Brief information
Wealthy Swedes now travel all over the world. They reached Thailand, Vietnam and New Zealand. Meanwhile, more and more tourists come to Sweden every year than before. Sweden has a long history, in which the Vikings and King Charles XII left a big mark. In this country, you can walk along the amazing medieval streets, take a sea cruise along the coastal waters, fish in Swedish rivers and lakes rich in fish, and, of course, go skiing at local upscale ski resorts.
Geography of Sweden
Sweden is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula, in northern Europe. Sweden borders Finland in the northeast and Norway in the west. The south and east of the country is washed by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. The Øresund, Skagerrak and Kattegat straits separate Sweden from neighboring Denmark. The total territory of Sweden, including the islands, is 229,964 square kilometers, and the total length of the border is 2,333 km.
About 65% of Sweden is covered by forests. In the north of Sweden, where there are a lot of low mountains, there are taiga forests. In the west of the country there are the Scandinavian mountains, which stretch across the entire peninsula for 1,700 kilometers. The highest peak in Sweden is Mount Kebnekaise (2111 m).
There are many rivers in Sweden, the longest of which are Kalix Elf, Tourne Elf, Ume Elf and Skellefte Elf. A significant part of the Swedish territory is occupied by lakes (Venern, Vättern, Elmaren, Mälaren).
Capital
According to itypejob.com, the capital of Sweden is Stockholm, which is now home to more than 900 thousand people. In the early Middle Ages, there was a small fishing village on the site of modern Stockholm.
Official language
The official language in Sweden is Swedish, belonging to the Scandinavian group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.
Religion
Over 71% of Swedes are Lutherans (Protestants) belonging to the Church of Sweden. However, only about 2% of Swedes go to church every week.
State structure of Sweden
According to computerminus.com, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution, is the King.
Executive power in Sweden is vested in the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers. Legislative power belongs to the unicameral parliament – the Riksdag (349 deputies).
The main political Swedish parties are the Liberal People’s Party, the Center Party, the Christian Democrats, the Swedish Democrats, and the Social Democrats.
Climate and weather
Sweden is located in the northern latitudes, but in this Scandinavian country the climate is temperate with three pronounced climatic zones:
- Oceanic climate in the south;
- Humid continental climate in the central part of the country;
- Subarctic climate in the north.
The temperate Swedish climate is due to the influence of the warm Gulf Stream. In the southern and central regions of Sweden, the average air temperature ranges from +20C to +25C in summer and from -2C to +2C in winter.
The air temperature in the northern part of the country is colder. Already in September, in northern Sweden, the air temperature drops below 0C.
Average air temperature in Stockholm:
- January – -3С
- February – -3С
- March – 0C
- April – +5C
- May – +11C
- June – +16C
- July – +18С
- August – +17C
- september – +112С
- october – +8C
- November – +3C
- December – -1C
Sea in Sweden
In the east, Sweden is washed by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. The total coastline of Sweden is 3,218 km.
Average sea temperature in Stockholm:
- January – +3C
- February – +2С
- March – +2С
- April – +3С
- May – +6C
- June – +11C
- July – +16С
- August – +17С
- september – +14C
- October – +10C
- November – +7С
- December – +5C
Rivers and lakes
There are a lot of rivers in Sweden, the longest of which are Kalix Elv (450 km), Skelleft Elv (410 km) and Tourne Elv (565 km) in the north, and Ume Elv (460 km) in the central part of the country.
A significant part of the Swedish territory is occupied by lakes (Venern, Vättern, Elmaren, Mälaren).
Many tourists come to Sweden to go fishing. Salmon, trout, salmon, pike, brown trout, perch and grayling are found in large numbers in Swedish rivers and lakes. But, of course, in Sweden they also fish in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea.
Story
For the first time, the Swedes as a nation were mentioned in 98 AD. ancient Roman historian Tacitus. By the 7th century, Viking military squads were formed in Sweden, who set off to conquer new lands with the hope of getting rich. The expansion of the Swedish Vikings was directed to the territory of modern Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and further to Constantinople and Baghdad.
Historians still cannot say exactly when the Kingdom of Sweden was formed, and who became its first king.
Christianity in Sweden appeared in 829, but paganism had a strong position among the Swedes until the 12th century.
In the years 1100-1400, Sweden was characterized by an internal struggle for power with numerous wars. In 1335, the Swedish king Magnus Erikson abolished slavery in the country.
The “father” of the modern Swedish nation is considered to be King Gustav I of Sweden, who in the first half of the 16th century broke the Hanseatic League’s monopoly on trade in the Baltic Sea. From this time begins the “golden age” of Sweden. It can be rightfully said that already in the 17th century Sweden became an influential European state.
In the era of its “golden age” Sweden conquers several German principalities and invades Poland, and then Russia and Ukraine. In the end, the Swedish Emperor Charles XII is defeated by the Russian troops of Peter I near Poltava. This marked the beginning of the end of the Swedish empire. According to the Peace of Nystad in 1721, Sweden gave up most of the conquered territories.
In 1809, Russia managed to conquer Finland, which was then considered eastern Sweden.
During the two world wars of the 20th century, Sweden remained neutral. In general, the last time Swedish soldiers participated in the war was in 1814. True, now Sweden is sending peacekeepers to the “hot spots” of the world.
In 1946, Sweden was admitted to the UN, and in 1995 this country joined the EU.
Culture of Sweden
Sweden in the Middle Ages dominated the Scandinavian Peninsula for a long time. This means that Swedish culture had a noticeable influence on the traditions and customs of neighboring countries. However, the Swedes also borrowed a lot from the cultures of Finland, Denmark and Norway.
For foreigners, Swedish traditions may seem mysterious and somewhat strange.
Many Swedish traditions are religious in nature (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost), while others are associated with the seasons (Walpurgis Night, Advent and Lucia).
Now Sweden also celebrates Waffle Day (“Waffle Day”) and Cinnamon Bun Day (“Cinnamon Bun Day”) every year.
Swedish Cuisine
The main products of Swedish cuisine are fish (especially herring), seafood, meat, potatoes, cheese. Mushrooms, game and berries play an important role in Swedish cuisine, but this is not surprising, given that forests cover a large area in this country. The favorite traditional dish of the Swedes is meatballs, served with boiled potatoes and sauce. In the north of Sweden, the fish dish “urströmming” is popular.
The traditional alcoholic drink in Sweden (as in other Scandinavian countries) is Aquavit, which is usually 40% ABV.
Landmarks of Sweden
Over the centuries, Sweden has accumulated a large number of attractions. Therefore, we advise tourists to visit Sweden to see:
- Ales Stones
- Uppsala Cathedral
- Drottningholm Palace
- Fortress Karlsten
- Uppsala Castle
- Royal Palace in Stockholm
- Kingdom of Crystal
- Vasa Museum in Stockholm
- Hallands Kulturhistoriska Museum in Gothenburg
- Kalmar Castle
Cities and resorts
The largest Swedish cities are Gothenburg, Uppsala, Malmö, and, of course, Stockholm.
Sweden has many excellent ski resorts. The skiing season is from December to April.
The top ten Swedish ski resorts include, in our opinion, the following:
- Salen
- Are
- Vemdalen
- Branas
- Tarnaby-Hemavan
- Idre Fjall
- Funasdalsfjällen
- Tarnaby
- Abisko National Park
- Riksgransen
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists from Sweden usually bring reindeer skins, salted liquorice, cheese, handicrafts, ceramics, chocolate and sweets, silver and gold jewelry, linens, tablecloths, etc.
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Fri: 10:00-15:00
On Thursday, banks are open until 16.00/17:30
All banks are closed on weekends in Sweden.
Shops:
Mon-Fri: 09:30-18.00
Sat: 09:30-13.00 Supermarkets
in big cities are also open on Sundays until 19:00 (or later).
Visa
Ukrainians need to obtain a visa to enter Sweden.
Currency
Sweden is part of the European Union, but despite this, the Swedish krona (its international designation is SEK) is still in circulation in the country. One crown = 100 ore.
Customs restrictions
The amount of more than 10 thousand euros must be included in the declaration. Customs regulations in Sweden are the same as in other EU countries.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
The Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine is located at:
Index – 01901, Kiev, st. I.Franka, 34/33
(044) 494-42-70 – phone number
address: [email protected]
The Embassy of Ukraine in Sweden is located at:
Sverige, Stockholm S-113 53, Markvardsgatan, 5
+10-46 (8) 731-76-90 – phone
El. address: [email protected]
Emergency numbers
All emergencies – 112
Time
The difference with Ukrainian time is exactly -1 hour. Those. if in Stockholm in the summer it is 09:00 am, then, for example, in Kyiv or Donetsk it is 10:00 am.
Tips
In Sweden, the cost of the service is usually already included in the bill. However, sometimes tourists still leave a few crowns for “tea” (especially in taxis, doormen and porters in hotels).
The medicine
No special vaccinations are required to enter Sweden, but health insurance for 30,000 euros is required.
Security
Sweden is a safe country for tourists. Sometimes petty crimes are committed in cities against foreign tourists (most often pickpocketing). But the crime rate in Sweden is much lower than in other European countries.
When fishing from a boat in rivers, lakes and coastal Swedish waters, you do not need to stand, because. there is a possibility of falling into the water. Be sure to wear a life jacket when fishing from a boat.
