Welcome to
my country :)
Sweden is known for many things; Furniture’s from Ikea is sold all over the world,
people in many countries drives a Volvo, phone from an Ericsson,
movie stars like Greta Garbo,
Ingrid Bergman have made a name for themselves in Hollywood, Absolute Vodka....
Swedish Smorgasbord is mentioned in many movies, along with "Swedish Meatballs"
and a Swedish Masseuse called "Inga".
Music artists like ABBA, Roxette, The Cardigans, Robyn, Ace of Bace
and many more make headlines around the world.
Some other famous Swedes are Folke Bernadotte, Carl Von Linné, Olof Palme,
Raoul Wallenberg, Carl Michael Bellman, Astrid Lindgren, Alfred
Nobel,
Queen Christina, August Strindberg… to mention some….
We don’t have polarbears on our streets....Not even in the North of Sweden
where it can be very cold in the winter, they get a lot of snow all winter
In the South of Sweden the weather is mild, some snow can come,
but mostly it is windy and rainy.
General Facts:
Sweden is a little (450,000 km² (174,000-sq mi) country in the North of Europe....
Our nearest neighbours are Denmark, Norway, Finland and Germany.
The Total Population in Sweden are 8,9 million our capital is Stockholm and we have 21 counties.
84% of the Swedish People belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden
Our highest mountain is Kebnekaise 2,111m (6,926 ft)
The Language
Swedish is a Germanic language and are realted to the other scandinavian languages such as Danish,
Norweigan and Icelandic.
Swedes and danes does often understand eachother.
Swedish children start to learn english when they are very young, about 9 years old and with the influense from
T`V, music and films they even catch up some words before they start school.
A link that ties the Scandinavian countries is a common Lutheran religion,
but the Church of Sweden have been separated from the
state and from 1996 it has full independence,
to become a member of the Swedish Church one have to be baptized…
before the Church
of Sweden was independent every child born in Sweden automatically
became a member of the national church.. The average Swede
doesn’t go to church every Sunday.
Only a few percent of the population attend church services regularly.
But many people visit
church on holidays, like Christmas, Easter and at Advent Sunday
and of course most people still get married in church.
The Head of state is our King Carl XVI Gustaf
(crowned in 1973),
In 1976 he married Silvia and they have three children,
Crown Princess Victoria, Princess Madeline and Prince Philip.
Swedish National Anthem
Du Gamla Du Fria
Du gamla, Du fria, Du fjällhöga nord
Du tysta, Du glädjerika sköna!
Jag hälsar Dig, vänaste land uppå jord,
/: Din sol, Din himmel, Dina ängder gröna. :/
Du tronar på minnen från fornstora dar,
då ärat Ditt namn flög över jorden.
Jag vet att Du är och Du blir vad du var.
/: Ja, jag vill leva jag vill dö i Norden. :/
Jag städs vill dig tjäna mitt älskade land,
din trohet till döden vill jag svära.
Din rätt, skall jag värna, med håg och med hand,
/:din fana, högt den bragderika bära. :/
Med Gud skall jag kämpa, för hem och för härd,
för Sverige, den kära fosterjorden.
Jag byter Dig ej, mot allt i en värld
:/ Nej, jag vill leva jag vill dö i Norden. :/
Translation
Thou Ancient Thou Free
You ancient, free and mountainous North,
Of quiet, joyful beauty,
I greet you, loveliest land on earth,
Your sun, your sky, your green meadows.
Your sun, your sky, your green meadows.
You are throned on memories of olden days
When the honour of your name spread over the earth.
I know that you are and will remain what you were.
Oh, may I live, may die in the Nordic North!
Oh, may I live, may die in the Nordic North!
***************************
First sung in 1844
Words by RICHARD DYBECK (1811-1877)
Composer unknown
The Head of Government is a Prime minister
(Every fours years there is an Parliamentary election to choose which party
who is going to run Sweden, we got 7 different parties;
Left Party, Social Democrats,
Green Party, Center, Christian democrats, Liberals and moderates)
