is about 40 per cent more
than that Of Norway, the territorial ex-
tent of the two countries being 172,876
square miles and 124, 100 square miles
respectively.
Notwithstanding less favorable nat
ural conditions, such as the poverty Of
the soil, about IS per cent of which is
unproductive, and a rigorous climate
IN the larger part of the country, also
a relatively larger emigration, the pop
ulation in Norway increases faster
than in Sweden. Thus the population
Of Sweden increased between 1893 and
1908 from 1924, $50 to 1921, 291, or S.2
per cent, while that Of Norway grew
from 1882, 100 to 2,2SS,535, or 1876 per
cent, during the same period During
the decade 1S93-19O2 80 per cent Of the
emigrants from Sweden located in the
United States, and in the same period
81 per cent Of the Norwegian emigrants
steered for this country.
The difference in the Industrial char
acter of the population is shown by the
fact that in Sweden the mainstay Of
the population is still agriculture, with
it's cognate branches, while in Norway
the Importance Of agriculture is about
the same as that Of the fisheries, each
OF which industries, according to Off
cial estimates, furnishes an annual
product Of about $15,OO0,OOO, or about
10 per cent Of the annual national in
come. The average value Of the prin-
cipal cereal productions in Sweden for
the years 1S9S-19O2 is stated at $65, 1885,
600, while the average value Of Nor
wegian cereal crops for 1S96-190O was
estimated at $9,640,OO0 only. This as
well as the relative absence of minerals
Of industrial Importance involves a
much greater dependence on the part
Of Norway upon imported breadstuffs
and raw materials and results as a fur
Their consequence in a tariff policy dis
tinct from that Of the sister nation. The
imports of breadstuffs, including -four,
during the calendar year 1903 into
Sweden amounted in value to $685.
900 and to SIS, 100000 into Norway.
The only common industry Of impor-
lance is numbering. and the forest prod
ucts Of both countries reach the same
foreign markets. The mining and metal
industry is an important source Of ma
tional wealth in Sweden, but has little
Importance in Norway. On the other
hand, Norway's merchant marine is
fourth in size among merchant ma
rines Of the world and has a total ton
mage of 100000 tons against 625,OOO
tons for Sweden. Sweden's annual i'm
ports are nearly double those Of Nor
way, but her purchases from the United
States are only one-fourth greater than
those of her sister country. The Unit
ed States export trade with Sweden
and Norway is over twice as much as
the import trade and increased during
1904 over II per cent. During the same
period the import trade increased 25
per cent.