Introducing Sweden (ppt), speaker’s note 2013 Geography - Sweden is part of Scandinavia. With its 450,000 square kilometres (about 170,000 square miles), Sweden is the third-largest country in Western Europe after Spain and France, and bigger than California. - Sweden is a long country: 1,574 km (about 980 miles) from north to south. That is about the same as Seattle-Los Angeles (1,500 km), Berlin-Moscow (1,600) or Mumbai-Calcutta (1,700). - Sweden has a small population though, with only around 9.5 million inhabitants – about 0.1 per cent of the world’s population. - Consequently, Sweden is sparsely populated with only around 21 people per square kilometre. This can be compared to the population density in China (134 per square kilometre), Hong Kong (6,688), India (318), the European Union (112), Germany (231), Spain (87) or the UK (246 per square kilometre). - Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in southern Sweden, which also has the three largest cities: Stockholm (the capital, with just over 1.2 million people), Göteborg and Malmö. People - Most historians agree today that the Sami are entitled to call themselves the original Scandinavians. The Sami are one of the world’s smallest groups of indigenous people. The Sami population of Sweden is estimated to be around 20,000 of the total 80,000 Sami who live across Sápmi, the Sami homeland that also stretches across the north of Norway and Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. - Just a century ago, Sweden was a country of poor peasants and emigrants. From the end of the 19th century to 1930, 1.5 million Swedes – a quarter of the population – emigrated, most to North America. - Today Sweden is a rich and well-educated country with large annual investments in education and research. - Sweden has also become a multicultural country over the past 50 years. This is due to the fact that hundreds of thousands of people from different parts of the world have migrated to Sweden, some seeking asylum, many for other reasons. - Today, almost one-fifth of the 9 million residents of Sweden were born abroad or have parents who were born abroad. - Swedish is the main language in Sweden, but almost all Swedes also speak fluent English. History - Ancient Swedish history is violent and dramatic, filled with war and conquests. - It began with the Viking raids around the 11th century, and continued with frequent military campaigns under warrior kings such as Gustav II Adolf and Karl XII. - In the 17th century, Sweden was one of Europe’s great powers, with territories stretching over large parts of the Baltic region.
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By the 18th century, Sweden had become so impoverished by all the fighting that it had to achieve peace if the country was to survive. Sweden has lived in peace since 1814. Sweden is one of the few European countries not to be involved in the two world wars. Since the Second World War, Sweden has become known for its role in promoting international peace. Sweden’s centuries of peace are one of the most important factors in the country’s development and prosperity.
Economy - At the end of the 19th century, Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe. Rapid industrialization changed this dramatically. - Over the following 50 years, Sweden became one of the richest countries in the world. Record economic development was strongly tied to the building of railways providing access to natural resources such as forests, iron ore and hydropower in northern Sweden, assets that are still considered the traditional basis of the Swedish economy. This development is often referred to as “the Swedish economic miracle”. - Sweden’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, at roughly USD 57,000 (2011), is among the highest in the world. It can be compared to: - UK: USD 39,000 - USA: USD 48,100 - France: USD 42,400 - Germany: USD 44,000 - Norway: USD 98,000 - China: USD 5,500 - India: USD 1,500 Trade 1 -
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With a small domestic market, major Swedish companies needed from the start to export to customers around the world. This early globalization has given Swedish companies an advantage in international competition. Considering its small population, a surprisingly large number of multinational export companies and brands have their origin in Sweden. Many were founded during a period of rapid economic development in the first half of the 20th century, including Volvo, AstraZeneca, ABB, IKEA, Ericsson, Electrolux, H&M, Saab and Absolut. Today Sweden’s most important exports are machinery and transport equipment, wood and paper products, chemicals and plastic products, industrial machinery, electronics and telecommunications equipment and services, minerals and heavy vehicles. Basic industry, steel and paper production still account for a fifth of export income. The majority (68 per cent in 2012), however, comes from mechanical engineering industries. Swedish industry has become increasingly research-intensive and is characterized by a high level of technological development.
Trade 2 -
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So what does the future hold for Swedish exports? Knowledge-intensive industries such as IT, biotechnology and biomedicine, and environmental technology are expected to grow in importance. The “creative” industries of design, fashion, music and gastronomy are also growing. Sweden has experienced a creative revolution over the past decade that has attracted worldwide attention and produced substantial new export income. The Swedish capital of Stockholm in particular has received a great deal of coverage in international media in recent years as one of the top locations for fashion, music, trends and an urban lifestyle, alongside world cities such as London, Paris, Milan and New York. This has also boosted inbound tourism. Tourism in Sweden has grown dramatically over the past two decades, and its annual value is now estimated at SEK 98.8 billion (2011).
Society -
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In parallel with the economic development of the first half of the 20th century, Swedish society went through fundamental changes. The active aim of the government was to create a society with its focus on the safety and welfare of the individual. The foundation of Swedish welfare policy is for every citizen, regardless of background, income or other factors, to be guaranteed basic security in every phase of life. High taxes pay for a large public sector and finance general welfare systems (including health care, childcare, schools and aged care). Another way of describing the Swedish system is as a market economy with strong elements of redistributive policy. Often referred to as “the Swedish model,” “the third way” or “the middle way,” it has attracted attention among political scientists and politicians worldwide, and served as an example in many other countries.
Sustainability - Another focus in the development of Swedish society has been concern for the environment. One reason is Swedes’ close connection with and love of nature. - It was a Swede, physicist Svante Arrhenius, who in the late 19th century discovered the greenhouse effect, and foresaw the global climate change that we are experiencing today. - Sweden’s Riksdag (parliament) has decided that we should pass on to the next generation a society in which the most important environmental problems have been solved. Sixteen environmental objectives, first adopted by the Riksdag in 1999, set the tone for Swedish policy in this area. Examples include reduced climate impact, clean air, a good built environment and great diversity of plant and animal life. - Environmental technology is one of Sweden’s most important future export industries. Its main strength lies in producing comprehensive solutions for areas such as waste management and renewable energy.
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Swedish companies such as SKF and Stora Enso have attracted international attention for incorporating corporate social responsibility into their business strategies. Sweden is a leader in sustainable development. - About half of all energy consumed in Sweden comes from renewable sources, mainly biofuels and hydropower. This is a good thing too, considering we use more energy per capita than most other countries – largely because of our cold climate and high standard of living. - District heating – about half of all heating used in Sweden – is generated largely from resources that would otherwise be lost, such as household refuse, residues from logging, and other waste. Surplus heat from manufacturing is also used. - The number of “green cars” (as defined in the national ordinance on ecocar subsidies) on the Swedish roads is on the increase. Out of the total 4.45 million cars on the roads in 2012, around 11 per cent were “green”. Interest in organic food and drink is also rising, up 3 per cent in 2012 to SEK 9.5 billion. The leading Swedish eco label for food is KRAV, established in 1985. - Most Swedes sort their household waste, something widely seen as the simplest thing people can take to help the environment. Up to 90 per cent of PET bottles and aluminium cans are returned for recycling, as well as a substantial proportion of glass jars and bottles, tin cans, paper packaging and rigid plastics. What doesn’t fit into the recycling system is burned along with other organic waste in district heating plants. Statistics from 2011 show that a total of 99 per cent of household waste is recycled, either as material or as energy.
Equality -
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A fundamental value of the Swedish system is the conviction that everyone is equal. Swedish laws and customs prohibit discrimination against people on the basis of sex, ethnic origin, physical, mental or intellectual disabilities, sexual orientation, and political or religious conviction. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2012 (produced by the World Economic Forum), Sweden is a world leader in equality, coming in fourth place after Iceland, Finland and Norway. A highly developed social welfare system makes it easier to combine work and family in Sweden. Seventy-nine per cent of women are in work, compared with a European average of 56 per cent. Of the 480 days of paid parental leave for each child, 60 days are reserved for the father and 60 for the mother. The remaining days can be shared whichever way the parents wish. According to the Swedish Equal Opportunities Act an employer may not treat unfairly any employee or job applicant who is, has been or will be on parental leave. The proportion of parental leave taken by men continues to grow gradually, but women still take the majority – 76 per cent of the entitlement compared with 24 per cent for men.
Education - The Swedish Education Act states that all children should have equal access to education, regardless of gender, where they live or social or economic factors. All compulsory schooling is free of charge. - Sweden has nine years of compulsory schooling, which begins at the age of seven. Today almost all children attend non-compulsory pre-school classes at the age of six, which are supposed to prepare children for compulsory school. In practice this means ten years of schooling in total. - Around 98 per cent of students who finish compulsory school start senior high school (gymnasium), which is also offered free of charge. Senior high school programmes run for three years. Students can choose from a variety of programmes that provide general qualifications to study at universities and university colleges. Higher education and research - Roughly 25 per cent of the students who attend a high school program continue to university or university college. -
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Higher education in Sweden is free of charge for everyone within the EU, EES and Switzerland, financed by the state. Swedish students are offered a grant component and a student loan to cover living expenses during their studies. Sweden has a long tradition of higher education dating back to the 15th century, when the first Swedish university was founded (Uppsala: 1477). Today Sweden has 14 universities and 20 university colleges. In total there are 431,000 students studying at Swedish universities and university colleges, of which 38,100 are foreign students (2011/12). Roughly 60 per cent of the students in higher education are women, compared with 20 per cent in 1940. Sweden is one of the countries that invests the highest percentage of GDP in education – an important priority given that education is considered the most important investment for the future in such a knowledge-intensive society. Sweden is also one of the world's most committed investors in basic research, with government spending in this area accounting for 1.07 per cent of GDP (2012). The high proportion of university-based research makes a strong connection between research and education possible. Sweden is also a leader in research into environmental technology. Another strong area is nanotechnology, which is proving important in many industries such as biotechnology and information technology.
Swedish innovation - Modern research at Swedish universities and companies has resulted in many successful inventions. Some examples are: the computer mouse, the Bluetooth standard for wireless connectivity, the pacemaker, the AXE digital telephony switch, the Tetra Pak drink-packaging system, the dialysis machine, the Brånemark System for osseointegration, used in implant surgery, and the Leksell Gamma knife used in cancer surgery.
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However, the Swedish tradition of innovation goes back further than these inventions. In the 1880s, Lars Magnus Ericsson – the founder of Ericsson – started producing one of the world’s first telephone handsets. Within a few years, the Swedish capital had the world’s highest per-capita density of telephones. (In the early 1980s, Swedish telecom company Ericsson launched the first NMT system, a breakthrough for modern mobile telephony. Ericsson has since then played an essential role in the development of global mobile telephony.) Other Swedish inventions are the Celsius temperature scale, the safety match, the ship propeller, dynamite, the cream separator, the adjustable wrench, the ball bearing, the unmanned lighthouse and the steam turbine. These Swedish inventions have become known and used around the world, creating the foundation for many of Sweden’s major international export companies. Sweden has been at the forefront of research in the physical sciences for more than 300 years, and is still a country where innovation and entrepreneurship run deep.
The Nobel Prize - The Nobel Prize was established at the end of the 19th century at the bequest of Alfred Nobel, one of Sweden’s many great inventors. (Among other things he invented dynamite.) The Nobel Prize quickly became renowned as the world’s most prestigious academic distinction. - At an annual ceremony in Stockholm on Nobel Day, December 10, the Swedish monarch presents Nobel Prizes in the categories of literature, medicine, physics and chemistry. Since 1968 there has also been a prize in economics. - On the same day, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. This is also in accordance with Alfred Nobel’s bequest; Norway and Sweden were part of a political union when Nobel wrote his will. Monarchy - Sweden is a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch is head of state. However, the monarch has no formal political power, only representative and ceremonial functions. The Swedish monarchs have been members of the Bernadotte family since 1818. - The current king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, has been on the throne since 1973. His wife, Queen Silvia, grew up in Brazil with a German father and a Brazilian mother. - The successor to the throne, seen in this picture, is Crown Princess Victoria (born in 1977). When she was born, Victoria was not in fact first in line to the throne; female succession was only implemented in 1980. On the 19th of June 2010, Crown Princess Victoria married her long-term boyfriend, Daniel Westling. They had been married for 18 months when they had their first child. The new heir to the Swedish throne, Princess Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, was born on the 24th of February 2012 at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm - Victoria is the oldest of three children in the royal family and the eldest sister of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine.
Form of government - Sweden has a one-chamber parliament, the Riksdag, with 349 members elected from all parts of the country. The Swedish parliament is one of the world’s most gender-equal. In recent years, almost 50 per cent of its members have been women. Women were given the right to vote and run for office in 1921. - There are currently eight parties represented in the Riksdag, largely divided into two blocs – the Alliance (the Moderate Party, Liberal Party, Center Party and Christian Democrats) on one side and the Social Democrats, Left Party and Green Party on the other. The nationalist Sweden Democrats are not affiliated with either bloc. - The Social Democrats were the dominant party since the early 20th century, governing for most of the time since the 1920s. - However, since the election in September 2006, the Alliance of four non-socialist parties has governed Sweden, being re-elected in September 2010. - The latest parliamentary election was held on the 19th of September 2010. Just over 7 million people were entitled to vote and the turnout was 84.52 per cent. - The current prime minister and leader of the four-party Alliance government is the Moderate Party leader, Fredrik Reinfeldt. - Sweden became a member of the European Union (EU) in 1995, which meant a major change in the country’s domestic and foreign policy. In 2003, however, the Swedish people voted against giving up the Swedish krona and joining the EU’s euro zone. Climate - What is life like in Sweden? The coming slides will give you a better understanding of everyday life, starting with the climate. - Sweden is a long country that stretches more than 1500 km from north to south. This length, combined with Sweden’s latitude, means that the climate varies significantly across the country and the changes in seasons are dramatic. A warm, light summer with long days is followed by a colourful autumn, a long, dark winter and a bright, much anticipated spring. - The average daytime temperature in the summer ranges from around +12C in the north (Kiruna) to +18C in the south (Malmö). The average daytime temperature in the winter ranges from around -15C in the north to +1C in the south. - The summers in Sweden are famously bright. At Midsummer just after the middle of June, there is on average 20 hours of sunlight throughout the country, the sun never setting in Kiruna, north of the Arctic Circle (this is known as the midnight sun). In contrast, on the darkest day of the year (mid-late December), the average day has only six hours of sunlight, with the sun not reaching above the horizon in Kiruna at all. Living in Sweden - The dramatic changes in seasons place demands on Swedish housing. Swedish houses are therefore well insulated and constructed to meet extreme variations in temperature. - Ninety per cent of the population lives in the southern parts of the country. About 20 per cent lives in the four largest municipalities: Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö and Uppsala. Around 30 per cent of the people live in the countryside. - The average family has 1.9 children.
Working in Sweden - The Swedish workplace is characterized by a casual atmosphere. From the classroom all the way to the boardroom, titles like “Mrs” or “Dr” are things of the past. Students and teachers, patients and doctors, employees and employers – everyone is on a first-name basis. - Swedish companies tend to be less hierarchical than companies in many other countries. The managing director of a firm is more available to employees, avoiding much of the chain of command often found in other countries. Employees can usually take their comments, questions or concerns directly to the boss. - Swedish workplaces tend to rely on compromise and consensus when it comes to making decisions and reaching solutions. Policies and ideas are often discussed openly across all levels before any conclusion is reached. - In Swedish families, both parents usually work. During the working day, most small children spend their time at pre-school. - The Swedish working week stretches from Monday to Friday and is regulated by law to a maximum of 40 hours. Parents have the right to work part-time (75 per cent) until the youngest child is eight years of age or has finished Year 1 at school. A full-time employee gets a minimum of five weeks’ paid vacation. - Around 70 per cent of those who work are employed in the private sector, and around 30 per cent in the public sector. - Unemployment in Sweden over the past decade has ranged roughly between 6 and 8 per cent, slightly below the EU average. - Swedes can retire from the age of 61, and can work up to the age of 67. With an average life span of 83 years for women and 79 years for men, this means that Swedes usually have a long retirement. Spare time in Sweden - So how do Swedes spend their spare time? - During vacations and weekends, Swedes tend to spend a lot of time outdoors. Walking through forests and fields are popular activities in Sweden. Local authorities also provide other leisure facilities such as swimming pools, indoor skating rinks and playgrounds. - The Swedish right of public access gives everyone the right to roam freely through forests, mountains and other parts of the country, no matter who owns the land, providing due care and consideration is shown towards plants, animals and landowners. The basic principle is “don’t disturb, don’t destroy”. - There is a broad sporting scene in Sweden. Nearly every second Swede between the ages of 7 and 70 belongs to a sporting association of some sort. The biggest sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey, with horseback riding and gymnastics also popular. This interest helps explain Sweden’s international success in many fields of sport. Some of today’s stars are football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic, cross-country skier Charlotte Kalla, ice hockey goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist and triathlete Lisa Nordén. - Swedes often go travelling on vacation. Almost 50 per cent of Swedish families travel abroad every year.
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Nature, sports and travel are not the only interests. A growing urban lifestyle has flourished over the past decade and Swedes today spend an increasing amount of time shopping and visiting restaurants. Another characteristic of Swedes is their love of coffee. Sweden is the second largest consumer of coffee in the world, after Finland, with a daily average of 3.4 cups per person.
Public holidays and traditions - Traditional Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter are big in Sweden, as is New Year. The other main public holidays, however, usually have a strong connection to the changing seasons. - After a long and dark winter, Swedes celebrate the arrival of spring on Walpurgis Eve, April 30. Rather than a family occasion, this is more a public celebration with people gathering around the local Walpurgis bonfire. Since Walpurgis Eve is celebrated on April 30, and May 1 is a public holiday, many choose to party all night long. - Summer in Sweden is short. It explodes into life in June when everything is green and the sun barely sets. Around June 20, Swedes celebrate the longest day of the year, Midsummer. This is usually celebrated in the countryside with family and friends, everyone sitting at long tables and eating pickled herring, potatoes with dill, and salmon and drinking snaps. - By December, Sweden has very few hours of sunlight each day, and the first Sunday of Advent comes as a sign that Christmas is approaching. Throughout the country, Swedes put electric candlesticks and stars in their windows to brighten up their homes. - During the darkest time of the year, mid-December, Swedes celebrate Lucia, an ancient figure who has taken on a traditional role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winter. In closing - Over the past 100 years Sweden has made an extraordinary journey from a poor nation of peasants to one of the strongest economies in the world. - The long distance between the northern and southern parts of Sweden creates dramatic contrasts in the landscape and nature across the country. Sweden offers mountains and glaciers in the north, dense forests and thousands of lakes and rivers in the central parts, and fertile farmlands in the south. The extensive coastline of more than 2,700 kilometres (about 1,700 miles) has numerous archipelagos with tens of thousands of islands and skerries. - To sum up, you can say that Sweden is a country of opportunities, with a good quality of life in both the human and natural environments.
