Geography and Climate
Sweden is a Scandinavian country located in Northern Europe. The long, eastern Swedish coastline lies west of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia and forms the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The Scandinavian Mountain chain called the Scandes is on the west, separating Sweden from Norway. Finland is located northeast of Sweden across the Baltic Sea. Sweden has maritime borders with Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. Denmark is to the southwest of Sweden, connected by the Öresund Bridge. The uppermost part of Sweden, Lapland, is in the Arctic Circle.
Sweden has an area of about 170,000 square miles, making it the third largest country in Western Europe. Sweden is a long country, around 980 miles stretching from north to south, which is slightly farther than the distance between Seattle and Los Angeles.
Sweden is mostly made up of plains and lowlands, and the Scandinavian Mountains on the west. The flats contain major lakes such as Lake Vanern and Lake Vattern. The highest point in Sweden lies on Mt. Kebnekaise, which is 6,296 feet above sea level. The Dal, Indal, Klor, Lule and Ume rivers originate from the mountain range. Sweden’s topography is divided into three regions. In Northern Sweden, Norrland encompasses a vast mountain range and forests. Svealand is in central Sweden and has lowlands in the east and highlands in the west. Götaland is in the south of Sweden and consists of the Småland highlands and the rich plains of Skåne. Northern Sweden is filled with beautiful forests, mountains and reindeer. On the way to southern Sweden, there are many lakes, streams and pine trees. Southern Sweden has apple trees, potato fields and beautiful countryside. There are many farmers’ markets, which offer fresh local produce, especially in larger cities such as Stockholm, Malmö and Gothenburg.
Sweden is in the Central European Time (CET) zone, which is 8 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST). Sweden observes daylight saving time, which typically starts the end of March and ends in late October.
Sweden’s climate is predominately temperate and is much milder than most regions that lie that far north. Sweden has three types of climates: oceanic climate in the south, humid continental in the central area and subarctic climate in the north. The Gulf Stream influences the warm and dry temperatures. The country has four distinct seasons. Spring runs from April to May, summer from June to August, fall from September to October and winter from November to March.
In Götaland, winters are shorter and milder. The air is relatively humid, making warm days feel warmer and cold days cooler. Even in winter months, however, snow is rare near any southern coast. Spring and autumn can be unpredictable, mainly in terms of rainfall, but temperatures are usually higher in Götaland than in much of the rest of the country.
Svealand has a climate that is normally a few degrees cooler than that of Götaland and snowfall is more common — especially in the northwest, where a number of popular ski resorts are located. In the summertime, days are longer than in the south.
Norrland has the climate many people incorrectly associate with all of Sweden. Winters are long, cold and dry. There also is much more snow, making the winter months often seem less cloudy. Summers may be short, but temperatures are comfortably warm. For much of late June and early July, the sun never sets below the horizon.
Common natural disasters in Sweden are floods, forest fires, cyclones, landslides and storms, such as hurricanes, hailstorms and thunderstorms. There is very light seismic activity in Sweden; only 14 earthquakes have been recorded since 1375.
People and Culture
Sweden has a population of nearly 9.6 million people, making it the ninety-second most populous country in the world. Sweden has roughly 22 people per square km and almost 90 percent of the population lives in southern Sweden.
Swedish is the official language of the country. Five nationally recognized minority languages also exist: Finnish, all Sami dialects, Torne Valley Finnish (Meänkieli), Romani and Yiddish. Swedish is a northern Germanic language spoken by almost 10 million people, and is similar to Norwegian and Danish. The Swedish alphabet has 29 letters, using the basic 26-letter Latin alphabet plus the three additional letters Å/å, Ä/ä and Ö/ö. Most citizens know or speak some English and it is a compulsory language in the education system.
The Swedes is the largest ethnicity in Sweden, followed by the Sweden-Finns. In the north there is a small population of Samis, a group of indigenous people estimated to be about 15,000 people. There are also small groups of Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks and Turks. During World War II, many Danes and Finns fled to Sweden, and stayed there. Many Yugoslavs also fled to Sweden after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Sweden is divided into 21 counties, which are similar to states in the U.S. The counties are then divided into 290 municipalities. The capital of Sweden, Stockholm, is the country’s largest city with a metropolitan area population of 2.1 million. Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden with a metropolitan area population of almost 950,000 people, followed by the Malmö metropolitan area with a population of 664,000 people.
Swedish ancient history is violent and dramatic, filled with war and conquests. It began with the Viking Age around the 11th century, and continued with endless military campaigns under warrior kings such as Gustav II Adolf and Karl XII. In 1397, Sweden united with Denmark, Norway and Finland into the Kalmar Union, which eventually broke apart. The Union was formed to bring the kingdoms together under a single monarch. The Union was supposed to be a personal, not political, collaboration. Sweden first left in 1434 because of the dominant role of Denmark. In the 16th century, there was an attempt to restore the Kalmar Union, and Gustav Vasa, the king of Sweden at the time, led the fight to stay independent. Vasa introduced the Reformation to Sweden, which put the Christian church under the king’s property, and the Lutheran Church under his direct control.
In the 17th century, the kingdom of Sweden was a great power in Europe and controlled areas of Denmark, Finland, Russia and northern Germany. In 1700, Denmark, Poland and Russia defeated Sweden in the Great Northern war. After the Napoleonic wars in 1809, Sweden lost Finland to Russia, but gained Norway until it became an independent country in 1905.
Sweden was one of the few European countries not involved in the two world wars, opting instead for neutrality. Sweden joined the European Union in 1995 and has taken a large role in international peace work.
Lifestyle
When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, the Swedes have got it right. This nature loving country places a big emphasis on health and the environment, but always has time for another cup of coffee, called fika. Swedes drink fika at breakfast, lunch, dinner and any time in between.
The healthy Swedish lifestyle helped the country rank fourth out of 142 countries on the Legatum Prosperity Index (2013). The Prosperity Index considers economy, entrepreneurship and opportunity, governance, education, health, safety and security, personal freedom and social capital categories.
Lifestyle in Sweden is usually dictated by the weather. During the wintertime, people typically tend to work more, entertain at home and enjoy winter sports. Once summertime begins, everyone is outdoors hiking in the forests and picking berries, attending an outdoor music festival, fishing and boating, or enjoying a retreat in a summer cottage. Thanks to “the everyman’s right,” a freedom granted by the Swedish constitution, everyone is given the freedom to roam and enjoy nature without asking the landowner’s permission. There are restrictions for land under construction and nature reserves.
Family time also is important to the Swedes. The country allows parents 480 hours of paid leave to spend time with their family, plenty of time to enjoy the many Swedish holidays. One of the most popular holidays in Sweden is Midsummer, which happens at the end of June. There is dancing, drinking and eating great food.
If you want to see a beautiful phenomenon, then the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, is for you. It can be viewed on a clear, cold night in winter from many places in northern Sweden. Solar particles and gases in the earth’s atmosphere collide and create colorful ribbons of green, red or purple that move across the sky. This beautiful sight lasts anywhere from a few minutes to hours.
Besides being home to seven Nobel Prize winners in literature and famous artists and architects, Sweden is often regarded as having the best children’s theaters in the world, not surprising since it is the birthplace of the beloved character Pipi Longstocking, who wanted parents and children to question social norms and be independent.
Fish, meat, potatoes and dairy products play a major role in Swedish cuisine. The Swedish countryside produces delicious fruit and potatoes, while the forests have berries and game and the coastline has plentiful fish and shellfish. A popular sauce made from lingonberry is widely used with a variety of dishes such as meatballs, pancakes and porridge. Pickled herring is also a favorite in Sweden, and comes in different flavors like onion, garlic and dill and can be eaten with foods, such as potatoes, sour cream and crisp bread. Not to be forgotten, the famous Swedish meatball is served with gravy, potatoes and lingonberry jam.
To warm a winter night, Swedes like vodka, especially popular brands from Sweden like Absolut, Svedka and Karlsson’s. Akvavit also is a popular spirit that is drunk around major holidays and festive gatherings.