Sweden is a Scandinavian country along with Norway and Denmark.
Sweden is in northern Europe and is included in the category of Nordic countries. The official name of this interesting country is the Kingdom of Sweden.
The Swedish government has a parliamentary democratic structure with a constitutional monarchy. Sweden is famous as the fifth largest country in Europe.
Although Sweden is part of the European Union, the currency of Sweden is not euro but a Swedish krona. Moreover, the Swedish passport is considered to be one of the best passports in the world, with access to 191 countries in total and access to about 124 countries without a visa.
Sweden was earlier part of the Kalmar Union along with Norway and Denmark. During this era, Eric of Pomerania took over after his grandaunt Margaret I and became King Eric III of Sweden.
He remains one of the most popular Swedish kings to date. During his reign, a lot of trouble brewed due to his inadequate kingship.
A war that had been ongoing since Margaret I's reign and was almost won was actually lost due to king Eric, and along with that, large parts of the kingdom were lost too. He ran away to Gotland when the Danish nobility declared that it would not ratify his successor.
He took control of the Visborg Castle, however, he was finally deposed completely, after which he became a pirate in the Baltic Sea. With his new occupation, he took revenge on the Hanseatic merchants by looting them.
An interesting fact about Sweden is that the people of Sweden have a right known as the 'Right to Roam'. As the name of the right suggests, the people of Sweden have the freedom to access public as well as private land that is not used for farming or is a private garden.
The right also allows them to camp out anywhere or pick mushrooms, flowers, and berries.
Sweden has many more interesting facts. Read on to find more amazing facts about Sweden. If you find this fun facts article interesting, you might also enjoy learning these Beijing facts and Cambodia facts here at Kidadl.
Largest Cities In Sweden
Interesting facts about Sweden include the cities that make the country what it is today.
Sweden holds the sixth position in being the oldest country in Europe. The country is also the fifth largest country in Europe. You might be wondering which cities are the largest? Well, the answer to that is below.
The city of Stockholm is the Swedish capital. It is the largest Swedish city in terms of population.
The capital city of Stockholm covers 14 islands on Sweden's southeast coast. Stockholm is considered to be a global city, and along with being the national capital of Sweden, it is also known as the political, cultural, media, and economic capital of the country too.
The city accounts for the country's one-third GDP, but it is also one of the highest-ranking European cities in terms of GDP per capita. The official residence of the monarch of Sweden, known as Stockholm Palace, is based in Stockholm.
The government headquarters of Sweden is also based in Stockholm. The city of Stockholm also hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies.
The second biggest city of Sweden in terms of its population is Gothenburg. This city is situated on the west coast of the country along the Kattegat Strait.
The city of Gothenburg was founded by a Swedish king called King Gustavus Adolphus in 1621. The largest Scandinavian film festival, the Gothenburg Film Festival, is held in the city every year in the month of January. This festival gathers more than 155,000 visitors every year.
Another large city of Sweden is Malmo which is considered to be the third biggest city in the country. Apart from this, Malmo is also the sixth biggest city across all the Nordic countries.
The city of Malmo is a cultural and economic hub of south Sweden. Malmo has a large number of parks and historical buildings. Moreover, it has also undergone recent architectural development and has attracted many IT and Biotech enterprises.
Some of the other big cities of Sweden include Uppsala, Vasteras, and Orebro.
Swedish Food Culture
When there is a mention of Sweden, the first thing about this country that comes to mind is its food culture. Sweden, like its neighboring countries of Finland and Norway, is popular for its flavorful cuisine. Listed below are some aspects of Swedish food culture and famous Swedish foods.
There is a feature of Swedish culture known as Fika. This cultural tradition of Swedish society dictates that Swedish employees take two breaks in a day to drink coffee, eat cake, or just chat.
While many western countries have this trend, in Sweden it is a compulsory act that has to be followed by every citizen, and it is considered to be a show of rude behavior if someone doesn't follow this tradition.
Among other interesting facts about Sweden is that a local drink is favored over any other brand of drink. Mostly enjoyed during Christmas, this Swedish drink is known as julmust.
Unlike many other countries of the world that enjoy drinking festive drinks such as eggnog or mulled wine during Christmas, Swedish people enjoy drinking this carbonated soda.
Julmust is a non-alcoholic fermented malt drink that is similar to root beer. While 75% of it is consumed in December, the other 25% is drunk during Easter with a new name, Paskmust.
Swedish meatballs are one of the most enjoyed foods of Sweden. It is a popular meal at IKEA in Sweden and is generally served with boiled potatoes and gravy. Moreover, the side of boiled potatoes is a complete dish in itself that is enjoyed in the summer season and is seasoned with dill.
Lingonberry is another seasoning used with meatballs and other Swedish food dishes consisting of meat and seafood. Like in Norway, you can also enjoy reindeer meat in Sweden.
Education And Work
Sweden is a country that has one of the highest standards of living. It is a well-developed nation that pays careful attention to the quality of education that is provided to its people. Sweden is also known for the many inventions its citizens have created that have contributed to the knowledge of the world.
Every Swedish person has to go through 10 years of schooling compulsorily. Moreover, most of the students continue to do another three years of upper secondary schooling. A better part of the student body also pursues further higher studies by attending universities and colleges all across the country.
The quality of education provided by the country of Sweden can be evaluated through the numerous well-known universities spread across the country. For instance, the capital city of Stockholm has top-ranking universities such as the Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm School of Economics.
The University of Gothenburg, based in the city of Gothenburg, is also a well-known university. Interestingly, Scandinavia's oldest higher education institute is the Uppsala University which was established in 1477, and it is also the place where Celsius, temperature measurement, was invented.
The standard working hours in Sweden are 40 hours per week. The minimum paid leave for any working team member in Sweden is five weeks. Moreover, Swedish people also have 480 paid days leave for new parents. If there are two parents, each of them has 240 days, while a single parent will have the complete 480 days.
Geography And Nature
The country of Sweden is situated along the Scandinavian Peninsula. It has a gorgeous landscape of lowlands with mountains in the western part of the country. The location of the country makes for some distinctive climates and seasons.
Sweden is a country that experiences a phenomenon called Midnight Sun. It takes place during the cold winter months when the sun doesn't set at all. People in Sweden have daylight for the whole 24 hours of a day. This is possible due to the position of the country towards the north and the Earth's slightly tilted position.
Forests cover more than 50% of the land area of the country. Furthermore, half of this forest area is owned by private owners. Some of it is owned by private companies, meanwhile, the rest of the forest is owned by the government of Sweden.
The country also has a large population of moose, with an estimation of 300,000-400,000 individuals.
The country of Sweden has around 29 national parks, which display the country's boreal forests, mountains, and glaciers. A very popular national park is called the Abisko National Park. It showcases the fascinating wildlife found in the country, and it is also easy to reach.
Apart from the vast forest area, Sweden also has more than 90,000 lakes, beaches in the south, and a long coastline.
Sweden has one of the lowest population density rates in the world. Also, the majority of the Swedish population lives in urban areas, representing 1.5% of the country's land area.
Money And Trade
Sweden is part of the European Union which opens the gate for the country to make trade relations with the other member countries of the Union. The Swedish economy is greatly influenced by the industries of the country and by the fact that the country has a low unemployment rate.
A large number of patents for the inventions created in Sweden play a big role in the country's growing economy. On an interesting note, North Korea owes Sweden 2.7 billion Swedish kroner (approximately $300 million).
This is because of the fact that after the Korean war, North Korea bought 1,000 Volvos in 1974 from Sweden, however they haven't paid back the amount they owe.
Surprisingly, the country of Sweden imports waste from other countries to recycle it. Out of the total amount of waste created by the country, only 1% actually ends up in landfill while 50% is recycled or composted, and the remaining 49% is incinerated to create energy.
The country also imports as well as exports refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, and car and vehicle parts.
Swedish Design
In the western world, Sweden sets an example for other countries because of its significance on the concepts of sustainability and environmental consciousness.
Sweden not only recycles on a very large scale, but the Swedish design also displays the core values that it upholds, namely sustainability and functionality. This design has affected the world consciousness and is present in every aspect of daily life. While Sweden wants things to look good, it also wants to keep things simple.
This design of Sweden can also be seen in the specimens present in the numerous museums all over the country. You can experience Swedish art when you visit the metro stations of Stockholm city.
Stockholm metro stations are known as the longest art exhibitions in the world. Around 90 stations out of the 100 stations in the city are decorated by the works of over 150 artists displaying different forms and themes. These forms and themes include sculptures, mosaics, installations, and paintings.
Another notable location where visitors can view and experience the artworks of local artists is the Ice Hotel. One of the most fascinating facts about Sweden is the Ice Hotel located in the country's Arctic Lapland region.
This unique building is created out of ice, and it is rebuilt every year after the ice melts away in the summer months.
The temperature at the ice hotel is maintained at a stable 24.8 F (-4 C) to preserve the various ice furnishings and hand-sculpted ice artworks by the local artists. Staying in this Ice Hotel and experiencing its icy beauty is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity worth an effort.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked these facts about Sweden, then why not take a look at Cairo facts or Belize facts.
