Capital: Stockholm
Currency
1SEK=100 öre
1USD= 6,75 SEK (Sweden kronor) 20110910
Sweden is a country with various and endless opportunities. From the far north to the deep south of Sweden has a variatey of climates, activities and scenery that will stimulate your senses and satisfy your every need and there is never a reason to be bored. The radical changes of seasons makes the landscapes shed its skin and changes its garb for times a year. With constant shifts and strong nuances of color, every season has its own characteristics and beauty
Whatever you desire, you will definitely find it here. Everything from the beauty and excitement of the wilderness, snow-covered mountains, crystal clear lakes, or endless forests. Sweden has a diversity of unique natural areas with a richness of species. A wild natural scenery – a priceless and unique luxury, in reach of everyone.
Culture
Apart from the magnificent nature, Sweden is also famous for its rich cultural life and the Swedish design is known all over the world. The different seasons has all got their own characteristics and beauty. From spring and summer with its long bright beautiful nights to the colorful autumn to the snow-covered winter landscapes with its and crystal clear skies.
Climate
Because if the warm Gulf stream in the Atlantic, Sweden has a milder climate than other a areas this far north. Stockholm the capital, shows the same latitude as southern Alaska but has an average temperature in July of 18C (64 F) The water is pretty much as it is in Great Britain or Germany but with less rain and more sunshine in the summer. Winter temperatures are slightly lower than there are in the UK or Germany, but it is a ”dry” cold and therefore not as unpleasant.
Nature lakes and forest
Sweden is famous for its natural beauty. With fewer than nine million people, but one of the largest countries in Western Europe – larger than California and almost the same size as France.
The environment in Sweden is therefore less affected than in many other parts of Europe. The nature is relatively and untouched and is sometimes described as the wilderness of Europe.
With a length over 2,000 km north to the south. Sweden has a very large and varied nature with only 18 people per sqr km. Urban settlements only occupy a few per cent. Almost 90% of Sweden’s population live in urban areas, makes a very large uninhabited land area. . Cultivated land accounts for approximately 8%.. Half of the country (57%) is covered by forest. The Swedish tress number is estimated up to some 51 billion. The coniferous forests, is also a major industry, and it also accounts for a large part of the recreational possibilities and an important part of Swedish history and culture.
Sweden has also a lot of lakes, and there are approximately 1000.000 lakes, large and small which helps to add the beauty of the Swedish landscape. Apart from hunting, Sweden is also famous for its fish such as salmon and the salmon trout.. The large part of fishing takes place along the coastline. Apart from the many lakes, Sweden is also cut by numerous rivers that run into the Baltic Sea in the east and into the Atlantic on the West coast.
The coastline of Sweden is stretching 7,300 and is the longest in Europe.
Apart from the large areas of forests there are also extensive mountain ranges.
The Northwest is dominated by mountains . The most southern regions is dominated by deciduous trees . Apart from this, the nature is considered relatively flat. The highest mountain, Kebnekaise reaches 6926 ft.
The country's great length - almost 1,600 kilometers from Treriksröset in the north to Smygehuk in the south - makes the contrasts between its southern, central and northern parts dramatic.
The last wilderness of Europe
Sweden has a very rich and various wildlife.
The area of Swedish wildlife is one of the largest in Europe and with a large number of species of wild animals.
Hunting is a very well integrated in Swedish tradition and a great opportunity to explore the Swedish wildlife…
Moose, bear, beaver, deer fox, grouse etc. have all special hunting seasons. Due to the diversity anf .. of the natural areas…There's also a rich birdlife in most of the Swedish nature.
The hunting seasons in Sweden cover mainly the autumn and winter (August – February)for different species, the start and duration of the season can vary between one part of Sweden and a another.
To visit Sweden in the autumn, is defnitely a great experience.The scenery of the landscape is magnificent, covered in beautiful and rich autumn colors, and the air is crisp and fresh and the sky is high. The autumn is also the season for moose hunting. Sweden has the highest density of moose or elk in the world. – with a population of 250,000 spread from the north to the southern regions. The moose could be described as Sweden’s answer to Africa’s big five…????
Nationalparks
Another great opportunity to experience wildlife in a protected environment , would be to visit one of the fantastic national parks in Sweden. The northern mountain region has large areas of protected areas.
Every Man’s right
Every Man’s right is an important base for the recreation in the nature of Sweden. Apart from providing the right and possibility for everyone to visit somebody else's land, to take a bath or in or to travel by bat on somebody else’s waters or pick wild flowers or berries, it is also for the protection of the nature. By the Responsibility that comes with it when it comes to take care of the nature.
In Sweden there is an ancient and globally unique law known as the "common right of access," which gives everyone the right to move around freely (as well as raise a tent, pick berries, mushrooms and flowers, anchor a boat, go ashore and so on) in nature - even on private property - as long as they are not within sight or hearing range of a residence.
The basic principle of this right is "freedom under Responsibility" - a self-evident obligation not to harm nature by leaving behind trash, breaking tree branches, being careless with fires and so on.
Regions
Although the whole of Sweden offers a range of various and interesting activities, we have chosen to focus on the souhern and the northern parts of Sweden.
South of Sweden
Southern Sweden is made up of four counties: Skåne, Blekinge, Halland and Småland. The southermost county is Skåne has a rich variety of nature scenes and famous for its leafy forests, golf courses, castles and manor hoses with rolling plains, and gently roundly plains and endless sandy beaches. Skåne is also Sweden’s most richest and most fertile agricultural province.
Malmö is its biggest city, and also Sweden’s third largest city.
The nature scenes of Blekinge provides both sea, forest, archipelago, lakes and streams.
Skåne and Blekinge and the west coast are partly covered with trees of a wide variety such as ; oak, ash, elm, lime, hazel, birch, fir, pine and the beech.
Småland – The province of forest and the many lakes
Småland is also one of Sweden’s most diversified province when it comes to the nature and is the province of forest and the many lakes. Natural fishing is still a reality here.
Småland has thousands of fresh and clean lakes with plenty of pike, zander, whitefish and also crucian carp and chub etc.
The kingdom of Glass
Apart from the rich wildlife you can also enjoy the rich cultural life. Småland is often called the Kingdom of Crystal.
The worlds most famous glassworks is located in this region.. The Kingdom of crystal is a small selection of Kronoberg and Kalmar counties in the province of Småland. Småland is situated in the Southeastern part of Sweden. Småland is famous worldwide for its glassworks. This area was also the home of many of the Sweden’s New World emigrants.
Many of tthe traditional furniture and art handicrafts industry are centered in Småland. Småland is known internationally as a producer and creator a of contemporary design. The biggest and strongest of these Småland-based companies, is IKEA.
Northern Sweden - A paradise for adventures and the land of the midnight sun
From the vast open spaces of Norrland - sometimes referred to as the last wilderness in Western Europe. In Lapland, the midnight sun is a phenomenon that attracts hordes of visitors from all over the globe every year.
Northern Sweden accounts for more than half of Sweden´s entire land area, though only one seventh of the country’s population lives here. This is a vast region of wide-open space, majestic mountains, pure air, fresh water and magnificent views.
Northern Sweden is perhaps best known for the midnight sun, the Northern lights (aurora borealis) and the sami culture. The region is ideal for summer and winter outdoors activities such as , walking camping, fishing, snow scootering or dog sledding. In addition to the wide expanse of Lapland, northern Sweden also includes several other provinces each with its own distinctive character with some magnificent scenery and first class wilderness. The high coast area??? Is Sweden’s highest coastal area, with mountains plunging down into the sea.
In the regions of Västerbotten and Norrbotten , you could find the ”Nordic Riviera” which is also famous for it often boasts more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in Sweden. The inland areas in these provinces have magnificent mountain ranges and rivers and spectacular waterfalls.
In the north of Sweden and in the region of Norrland , you will find the largest rivers, beautiful national parks and an opportunity to experience crystal –clear cold water lakes.
In the regions of Jämtland and Härjedalen there’s a rich animal life. The greatest predatory animals such as brown bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx and rein deer could be found there.
Northern lights
The Northern Lights is the name for the beautiful multi-colored lights that sometimes could be seen sweeping across the skies, especially in the northern regions of the world. The Northern Lights are spectacular lights that glow in a variety of colors across heaven – a fascinating spectacle!! They are often visible during the darker months of the year from early in the evening until midnight. The Northern Lights occur in the arctic region and could be seen more clearly and often the further north you travel.
Ice hotel??Imagine a hotel built from thousands of tons of snow and ice, and re-built every winter- that is Icehotel in the little village of Jukkasjärvi in northern Lapland, Sweden.