The Scandinavian country, which has a thousand-year-old history, is also one of the oldest states established in Europe. The welfare level of this extraordinary country, half of which is covered with lakes and half with forests, is high enough to import garbage from abroad. Let’s take a closer look at what kind of country Sweden is and see some of its interesting features that you will hear for the first time.
Officially known as the Kingdom of Sweden, it is one of the Scandinavian countries in Northern Europe. In addition to being one of the oldest established states in the region, it is also the third largest country in the European Union. It has fought with other Scandinavian countries and other European countries throughout its history. Sweden has been neutral in foreign policy since the beginning of the 19th century. follows an attitude.
Unfortunately, although we have heard its name in recent years due to the fact that it hosts people who are considered terrorists in our country, in this article we will focus more on the historical and geographical structure of Sweden. Because the country has a very deep-rooted history of a thousand years. A very unusual country half covered with lakes and half with forests. how is sweden Let’s see the answer to the question through some interesting information that you will hear for the first time.
Interesting facts about Sweden, some of which you will hear for the first time:
- Sweden is one of the largest countries in the region.
- Lakes and forests make up half of the country.
- If you go to Sweden, it is possible to encounter the character of Donald Duck everywhere.
- If you want to drink coke in Sweden, you may not find the brand you are looking for.
- Stockholm metro stations are like art galleries.
- In Sweden there are fika breaks that all employees must attend.
- Music has a special place in the Swedish economy.
- If you are someone who likes sunny days, it is inevitable that you will get depressed in Sweden.
- North Korea has an increasing debt each year for not paying Sweden.
Sweden is one of the largest countries in the region:
With an area of 450 thousand square kilometers, Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union. over 10 million Its population is almost twice that of its immediate neighbor Norway. More populous than Denmark, another Scandinavian neighbor, Sweden has 25 people per square kilometer because the country’s urban and rural population is dispersed. If we look at the latest figures, it is possible to see that 63 percent of the country’s population lives in cities.
Lakes and forests make up half of the country:
The fact that most of the Scandinavian countries are made up of natural life is a situation we are used to, but this rate is not higher in Sweden. 57 percent of Sweden’s land consists of forest areas. There are more than 95,000 lakes recorded in these forests. What is more interesting is that almost all of these hundreds of thousands of small and large lakes are clean enough to receive a swimming permit. The biggest reason for this cleaning is the country’s recycling policies. It imports waste from neighboring countries such as Sweden and Norway, which recycles 99 percent of its waste and turns it into energy.
If you go to Sweden, it is possible to encounter the character of Donald Duck everywhere:
The world’s most popular cartoon character is known as Mickey Mouse, but this is not the case in Sweden. Swedes are another They love the Disney character Donald Duck. The reason for this seems to be that Donald Duck is a flawed character who lacks virtuous perfection like Mickey Mouse. This love is so great that since the people decided to write Donald Duck on the election papers by protesting the elections in 2006, the election law in the country was changed and voting for non-existent candidates was prohibited.
If you want to drink Coke in Sweden, you may not find the brand you are looking for:
When we look at the total sales figures, we see that the most popular soft drink brand in the world is Coca Cola. But this is not the case in Sweden. There is a local soda brand in the country called Julmust. Julmust, a type of non-alcoholic malt beverage similar to root beer, is extremely popular, especially around Christmas. In December 2021, 45 million liters of this beverage were drunk. So don’t be surprised if you go to the market and don’t find what you’re looking for.
Stockholm metro stations are like art galleries:
All metro stations in the world have their own characteristics, and some offer interesting features to attract tourists. Stockholm metro stations stand out among them by far because 90 percent of the capital’s metro stations, It is equipped with mosaics, paintings, sculptures and many other works of art by 150 different artists. Due to this structure, the Stockholm metro station is referred to as the longest art gallery in the world.
There are fika breaks in Sweden that all employees must attend:
Sweden is the country with the fourth happiest employees in the world. Of course, another reason for this situation, which has numerous reasons such as humane working hours, high income and personal rights, is fika breaks. All workplaces in Sweden, In addition to the lunch break, he takes two fika breaks a day. During these breaks, the employee drinks coffee and eats cake and chats. Participation is not a legal requirement, but employees who do not attend fika breaks are reprimanded by their colleagues.
Music has a special place in the Swedish economy:
You may not know if you are not very closely involved with music, but many famous musicians such as ABBA, Robyn, Tove Lo, José González, Swedish House Mafia, Zara Larsson, The Cardigans and Ace of Base have come from Sweden. Major Swedish music producers such as Max Martin and Shellback They work with many world famous names. When we look at the economic reflection of this situation, we can say that Sweden is the third largest music exporter in the world. Different companies such as Electrolux, Ericsson, H&M, IKEA, Saab, Scania and Volvo, serving worldwide in different sectors, also form the backbone of the Swedish economy.
If you are someone who likes sunny days, it is inevitable that you will get depressed in Sweden:
Like many Scandinavian countries in Northern Europe, a generally dark atmosphere prevails in Sweden. Even During a long period in the winter, the daytime in the country lasts less than 5 hours. A type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder is the most common psychological disorder in the country. To improve this situation, the Swedish government has placed light boxes at bus stops so that people can at least see some light while waiting for the bus. How well they work is debatable.
North Korea has an increasing debt each year for not paying Sweden:
After the Korean War, the country split in two and adopted a socialist regime. North Korea has started to introduce itself as a paradise to the whole world. During this promotion, they planned to do some engineering work using western tools. With an agreement made, a thousand Volvo 144GL cars were ordered from Sweden in the 1970s.
Some of these vehicles were delivered to North Korea in 1974, but no payment was made. Waited for a while but still no payment. It turned out that North Korea was not planning any payment for these vehicles. Sweden did not compromise and continued to send invoices. Interestingly, this debt is recalculated every year and an invoice is sent to North Korea. There is a debt of approximately 300 million Euros in the last bill. When it will be paid is unknown.
one of the largest countries in the Scandinavian world Talking about interesting facts about Sweden, some of which you have heard for the first time We tried to get to know this extraordinary country better. You can share your thoughts about Sweden in the comments.