New Sweden

New Sweden (Swedish: Nya Sverige) was a colony of the Swedish Empire between 1638 and 1655 along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a great power, New Sweden was part of the Swedish efforts to colonize the Americas. Settlements were established on both sides of the Delaware River. Fort Christina, located in what is now Wilmington, Delaware, was the first settlement, named after Christina, Queen of Sweden. The settlers were mostly Swedes, Finns, a number of Dutch, and some Germans. New Sweden was conquered by the Dutch Republic in 1655 and incorporated into the Dutch colony of New Netherland.