Top 10 Facts About Sweden
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1. Sweden has two other more poetic names – ‘The Land of the Vikings’ and ‘The Land of the Midnight Sun’
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2. Swedes enjoy the longest average lifespans anywhere in Europe with an expectancy of 80.5 years
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3. In summer the sun rises at 3.30am in Sweden, and in winter it sets at 3.30pm. A nice bit of symetry…
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4. The well known furniture store IKEA (loved by women, feared by men) and the clothes store H&M are both Swedish
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5. The Nobel Prize is actually handed out in Sweden and Norway – once a year at a large ceremony on December 10th
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6. Which makes sense because the prize was founded by Alfred Nobel who was, you guessed it, also from Sweden (and the inventor of dynamite!)
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| 7. Sweden is also considered the second most technologically advanced European country |
8. In keeping with this theme of scientific advancement, Sweden is unique for allowing its residents to pay their taxes by SMS since 2004!
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9. The most popular dishes in Sweden tend to be made from various combinations of potatoes, meatballs and lingonberry sauce
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| 10. Sweden was one of the few countries to stay neutral during both World Wars |
