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Europe > Sweden > Introduction
| S W
E D E N |
| Sweden is the country of the Nobel
Prize; Greta Garbo and Ingmar Bergman; Electrolux and Ericsson. A country which is close
enough to continental Europe to be very much a part of the mainstream, yet far enough
north to actually jut into the Arctic Circle. Sweden is known for its lovely lakes (a
staggering 100,000 of them!), its mountains, its forests and the sheer beauty of the
countryside. It is also known for the fact that it has managed to preserve a strictly
neutral foreign policy despite two World Wars. |
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Long shunned by travellers on a
shoestring budget, Sweden is now somewhat more affordable- although not yet exactly cheap.
But paying the odd kronor or two extra, just to be able to feast your eyes on the
beautiful countryside, swig some of the excellent aquavit and party all night in
Stockholm’s nightclubs is all quite worth it, as you will see! |
F A C
T B O X |
| Full country name |
Kingdom of Sweden (Konungariket Sverige) |
| Capital city |
Stockholm |
| Area |
450,000 sq km |
| Population |
88,70,000 |
| People |
Swedes 90%; Finns 3%; Indigenous Lapps `Samis’,1.5%; Iranian, Bosnian
& Yugoslav minorities |
| Language |
Swedish, some Samish dialects, English |
Religion |
Christian (Lutheran) |
| Government |
Constitutional monarchy |
| Head of State |
King Carl XVI Gustav |
| Head of Govt. |
Göran Persson (Prime Minister) |
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