Sweden

A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war for two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both world wars. Sweden’s long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system intermixed with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 and 2009 by the global economic downturns, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum.

🇸🇪 Sweden Tourism Information…

Visit Sweden

Sweden Nordic Visitor

Sweden.se

Visit Nordic Sweden

🇸🇪 The Best of Sweden…
Götaland
Norrland
Svealand

Here is a list of some of the most interesting and visited places. Cities or areas listed will always have more than just one thing see and do. With the popular cities or areas we list some of the best known, which should go on everyone’s, must see list when they visit.  

Gothenburg
Goteborg Archipelago
Haga
Gotland
Icehotel-Jukkasjärv
Kosterhavet Nat. Park
Millesgarden-Lidingo
Lund
Malmö
Marstrand Island
Skåne
Stockholm  The Archipelago
Drottningholm Palace
Gamla Stan
Kungliga Slottet
Skansen Museum
Stadshuset
Vasa Museum
Uppsala
Visby
Ystad

🇸🇪 Sweden Country Information…

Capital:

Stockholm

Largest City:

Stockholm

Government:

Constitutional Monarchy and Parliamentary Democracy

Currency:

Swedish Krona (SEK)

Area:

Total: 450,295 km2 water: 39,960 km2 land: 410,335 km2 ranked 57th

Climate:

Temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Population:

9,880,604 (July 2016 est.) ranked 90th

Language:

Swedish (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Ethnic Groups:

Indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Religion:

Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%

Electricity:

230V, 50Hz (European plug C, F,)

Telephone Code:

+46

Local Emergency Phone Number:

112

Internet TLD:

.se

Time Zone:

CET (UTC+1) Summer (UTC+2) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October

Road Driving Side:

Right

Anthem:

Du gamla, Du fria “Thou ancient, thou free”

Motto:

För Sverige – i tiden “For Sweden – With the Times”

Monarch:

King Carl XVI Gustaf

Prime Minister:

Stefan Löfven

🇸🇪 Holidays and Observances in Sweden in 2021
Date NameType
Jan 1FridayNew Year’s DayPublic holiday
Jan 5TuesdayTwelfth NightDe facto half holiday
Jan 6WednesdayEpiphanyPublic holiday
Feb 14SundayValentine’s DayObservance
Mar 20SaturdayMarch EquinoxSeason
Mar 28SundayDaylight Saving Time startsClock change/Daylight Saving Time
Apr 2FridayGood FridayPublic holiday
Apr 3SaturdayHoly SaturdayDe facto holiday
Apr 4SundayEaster SundayPublic holiday
Apr 5MondayEaster MondayPublic holiday
Apr 30FridayWalpurgis NightDe facto half holiday
May 1SaturdayMay 1stPublic holiday
May 13ThursdayAscension DayPublic holiday
May 22SaturdayWhit SaturdayDe facto holiday
May 23SundayWhit SundayPublic holiday
May 30SundayMother’s DayObservance
Jun 6SundayNational dayPublic holiday
Jun 21MondayJune SolsticeSeason
Jun 25FridayMidsummer EveDe facto and Bank holiday
Jun 26SaturdayMidsummer DayPublic holiday
Sep 22WednesdaySeptember EquinoxSeason
Oct 31SundayDaylight Saving Time endsClock change/Daylight Saving Time
Nov 5FridayAll Saints’ EveDe facto half holiday
Nov 6SaturdayAll Saints’ DayPublic holiday
Nov 14SundayFather’s DayObservance
Nov 28SundayFirst Advent SundayObservance, Christian
Dec 5SundaySecond Advent SundayObservance, Christian
Dec 12SundayThird Advent SundayObservance, Christian
Dec 19SundayFourth Advent SundayObservance, Christian
Dec 21TuesdayDecember SolsticeSeason
Dec 24FridayChristmas EveDe facto holiday
Dec 25SaturdayChristmas DayPublic holiday
Dec 26SundayBoxing DayPublic holiday
Dec 31FridayNew Year’s EveDe facto and Bank holiday
Travel Facts

US State Dept. Travel Advisory:

The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens DO NOT TRAVEL to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution due to terrorism. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

Passport/Visa Requirements:

US citizens should make sure their passport is valid at the date of their entering the country and during the length of their entire visit. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp that will be required. A visa is not required as long as you do not stay in the country more than 6 months.

US Embassy/ Consulate:

[44] 20 7499-9000; Embassy of the United States of America, 33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US (mailing postcode), SW8 5DB (driving/GPS postcode), United Kingdom; SCSLondon@state.gov; https://uk.usembassy.gov/

Telephone Code:

44

Local Emergency Phone:

112, 999

Internet TLD:

.uk

Vaccinations:

See WHO recommendations at http://www.who.int

Climate

Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one half of the days are overcast

Currency (Code)

British pounds (GBP)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s):

230 V / 50 Hz / plug type(s): G

Major Languages:

English, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Irish, Cornish

Religions:

Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, none 25.7%

Time Zone

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October; note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories

Potable Water

Yes

International Driving Permit

Suggested

Road Driving Side

Left

Tourist Destinations

London (includes the Tower of London, British Museum, Parliament, Trafalgar Square); Windsor Castle; Stonehenge; Roman Baths & Georgian City of Bath; York Minster & historic Yorkshire; Chester Zoo; Cotswolds & Lake District; Hadrian’s Wall; Edinburgh; Cardiff

Major Sports

Soccer, cricket, rugby, badminton, tennis, netball, field hockey

Cultural Practices

It is considered rude to wave one’s hand or to call when summoning a waiter at a restaurant.

Tipping Guidelines

It is customary to leave 10-15% of the total bill as a tip when eating out, although some restaurants add on a service charge instead. Tip bartenders 1 pound. It is polite to tip 10-15% of the taxi fare, or round up to the nearest pound as a convenience. Tip porters 2 pounds to bring luggage to your room.

Government

Chief of State:

Queen ELIZABETH II

Government:

Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy

Capital:

London

Largest City:

London

Legislature:

London

Judiciary:

London

Ambassador to US:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Michael Tatham

US Ambassador:

Ambassador Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV

Geography

Area:

Total: 243,61km world rank 80th, land: 241,930km, water: 1,680km

Natural Resources:

Coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

People & Society

Population:

64,430,428 (July 2016 est.) world rank 23rd England 84%, Scotland 8%, Wales 5%, Northern Ireland 3%

Population Growth:

0.51% (2018 est.)

Ethnic Groups:

White 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)

Urbanization:

Urban population: 83.7% of total population (2019)
rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Economy

Economic Overview:

Leading trading power and financial center; third-largest economy in Europe after Germany and France; large coal, natural gas, and oil resources; banking, insurance, and business services, drive GDP growth

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

$2.92 trillion (2017 est.)

GDP per capita

$44,300 (2017 est.)

Exports:

$441.2 billion (2017 est.)
partners: US 13.2%, Germany 10.5%, France 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Ireland 5.6%, China 4.8%, Switzerland 4.5% (2017)

Travel Facts

US State Dept. Travel Advisory:

The US Department of State currently recommends US citizens DO NOT TRAVEL to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution due to terrorism. Consult its website via the link below for updates to travel advisories and statements on safety, security, local laws and special circumstances in this country.

Passport/Visa Requirements:

US citizens should make sure their passport is valid at the date of their entering the country and during the length of their entire visit. They should also make sure they have at least 1 blank page in their passport for any entry stamp that will be required. A visa is not required as long as you do not stay in the country more than 6 months.

US Embassy/ Consulate:

[44] 20 7499-9000; Embassy of the United States of America, 33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US (mailing postcode), SW8 5DB (driving/GPS postcode), United Kingdom; SCSLondon@state.gov; https://uk.usembassy.gov/

Telephone Code:

44

Local Emergency Phone:

112, 999

Internet TLD:

.uk

Vaccinations:

See WHO recommendations at http://www.who.int

Climate

Temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one half of the days are overcast

Currency (Code)

British pounds (GBP)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s):

230 V / 50 Hz / plug type(s): G

Major Languages:

English, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Irish, Cornish

Religions:

Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, none 25.7%

Time Zone

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October; note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories

Potable Water

Yes

International Driving Permit

Suggested

Road Driving Side

Left

Tourist Destinations

London (includes the Tower of London, British Museum, Parliament, Trafalgar Square); Windsor Castle; Stonehenge; Roman Baths & Georgian City of Bath; York Minster & historic Yorkshire; Chester Zoo; Cotswolds & Lake District; Hadrian’s Wall; Edinburgh; Cardiff

Major Sports

Soccer, cricket, rugby, badminton, tennis, netball, field hockey

Cultural Practices

It is considered rude to wave one’s hand or to call when summoning a waiter at a restaurant.

Tipping Guidelines

It is customary to leave 10-15% of the total bill as a tip when eating out, although some restaurants add on a service charge instead. Tip bartenders 1 pound. It is polite to tip 10-15% of the taxi fare, or round up to the nearest pound as a convenience. Tip porters 2 pounds to bring luggage to your room.

Government

Chief of State:

Queen ELIZABETH II

Government:

Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy

Capital:

London

Largest City:

London

Legislature:

London

Judiciary:

London

Ambassador to US:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d’Affaires Michael Tatham

US Ambassador:

Ambassador Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson IV

Geography

Area:

Total: 243,61km world rank 80th, land: 241,930km, water: 1,680km

Natural Resources:

Coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

People & Society

Population:

64,430,428 (July 2016 est.) world rank 23rd England 84%, Scotland 8%, Wales 5%, Northern Ireland 3%

Population Growth:

0.51% (2018 est.)

Ethnic Groups:

White 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)

Urbanization:

Urban population: 83.7% of total population (2019)
rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Economy

Economic Overview:

Leading trading power and financial center; third-largest economy in Europe after Germany and France; large coal, natural gas, and oil resources; banking, insurance, and business services, drive GDP growth

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

$2.92 trillion (2017 est.)

GDP per capita

$44,300 (2017 est.)

Exports:

$441.2 billion (2017 est.)
partners: US 13.2%, Germany 10.5%, France 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Ireland 5.6%, China 4.8%, Switzerland 4.5% (2017)

Imports:

$615.9 billion (2017 est.)
partners: Germany 13.7%, US 9.5%, China 9.3%, Netherlands 8%, France 5.4%, Belgium 5% (2017)