2010/01/01 by Müller, Leos
Social Sciences · #18. Jahrhundert #Africa #Afrika #Algeria #Algerien #Arab countries #Entwicklungsland #Europa #Europe #French-speaking Africa #Friedensvertrag #Global Political and Social Dynamics #Handel #Institutionenökonomie #International Development and Aid #Kostenfaktor #Maritime Security and History #Mediterranean region #Mittelmeerraum #Nordafrika #North Africa #Risiko #Schifffahrt #Schweden #Sicherheit #Southeastern Europe #Sweden #Südosteuropa #Transportgewerbe #arabische Länder #commerce #cost factor #developing country #eighteenth century #frankophones Afrika #historical analysis #historische Analyse #human security #institutional economics #international relations #internationale Beziehungen #menschliche Sicherheit #microeconomic factors #national security #nationale Sicherheit #peace treaty #risk #security #shipping #transportation industry #ökonomische Faktoren
paper · pdf · doi:10.12759/hsr.35.2010.4.190-205
openalex publication_date 2010/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In the late eighteenth century, Swedish ships frequently sailed in the Western Mediterranean. They could be found in Marseilles, Livorno, Genoa, Alicante, Sicily, Sardinia, and North Africa, as well as in Cadiz and Lisbon outside the Mediterranean. Indeed, the Mediterranean was an area of great importance for Swedish shipping. How was it possible that Sweden - a small country in northern periphery of Europe - could play such a prominent role in carrying trade in Southern Europe? There are a number of plausible explanations but an especially significant factor was the fact that Sweden had peace treaties with North African states. The treaties improved the security of Swedish-flagged vessels, reducing their protection and operation costs, insurance premiums, etc. It was economically reasonable for foreigners to employ Swedish carriers. The topic of this essay is this connection between the establishment of peace relations between Sweden and North African states and the success of the Swedish carrying business in Southern Europe. The issue is approached from the protection-cost perspective (institutional economics) and related to the different concepts of security: state security, economic security and in a certain sense also human security.