15 Fascinating Facts About Sweden

15 Fascinating Facts About Sweden

Before reading on, I’d like to challenge you to think about the facts you already know about Sweden. When you think Swedish, do you think about a massage or meatballs? it’s ok if you thought of both because both make sense. However, Sweden is a lot more than the 2 facts you probably know, it is a country that is filled with forests, crystal-clear lakes, rugged coastlines and towering mountains.

It is a country that is not only filled with natural beauty but has a strong economy, a long history of wonderful culture and a lot of uniqueness. From their famous meatballs to a lot of other facts, this country is filled with surprises. Read on about the 15 interesting facts about Sweden that will pique your interest and make you want to visit this intriguing country if you haven’t already.

1. Sweden has a lot of forests

R. Henrik Nilsson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Other countries may be suffering from deforestation but Sweden is not part of that list. The production and environmental aspects of managing forests are governed by the Swedish Forestry Act. The Act states, among other things, that it is required to regenerate forests after they have been cleared. 57% of Sweden is reportedly covered in trees, according to Sveaskog. That’s 23 million hectares specifically, which is roughly the size of the United Kingdom.

2. North Korea owes Sweden money

North Korea launched some massive engineering projects using equipment it had received from the West in an effort to reinvent itself as a first-world country after the Korean War. Sweden was one of the first countries to develop financial ties and catch the hype train. In the 1970s, 1000 Volvo 144GL luxury cars were ordered from a Swedish manufacturer since Korean residents needed lavish transportation. In 1974, the first cars were delivered.

It quickly became clear that North Korea was unable to pay for these vehicles and didn’t want to. Instead, it was only letting the expenses mount up and basically, they got free cars since they’ve never paid their debt up till now. The Swedes continued sending invoices after realising there wasn’t much they could do. So, the Swedish government updates the debt calculation and issues a fresh invoice each year. The country is doing everything in its power to ensure that the approximately €300 million in debt is unforgettable, even though it has little chance of ever seeing the money.

3. Swedish people love to recycle

Recycling is very popular in Sweden. Just 1% of waste is disposed of in landfills; the other 50% is recycled or composted, and 49% is burned for electricity. Although this may sound like excellent news, it has led to one significant issue: there isn’t enough waste left to keep the landfills operating. To keep their town running they usually import trash from the United Kingdom and Norway. Also, the countries pay Sweden to remove their waste so it’s a win-win. 

4. They have a hotel made of ice

Tom Corser www.tomcorser.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 UK, via Wikimedia Commons

Sounds bizarre right? the impossible is done by the Swedes every year as soon as the cold season arrives. The well-known hotel is located in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi. Builders and workers usually work on this hotel and ensure that it is unique each time. 

5. Their favourite drink is a fermented drink that is alcohol-free

Tage Olsin, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

While many countries enjoy traditional holiday beverages like Egg Nog or Mulled Wine, Sweden’s preferred holiday libation is a carbonated beverage, or soda, called Julmust. Root beer-like Julmust is a fermented malt beverage that contains no alcohol. In December, when it outsells Coke and all other soft drink brands combined, 45 million litres are consumed.

Then, for a few months, Julmust disappears from store shelves before making a triumphant return at Easter as Pskmust—the same drink in a different bottle! The remaining 25% is used whenever Easter falls, with 75% of “must” being consumed in December. The beverage is virtually tough to find outside of these hours.

6. Swedish capital city Stockholm is full of impressive architecture

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is home to several stunning buildings. But, one of the most spectacular sites is underground! You’d never assume that walking around a metro station would be fascinating except in Sweden where 90% of the art galleries are well-decorated with sculptures, mosaics, paintings, graffitis, installations and much more. It is literally like walking through an art gallery every time you’re getting a train. 

7. Sweden had a king who became a pirate

Nationalmuseum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Scandinavia’s political history is very interesting and one of the most interesting parts of this history was the Kalmar Union era. Eric of Pomerania was crowned Eric XIII of Sweden after his grandaunt died and wasn’t exactly the best king, he struggled to win battles and lost a sizable portion of his Kingdom in the process. He managed to aggravate the nobility in Sweden, Norway and Denmark and this was not the brightest strategy. He escaped to Gotland and took control of Visborg Castle as a sort of royal strike after the Danish aristocracy refused to approve his choice of successor.

But things get stranger when, after being completely overthrown, he began a career that was reportedly successful as a pirate in the Baltic Sea, exacting vengeance on the Hanseatic merchants who had caused so many problems under his rule. Later, after ten years of piracy, he made his way back to high society as the Duke of Pomerania!

8. Swedish employees are the fourth happiest in the world!

There was a survey done by Indeed confirmed that Swedish workers are the fourth happiest in the world. The study looked at different factors such as overall job happiness, employment security and work-life balance.

The Swedes people have everything every employee would want, they have strong social safety nets, flexible work schedules and a culture that allows workers to have high levels of job satisfaction. 

9. The Swedes invented nicotine gum

Swedish scientists created nicotine gum in the 1970s, which is now a common aid for quitting smoking. The gum was created as an alternative to tobacco smoking in order to provide the body with nicotine. In order for nicotine gum to work, nicotine must first enter the mouth’s mucous membrane and then enter the bloodstream. For people trying to stop smoking, this lessens cravings and withdrawal symptoms.  Nicotine gum is now often used and has been beneficial in assisting many people in quitting smoking.

10. It has the world’s largest scale model of the solar system

Although Sweden may not come to mind when considering space travel, it does lead the world in one important astronomical way: it is home to the biggest scale model of the solar system in existence. The model, which emanates from the Ericsson Dome in Stockholm, the largest hemispherical building in the world, travels 950 kilometres to Kiruna, where the notion of Termination Shock—the end of the solar system—is indicated. The scale is 1:20,000,000. A model or statue identifies each object. Mercury is only 3 km from the centre, but Earth, Neptune, and Pluto are all separated by more than 300 km.

11. Sweden is the fifth largest country in Europe

In actuality, Sweden is the fifth-largest nation in Europe. The entire land area is 450,295 km2, which is greater than both Norway and Denmark combined. Sweden has one of the lowest population densities in Europe despite being one of the biggest nations.

12. Many prominent companies were founded in Sweden

Swedish businesses are widely known and they have companies in the tech and design industries that are active in international trade. Companies like Volvo, Saab, Ericsson, H&M, and IKEA are all companies that have had great contributions to the world.

Additionally. Sweden is home to a number of innovative inventions and technological advances, companies such as dynamite, Tetra Pak, pacemakers and spherical ball bearing are great examples.

13. The majority of Swedes live in urban areas

The largest cities in Sweden are Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö, where about 87% of the population resides. There’s a general trend toward urbanisation which like any other country makes sense because cities generally offer better healthcare options, cultural activities and employment opportunities.

Though living in a Swedish city is expensive generally offers a better standard of living and has efficient public transit as well as effective social assistance systems. Even though their cities are generally better their rural communities still have a robust agricultural industry which is better for those who prefer a slower pace of life.

 14. Donald Duck is more popular than mickey mouse

Fotopersbureau De Boer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The most well-known Disney character around the world is Mickey Mouse. Yet Donald Duck enjoys a much greater following in Sweden. Some have linked this to Donald’s somewhat flawed personality being more relatable to Europeans than Mickey’s moral perfection. Donald is unquestionably Sweden’s favourite Disney character, for whatever reason.

Since 1959, at 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, the entire country gathered to see Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar gud jul. For those of you who aren’t Swedish, that’s Donald Duck and his pals wishing you a happy holiday!

15. The population of Sweden is approximately 10.3 million

There are roughly 10.3 million people living in Sweden. Nearly twice as many people live there than in Norway! Also, it is far bigger than Denmark, the other Scandinavian country which has 5.8 million people.

You can also read 10 Most Famous Historical events that happened in Sweden