Sweden is located in Northern Europe on the eastern side of
the Scandinavian Peninsula between Norway and the Baltic Sea.
Travel Insurance for Sweden:
Area: Europe *
Know Before You Go:
FCO Country Advice for Sweden
Sweden
borders the Baltic Sea to the south, the Gulf of Bothnia to the
east, and Kattegat and Skagerrak to the west. The northern part
of the country is mountainous with many lakes. The south and
eastern areas are mainly lowlands with fertile forests and valleys.
The coastline is rugged and rocky with many inlets and bays.
It is a large, long and narrow country, and north to south it
stretches from the Artic Circle all the way to the southern tip
which is close to Poland and Germany.
Sweden ’s population is comprised of mostly indigenous
people, with Swedish, Finnish and Sami minorities; plus, foreign-born/1
st generation immigrants: Finnish, Danish, Yugoslavian, Norwegian,
Greek, Turkish. Swedish is the official language with some Sami
and Finnish-speaking minorities. The dominant religion is Lutheran,
although many other religions are practiced. Sweden joined the
E.U in 1994 but decided against using the Euro as its currency.
The Nordic countries were originally inhabited by the Sami people
who today reside in Lapland . They have inhabited the northern
areas of Finland and Scandinavia for thousands of years and are
known for their skills in herding reindeer.
Some famous names from Sweden are the film director Lasse Hallstrom
and actors Liv Ullman, Max von Sydow, Ingrid Bergman and Anita
Ekberg. Some of the most well known music from Sweden was brought
to the world by the pop group Abba.
Sweden is also famous for its Smorgasbord – which was
originally an appetizer and selection of small dishes, including
items like fish, meatballs, pies, salads, fried potatoes, etc.
Today, many Smorgasbords are so large that they suffice as an
entire meal.
Stockholm is the capital and largest city and other large cities
in Sweden include Gothenburg, Malmo and Uppsala . Stockholm is
a modern and lively city but with lots of history too. Malmo
, located in the south of the country, is approx. a half hour’s
train ride across a bridge to Copenhagen . Uppsala is one of
the oldest cities in Sweden .
There are plenty of winter sports activities, including downhill
skiing, heli-skiing and cross-country skiing, as well as ice
fishing, skating, ice-climbing, snow-mobiling and dog-sledding
.
Hiking, backpacking, camping, cycling, mountain-biking, rock
climbing and horse-back riding are all popular summer activities.
For water sports enthusiasts there is white water rafting, windsurfing,
scuba diving, sailing and swimming. Fishing is popular as there
are so many clean and unspoilt lakes, rivers and oceans
For those wishing for some real adventure, to get away from
the touristy areas and live with nature, there are many lovely
deserted islands and archipelagos of hundreds of islands to explore
along the Swedish coastline. Canoe and kayaking trips and holidays
are popular where you can pack everything you need, your tent,
favorite food, and cooking stove for some rustic solitude, or
head for the youth hostels or hotels for some comforts. Organized
cruises of the coastal areas are also available.
If you visit Sweden during winter, or even during other times
of the year, you may be lucky to see the beautiful Northern Lights,
which can often be seen in these northern climes. |
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