Sweden is a country of northern Europe situated in the
eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is one of the largest European
countries. Its capital is Stockholm. Most of Sweden has a temperate climate; in
the north the climate is subarctic (aurora borealis in Lapland).
An iconic place
The Drottningholm Palace
situated in Stockholm’s suburb is the private residence of the Swedish royal
family. The palace, the theater, the
Chinese pavilion and the gardens of the Domain have been on the UNESCO list of
World Heritage Sites since 1991 because its architecture is representative of
the royal architecture of the 18thcentury in Europe.
An iconic object
To show the importance of the
horse in the 18th century, the lumberjacks and soldiers invented the
Dalecarlian horse as a toy for children; it is a wooden statuette made of pine.
The small red horse with motifs became known worldwide after the 1937 World Expo in
Paris. Nowadays, it is carved and
painted by hand in the village of Nusnäs (Dalarna province).
Something the
country has done for the world
The Nobel Prize was given for the first time in 1901. Every year, a reward of
international scope is given in different domains (Peace, Literature, etc.) by the Swedish Nobel
Academy.
Famous historical
figure
Anders Celsius (1701-1744) was a Swedish scientist who
invented a temperature scale.
Important living
people
ABBA is the most famous pop
music band of the 70s; the group won the 1974 Eurovision song contest. Their
songs are known all over the world and are often given cover-versions.
History before 2000
The Vikings invaded all of Scandinavia. In the 10th
century, Sweden became a kingdom and converted to Christianity. In 1397, it
joined with Denmark and Norway in a union called “Kalmar” which was destroyed
by Gustave Vasa in 1520.
History after 2000
Sweden signed the Lisbon Treaty in 2007. It is an
active member of NATO. It takes part in military operations including most
recently in Afghanistan. In 2014, Stefan Löfven became the new Swedish Prime
Minister.
Human geography
There are 9,64 million inhabitants. It has a
multicultural population due to a high rate of immigration. It is one of the
happiest countries in the world with a very high standard of living, steady population
growth, and a life expectancy well above the average.
Language(s) and
culture(s)
Swedish, a North Germanic language, is the official
language of Sweden but Finnish and Sami are also spoken. At the end of the
Viking period, Sweden converted to Christianity; most Swedes are Lutherans and
the rest of the population is Catholic, Muslim, etc.
Politics, economy,
place in Europe
Sweden joined the European Union in 1995 along with Finland
and Austria. It belongs to the Schengen area but not to the Eurozone. It also
joined the UN. Today, the government is a unitary parliamentary constitutional
monarchy with the monarch Carl XVI Gustaf who has the Head of the State. The
Swedish economy is highly integrated within the EU and is dependent on exports.
It has many firms in the worldwide such as H&M and IKEA.
Youth
The population has two million inhabitants who are
under eighteen. The Swedish legislation provides good protection for children
and ensures the protection of their rights. Many associations are set up to
help and support the young. Compulsory education is nine years long. Swedes
aged 15 to 24 have difficulty finding a job.
Blog post by Marine GREVET
Swedish stereotypes
Swedish people are all blond, tall, and slim and they all have blue
eyes! Indeed,
in some areas, 80% of the girls are blondes.
Some Swedish girls even dye their hair in order to go unnoticed...
Sweden is very progressive with the best welfare
system in the world!
Sweden has perfect gender equality; women can easily have both a career
and children!
Swedish design is the best! IKEA is just the tip of the iceberg. IKEA is a huge Swedish success story; all good Swedish people buy their furniture there and some even admit
that they don’t know where to buy their furniture other than there! Swedes have redesigned everything, including bars and subways...
Swedes cannot live without Wasa and Krisproll!
All Swedes are wealthy! They have to be, since prices are exorbitant,
especially in restaurants. A dish can cost €40 (add €12 for a glass of wine)!
The only “affordable” drink is beer (€10 a pint). As for souvenirs, forget
them! Swedish matchboxes are worth about €3. The smallest stuffed reindeer or a
tiny painted horse, symbol of prosperity, is worth several hundred Kronor. We recommend
you go to Gamla Stan in the old part of Stockholm, and buy a Viking helmet made
in China; cool for kids and relatively cheap! GDP per inhabitant is €29,000 and Swedish people are heavily taxed, like 30% VAT (15% on food). But, though they do pay high taxes, it suits them because this is money always well spent by the State...
Swedish people speak English, with no accent! Every waiter, hotel
receptionist, shop keeper, and simple onlooker, speaks the language of
Shakespeare.
Swedish people can go really crazy! This is difficult for foreigners to
cope with because all Swedes have unchanging, enigmatic faces. You never know
if and when a Swede is going to do something strange... Watch this culinary video to get an inkling of what we mean: https://youtu.be/C8Wu3Bps9ic
Swedes are never late! For example, a teacher always arrives at least five
minutes before class starts, and the class starts bang on time. Classes also finish
on time.
All Swedes use the latest high-tech gadgets! Swedish workers like to
work in groups and offices are very well equipped. High school pupils get given
a MacBook Pro by their school. All students have a laptop, regardless of their parents’
income.
Swedes are all very proud of their country! There are Swedish flags all over the place, including in private gardens.
It’s always raining or snowing in Sweden! So, Swedish people inevitably have all kinds of shovels, which they handle expertly.
Swedish is an impossible language to understand or learn! That is not a stereotype, it's the simple truth...
It’s always raining or snowing in Sweden! So, Swedish people inevitably have all kinds of shovels, which they handle expertly.
Swedish is an impossible language to understand or learn! That is not a stereotype, it's the simple truth...
Article on Swedish stereotypes by
Alexandre DROULLE & Hugo JALLAT
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