Facts About Sweden

Few people with a lot of Land

Sweden is one of Europe's most sparsely populated countries. Perhaps for this reason Sweden is known for its large peaceful forests and mountains and wilderness.

There would be 198 millions Swedes if Sweden had the same population density as Holland! Swedes have (in theory) an average of no less than 50,000 square meters of land at his/her "disposal."

Europe's Last Wilderness

The Swedes has lot of space however still they have descided to live close together. 90 percent of the population lives in the southern part of the country. In north Sweden (part of Lapland) is almost 60 percent of Sweden's area, though fewer than a million people live here. Here is plenty of room for sleddogs and sleddog adventure without running into others. From this part of Sweden - known as the last wilderness - comes most of the enormous natural resources of forests, ores and hydroelectric power on which the country bases its industrialization. About one sixth of Sweden's area lies north of the Arctic Circle.

Swedish mentality

In many respects, Sweden is generally considered one of the world's most modern and sophisticated civilizations. Yet there is a crucial difference between Sweden and the older civilizations on the European continent. As recently as a century ago, Sweden was little more than a backward agrarian country, where a majority of the population lived under very poor conditions. No cosmopolitan culture to speak of existed at all. In Sweden we have thus not had the time to build up the intricate, complicated cultural code-systems found in all old cosmopolitan civilizations where people have lived together in cities for centuries.

We are, with few exceptions, only a few generations removed from a little crofter's cottage on a hill. This simple rural heritage is clearly apparent in our mentality, in our ever-present love of nature and simplicity. It is as if we are not yet really at home in our roles as modern cosmopolitans, and as if we are constantly longing to be back in that little red cottage in the midst of a deep spruce forest. This longing is noticeable in our lifestyle, traditions and customs. A rare combination of pronounced and sometimes extreme modernity on the one hand, and on the other hand what many foreigners regard as a surprising and exotic love relationship with our natural scenery and simple cultural heritage - this contradictory mixture embodies something that could be called typically Swedish.