Welcome to the Swedish Empire

The Protestant Swedish Empire lies in northern Europe and embraces the Baltic Sea. As a result of the Thirty Years' War, the country has become rich and strong. Its fleets control the Baltic Sea and its armies are famous in northern Europe. However, the huge Russian Empire is close and is reforming at an alarming rate. Furthermore, the Polish want to take revenge for past losses against Sweden. Therefore, the country has many possibilities but also potentially dangerous neighbours which will have to be faced many times before the full Swedish supremacy over the north can be established. While the Swedish haven't founded any colonies overseas yet, their powerful navy would certainly allow them to. However, the right balance between colonizing and defending Sweden's possessions in Europe has to be found.
In order to pay for all of the expensive wars to come, the kingdom might want to establish trade routes. While the country is prospering currently, it lacks the huge populations of nations such as France or Spain. Therefore, utilizing trade and diplomacy is fundamental for the lions of the north. However, some wars will have to be fought sooner or later so Sweden has to prepare its military as well.