Sweden Travel

Sweden is a country in northern Europe that is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The word Sweden comes from the Svear, or Suiones, a people described by the Roman author Tacitus as early as 98 CE. Svithiod was the old name for the country. Since 1523, Stockholm has served as the permanent capital.

Sweden, together with Norway, occupies the majority of the Scandinavian Peninsula. From the high mountains near the Norwegian border eastward to the Baltic Sea, the ground dips gently. It is one of the oldest and most stable portions of the Earth's crust geologically. The receding glaciers of the Pleistocene Epoch affected its surface structures and soils (about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Thousands of islands create archipelagoes over more than 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of rugged, rocky coastline, dotting the relatively flat landscape.

The country has a continuous 1,000-year history as a sovereign state, but its borders shifted frequently until 1809. It is now a constitutional monarchy with a long history of parliamentary democracy dating back to 1917. Although recent immigration has brought some social diversity, Swedish society is ethnically and religiously fairly homogeneous. Sweden has progressed from a backward and impoverished society to a highly developed postindustrial society and sophisticated welfare state with among the greatest living standards and life expectancies in the world.

Through this series of articles, I intend to share our stories and experiences of traveling across Sweden with our fellow photography and travel enthusiasts. I hope they help you plan your travels across this beautiful country!