Sweden

Sweden

Lying between Norway and Finland, Sweden stretches from the Arctic north to the fertile south, where most of its small population lives. Swedens long industrial traditions and a highly skilled workforce have made it one of the worlds most advanced manufactured countries. Like its neighbours, Sweden is a prosperous place, where equal rights for all groups in society is a very important issue. Sweden is bordered by Norway to the north-west and Finland to the north-east.

Ethnicity

There are 10.23 million people living in Sweden

• 81% Swedish
• 2% Syrian
• 1% Finnish
• 1% Iraqi
• 15% Other

Economy

58% of the population are part of the church of Sweden, 34% unaffiliated and 8% other. 61% of the population is between the ages of 15-64. Sweden’s Automobiles, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing machinery, precision instruments, chemical products, home goods, and appliances are among the most important industries. After the United Kingdom and the United States, Sweden is the world’s third largest exporter of music. Sweden became a wealthy country as a result of a combination of a hardworking culture, a prosperous environment with a high degree of confidence, abundant natural resources, good transportation and harbours, a lack of war, and, most importantly, a laissez-faire (leave things to take their own course) economic policy of low taxes and little government intervention (the polar opposite of socialist policies).Sweden’s economy is ranked 21st in the 2021 Index for economic freedom, with a ranking of 74.7.

Food

 Swedish people have very much proven they can make delicious food. 80% of Sweden’s food intake is produced domestically whilst 20% comes from imports. Most dishes have a form of dairy as it has been ingrained in the Swedish culture for century’s. Lingonberries, pickled herring, crispbread and more are some typical household food items that you will find in a Swedes pantry. Yes, the Smörgåsbord did originate in Sweden.

Some dishes to try might be:

– Falukorv (Sausage)

– Palt (Potatoes with fillings)

– Kanelbulle (Cinnamon bun)

– Köttbullar (Swedish meatballs)

– Våfflor (Swedish waffles)

Places

Stockholm is a city made up of 14 islands. It has over 50 bridges, as well as the medieval old town, Gamla Stan, royal palaces, and open-air museums like Skansen. Sweden is an expensive country to travel around. 57% of Sweden is forested and the highest point is Mount Kebne at 2,111 metres above sea level. There are around 100,000 lakes located around Sweden. Public transport is good in Sweden because it is generally on time. 

Some cities to visit in Sweden are:

• Stockholm, the capital of Sweden
• Gothenburg, Canals and seaside air
• Malmö Municipality, Malmöhus Castle and gardens/parks

Some places to visit are:

• Glama Stan, Stockholm
• Drottningholm Palace, Lovö
• Vasa Museum, Stockholm 
• Malmöhus Castle, Malmö
• Skanse, Stockholm

History

There is no doubt that there is more history in Sweden than just Vikings. Vikings lived in Sweden from the 8th century to the 11th century AD. After the vikings came, Sweden became Christianised and started to develop. Around 1150 Sweden ruled what is now known as Finland for almost 700 years, it ended in 1809 when the Finnish war started. Sweden’s Monarchy also started in 1809 and the first elected was Gustav Vasa. Sweden only really started to develop in the 1890’s. Sweden didn’t have a very big involvement in World War 1 or in World War 2. In 1946 Sweden joined the United Nations. Sweden then joined the EU in 1995. 

Published on the 6th of June 2021