Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden is a beautiful Scandinavian country located in Northern Europe. Stockholm is the capital city of Sweden and it is also ranked among the cleanest metropolises in the world.
Geography
In terms of land area, Sweden is the 5th largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine, France, and Spain with a total land area of 450,295 km². Sweden covers the larger part of the Scandinavian Peninsula which is shared with Norway.
There are a total of 267,570 islands in Sweden among these only 267,570 are inhabited. Well, Sweden is divided into 21 regional councils, which are a kind of self-governing authority.
More than half of the area of Sweden is covered by lush, heavy forests and lakes. In fact, there are over 100,000 freshwater lakes in Sweden. Sweden has rugged snow-covered mountains and dense forests, whereas the central region of Sweden is covered by mountains in the west with heavily forested hills, dozens of streams, and lakes.
Stockholm, Gothenburg, Uppsala, and Malmo are the major cities in Sweden, where the majority of the population resides.
Fact: More than 85% of the Swedish population lives in urban areas.
Demographics
In 2021, Sweden has a total population of about 10.16 million people while more than 80% of Swedish people are living in 1.5% of the total territory. The Swedes are generally Scandinavians of Germanic origin and around 2 million inhabitants in Sweden are born in foreign nations which makes this country diverse ethnically.
Christianity is the major religion in Sweden however according to some statistics about 55% of Swedes are considered non-religious.
Swedish is the major language of Sweden which is a part of Germanic language root. However, English is widely spoken in Sweden among youths.
Swedish people are humble and respectful to everyone, they like to listen to others before coming to their opinion. They love their democracy and integrity.
The pop culture of Swedes is amazing, they love pop music. You might have heard about some world-famous Swedish pop singers like Roxette, Robyn, Lykke Li, and Avicii.
Sweden has provided free quality education, free healthcare services, better work-life balance, and, most importantly, one of the best retirement plans for their citizens.
Economy
Sweden is the 23rd richest country in the world with nominal GDP of 625.95 billion US Dollars. It is a highly developed and free-market economy in Europe.
Primary exports of Sweden are transport equipment, chemical, rubber products, textiles, furniture, and wood products. Exports contribute about ⅓ of the total GDP of Sweden.
Taxes in Sweden are among one of the highest in the world, with the highest income tax being recorded at over 50%.
The top imports of Sweden are Automobile, Petroleum, Vehicle Parts, and Broadcasting Equipment, importing mostly from Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway.
Swedish people enjoy decent salaries and work-life balance this makes Sweden economically very strong and stable. According to UNDP, Sweden has the 7th highest Human Development Index in the world at 0.945 (Very high).
Fact: Sweden imports waste from other countries to recycle. Well, they don't waste their trash.
Tourism
In terms of tourism, Sweden is a beautiful country with diverse landscapes, beautiful towns, and Northern lights. Sweden has thousands of unexplored islands and lakes.
They have maintained traditional and modern life in a mixed way. You can enjoy the northern lights under the sky and explore the beautiful green countryside.
Some Popular Tourist Destinations in Sweden.
- The Vasa Museum in Stockholm
- Kosterhavet National Park
- Marstrand City
- Medieval City of Malmo
- Gotland Island
- Skokloster Castle in Stockholm
- Skokloster Castle
- City Hall
- Royal Palace of Sweden
There is a famous Ice hotel in Sweden which is built with ice. This unique hotel also features various rooms, including bedrooms, an ice chapel, and a bar, which are designed by various talented artists.
Well, Sweden is a remarkably safe country to visit. Crimes are very rare and people here are helpful to strangers. Just imagine, you can't see unmanaged trash over the country. It's very clean and tidy.
Euro is not the official currency of Sweden, they accept their own Swedish Krona.
Keep in mind, Sweden is an expensive place to visit, don't forget warm clothes during winters, It's freezing here.
Innovations
Sweden is home to innovative ideas and reform. Everyone knows about the Nobel Prize right!. It is presented every year in Stockholm, Sweden.
Some Great Inventions of Sweden.
- Adjustable Wrench
- Three-Point Seatbelt
- Zip
- Dynamite
- Skype
- Spotify
Some famous Swedish scientists are Carl Linnaeus, Alfred Nobel, Eva Ekeblad, Nick Bostrom, Anders Celsius, and Max Tegmark.
Sweden is not only good at inventions but also they spend about 3.3% GDP On research and development.
Nature and Wildlife
In terms of nature and wildlife, about 67% of the total area is covered by forest in Sweden which makes it the 2nd most forested country in Europe after Finland.
Sweden is a biologically diverse place if you are interested in wildlife. You can find Moose, Reindeer, Roe Deer, Brown Bear, Wolf, and various bird species.
Winters in Sweden are long, cold, and dry, with freezing temperatures lasting several months. Summers are short, but temperatures are often ranging from 15 degrees to 28 degrees.
International Relations
Sweden has decent diplomatic relations with other countries all over the world. Being a member of the European Union and Schengen zone, Sweden has contributed a lot to Europe's economy. They have open borders with the rest of Europe and they all work together for each other.
Norway, Finland, and Denmark are the nearest and dearest friends of Sweden.
The USA and UK always come along with Sweden and they have good diplomatic and trading relations with each other. In Asia India, Korea and Japan are important allies of Sweden.
Problem
Sweden has hosted a large number of refugees, especially from Syria after the Syrian civil war. Due to a large number of asylum seekers, making it’s difficult to manage them. It is becoming a social and political threat for the country.
This post first appeared on Denmark | Geography | People | Economy | Tourism And Problems, please read the originial post: here
