Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the Öresund Bridge in the south. In the east the Gulf of Bothnia, the Baltic Sea in the southeast and south and the Skagerrak and Kattegat in the southwest. In the Baltic the islands Oland and Gotland, which also include Sweden. At 17.561,05 square miles, Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union in terms of area. Stockholm is Sweden’s capital and largest city in the country.
Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, with King Carl XVI Gustaf as head of state, but royal power is limited to official and ceremonial functions. Sweden has a parliamentary system of government and a thriving economy.
The culture center of Sweden is Stockholm, with nearby the Drottningholm castle, the home of the Royal family. At the castle a 18th-century theater. The Court Theater, which was founded by King Gustav III in 1766. In summer it is still used for ballet and opera performances. The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, with its four separate scenes, the most prestigious Swedish theaters.
Sweden has a large amount and a rich variety of museums. Every county has its own County Museum where regional history, culture, nature etc. is presented to the public. A famous Swedish architect is Gunnar Asplund, he created very simple but still sophisticated architecture. The District Courthouse in Sölvesborg, is one of his designs, it became a source of inspiration for European and American architects. The ideas functional and minimalist you still see in the profile of the IKEA company. It produces furniture and household effects of a simple design, good but cheap and full of charm and personal touch.
Sweden also has many famous writers, like Astrid Lindgren with a book about Pippi Longstocking Quite a few of her works have been filmed and have been translated into 76 languages.
Also world famous is the book, Nils HolgerSons wonderful journey, of Selma Lagerlöf. The book was made for children to learn the geography of Sweden in a fun way. The Swedish pop group ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 and there music is still popular.
Sweden is not only a very rich historical area is also a country where you will find trendy party s and clubs. Travelers come to Sweden to flash groundbreaking new restaurants and clubs and others for hiking in the wilderness or a visit to the wooden horse factories. The forests and wildernesses cover about two-thirds of Sweden, there live a lot of wild animals such as brown bears, wolves and lynx. There are a several mountains and caves that can be explored by tourists. You can practice many water sports along the coast of Sweden, such as sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, kayaking, kite boarding and water skiing. For nature lovers, seals, seabirds and sea life can be found. In the constitution of Sweden grants the right of public access, which gives everyone the right to freely roam the countryside in Sweden.
From Copenhagen to Malmö, you can drive through the Öresund bridge, the E20 highway. Well there must be paid for tolls. Between Sweden and neighboring countries are good regular ferry connections.
Citizens of EU countries, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US can enter Sweden with a passport and stay up to three months, they don ‘t need a visa. Citizens of other countries require tourist visas for entry, these are only available in advance from Swedish embassies.
