Sweden experiences extreme contrasts between its long summer days and equally long winter nights. In summer, the sun remains in the sky 24 hours a day in parts of Sweden north of the Arctic Circle, but even in the south, in Stockholm (24 ° N), June nights only experience a few hours of twilight. .
Given its geographical location, Sweden enjoys a favorable climate. This is mainly due to the Gulf stream, a warm ocean current that flows off the west coast of Norway. The Scandinavia has been completely covered with ice for several periods of history.
The ice age the most recent ended about 10 years ago, and the weight and movement of the ice sheet had a profound effect on the landscape. The hard outcrops of the underlying rock have been polished into rounded shapes characteristic of Swedish archipelagos, and the hollows were dug into valleys and lakes.
Thanks to its variety of landscapes, Sweden has it all, from bears and wolves in the north to deer and wild boar in the south. The country is also rich in flora and aquatic life, which contributes to its biological diversity.
Much of the Swedish landscape is dominated by coniferous forests like pine and spruce, with large forests of deciduous trees like birch and aspen in the south. Due to their rocky substrate rich in limestone and their favorable climate, the islands of Gotland and Öland and parts of the Scandinavian mountain range have interesting flora which includes many varieties of orchids.
Besides the beauty of its landscapes, Sweden has a rich and varied fauna. The wolf, for example, extends its habitat in northern and central Sweden. Populations bears, lynx and wild boar are also on the increase. Throughout the country, we find a large number of elks (moose), deer, foxes and hares. The elk is a great prize for hunters, but it is also a danger to traffic. Hunting is tightly regulated and many animal species are fully protected. The winter birdlife in Sweden is dominated by a few species, but the summer brings large numbers of migrating birds from the south.
With long coasts and its many lakes, Sweden also has a rich variety of aquatic life. The fish species range from cod and salted Atlantic mackerel with salmon and pike found in the Gulf of Bothnia, much less salty, as well as in lakes and rivers. Herring and the smaller Baltic herring were once an important staple, but are now considered more of a delicacy.
In 1910, Sweden became the first European country to create national parks, mainly in the mountainous districts of Norrland. This made it possible to save some of the last wilderness in Europe from exploitation. Many nature reserves and cultural heritage areas have also been created across the country.
Under the right of public access (Allemansrätten), everyone has the right to walk in forests and fields and to pick berries and mushrooms, without asking the owner's permission, but this right is also accompanied by an obligation to respect the natural environment and private property.
Continent: Europe Capital city : Stockholm Currency: Euro (EUR) Population: 10 313 447
Among the national emblems of Sweden are the blue and yellow flag, two coats of arms, the Three Crowns and the national anthem.
The oldest recorded images of a blue flag with a yellow cross date from the 1336th century. The yellow cross has always been worn on Swedish battle standards and banners, as the Swedish coat of arms was blue divided by a gold cross. The triple crown has been the emblem of Sweden since at least XNUMX, when it was already a familiar symbol of the "Three Kings".
Since 1916, June 6 has been celebrated as Swedish Flag Day. It eventually became Sweden's national holiday in 1983 and a public holiday from 2005. This date was chosen for two reasons: the election of Gustav Vasa as king of sweden June 6, 1523 laid the foundations for Sweden as an independent state; and on the same date, in 1809, Sweden adopted a new constitution which provided for the establishment of civil rights and freedoms.
The words of Du Gamla, Du Fria were written by folklorist and balladist Richard Dybeck (1811-77) and adapted to a folk melody from the province of Västmanland in the mid-19th century. Around 1900, people began to sing it more frequently, and over time it was considered the Swedish national anthem.
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On more than one traveler's list of things to do before dying, you'll find noted "See the Aurora
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