23 Mysterious Facts About Sweden that No One Knows

Sweden is a beautiful country with an exciting culture and rich history. This Scandinavian country has numerous inland lakes, coastal islands, and vast boreal forested and glaciated mountains ⛰️.

This country is also famous for its pop music 🎵 and is the fifth largest country in Europe. So, in this article, we will now go through some fascinating facts about this Scandinavian country called Sweden.

Interesting Facts about Sweden Discover The Nordic Gem

There are more than 200,000 islands in Sweden

The country of Sweden has an exciting archipelago made up of more than 24,000 islands. Also, that number doesn’t include the thousands of skerries or tiny, rocky islands and islets 🏝️. The country Sweden has more coastline than any other European country 🌊.

It is one of the most powerful nations in Europe.

With a total area of more than 450,000 square kilometers, Sweden is the third-largest nation by landmass in the European Union. Also, it is the largest one in the Nordic region. If you look at Europe, it is even ranked in the top 5 🌍.

Sweden has two stunning natural light phenomena.

Sweden is a land of wonders when it comes to light. During the winter months, several parts of the nation plunged into darkness with just about six hours of daylight daily 🌌.

However, in summer, Northern Sweden sees the Midnight sun where the sun never sets, and the people of Sweden can enjoy 24 hours of sunlight ☀️. Also, the people of Sweden can even experience the stunning Northern Lights during winter.

More than 70% of Sweden is a forest.

A fascinating fact about Sweden is that it is one of the most forested nations in Europe 🌳. More than 70% of the nation is covered in forests, meaning there are many opportunities for outdoor activities, like camping, hiking, and fishing 🐟.

It is an excellent place to travel and enjoy the beauty of nature. It would help if you carried your mosquito repellent because Sweden is home to more mosquitoes than many European countries 🦟.

Swedish musicians have a significant impact on Pop Music.

Sweden is a small nation, but it has significantly impacted the world of pop music 🎶. Several of the biggest names in pop music originated from Sweden, such as Avicii, ABBA, Robyn, Alesso, Lykke Li, and Swedish House Mafia. These bands and artists have been influential and thriving in the pop music industry in their eras.

Also, Sweden has several famous bands, such as The Hives, In Flames, Meshuggah, Hammerfall, The Hellacopters, The Sounds, etc 🎸.

Sweden has a long history of being neutral.

Sweden has a long history of neutrality as it has not been involved in a war for more than 200 years. Sweden is one of the founding bodies of the United Nations and has always been an active supporter and promoter of diplomacy and peace 🕊️.

Sweden has its own Christmas figures.

Not only does the people of Sweden have their exciting version of Santa Claus 🎅, but he also resides in his village in the far north of Sweden. He is known as Jultomten, and he comes from Lapland where, based on Swedish tradition, Jul means “Christmas,” and Tomten represents “Elf.”

Similarly, he even makes a long list of all the kids in Sweden who have been well-behaved and sound during the year. He then delivers presents to all well-behaved children on Christmas Eve, either by post or in person 🎁.

Sweden imports waste from other nations.

Sweden is incredibly efficient at recycling; hence, it imports waste from other countries ♻️. This is because Sweden has a well-developed infrastructure for recycling and recovering energy from waste. The goal of this country is to be free of fossil fuels by the year 2045.

It is home to some of the world’s best designs.

Sweden has a long history of making excellent designs, and today, it is home to a few of the best designers in the world 🎨.

Swedish design is often characterized by its functionality and simplicity, and many well-known brands, such as H&M and Ikea, are from Sweden.

It is the home of Absolut vodka.

In 1879, Absolut vodka was first produced in Sweden, and today 🍸, it is famous as one of the world’s most popular spirits. The company that makes Absolut is based in Stockholm, and the popular vodka is made from winter wheat that grows in southern Sweden.

The people of Sweden love their Fika.

Fika is a significant part of Swedish culture and is a perfect ‘coffee break.’ Fika can be enjoyed with friends or even alone 🍰. It generally includes some coffee ☕ and delicious Swedish desserts and cakes.

However, Fika is not just about coffee and cake, it is also a vital opportunity to enjoy a break from work and socialize. There are also certain Fika rooms in several workplaces where employees may take a break and enjoy a chat with their colleagues.

Swedish people love their coffee.

Coffee is a vital deal in Sweden, and the people of this country are some of the biggest coffee drinkers ☕ on the planet, consuming an average of four cups per day. Sweden has some of the highest numbers of coffee stalls and shops per capita globally.

So, many foreigners love to grab some aromatic coffee with a complete Swedish breakfast during their vacation in Sweden.

Swedish meatballs are not Swedish

One of the most famous dishes in Sweden is Swedish meatballs 🍽️, which was born in Turkey. King Charles XII brought this dish to Sweden after spending five years in exile in Turkey.

He liked the meatballs so much that he even introduced them to the court of Sweden on his return home.

Sweden remained neutral during World War II.

During World War II, the country of Sweden remained neutral and did not take part in the fighting. However, the nation did offer some assistance to the Allies, like allowing British and German troops to cross Swedish territory to reach Norway 🌍.

It is a land of Viking warriors.

The Vikings were a group of individuals who resided in Scandinavia from almost the 8th to the 11th century. They were famous for their fantastic skill in sailing and shipbuilding 🛶. Also, the Vikings were skilled warriors ⚔️ and infamous for their raids on other nations, which they carried out in their longships.

Moreover, one of the Swedish kings, Erik XIII, became a pirate. He, also known as “Erik of Pommern,” was forced away from the crown in 1439 and fled to Gotland 👑. He crowned himself the Baltic Sea’s Pirate King there for almost ten years.

It is one of the first European countries to give women the right to vote.

In 1921, Sweden became one of the first European countries to be given the right to vote for women and stand in parliamentary elections 👩‍⚖️. Also, about 90 years later, Sweden even introduced a gender-neutral marriage law, offering same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The country was once an empire and also a great military power.

In the 17th century, Sweden was one of Europe’s most powerful military forces 💂‍♂️. Famous as the “Warrior Nation,” Sweden had a strong navy and army, which helped them to control a large portion of northern Europe.

At its peak, the Swedish Empire included some parts of Denmark, Finland, and Russia, as well as large swathes of what is now Estonia, Norway, and Latvia. However, around the early 18th century, the Empire was in decline and had lost a significant part of its territory.

It was the first country to ban corporal punishment of children.

In 1979, the country became the world’s first country to ban corporal punishment of children 🚫👋. It is illegal to punish or hit a child physically in Sweden.

The Passport in Sweden is among the world’s best passports.

Another fantastic fact about Sweden is that the passport of this country can offer individual entry without a visa to 124 nations in the world ✈️. Also, upon arrival, Sweden’s citizens can access another 33 countries.

Currently, the passport of Sweden is ranked number 6 in the updated ranking of the best passports in the world.

It is the world’s only country where donations stand for more than 1% of the GDP.

The people of Sweden are famous for being generous, and usually, Sweden is a nation that tries to help around the globe even though it is far from the most prominent country 🌍. It is the only nation globally where donations are more than 1% of the total GDP.

Moreover, with 25% as standard VAT, the VAT of Sweden is among the highest in the world, along with countries like Norway, Croatia, and Denmark. Only Myanmar, Bhutan, Hungary, and Djibouti have higher VAT.

The oldest limited company is Swedish.

In 1288, Falu Koppargruva AB was founded, and it is the world’s oldest limited company 🏢because it has the most aged preserved share certificate.

Sweden has the highest number of patents per capita in Europe.

Some famous Swedish innovators and innovations are the Pacemaker 💡 (Rune Elmqvist), Tetra Pak (Erik Wallenberg), the Spherical ball bearing, and the Dynamite (Alfred Nobel).

Sweden has the freedom to roam.

Sweden is one of those few nations that gives every individual the freedom to roam in nature 🏞️, meaning a person doesn’t have to pay to get permission to cross private land or to set up a tent.

The only exceptions are near a dwelling house, private gardens, or land under cultivation. Also, one can quickly cycle, walk, ski, ride, and camp in Sweden.

So, Sweden is a fascinating country with an exciting history, culture, delicious cuisine, famous innovations, great music, designs, etc.

At the end of this article, we learned 23 interesting facts from which we can get a clear picture of this nation, Sweden. You can visit our website if you want to know some additional points.