The flag of Sweden is raised at NATO headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia on March 11, 2024. Sweden set aside decades of post-World War II neutrality when it formally joined NATO on March 7.

To understand, it's enough to just look at a map. Sweden is the fifth-largest country in Europe -- bigger than Germany -- stretching 1,600 kilometers north to south and with a coastline twice as long.

2 An empty flagpole in the court of honor at NATO's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. An official ceremony that will add Sweden's flag to NATO's current 31-country lineup is due to take place at ...

With Finland and Sweden in NATO, the alliance extends along all Finland’s 830-mile land border with Russia—and also nearly encircles the Baltic Sea. The latter is key.

Sweden has enjoyed a 200-year era of neutrality and nonalignment. But when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership.

Sweden outperforms in tech, has a roster of $1 billion-plus start-ups and could be a model as the European Union refigures its growth policies.