About Sweden

Image: Stockholm Visitors Board

Photo: Wolfgang Greiner

Photo: Håkan Vargas S.

Geography

Sweden covers an area of 173,731 sq. miles, twice the size of Britain. It is the largest country in Scandinavia and the third largest in Western Europe. The country stretches from the Baltic Coast in the south up into the Arctic Circle. Over half the country is covered by forest, with the deciduous forests of the south slowly giving way to ancient pine forest and mountain birch in the north. Sweden contains an incredible 96,000 lakes.

Weather and Climate

While much of Sweden does indeed provide fairytale winter conditions, summer in Sweden is also a glorious experience, with the country having a temperate climate in spite of its northerly location thanks to the Gulf Stream. There is usually less rain and more sunshine during summer than in Britain. Sea temperatures in the summer are slightly higher than the English Channel.

Temperatures in Stockholm can reach the high twenties in summer. In northern Sweden from mid-May to late July it never really gets dark. The table below gives average temperatures, but please note that actual daily temperatures may be very different.

Temperatures in Sweden

Av. temp deg C	Jan	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Oct
Malmö (south)	1.3	11.5	13.3	18.1	17.1	11.5
Stockholm	-1.1	10.4	14.9	19.3	16.5	9.4
Luleå (north)	-5.0	6.6	13.7	16.1	14.0	3.8

To see the latest weather information for Sweden, visit the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.

Driving in Sweden

As an ecotourism company, we hope that you will choose to take trains and buses whenever possible as you travel around Sweden. However, cars do offer a degree of independence and allow access to certain areas hard to reach by public transport. If you do decide to drive in Sweden, there are some things that you should be aware of, for the sake of safety, ease of travel, and the environment. You may find our article on driving in Sweden of interest.

Population

Sweden has a population of just 8.9 million, of which 3.4 million live in or around the three largest cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.

Right of Public Access

Sweden is justly famous for its Right of Public Access, "Allemansrätten" or "Every Man's Right", which allows a great deal of freedom of access to the countryside for walking and camping. It can be summarised by the phrase, "Do not disturb, do not destroy." However, it is a right that requires responsibility, consideration and good judgement. For more details, visit www.allemansratten.se or see the trip notes for your chosen experience.

Currency

Swedish currency is the Krona. Changes in the economy in recent years mean that Sweden no longer lives up to its reputation for being prohibitively expensive. Prices today are generally comparable to, and in some cases cheaper than, the UK. Food in local stores may be more expensive. Exchange rates of course vary, but around 12.5-13 Krona=£1 is average. As a rough calculation, 125Kr=£10 allows a quick price comparison. To check current exchange rates visit www.x-rates.com

Language

Swedes are justly famous for their excellent English, and almost everyone you meet should have no problem communicating in English. However, Swedes will be very happy if you make an effort with the basics and complement you immediately on your excellent Swedish! Here are a few phrases to get started:

Swedish in 30 Seconds

English	Swedish	Pronunciation
Hello	Hej!	hay
Good morning	God morgon!	god-moron
Good night	God natt!	god-natt
Goodbye	Hej då!	hay dor
Thank you	Tack!	tack
Thank you very much	Tack så mycket!	tack sor mickah
How are you? Very well, thanks.	Hur mår du? Jätte bra, tack!	her mor du? yette bra, tack
My name is...	Jag heter...	yaah hetter
Nice to meet you	Trevligt att träffas	trayvlit at treffus

Å, Ä and Ö - the sounds of Swedish: å is pronounced like "or", ä like "air", and ö like "er", all without the "r" sound.

Mosquitoes and Ticks

Mosquitoes ("myggor") are a very important part of the ecosystem, as they are a source of food for many animals, especially birds. Mosquitoes can be a problem, but mostly in northern Sweden. The number of mosquitoes varies from year to year depending on the rainfall during spring and early summer, appearing around mid-June and disappearing again towards the end of September with numbers lowest at the beginning and end of the season. Since mosquitoes like water and birch forest they are not often found on the high plains away from the mountain stations.

However, to make your experience more comfortable bring a good mosquito repellent and be sure to take long-sleeved tops and trousers as well as a hat for those dusk hours when mosquitoes are most common. If you are particularly bothered by mosquitoes it may be useful to bring a mosquito net for your face.

You should be aware of the risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in coastal areas, especially the Stockholm Archipelago. Advice on TBE, and inoculations, are generally available in the UK.

Misc. Info

Sweden is a member of the EU. UK citizens do not require a visa to visit Sweden, though you should have a valid passport. For general travel advice for Sweden visit "Know Before You Go" and "Travel Advice By Country" at www.fco.gov.uk/travel. Electricity supply is 220V (230V) 50 Hz.