Wikipedia - Shortwave radio operates between the frequencies of 2,310 kHz and 30 MHz (30,000 kHz) ^[1] and came to be referred to as such in the early days of radio because the wavelengths associated with this frequency range were shorter than those commonly in use at that time. An alternate name is HF or high frequency radio. Short wavelengths are associated with high frequencies because there is an inverse relationship between frequency and wavelength

Here is the Band Plan for shortwave .5 to 30 Mhz at bottom of page AM radio & CB too
The whole FCC Band plan from DC to Sun light .5 to 10 gig

2.310 - NORTHERN TERRITORY SHORTWAVE SERVICE (Alice Springs,Australia) 
2.325 - U.K & (Tennant Creek,Australia) 
2.340 - FUJIAN PEOPLE'S BROADCASTING STATION (Fuzhou,China) 
2.360 - RADIO MAJA (Barillas,Brazil) 
2.380 - RADIO ECUADORA (Limeira,Brazil) 
2.390 - WWCR (Nashville,USA) Night + (Santiago Atitlan,Guatemala) & (Huayacocotla,Mexico) 
2.410 - RADIO ENGA (Wabag,Papua New Guinea) 
2.415 - West Indys & (Wenzhou,China) 
2.420 - RADIO SAO CARLOS (Sao Carlos,Brazil) 
2.460 - RADIO ALVORADA (Rio Blanco,Brazil) 
2.485 - NORTHERN TERRITORY SHORTWAVE SERVICE (Katherine,Australia) 
2.490 - RADIO OITO DE SETEMBRO (Descavalo,Brazil) + RRI (Udung Padang, Indonesia) 
2.775 - West Indys & WHRI
2.865 - WHRI
3.210 - WWCR  Night
3.215 - WWCR   Night
3.315 - WWCR  Night
3.670 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
4.445 - National Guard (nights) 
4.520 - National Guard (nights) 
4.590 - Air Force calling frequency (nights) 
5.000 - Time
5.035 - Australian Forces - command & control
5.050 - Voice of Free China
5.070 - WWCR  Night
5.170 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
5.297 - NORAD
5.305 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
5.350 - Canadian Forces - command & control
5.745 - WHRI www.forthepeople.org - Radio Free America
5.755 - WHRI & Federal Agencies - command & control net (nights) 
5.760 - WHRI
5.810 - WWCR World Wide Christian Radio
5.820 - Pirate Radio Alfa lima
5.825 - WEWN Church, s9+20 SIO 555 0830
5.850 - Christian Si Monitor
5.890 - WWCR World Wide Christian Radio
5.935 - WWCR Nashville, Tenn. USA
5.945 - China
5.950 - WYFR
5.960 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
5.970 - Radio Taipei via California 5.970 BBC World Service
5.975 - BBC World Service & Voice Of America
5.985 - WYFR
5.990 - WWCR World Wide Christian Radio
6.000 - Radio Havana Cuba (Banned?)
6.040 - WHRI  Night
6.060 - Italy RAI to Mideast Un-ID (R Nacional, Argentina?)
6.085 - Germany Bayerischer Rundfunk in GG
6.090 - (Radio Sweden) - Voice Of America - (Canal Africa)
6.100 - RNZI
6.200 - BBC World Service - Radio Prague & Voice of the U.N
6.215 - Maritime (ship) distress channel 
6.870 - F.A.A. command & control (nights) 
6.910 - National Guard (evenings) 
7.145 - Ukraine
7.315 - WHRI  Night
7.355 - WRNO  Night
7.385 - WRMI  Night RFPI & Voice of the U.N
7.410 - Pirate (WHDA) We Hate Dead Air / Voice of Tomorrow
7.415 - WBCQ  Night
7.425 - WEWN Birmingham Al, mostly religious\talk shows\ham and shortwave DX\patriot and militia's
7.435 - WWCR, WHRA - night
7.510 - For The People K-TBN
7.535 - WRNO Christian Science Monitor
7.580 - WHRA  Night
7.695 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
7.800 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
7.820 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
9.335 - WBCQ Day
9.370 - The Shortwave pirates group FBN
9.400 - KKCM religious\talk shows\ham and shortwave DX\patriot and militia's
9.455 - BBC World Service & Voice Of America
9.475 - WWCR Day
9.495 - WHRI Day
9.500 - International Broadcast
9.520 - Radio Vietnam
9.635 - Christian Voice shortwave radio - Zambia and Australia
9.640 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
9.655 - Radio Sweden, Radio Austria International, ANARC
9.690 - Voice Of Russia World Service + Radio China
9.740 - Radio MOSCOW + BBC World Servic + Western Australia
9.745 - HCJB Day Voice of Eq
9.755 - CBC Radio Canada RCI http://www.cbc.ca/onair/
9.760 - VOICE of AMERICA
9.815 - BBC World Service - European Christian Radio
9.820 - Radio For Peace International Costa Rica, Radio Havana Cuba
9.910 - Swiss Radio International, MANDARIN, transmitter in Sudan
9.930 - KWHR Day WVAJ
9.945 - Religious\talk shows\ham and shortwave DX\patriot and militia's
9.955 - WRMI Day religious\talk shows\ham and shortwave DX\patriot and militia's
9.975 - WEWN. Birmingham, AL, + KVOH--Voice of Hope. from Simi Valley
9.985 - Russian Radio - Deutsche Welle radio: Russian Service
11.045 - Federal Agencies - command & control net (days) 
11.565 - KWHR Day
11.725 - Canada, WORLD OF RADIO
11.775 - Christian Voice shortwave radio stations in Zambia News and info
11.790 - Satellite-Transponders - Frequency nearby the former CNN tp: WINB
11.870 - Radio Yugoslavia
11.900 - shows a "Teracom - Svensk Rundradio RNZI
11.950 - WINB Day
12.130 - BBC World service - REPUBLIC, CHAD. Burkina Faso - MediaScan  / Sweden
12.160 - WWCR, WINB - night
12.290 - Maritime (ship) distress channel 
13.570 - WINB Day
13.670 - Canada, Korea, Jordan, Mandarin
13.760 - WHRI Day
13.775 - SBO KOREAN + FMO Dominican Republic
13.845 - WWCR Day
13.910 - Federal guard frequency (contacts initiated here. Channel monitored constantly) 
15.000 - Time Standard
15.025 - CanForce channel 
15.100 - through 15.600 mostly English
15.105 - WHRI Day
15.415 - Radio Australia, WRNO
15.420 - WRNO Day
15.575 - KCNA-North Korea,  TASS-USSR - BBC VoA
15.685 - WWCR Day
15.725 - WRMI Day
15.850 - KCNA-North Korea,  TASS-USSR - BBC WS & Voice of the U.N
17.510 - KWHR Day
17.650 - WHRI Day
17.780 - KWHR Day
5.855 - (Pirate) Radio Bob
6.915 - (Pirate) Radio Dublin
6.955 - (Pirate) Anarchy One
6.965 - (Pirate) Black Rider
7.375 - (Pirate) Radio Marabu
7.385 - (Pirate) WREC
15.675 - (Pirate) Radio Albatross International
5.135 - Operation S.e.c.u.r.e St. Emr. using radio effect Dps. dept Pub Safe
5.140 - Operation S.e.c.u.r.e St. Emr. using radio effect Dps. dept Pub Safe
7.935 - Operation S.e.c.u.r.e St. Emr. using radio effect Dps. dept Pub Safe

Good sometimes in some states?
7.165 - BBC
7.180 - 
7.295 - 
8.740 - BBC / USSR
8.905 - CBC Canada
9.535 - 
9.515 - BBC
9.590 - BBC
9.600 - 
9.620 - BBC
9.800 - CBC / BBC
3.215 - 
4.930 - 
5.075 - BBC
5.150 - 
5.265 - Radio Netherlands
5.285 - BBC
5.995 - Radio Australia
10.830 - Religious\talk shows\ham and shortwave DX\patriot and militia's
10.850 - BBC
11.735 - RNZI
11.750 - 
14.297 - Tesla Net
15.540 - 
15.575 - VoA
15.590 - TBN

In the U.S. and Canada, no license is required to own or operate a shortwave receiver. The privilege of operating a shortwave radio transmitter, for non-commercial two way communications known as amateur radio, is granted through a licensing process by the authorized ITU government body. In the USA, this licensing agency is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In Canada, this licensing agency is Industry Canada. In February 1990, the FCC removed the morse code proficiency requirement for the Technician class amateur radio license, which allows one to transmit on frequencies above 30 MHz. Technician licensees who passed a 5 word per minute morse code test were allowed limited HF privileges, similar to those of Novice licensees. This has made it easier for beginners to get involved in the hobby; however, a working knowledge of Morse code is required to operate on shortwave bands.

Amateur radio operators have made numerous technical advancements in the field of radio and make themselves available to transmit emergency communications when normal communications channels fail. Some amateurs practice operating off the power grid so as to be prepared for power loss. It should be noted that many amateur radio operators started out as Shortwave Listeners (SWLs) and actively encourage SWLs to become amateur radio operators.

The 2003 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) removed the global requirement for Morse code proficiency needed to access most shortwave frequencies for the amateur radio service, but left the decision to each administrative body (e.g. Federal Communications Commission in the United States; Industry Canada in Canada). 20 countries (largely Western Europe, Canada & Australia) have phased out this requirement from their licenses and giving access to operators who previously couldn't operate in HF. On the other hand, this trend is not global. Over 200 countries (e.g. Russia, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, South America & Asia) have decided to keep the Morse Code requirement for the foreseeable future. In July 2005, the Federal Communications Commission recommended the removal of the Morse Code requirement for amateur radio licenses the United States, as part of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WT Docketm ARRL for widespread changes in the Amateur Radio Service rules were received and considered by the FCC. These proposals had attracted 6200 comments from the Amateur Radio Service community. It is not clear when the FCC will act on this.[2] 05-235. This docket was released after 18 proposals, including one from the

Many hobbyists listen to shortwave broadcasters without operating transmitters. In some cases, the goal is to hear as many stations from as many countries as possible (DXing); others listen to specialized shortwave utility, or "ute", transmissions such as maritime, naval, aviation, or military signals. Others focus on intelligence signals. Many though tune the shortwave bands for the programmers of stations broadcasting to a general audience (such as the Voice of America, BBC World Service, Radio Australia, etc.). Some even listen to two way communications by amateur radio operators. Nowadays, as the Internet evolves, the hobbyist can listen to shortwave signals via remotely controlled shortwave receivers around the world, even without owning a shortwave radio. (See for example http://www.dxtuners.com) Alternatively, many international broadcasters (such as the BBC) offer live streaming audio on their websites.

Shortwave listeners, or SWLs, can obtain QSL cards from broadcasters, utility stations or amateur radio operators as trophies of the hobby. Some stations even give out special certificates, pennants, stickers and other tokens and promotional materials to shortwave listeners.

Numbers stations are shortwave radio stations of uncertain origin that broadcast streams of numbers, words, or phonetic sounds. Although officially there is no indication of their origin, radio hobbyists have determined that many of them are used by intelligence services as one-way communication to agents in other countries. From 1976 to 1989, the Russian Woodpecker blotted out countless shortwave broadcasts daily; at first it was thought to be a secret submarine communication system, but it was quickly found to be an early-warning over the horizon radar system.

The development of direct broadcasts from satellites has reduced the demand for shortwave receivers, but there are still a great number of shortwave broadcasters. A new digital radio Digital Radio Mondiale, is expected to improve the quality of shortwave audio from very poor to standards comparable to the FM broadcast band. The future of shortwave radio is threatened by the uprise of power line communication (PLC), also known as Broadband over Power Lines (BPL), where a data stream is transmitted over unshielded power lines. As the frequencies used overlap with shortwave bands, severe distortions make listening to shortwave radio near power lines difficult or impossible. technology,

Some musicians have been attracted to the unique aural qualities of shortwave radio, employing shortwave radios as live instruments in a number of pieces, and or using sampled broadcasts, used tape loops of broadcasts, or drawn inspiration from the unusual sounds on some frequencies.

John Cage used radios live on several occasions, while Karlheinz Stockhausen used shortwave radio in works including Telemusik (1966), Hymnen (1966-67) and SpiralHolger Czukay, a Stockhauzen student, was one of the first to use shortwave in a rock music context. (1968).

Among others, John Duncan, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (on their Dazzle ShipsPat Metheny, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, John Duncan, Rush, Able Tasmans, Meat Beat Manifesto, Daybrokenroses, Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, and Wilco have also used or been inspired by shortwave broadcasts. album).