Sweden

Sweden

In addition to being the biggest country on the Scandinavian peninsula – and one of the largest in all Europe – Sweden is a fascinating mix of wild, uncontaminated nature, deeply rooted old traditions, a vibrant cultural life and one of the most civilized, democratic populations in the whole world. Sweden extends over an ... Read on

Sweden

In addition to being the biggest country on the Scandinavian peninsula – and one of the largest in all Europe – Sweden is a fascinating mix of wild, uncontaminated nature, deeply rooted old traditions, a vibrant cultural life and one of the most civilized, democratic populations in the whole world. Sweden extends over an area of 450,000 square kilometers between the region of Skåne in the south and Lapland in the north; the northernmost part of Sweden is a meeting point of three countries: Sweden, Norway and Finland. In fact, it borders with Norway on the west, with Finland on the northeast, the North Sea on the southwest, the Baltic Sea on the southeast and with the Gulf of Bothnia on the east. Notwithstanding its size, Sweden’s population is a mere 9 million and it is concentrated in the South and Center. Stockholm, the capital, is home to about one and a half million people,
while Lapland, the great northern region is almost completely uninhabited.

Geography and climate

The landmass known as Sweden was formed about two and a half billion years ago, but it was during the glacial period that the composite conformation of the land developed. The north is characterized mainly by the Scandinavian Mountain Chain: the main peak is Mount Kebnekaise (2,111 meters). Going south, the mountains make way for the large plateaus formed by repeated shifts in the glaciers and hilly areas that gradually slope down to the coasts. In the center are the great lakes, proof that the area was once below sea level. The many rivers are an important source of hydroelectric power, in addition to providing transportation for the logging and fishing industries. Mitigated by the Gulf Stream, Sweden’s climate is temperate, but can vary considerably according to the region. Winters are long and harsh, summers short and intense, and while there are four quite distinct seasons in the south, up north it can snow even in the middle of August! In the area above the Arctic Circle, the sun does not rise at all during winter. But in summer, from mid-May to mid-July, the “midnight sun” shines 24 hours a day.

Typical features of the Swedish climate are wind and rain. And perhaps this is why weather is a favorite topic for discussion among Swedes who, for their vacations prefer Spain, Italy and all those countries which, in addition to great cultural traditions offer mild temperatures and warm sunshine. This preference extends to Swedish homes that are decorated in warm tones, with lots of wood, decorated tiles and pastel colors to create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.

Historical notes

Sweden’s history began around the year 12,000 B.C. when the thick sheet of ice that covered the whole country gradually began to melt leaving the southern portion uncovered. That was when the nomadic hunters and fishermen began their explorations; they were supplanted only in the IV millennium B.C. by stable populations who farmed, raised livestock and lived in villages. The earliest pictorial evidence dates from the Bronze Age (1500 B.C.): splendid, perfectly conserved cave paintings of hunting scenes or daily life. It was the Roman historian Tacitus who told about the early inhabitants of Sweden in his book Germania, and he described them as being of Germanic origin. Among these were the Svear who, though defeated by the Goths, gave the country its name Sverige – Sweden – and established their political and religious capital at Uppsala.

Sweden’s centuries of isolation were interrupted during the Era of the Vikings (700-1000 A.D.). The Vikings were navigators; much of their history is a mystery and even their name has not been definitively interpreted. Recent studies, however, reveal that the Vikings had a great and complex civilization. In addition to being daring navigators, they produced fine poets, artists and explorers. Skilled sailors with their agile ships (the famous drakkar) it seems that they used spar – a mineral that polarizes sunlight – as a navigational tool.

Established mostly in the area around what is now Stockholm, they had contacts with Russia, Constantinople, Great Britain and Ireland and opened numerous trading routes. Gradually, as their relationships with Germany and England intensified, missionaries began traveling to Sweden strengthening the influence of Christianity which, by the XII century was the dominant religion after King Olof Skötkonung was baptized in 1008.

The country’s political and economic power also strengthened during the same period when Finland was annexed and the capital, Stockholm was founded. In 1389 Margareta, Queen of Denmark and Norway, assumed the Swedish crown and united the Scandinavian kingdoms. The diverse interests of the people, however, led to a series of insurrections and rebellions that culminated in a terrible event during the reign of Christian II of Denmark: he subdued the Swedish resistance with the “bloodbath” of 1520. Sweden did, however, achieve independence thanks to Gustav Eriksson Vasa who roused the entire country to rebellion and brought an end to Danish rule. Gustav Vasa was elected king of Sweden and from that time on the monarchy became hereditary.

It was the Vasa Dynasty, that reigned for 150 years that introduced Protestantism, making Lutheranism the dominant faith. In the XVII century, during the reign of Gustav II Adolf (1611-1632) Sweden became the most powerful country in Europe and conquered entire regions of Russia and Poland. Gustav II Adolf was succeeded by his daughter, Kristina, who was crowned in 1644. She was an enlightened ruler who gave a major boost to Scandinavian cultural life. During the reigns of her successors, Sweden obtained Scania and the southern provinces as well as parts of the Baltic and Germany from Denmark. This period of power ended upon the death of Karl XII in 1718, the great warrior who was defeated by Peter the Great at Poltava. The country lost many of its possessions and was weakened both economically and politically. It was then that the ruling class took the reins by limiting the monarch’s power and entrusting government of the country to the Council appointed by the Diet or Parliament (Riksdag).

The advent of Gustav III, revived the monarchy’s power and gave rise to a true “enlightened despotism.” But when the king was assassinated by a noble, his successors did not prove to be as skilled and Sweden went into a period of decline until the Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected king and took the throne as Karl XIV Johan. His descendants continue to reign today. Under Karl XIV Johan Sweden defeated Denmark and annexed Norway which only regained its independence in 1905. It was in the middle of the nineteenth century that the foundations were laid for the very democratic welfare system of today’s Sweden – and yet, at the time it was a poor country with a high rate of emigration. Sweden maintained neutrality during the two World Wars, and in the roughly sixty years that it has been in power, the Social Democratic party implemented the many social reforms that have given Sweden one of the most efficient welfare systems in the world.

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