Swedes (tribe)

The Swedes (Old Norse: Svíar, Old English: Swēon) were a North Germanic tribe who inhabited Svealand in present-day Sweden, and from whom the modern country of Sweden derives its name. They are mentioned in numerous historical sources, including the writings of Tacitus (as Suiones) in the 1st century AD, and in Norse sagas and poems from the Viking Age and later.

The territory of the Swedes, Svealand, was one of the core regions that eventually coalesced to form the Kingdom of Sweden. They are distinct from the Geats (Götar) who inhabited Götaland, another major region in what is now southern Sweden. The process of unifying these two regions into a single kingdom was a gradual one, and its details are debated among historians.

During the Viking Age, the Swedes were active traders and warriors, venturing east across the Baltic Sea and into the river systems of Eastern Europe. They established trade routes and settlements as far south as the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It is generally accepted that these Swedish Vikings, known as Rus', played a significant role in the founding of the East Slavic state of Kievan Rus'.

The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Swedes is evident in the Swedish language and traditions. They are considered to be one of the key ancestral groups of the modern Swedish people.