Sweden

Land of legends – home of kings

Geography

Surface area: 449 964 km2

Population: 9,0 millions

Largest cities:

Stockholm ( apr. 1 million)

Göteborg (apr. 500 000)

Malmö (apr. 270 000)

Uppsala (apr. 180 000)

Linköping (apr. 140 000)

Geography (cont.)

Population density: 20/km2

Compare with e.g. India: 324/km2

About 80% of population live south of Uppsala

Geography (cont.)

Highest mountain: Kebnekaise (2111m)

Biggest lakes: Vänern (5 585 km2) and Vättern

Longest river: Torneälv

Geography (cont.)

Sweden is relatively close to the north pole. This means long days in the summer, short in the winter

North of the arctic circle, the sun won’t rise at all at the end of December and it will never set at the end of June

Flag etc.

Swedens flag

Origin and symbolism debated, but the flag has been the same since about 16th century

National coat of armsSymbols for different kings and rulers between 13th and 16th century

The monarchy

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy

King: Carl XVI Gustav

Queen: Silvia Princesses Victoria

(crown princess) and Madeleine

Prince Carl Philip

Government

Parliamentary system with one chamber: Riksdagen (349 delegates)

No president, King official head of state but the ”Statsminister” (Prime minister) holds actual power.

Elections every 4th year

Government (cont.)

Government parties: Moderaterna (Right-wing), Folkpartiet (Liberal Party), Centern (Centre Party) and Kristdemokraterna (Cristian Democrats)

Other big parties: Socialdemokraterna (Social democrats). Vänsterpartiet (Left-wing) Miljöpartiet

Government (cont.)

Statsminister: Fredrik Reinfeldt (Moderaterna)

Government (cont.)

State body devided into three levels: Stat (national) Landsting (regional, 21 in all of Sweden)

Linköping belongs to Östergötlands län Kommun (city, county, 290 in all of

Sweden) We live in Linköpings kommun

European Union

Sweden has belonged to the European Union (EU) since 1994

In a 2004 referendum we voted not to join the European Monetary Union (EMU).

Sweden is one of the EU-countries where the EU has lowest rate of popularity

Currency

Krona (SEK) Aprox. 9 Euros, or 6.2 US$ 100 öre = 1 krona, only pieces of 50 öre

are used Bills of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 kronor Famous swedes on bills include:

Carl Von Linné (botanist and naturalist, 100 kronor bill)

Jenny Lind (soprano singer, 50 kronor bill) Selma Lagerlöf (writer, 20 kronor bill)

Religion

Official religion is Lutheran church About 82% belong to this church but

Sweden is a highly secularised society and church attendance is generally low

Catholic church: about 180 000 members Muslim communities: about 130 000

members (estimated in 2003) Orthodox church: about 100 000

members

Religion (cont.)

Small comunties of almost every other faith in the world: Jewish, Hindu, Buddist etc.

In religious terms, Sweden is a very tolerant society

Demography (cont.)

Average life expectancy 77 years for men (3rd highest in the world) 82 years for women (5th highest in the

world) Mortality and fertility is generally low

(on average, every woman gives birth to 1.7 children)

Population increase almost exclusively due to immigration

Festivites Christmas - Jul

24th of December most important, that’s when Santa Claus shows up with present for the kids

25th and 26th of December also national holidays

Originally celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem

Christmas dinners usually include ham, swedish meatballs, sill and porridge.

The snaps

Snaps is a traditional swedish strong liquor, similar to vodka but with spices.

Every region and many destilleries have their own way of making snaps and there are literally hundres of different kinds.

We drink it at most of the traditional festivities

Festivities (cont.)

New years eve - Nyårsafton Celebrated on the 31th of

December People dress up, have

dinner or party. When the clock strikes

24.00, fireworks are shot off and we toast in champagne

Festivities (cont.)

Easter - Påsk Dates change from year to year.

In 2008 easter week is 20th to 24th of March with the most important night, Påskafton on the 22th of March

People get together and eat easter dinner consisting of, among other things eggs, Janssons frestelse and sill

For the kids, parents hide eastereggs filled with candy in the house or garden.

Festivities (cont.)

Valpurgis Night On the 30th of April Bonfires are lit and

songs are sung to commemorate the conquest of spring over winter

Festivities (cont.)

National day – Nationaldagen 6th of June Not widely celebrated but it is a national

holiday Origin: among other things, Gustav Vasa, a

famous swedish king in the 16th century, was coronated on the 6th of june 1523

Festivities (cont.) Midsummer’s eve –

Midsommarafton Always on the Friday closest to the

longest day of the year. In 2008 that happens on the 20th of June

Based on old heathen tradition and fertility rituals

In olden days, this night had a number of magical properties (compare to e.g. ”A midsummer nights dream” by William Shakespeare)

People get together, eat the new seasons’ potatoes, sill and drink snaps. Also, we dance silly dances imitating frogs.

Festivities (cont.)

Kräftskiva No specific date but parties are held during the

crayfish season in the end of August We eat crayfish, sing songs and drink snaps

Famous Swedes

Alfred Nobel Inventor of dynamite whose fortune is the basis for the Nobel

prize Ingrid Bergman Hollywood ABBA

Popgroup with international successes in the 1970’s Olof Palme

Politician and statsminister with many international ties, assasinated in 1986

Ingvar Kamprad Founder of IKEA

Björn Borg Famous tennisplayer in the 1970’s

Selma Lagerlöf Nobel Prize winner in literature