Information about Sweden:

Information about Sweden:
Sweden is the country par excellence where you can enjoy yourself in every season of the year. Sweden has a rich history, beautiful nature and an attractive range of cozy and historic places to visit. Välkommen till Sverige!

Sweden: Officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige) is a country in Scandinavia in Northern Europe. It is surrounded by Norway to the west and north, Finland to the northeast, the Gulf of Bothnia to the east, the Baltic Sea to the southeast and south and the Skagerrak and Kattegat to the southwest. The islands of Öland and Gotland are located in the Baltic Sea, which also belong to Sweden. The capital of Sweden is Stockholm.

Sweden has an area of ​​450,295 km² and 9,723,809 (2014) inhabitants. With a population density of 21.6/km² (2014), Sweden is the fifth least populated country in Europe (after Norway, Finland, Kazakhstan and Iceland). With 82%, Swedes are the largest population group in the country. The state of Sweden emerged in the Middle Ages and grew into a great power in the Early Modern Period, including parts of the present-day Baltic states, Finland and the Holy Roman Empire. However, much territory was lost in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Sweden has not been at war since 1814, when it annexed Norway and formed a personal union for almost a century.

Today's Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and one of the richest, most prosperous and most developed countries in the world. Sweden ranks seventh in the United Nations Human Development Index and came first in The Economist magazine's democracy index in 2008. Sweden is a member of the Nordic Council and has been a member of the European Union since January 1, 1995. It falls outside the eurozone, the means of payment is the Swedish krona. Sweden has two national anthems: a civil anthem (Du gamla, Du fria) and a royal anthem (Ur svenska hjärtans djup en gång). Sweden is the largest country in Scandinavia; it is 11 times as large as the Netherlands and 15 times as large as Belgium.

The country is largely covered with extensive coniferous forests, especially in the northern part of the country. The southern and eastern parts are flat to rolling, with the interior areas bordering Norway showing increasing relief and turning into the Scandinavian Highlands. The highest point in Sweden is Kebnekaise at 2114 m. The country is dotted with lakes, approximately 96,000. The two largest are in the south: Lake Vätter (Swedish Vättern) and Lake Väner (Swedish Vänern), the largest lake in Sweden. The longest river in Sweden is the Göta älv. Some major islands are Gotland, Öland, Orust, Hisingen and Värmdön.

Culturally, geographically and historically, Sweden is divided into three parts of the country, which in turn are divided into 25 so-called landscapes: Norrland, with the landscapes Ångermanland, Gästrikland, Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Lapland, Medelpad, Norrbotten and Västerbotten; Svealand with the landscapes of Dalarna, Närke, Södermanland, Uppland, Värmland and Västmanland. Götaland, with the landscapes of Blekinge, Bohuslän, Dalsland, Gotland, Halland.