Sweden is a Scandinavian country located in Northern Europe that borders Norway and Finland. Sweden has an area of 174,000 square miles with about 9 million people living there. Famous for its beautiful landscape, it’s known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun.”
Sweden has made many scientific advancements over the years that have been used all around the world. In 1864, they invented dynamite which was then used in construction and mining industries. In 1928, Alfred Nobel created dynamite sticks with nitroglycerin after he visited Sweden and saw how much it was needed there.
What is Sweden Known For? It’s known for its rich culture and natural resources, as well as being the first country to adopt a public health care system. It’s also known for Viking history, and high quality of life.
Here are 15 things Sweden is known and famous for!
1. Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous city in the Nordic countries. It’s also one of Scandinavia’s largest cities, with a population of about 1 million people. The Swedish capital has been ranked as one of the best places to live in Europe by various publications, including Monocle magazine.
Stockholm is home to many famous museums such as Moderna Museet or Vasa Museum which are both located on Djurgården island in Stockholm. This island is often referred to as “The Golden Island” because it was once an important part in Sweden’s military history when it was used for naval warfare training during World War II.
2. Innovative Engineering
Sweden has made some great achievements in engineering over the years with the first wind turbine created in 1972 that helped make electricity more accessible for all. A couple decades later, they invented the Tetra Pak which was used worldwide. It’s a method of packaging liquid foods like milk an juice using paper-based containers which are now used by 70% of households around the world!
3. ABBA
One of Sweden’s most famous exports is its music, with one band taking center stage: ABBA. ABBA is a Swedish pop group that was active in the 1970s. They are one of the most successful bands in history, having sold over 380 million records worldwide.
ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with their song “Waterloo.” The band broke up in 1982 but has reunited on various occasions over the years.
4. Vikings
It might come as a shock that Sweden is famous for being a part of history! In 2015, a group of scientists revealed that several bodies discovered in what they thought were graves from the Iron Age were actually the remains of vikings who had been sacrificed and buried in Stockholm.
5. Nobel Prize
The Nobel prize is something Sweden takes pride in, being one of the most awarded countries with 376 prizes to date. Started by Alfred Nobel in 1895, it’s given out every year to people for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace.
6. IKEA
Ikea has stores worldwide and started out in Sweden before making its way across Europe, Asia, and North America. It’s known for its affordable furniture and home accessories that are often “flat-packaged” for easy transport.
IKEA is known for its affordable and stylish furniture, as well as its Swedish meatballs!
7. H&M
H&M is a Swedish clothing company that was founded in 1947 by Erling Persson. H&M has over 3,000 stores across the world and it’s known for its affordable prices. The first store opened in Sweden and since then it has grown to be one of the most popular clothing companies worldwide.
H&M stands for Hennes & Mauritz which translates to “her” (female) and “his” (male). This name came about because at the time when they were looking for names, there were no words or terms that represented both genders. With this name, they wanted to make sure their products would be available to everyone regardless of gender.
8. Staycationers
Sweden is a great place to take a vacation, but its citizens often take “staycations” instead which are just like regular vacations, but without having to leave the country. With so many lakes, forests, and mountains, Sweden is the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature.
9. Equality
One thing that Sweden is well-known for is its commitment to gender equality. In 1975, they became the first country in the world to implement laws ensuring equal rights between men and women in all areas of life. This led to such things as parental leave being offered equally to both mothers and fathers, and more women being employed in high-ranking positions.
10. Swedish Foods
From meatballs and lingonberry jam to surströmming (a fermented herring) and knäckebröd (a type of crispbread), Swedish cuisine is a unique mix of flavors that often surprises foreigners. Some of the most popular dishes are smörgåsbord, a type of buffet with many different types of food, and köttbullar, or meatballs.
11. Winter Wonderland
Despite being known for its dark winters, Sweden is also home to some pretty amazing winter landscapes. With its snow-capped mountains and frozen lakes, it’s no wonder people love to come visit during the winter months.
12. Multicultural Society
It might come as a surprise that Sweden is known for its multicultural society! In fact, over 13% of citizens were born outside of Sweden and another 15% are immigrants or children of immigrants which makes its population more diverse than most countries.
Due to this, people who live here often learn at least one other language aside from Swedish like Arabic, Spanish and English! However there has also been some issues surrounding integration into Swedish culture which was made
13. Celcius
Swedes are proud of their Celsius temperature scale which was developed in 1742 by Anders Celsius. Unlike the Fahrenheit scale, which is used in the United States, Celcius is a linear scale where 0 degrees is the freezing point of water and 100 degrees is the boiling point.
14. Swedish Culture
Sweden has a wide range of cultural influences and it shows in the art, music and literature that they produce. Some of the world’s most famous composers like Mozart, Bach and Handel spent time in Sweden which led to such things as opera becoming very popular.
In addition, for over 200 years, lots of international artists were invited to live in Sweden which made it one of the most open-minded countries in Europe at that time.
15. Skiing and Snowboarding
Sweden is a great place to ski and snowboard! With its many mountains and resorts, it’s no wonder people from all over the world come to visit during the winter months. In fact, Sweden is often called “The Skiing Nation” because it has more downhill ski slopes per capita than any other country in the world.
Read more: What is Norway known for?
Final words
There are so many things that Sweden is known for, it’s hard to know where to start! From its amazing nature and landscapes to its dedication to gender equality, Sweden is a fascinating country with a lot to offer visitors and residents alike. So if you’re thinking of visiting or moving to Sweden, make sure to keep these 15 things in mind! Thanks for reading!