Editing Swedish language (section)

===Official status===
[[File:Oikokatu.JPG|thumb|A [[Finnish language|Finnish]]/Swedish street sign in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]]]]
Swedish is the official main language of Sweden.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.sprakforsvaret.se/sf/fileadmin/PDF/spraklagen_200509.pdf|title=Språklagen|date=1 July 2009|work=Språkförsvaret|language=sv|access-date=15 July 2009|archive-date=19 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819232243/http://www.sprakforsvaret.se/sf/fileadmin/PDF/spraklagen_200509.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.thelocal.se/20090701/20404/|title=Swedish becomes official 'main language'|last=Landes|first=David|date=1 July 2009|work=[[The Local]]|publisher=thelocal.se|access-date=15 July 2009|archive-date=10 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210004646/http://www.thelocal.se/20090701/20404|url-status=live}}</ref> Swedish is also one of two official languages of Finland. In Sweden, it has long been used in local and state government, and most of the educational system, but remained only a ''de facto'' primary language with no official status in law until 2009. A bill was proposed in 2005 that would have made Swedish an official language, but failed to pass by the narrowest possible margin (145–147) due to a [[Pair (parliamentary convention)|pairing-off]] failure.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/svenskan-blir-inte-officiellt-sprak|title=Svenskan blir inte officiellt språk|work=[[Sveriges Television]]|date=7 December 2005|access-date=23 June 2006|language=sv|archive-date=17 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023821/http://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/svenskan-blir-inte-officiellt-sprak|url-status=live}}</ref> A proposal for a broader language law, designating Swedish as the main language of the country and bolstering the status of the minority languages, was submitted by an expert committee to the Swedish Ministry of Culture in March 2008. It was subsequently enacted by the [[Riksdag]], and entered into effect on 1 July 2009.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/10016/a/100959|title=Värna språken – förslag till språklag|work=[[Government Offices of Sweden]]|date=18 March 2008|access-date=19 June 2008|language=sv|archive-date=15 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515161922/http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/10016/a/100959|url-status=live}}</ref>

Swedish is the sole official language of [[Åland]] (an [[Autonomous entity|autonomous]] province under the [[sovereignty]] of Finland), where the vast majority of the 26,000 inhabitants speak Swedish as a first language. In Finland as a whole, Swedish is one of the two "national" languages, with the same official status as [[Finnish language|Finnish]] (spoken by the majority) at the state level and an official language in some [[municipalities of Finland|municipalities]].

Swedish is one of the official languages of the [[European Union]], and one of the working languages of the [[Nordic Council]]. Under the [[Nordic Language Convention]], citizens of the [[Nordic countries]] speaking Swedish have the opportunity to use their native language when interacting with official bodies in other Nordic countries without being liable for interpretation or translation costs.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.norden.org/avtal/sprak/sk/sprak_sprak.asp?lang=|title=Konvention mellan Sverige, Danmark, Finland, Island, och Norge om nordiska medborgares rätt att använda sitt eget språk i annat nordiskt land|work=[[Nordic Council]]|date=2 May 2007|access-date=25 April 2007|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418154217/http://www.norden.org/avtal/sprak/sk/sprak_sprak.asp?lang=|archive-date=18 April 2007}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=6777&lang=6|title=20th anniversary of the Nordic Language Convention|work=Nordic news|date=22 February 2007|access-date=25 April 2007|language=sv|archive-date=27 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070227013320/http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=6777&lang=6|url-status=live}}</ref>