Sweden

An Introduction to Sweden

With a population of about 9.3 million Sweden is the largest of the Nordic countries. It borders Finland and Norway and is connected to Denmark via the bridge of Oresund. The Gulf of Bothnia lies to the east of Sweden and together with the Baltic Sea separates it from most of Finland.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and is the largest city in the country with Gothenburg and Malmo being the second and third largest cities. About 85% of the population lives in urban areas with these numbers expected to rise due to ongoing urbanization.

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and has a highly developed economy. It has been a member of the European Union since January 1995 and is a member of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Sweden became an independent country during the Middle Ages and in the 17th century expanded its borders and formed the Swedish empire. During the 18th and 19th centuries most of the conquered lands outside Scandinavia were lost with the eastern half of Sweden (now Finland) lost to Russia in 1809. Sweden is now a country of peace adopting a position of neutrality in foreign policy and wartime.

Travellers visiting Sweden are likely to find visions of intense green countryside, clear blue waters, impenetrable forests and little red cottages atop remote islands. The main cities offer spark and variety consistently churning out cultural artefacts and the island of Gotland offers a hip party vibe. Sweden offers the traveller flash clubs and fantastic restaurants together with wilderness hikes and visits to wooden-horse factories.