ABOUT SWEDEN

Geography:

Sweden is situated between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea and is the fifth largest country in Europe. In terms of area it is similar to for example Spain, Thailand or the state of California in the US. The distance between the northern tip and the southern tip is nearly 1,600 km, so the natural features are quite varied. Half of the land surface is covered with forest and less than 10% is farmland. The mountains in northwest reach heights of up to 7,000 ft. A long coastline with thousand of islands also contributes to the character of the country.

Sweden is located so far north in Europe that the Arctic Circle slices through the northernmost province Lapland. However it is not an Arctic country. The difference between the southern and northern parts of Sweden is marginal during the summer but greater during the other seasons. Northern Sweden is snow-covered at least between December and March/April, while elsewhere it varies from region to region. In the far south it often rains during the winter season.

Language:

Swedish belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Germanic language, together with Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic,and Faroese, and it is the largest of the Nordic languages. Apart from the Swedish speakers living in Sweden today, about 300,000 Finns in Finland and some 300,000 Swedish immigrants in the United Stated and Canada speak Swedish. English is taugt from third level in school as the second language, and most people speak and understand English. Quite a few Swedes also know German, French , Italian or Spanish.

Population:

Sweden has a population of 9 million inhabitants. About 80% of the inhabitants of Sweden live in cities and urban areas. About 20% of the labor forces work in industry, more than 30% in the public sector and only 4% in agriculture. The central and southern parts of Sweden are the most densely populated areas, but since the country’s area is so large the overall density are only 54 inhabitants per square mile (20 per km2 )

For many years, Sweden was ethnically very homogenous. One special exception is the Sami people. They are an ethnic and linguistic minority in the north, some of whom still make their living by herding reindeer. During the 1960 and 1970s more than half a million immigrants moved to Sweden to work, mostly from Finland but also from the Balkan countries, Greece etc.

Religion:

92% of the population in Sweden belong the Church of Sweden, which is Lutheran. Around 160,000 Catholics are registered in Sweden. The Muslims make up the largest single group of non-Christians.

Miscellaneous:

Swedish time is the same as in most West European countries. It is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in he U.K. From late March to the late October Sweden is on daylight saving time.

The Government governs the nation. It is assisted by the Government Offices, an integral authority comprising the Prime Ministers Office, the ministries, the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union and the Office of Administrative Affairs. The Government Offices are a politically controlled body. The government of the day directs work and sets priorities. Goran Persön is the current Prime Minister of Sweden

There is also monarchy in Sweden but the King´s duties are mainly of a representative and ceremonial nature. Succession to the throne is fully cognatic. This means that the eldest child of the King and Queen is heir to the throne, regardless of sex.

(Information: From Umea University student handsbook, internet website and self experience)