Early modern period
Swedish Empire
- Period
- AD 1612 – AD 1814
- Duration
- approx. 202 years
- Greatest extent
- around AD 1632
- Area (max.)
- approx. 1 million km²
Profile
Strength
Small population but the most modern army of its time; the 'Lion of the North'.
Famous figures
- Gustavus Adolphus
- Axel Oxenstierna
- Charles X Gustav
- Charles XII
Wars & battles won
- Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)
- Battle of Narva (1700)
Wars & battles lost
- Battle of Poltava (1709)
- Great Northern War (1700–21)
Languages
- Swedish
- Finnish
Period and duration
Swedish Empire — according to the map data from AD 1612 to AD 1814, roughly 202 years. The dates refer to the time the empire is drawn as its own territory on the world map; historians sometimes date its founding and end differently.
Greatest extent
Swedish Empire — greatest extent around AD 1632: the mapped borders then cover about 1 million km², roughly 0.7% of Earth's land area. The area is calculated from the border lines of the map and is therefore an approximation.
Predecessors and successors
States that ruled the same territory directly before and after:
Before (AD 1611)
After
- Russian Empire
- United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
- German Confederation
Neighbours around AD 1632
The largest states in the region at the same time:
Learn more
- Open the world map in AD 1632 — tap the empire for a detailed description
- Swedish Empire on Wikipedia
- All 371 empires at a glance
Borders and dates: Cliopatria / Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coastlines: Natural Earth. Text: Centaurian.