Rootsi
Quick Facts: | Area: | 449,964 sq km | | Population: | 8,876,744 (July 2002 est.) | | Capital: | Stockholm | | Language: | Swedish | | Religion: | Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic,Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist | | Currency: | Krona (SEK) | | YFU web site: | www.yfu.org/se |
Introduction Sweden is a country of long, bright summer evenings, mountains, forests, islands and lakes. Everyone enjoys nature and the air is clean. Outdoor sports are very popular across the country. Sweden has a long and fascinating past, from the Viking age to the modern era. A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's longsuccessful economic formula of a capitalist system mixed with substantial welfare elements has recently been undermined by high unemployment, rising maintenance costs, and a declining position in world markets. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe caused Sweden not to join the EU until 1995, and to forgo the introduction of the Euro in 1999.
Short Facts Area: Sweden’s size is 449,964 sq. km, slightly bigger than Paraguay. The country is covered with forests and about ten percent by lakes. Even though its latitude is approximately the same as the US state of Alaska, it has a mild climate due to the warming influence of the Atlantic Gulf Stream. The land is varied with snow-covered mountains, forests, lakes, farmland, villages, small towns and big cities.
Climate: Sweden has four distinct seasons: summer (June to August), autumn (September to November), winter (December to March) and spring (April to May). In the winter in central Sweden there are only six hours of daylight, bu in the summer there are at least 18 hours of daylight. This is why one can enjoy the Swedish summer evenings with the “midnight sun”.
Population: Most people live in southern or central Sweden and the population density is low. Approximately 83% of the population live in cities. In the north there is a small ethnic minority called the Lapps.
Language: Swedish is the main language, but in the north there are minorities that speak Finnish and Lapp. In Sweden there are many different ethnic groups, who use their own language when communicating with each other, but in public the only language used is Swedish.
Religion: One of the elements links Scandinavian countries together is a common Lutheran religion. The Swedish situation is special, however, since the Church of Sweden, “Svenska Kyrkan”, very early became a part of the central administration. Gradually, however, the church has been separated from the state and in 1996 it gained its full independence. This means, among other things, that children have to be baptized in order to become members of the church. Before the separation, children born in Sweden automatically became members of the national church. In real life only a small percent of the population regularly attend church services. Apart from Lutheran Christianity, numerous churches and sects are found in Sweden.A large number of immigrants are either Catholic or Muslim. In recent years there has also been an influx of Hindus and Buddhists among the immigrants. More recently founded religious communities include Mormons, Pentecostalists, and Jehovah´s Witnesses.
Government: Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and has parliamentary democracy. It is a single legislative Parliament (called Riksdagen) and consists of 349 members each of whom serve a four-year term. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The Swedish foreign policy is based on the premise that the national independence is best served by maintaining an alliance-free policy in peacetime in order to remain neutral in war. This was also one of the reasons it cited for not joining the European Union until 1995.
History: The Viking era lasted from approximately 735 to 1086. It was a time when the Scandinavian countries were feared over most of Europe. The Vikings went far and were actually the first Europeans to “discover” North America. In 1397 the Danish queen Margrethe I succeeded in uniting the Scandinavian countries in the Kalmar Union. The union consisted of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. During this time the local “Princes” gave up many of their rights and the power went to the Monarch. It was also during this time that the monarchy became hereditary. In 1523 Sweden became independent with Gustav Wasa as its ruler. During the 17th century, Sweden was one of the Great Powers of Europe and its territories included Finland and parts of the Baltic States of Poland and Germany. In 1818, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, one of Napoleon’s marshals, founded the present Swedish dynasty. The last war in Swedish history was fought in 1814. Sweden remained neutral in both World Wars.
Economy: Sweden is an industrial country. It has a unique mix of hightech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits, which has allowed a high living standard. Poverty is almost nonexistent.
Education: School is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16 and there are nine forms or grades. The Swedish upper secondary school is called the Gymnasium. More than ninety percent of adolescents go onto the upper secondary school. Municipalities run schools and in the nine compulsory years they provide free books and lunches. In the Gymnasium there are 16 national programs, 14 of which are vocational. There are no tuition fees at the upper secondary school, though there is a fee for school meals in many communities. The school year starts in the beginning of August and ends in mid June. It is divided into two semesters with Christmas vacation in between.
Family life: Close family ties and loyalties are still common and important in Sweden. Women often work outside the home, taking their pre-school children to day care. Many couples have only one child and most Swedes are middle class. The holidays are a time to spend with family and Swedes have many traditions. The most enthusiastically celebrated festivals are the Midsummer (June), the Lucia festival and Christmas (December) and New Year’s eve, which is a highly social time in Sweden where friends get together often setting off fireworks. Easter is specially celebrated for children who dress up as witches and go door-to-door exchanging drawings for candy. On Walpurgis Night (April 30) Swedes celebrate the end of winter with bonfires and fireworks. May Day (May 1) is a day of marches and labor movement events.
Food: The potato is the most important vegetable in Sweden. Almost every meal comes with a potato dish and it is the main ingredient in the world famous Swedish aquavit. Other popular foods are pickled herring and other types of fish. The smörgåsbord is a very traditional meal in Sweden. The word smörgås means something like "open sandwich", and bord is the Swedish word for "table”. However, a smörgåsbord is not a table full of sandwiches. This specialty instead consists of a number of small dishes: a variety of herring dishes (sweet-pickled, pickled with onions, mustard, dill), meatballs, salmon, pies, salads, “Jansson´s temptation” (sliced herring, potatoes and onions baked in cream), eggs, bread, potatoes and so on.
Recreation: Swedes are, for the most part, outdoor people and the country has some of the finest recreational facilities in the world. In the winter, skating is very popular as are downhill and cross country skiing and ice hockey. In the summer, water sports, like sailing, fishing, swimming and canoeing are popular, but hiking, cycling, golf, tennis and especially soccer are also enjoyed.
YFU Sweden
YFU Sweden was founded in 1961/62 and is registered as a non-profit organization. The office is located in Stockholm and has a small professional staff. In International Educational Services, Inc. addition, there are YFU districts throughout Sweden, each with a regional representative. Students who go to Sweden receive a basic Swedish language course. Each student will have a senior and/or a junior area representative who will support both the student and the host family.
Exchange activities for inbound students: During the year there will be 4 orientation camps and an optional trip to the Swedish mountains and to a capital in Europe. YFU Sweden also offers an aesthetic program in which students study visual art, music, dance or drama combined with traditional academic school subjects.
Common Phrases | English | Swedish | | Good morning | Gommorron | | Hello | Hej | | My name | Jag heter | | Thank you | Tack | | Bye bye | Hej då | | No | Nej |
|
