20 Fun Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Sweden



Fact 1: A Land of Thousands of Coastlines
Sweden's coastline is no less than 3,218 kilometers long, bordered by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. The country is known for its fantastical archipelago with about 267,570 islands, but only about 1000 of them are inhabited. This makes Sweden an amazing place for explorers and nature enthusiasts.

Fact 2: Sweden Has an Epic Ice Hotel
Each year, the world-famous Icehotel is erected in the village of Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. This magnificent hotel is entirely made of ice and snow, it melts in the spring and therefore has to be rebuilt every year, a testament to the Swedish dedication to seasonal design.

Fact 3: Heart of the Nobel Prize
Sweden is the heartland of the Nobel Prize. The prestigious award was named after Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor, engineer, and industrialist. The awards in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Sciences are presented annually in Stockholm.

Fact 4: A Buffer-Free Internet Connection
Sweden is one of the top countries in the world when it comes to internet speed. With typical internet speed around 250 Mbit/s and peak speed reaching even 500 Mbit/s, Sweden is an internet paradise.

Fact 5: The Tradition of "Fika"
Swedes LOVE their coffee. They enjoy it so much that they even have a special word for a coffee break - "Fika". It's not just a coffee break; it’s a moment to slow down, contemplate, and appreciate the good things in life.

Fact 6: Home to the Longest Art Exhibition
Stockholm’s metro system is often called ‘the world's longest art exhibition.’ Over 90 of the 100 subway stations in Stockholm have been decorated with mosaics, sculptures, paintings, installations, engravings, and reliefs by over 150 artists since the 1950s.

Fact 7: The Land of Invented Games
Sweden is the birthplace of some popular games including Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga. These were created by Swedish digital wizards, a testimonial to their technological prowess.

Fact 8: Inhabitants of the North
Sweden’s northernmost town, Kiruna, is home to approximately 18,000 inhabitants making this the largest city in the world, geographically. It covers an area of 2,076 square kilometers.

Fact 9: IKEA, the Swedish Cooperation
IKEA, the popular furniture and home appliance company, originated from Sweden. Its flat-pack furniture has dominated worldwide with over 423 stores in 52 countries.

Fact 10: Linguistic Ingenuity
Every day for the past 50 years, a new word has been added to the Swedish language! This linguistic ingenuity means that the language is always evolving and adapting.

Fact 11: The Swedish Right to Public Access
Sweden has something called "Allemansrätten" or "Everyman's right," which allows anyone to roam freely in the countryside, forage for wild berries and mushrooms — even camp overnight — no matter who owns the land.

Fact 12: Sweden - A Leader in Recycling
Sweden is a global leader in garbage management and recycling. So efficient are the Swedes at recycling their trash that they've begun importing garbage from other countries just to keep their recycling plants going.

Fact 13: Swedish Parental Leave
Sweden offers some of the most generous parental leave policies in the world, with parents entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave when a child is born or adopted.

Fact 14: Sweden’s Own Kiruna Spaceport
Sweden has a spaceport. From this place, the Sounding Rocket Launch site located at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, rockets are sent into space for research purposes.

Fact 15: A Country with Multiple Capitals
Sweden has a total of 3 capitals. Stockholm is its political and economic capital. Uppsala is the religious center, and Gothenburg is said to be the "events capital."

Fact 16: The Famous Swedish Meatball
Sweden is famous for traditional Swedish meatballs, served with creamy gravy, mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and pickled cucumber. IKEA alone sells around one billion meatballs every year worldwide.

Fact 17: Sweden's Unique Walpurgis Eve
On the 30th of April every year, Swedes celebrate the coming of spring with bonfires and singing. This festival is known as Walpurgis Eve, where people welcome the new season with joyous celebrations.

Fact 18: The Northern Lights in Sweden
Sweden is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. Every winter, between September and March, you can witness this amazing natural phenomenon that fills the night sky with incredible colors.

Fact 19: Midnight Sun Phenomenon
In the far north of Sweden, the sun never sets for part of each summer. This phenomenon is known as the "Midnight Sun" and provides 24 hours of daylight, opening a world of unique activities like late-night golfing!

Fact 20: The Swedish “Surströmming”
One of the world's smelliest foods, Surströmming — fermented herring, can be found in Sweden. This dish is usually eaten outdoors because of its strong smell, and it's considered a delicacy according to traditional Swedish cuisine.
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