United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway

United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
Förenade konungarikena Sverige och Norge De forenede Kongeriger Norge og Sverige
Personal union
1814–1905
Union mark & diplomatic flag 1844–1905 Coat of arms
Sweden and Norway in 1905
Capital		& Christiania[a]
Languages		Swedish, Danish, Norwegian,[b]Sami
Religion		Lutheranism
Government		Constitutional monarchies
King
•	1814–1818	Charles XIII/II
•	1818–1844	Charles XIV/III John
•	1844–1859	Oscar I
•	1859–1872	Charles XV/IV
•	1872–1905	Oscar II
Legislature		Legislatures:[d]
•	Swedish legislature	Riksdag
•	Norwegian legislature	Storting
Historical era		19th century
•	Treaty of Kiel	14 January 1814
•	Charles XIII elected king of Norway	4 November 1814
•	Constitution of Norway amended	4 November 1814
•	Monetary union	16 October 1875
•	Norway declares independence	7 June 1905
•	Union dissolved	13 August 1905
•	Oscar II renounces claims to Norway	26 October 1905
Area
•	1905	774,184 km² (298,914 sq mi)
Population
•	1820 est.	3,550,000[c]
•	1905 est.	7,560,000[c]
Currency		Sweden: Riksdaler, (1814–1873) Krona (1873–1905) Norway: Speciedaler, (1814–1875) Krone (1875–1905)
Preceded by Succeeded by Sweden Kingdom of Norway (1814) Sweden Norway
a. ^ The king resided alternately in (mostly) and Christiania (usually some months each year). He received ministers from both countries in Union council, or separately in purely Swedish or Norwegian councils. The majority of the Norwegian cabinet ministers convened in Christiania when the king was absent. b. ^ The written Norwegian language ceased to exist in the first half of the 16th century and was replaced by Danish. Written Danish was still used during the union with Sweden, but was slightly norwegianized in the latter half of the 19th century. In 1885, the Storting accepted Landsmål as an official written language at par with Danish. c. ^ 1820: 2,585,000 in Sweden, and 970,000 in Norway. 1905: 5,260,000 in Sweden, and 2,300,000 in Norway. d. ^ The Swedish Riksdag was a diet composed of four estates until 1866, when it was transformed into a bicameral legislature. The Norwegian Storting was a unicameral legislature, where the cabinet needed support from the majority.

b. ^ The written Norwegian language ceased to exist in the first half of the 16th century and was replaced by Danish. Written Danish was still used during the union with Sweden, but was slightly norwegianized in the latter half of the 19th century. In 1885, the Storting accepted Landsmål as an official written language at par with Danish.
c. ^ 1820: 2,585,000 in Sweden, and 970,000 in Norway.
1905: 5,260,000 in Sweden, and 2,300,000 in Norway.
d. ^ The Swedish Riksdag was a diet composed of four estates until 1866, when it was transformed into a bicameral legislature. The Norwegian Storting was a unicameral legislature, where the cabinet needed support from the majority.

Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway (Swedish: Svensk-norska unionen; Norwegian: Den svensk-norske union), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, or as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Sweden and Norway under a common monarch and common foreign policy that lasted from 1814 until its dissolution in 1905, before Sweden accepted Norway's leaving the union.

The two states kept separate constitutions, laws, legislatures, administrations, state churches, armed forces, and currencies; the kings mostly resided in , where foreign diplomatic representations were located. The Norwegian government was presided over by viceroys: Swedes until 1829, Norwegians until 1856. That office was later vacant and then abolished in 1873. Foreign policy was conducted through the Swedish foreign ministry until the dissolution of the union in 1905.