Sweden

Currency: Swedish Krona

Official language: Swedish

The Swedish Viking Age took place between the eighth and 11th centuries, bringing incredible change in the culture and development of Sweden. Cities like Ystad and Paviken became prominent trading centers with shipbuilding industries and local arts and crafts flourishing. Christianity overtook Paganism as the main religion by the 1100’s.

The Swedish Empire began to take shape during the 17th century. Prior to this, the country was mostly an agricultural based society, failing to make much of impression on the European continent. Under the king Gustavus Adolphus, Sweden and its ever-growing military overpowered the flailing Holy Roman Empire, taking almost half the northern provinces. By the 18th century, Europe’s third largest empire; Sweden, began to deteriorate. A loss of key battles to Russia, and the spread of the Black Plague saw Sweden overtaken by Finland and Russia as the dominant identities in the Baltic Sea.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Sweden’s population doubled, creating pressure on the country to cope. Starvation and poverty increased, leading to mass emigration between 1850 and 1910 when over one million citizens flocked to the Americas. An agrarian society continued to dominate the country, but industrialization began to seep in slowly at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century. With the industrial revolution, Sweden’s population began to centralize around larger cities like Stockholm in WWI.

Sweden remained a neutral country during both wars, but was heavily influenced (short of occupied) by Germany in WWII. However, humanitarian efforts headed by Sweden helped save hundreds of thousands of European Jews between 1943 and 1945. Post-war Sweden continued its neutrality during the Cold War, although strong ties with the US and other Western countries were rife. During the 1970’s, Sweden’s industrial sectors were revolutionized and robotization changed the face of mechanical engineering, paper production exploded, and the steel industry was overhauled.

The 1990’s saw the beginning of Sweden’s incredible welfare system and the privatization of public service and goods. This helped develop the country’s livability index, which remains today as one of the most livable countries in the world. In 1995, Sweden joined the European Union.

To learn more about the country’s past, the Nordiska Museum (Djurgårdsvägen 6-16 Box 27820, Stockholm) is home to Sweden’s largest collection of historical exhibits and the Museum of National Antiquities (Narvavagen 13, Stockholm, Sweden) takes visitors through an exciting journey all the way back to the Viking age.

Sweden boasts an interesting Nordic culture, one that was once dominated by Viking traders. Even though modern Sweden is a very industrialized country, there are still pockets of vintage Scandinavia found throughout the country. It is not uncommon to find runestones that depict Viking culture prior to the Middle Ages. Plenty of museums are located throughout the capital, and major conurbations like Malmo and Gothenburg boast a range of cultural sites that depict their reliance on the sea and trade.

Sport has become an important part of Swedish culture in recent years, with the local government pushing for more competiveness among the population. Swedish locals love football, European handball, ice-skating and ice hockey. Tennis has also become a major pastime over the last few decades.

Despite its high altitude, Sweden’s climate is much milder than most people think. There are three climatic zones found throughout the country. The southern and central regions are quite similar, although the surrounding oceanic influences affect the southern reaches more than the middle of the country. Summer generally lasts between June and August with averages temperatures of about 70°F.

In the north, daylight hours are much shorter than other regions and the warm summer months of June, July and August barely get above 14°F. In the winter, (between September and May), temperatures generally fall well below 30°F.

Snowfall can be quite heavy throughout much of the year in the northern zone. However, in the southern regions, much of Sweden remains relatively snow-free. Only about 30 inches of precipitation falls over the 12-month stretch, which is much lower than the world average.

Do you want to visit Sweden for less than 90 days? If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU and you want to visit Sweden (and the other Schengen countries) as a tourist, you may need to apply for a visa. A visa is a permit to enter a country and stay there for less than 90 days.

Taxis are in abundance in the cities of Stockholm, Malmo, Gothenburg and other major towns in Sweden. They tend to be on the expensive side, but if you need service, there are plenty of companies around the country, including Taxi Kurir (+46-8-30-00-00) and TopCab (+46-8-33-33-33). The yellow sticker inside the cab is the general fare charged by the driver with the average being about 300 krona. Anything above this is too much, so walk away before you get ripped off.

Water taxis are used in Sweden, although mostly in cities located on rivers or harbors. In Gothenburg, the river Alvsnabben has regular crossings with ferries. Stockholm uses water taxis as more of a tourist mover than local commuters. Scandlines, Finnferries, Tallink, and Poleferries are just a small selection of the carriers that connect Sweden to Germany, Finland, Norway, the small Baltic States, and Poland.

Sweden’s inner-city bus networks differ by city. Stockholm is home to an incredibly efficient system, which boasts four lines connecting to the heart of town. Buses are relatively cheap and convenient. There are a number of inter-city bus companies operating throughout Sweden, although most of the routes either end or begin near downtown Stockholm. The Y-Bus and Harjedalingen networks operate between Stockholm and the northern city region of Norrland.

Inner city trains are extremely efficient, especially in Stockholm. The capital has several transportation options, including light rail, suburban rail and the underground subway. Train routes to Germany, Finland, Norway and Denmark are available from Stockholm. The train is a cheap alternative to expensive domestic flights.

Before you leave on your holiday, there are at least four health-related things you should do. Please check the handbook for specifics, but for now, here’s the short list:

Step 1: Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting.

Step 2: Have a medical checkup with your doctor.

Step 3: Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.

Step 4: Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less important than steps 1-3.)

DO

• Pay attention to personal space. Maintain a little over an arm’s length of distance and limit the amount of touching in a conversation. It can cause discomfort for your Swedish counterpart to invade their personal space.
• Try to participate in ‘fika’ (coffee/tea, light snacks and conversations) if the opportunity arises. Many Swedes enjoy fika in both the workplace and in their day-to-day lives.
• Engage in conversation about nature. Swedes are proud of their natural landscapes and many enjoy spending time in nature.
• Be punctual for any appointment. Swedes place a high value on being at any appointment just on time (not too early, not too late). If you will be late, let your Swedish counterpart know.
• Try and remain tidy as Swedes believe being neat reflects a sense of consideration towards others. For example, avoid littering, walking into someone’s home without taking your shoes off or spitting in public.

DON'T

• Do not boast about yourself or exaggerate your achievements. Swedes appreciate a sense of modesty.
• Do not make jokes or refer to stereotypes about different ethnicities or cultures. This is likely to be met with disapproval.
• Be aware that raised voices and highly animated body language may irritate or exasperate your Swedish counterpart.
• Exercise discretion when discussing the arrival and settlement of refugees and migrants in Sweden, and be aware that you may not be able to presume somebody’s position or education on the matter. Avoid making comparisons with Australia’s migration as it occurs under a different context and scale.
• Avoid making comparisons between Sweden and other Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland) that homogenise the people.