Sweden occupies 3/5 of the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders on Norway in the west and Finland in the east. The length of sea borders significantly exceeds land borders.

In the south, the Swedish coast is washed by the Baltic Sea. In the waters of this sea there are two large islands belonging to the Kingdom - Öland and Gotland.

At the peak of its power, in the 17th-18th centuries, the Kingdom of Sweden controlled almost the entire coast of the Baltic Sea. Having been defeated in the Northern War with Russia, imperial ambitions were finally abandoned, and the country stopped external expansion.

Sweden is located at a distance from the world's main trade routes and main markets. However, even under these conditions, the country managed to become one of the world leaders in many economic indicators.

Sweden has a well-developed transport infrastructure. The southern and central parts of the Kingdom have particularly well-developed railway connections. All significant settlements are connected by high-speed trains. Sweden's railways are integrated into a single network with the transport systems of neighboring countries.

The country has an extensive commercial and transport fleet. Ferries operate between many cities and islands. A metro has been built in Stockholm. The cheapest form of public transport is buses. Most of the population has cars. The total length of roads exceeds 213 thousand kilometers. All of them are of high quality. Bicycles are widely used. The vast majority of roads have special dedicated lanes for cyclists.

Air traffic connects Sweden with most countries in the world. In total, there are 52 airports in the country, 9 of which are international. The largest air harbor is Arlanda, located next to the capital of the state. Flights from this airport depart to 160 destinations. The largest national carrier is SAS.

The rapid economic growth is largely due to the successful development of the export industry. Recently, not the classic raw materials industries, but the services, telecommunications and information technologies sectors are beginning to occupy an increasingly important role in the structure of exports. Sweden's main trading partners are the USA, Germany, Norway, and the UK.

Products of the military-industrial complex occupy an important place in exports. Most of it is supplied to the countries of the European Union, the USA and South Africa.

The country actively imports various types of raw materials, as well as chemical industry products, solid and liquid fuels, metals, and technological machines.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Sweden suffered from territorial losses. The Swedish-Norwegian union, under which Norway was ruled by the Swedish crown, was abolished. After several conflicts, the neighboring country gained full independence. Thus, Sweden lost direct access to the North Atlantic and lost the opportunity to fish there. This caused significant economic damage to the country. At that time, Sweden was a predominantly agricultural country. There is an urgent need to modernize the economy and economy. The reforms were successfully carried out.

The economic and geographical position of Sweden can be considered quite favorable, even despite the relatively small reserves of natural resources and the marginal position of the state. Sweden was able to adapt to this situation and became one of the most economically developed countries in the world.

Natural conditions

The Scandinavian Peninsula is located in the zone of the Baltic Shield and folded Caledonian structures. These factors are determined by the topography of Sweden.

The highest point in the country is Mount Kebnekaise. Its height is 2111 meters. The peninsula was the center of glaciation in Europe. In some places the thickness of the ice cover reached 1500 meters. In the Stockholm area, one of the last glaciers existed for almost 10 thousand years.

The territory of Sweden can be divided into two natural regions - southern and northern. The northern part is a more mountainous region, where three vertical belts can be distinguished: the upper belt is the eastern region of the Scandinavian Highlands with numerous lakes, the middle zone is the Norland plateau with its peat bogs, and, finally, the lower belt stretches across the plains along the western coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Ore deposits were discovered on the plateau.

In the south there are the areas of the plains of Central Sweden, the plains of the Skåne Peninsula and the Småland plateau. Almost all flat areas of the area are plowed. They are crossed by small mountainous ridges that stretch from southeast to northwest. Previously, these areas were covered with forests.

The territory of the country is stretched along the meridian and has a large extent from south to north. Therefore, the climate in different parts of the country may differ markedly.

The warm Gulf Stream warms the eastern and southern parts. The climate here is temperate maritime, sometimes turning into temperate continental. In January, the air temperature is usually at -15 to -23 degrees. In July the air warms up to +21+23 degrees. Average annual precipitation is 300-800mm. Significant swampiness is observed in a significant part of the territory. This is due to high humidity and low evaporation. The climate has distinct seasons. Summers are usually warm, while winters are cold.

The northern and northwestern parts of the country, which lies beyond the Arctic Circle, are characterized by a subarctic climate. Winter here is long and summer is very short.

The Atlantic Ocean and the Scandinavian Mountains play a decisive role in the climate. The Gulf Stream heats the air and makes the climate of the southern and central regions comfortable for human life.

The Scandinavian mountains serve as an obstacle to warm air flows from the Atlantic. Because of this, it is noticeably colder in the north. White nights are observed in May. The length of daylight in most parts of the country increases to 18 hours, and in the north - up to 24 hours. Autumn is usually windy, with frequent rain and fog.

Natural resources

The country's subsoil has rich deposits of metal-containing resources, but there are no large oil and gas deposits here. Metal ore reserves reach 3 billion tons, of which 60% are iron-containing rocks.

A large iron ore basin is located in Lapland, an area beyond the Arctic Circle. Scientists estimate the reserves of the Kirunavara deposit, which belongs to this basin, at 1.6 billion tons. Another large deposit is located in the central part of the country. This is Bergslagen, which is smaller in size than the Kirunavar reserves. But the ores discovered here contain fewer impurities.

There is a large deposit of polymetallic ores on the Norland Plateau. Local ores contain zinc, copper, lead, gold, and silver. Currently, copper reserves are almost completely depleted and its industrial mining is not carried out.

The Central European oil and gas basin extends into Swedish territory for a small part near the island of Gotland. The largest oil field, Hamra, has reserves of 20 thousand tons.

Coal is mined in the Höganäs and Öresund areas. But the coal seams here are small and do not exceed 0.8 meters. Small reserves of silver and gold have been discovered.

Most of Sweden's territory is occupied by podzolic soils, which have no particular agricultural value. The southern part of the country is dominated by brown forest soils, the most valuable and fertile throughout the peninsula. About half of Sweden's area - more than 23 million hectares - is occupied by forests. The country occupies a leading place among European countries in terms of forest resources. The forests are dominated by coniferous species.

Most of Sweden is covered by a network of rivers. Most of them start in the Scandinavian mountains. Rivers such as Luleelv, Ongermanelven, Umeelv have rich reserves of hydroelectric power. In addition to rivers, Sweden has many large and small lakes. About the entire 8% of the territory is made up of water bodies. The largest lake is Vänern in the south of the country.

In the territory Sweden Two large natural regions can be distinguished - northern and southern. Within the more elevated Northern Sweden, three vertical belts are distinguished: the upper, including the eastern periphery of the Scandinavian Highlands, replete with lakes; middle, covering the Norrland plateau with a cover of moraine sediments and peatlands; lower - with a predominance of marine sediments on the plains along the western coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. Within the southern part of the country there are: the plains of Central Sweden, the Småland plateau and the plains of the Skåne Peninsula.

Northern Sweden. The eastern slopes of the Scandinavian Highlands are crossed by numerous wide, deep valleys that contain elongated narrow lakes. In the interfluves, large areas are occupied by swamps. In some valleys there are significant areas of fertile soils formed on fine-grained sands and loams; they are mainly used for pasture. Agriculture in valleys is possible up to approximately 750 m above sea level.

Norrland plateau characterized by flattened relief with extensive lowland and raised bogs interspersed with rocky ridges of moraines. The majority of the forest resources for which Sweden is so famous are concentrated here. The forest stands are dominated by pine and spruce. The width of the forest belt ranges from 160 to 240 km, and its submeridional length exceeds 950 km. This monotonous landscape on the southern-facing slopes is interrupted by a few farms. In the southern part of the belt, where the climate is milder, there are more farms. Sweden's main ore deposits are also located there.

During the period of accumulation of sands and clays in areas located east of the Norrland plateau, sea level was 135–180 m higher than at present. Then a belt of coastal plains with a width of 80 to 160 km was formed here. Many rivers flowing from the Scandinavian Highlands cross these plains, forming deep canyons famous for their scenic beauty.

Northern Sweden has experienced relatively little influence from human economic activity and is quite sparsely populated.

Southern Sweden, on the contrary, is characterized by a high population density and a high concentration of industry and agriculture.

Plains of Central Sweden, composed predominantly of marine sediments, are characterized by leveled topography and fertile soils. It is dominated by arable land suitable for machine cultivation and pastures, although in some places tracts of highly productive forests have been preserved. In the same area there are four large lakes - Vänern, Vättern, Elmaren and Mälaren, connected by rivers and canals into a single water system.

Småland plateau, located south of the plains of Central Sweden, in terms of relief and vegetation features, it is similar to the moraine and peat bog belt of Northern Sweden. However, thanks to the milder climate, Småland is more favorable for human life. The surface is mainly composed of moraines with a predominance of coarse-grained sand and pebble fractions. The soils here are unsuitable for agriculture, but pine and spruce forests grow on them. Significant areas are occupied by peat bogs.

Plains of Skåne, the southernmost and very picturesque part of Sweden, are almost completely plowed. The soils here are very fertile, easy to cultivate and produce high yields. The plains are intersected by low rocky ridges, stretching from northwest to southeast. In the past, the plains were covered with dense forests of maple, beech, oak, ash and other broadleaf species that were cleared by man.

Sweden's position on the geographical map

Sweden belongs to the Nordic countries. This kingdom occupies the southern and eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and is located on an area of ​​450 thousand square meters. km.

Note 1

Translated into Russian, Sweden means “state of the Swedes” - this is a Germanic tribe that lived in the modern territory of the country. The official name of the state is the Kingdom of Sweden.

From north to south, the country stretches for 1,500 km and 1/7 of its territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle.

Sweden has two neighbors - in the west for 1619 km the border goes with Norway and 614 km in the northeast with Finland. In the south and east the country is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia.

The coasts of Sweden are highly rugged and abound in skerries and island groups. Sweden is separated from Denmark by the Öresund, Kattegat, and Skagerrak straits. The coastline stretches for 3218 km. The country's two large islands, Gotland and Öland, are located in the Baltic Sea.

There is the northernmost point on the Scandinavian Peninsula, where three states connect - Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, so the head of state, the king, has limited power.

Note 2

As the largest country on the Scandinavian Peninsula, Sweden is a mixture of pristine nature and ancient customs. The country's population is distinguished by its special education, goodwill and high level of democracy.

In terms of geography and tourism, the country is divided into four parts:

  • southern Sweden,
  • West Bank,
  • Central Sweden,
  • Northern Sweden.

The capital of Sweden is the city of Stockholm.

In addition to the capital, major cities are:

  • Gothenburg,
  • Vasteras,
  • Norrkoping,
  • Squid,
  • Linköping,
  • Jonkoping.

The official language is Swedish, but in addition to it, English and German are widely used.

History of Sweden

According to historical science, the first settlers on the territory of modern Sweden appeared in the 1st century AD. - in the south they were the Getae, and in the north they were the Svei. The possessions were divided into small principalities, and not far from the modern city of Uppsala there was a pagan tribal center.

Power gradually passed to the priests of this center, who later became kings. The Swedish kingdom was formed by the 11th century, as a result of the unification of all tribes.

The southwestern coast of Sweden at this time belonged to Denmark. Swedish Vikings raided neighboring lands and conquered Finland in 1164.

At the same time, Christianity appeared in the kingdom and was finally consolidated in 1248. Of the European countries, Sweden was the last to accept Christianity.

Over the next century, there was a continuous struggle for the royal throne in the country. In order to somehow resolve this issue and end the strife, a meeting of representatives of the nobility of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark was held in 1397.

A common king was elected for all three states, whose coronation took place in Kalmar. This new association was called the Kalmar Union. In this “triple alliance” Denmark played the supreme role, and Sweden was dependent on it for 120 years.

It is certain that the population did not experience much satisfaction from this supremacy and from time to time raised uprisings against the Danes. The Danes were expelled in 1523.

With the beginning of the great Reformation, the Lutheran religion was introduced, and the hereditary monarchy was introduced in 1544 by King Gustav.

For many years, starting in 1570, Sweden waged a war with the Russians, which ended in 1595 with the Treaty of Tyavzin. The result of the war was Russia's recognition of the transition of Estland to Swedish rule and the transfer of the border to the east.

The seventeenth century begins with a new Swedish war against Poland and Russia, which ends with many victories for the Swedes.

Sweden becomes the leading power on the Baltic Sea, and Denmark also cedes the southern provinces to it in 1658.

In the Northern War, which broke out in 1700, Sweden opposed the coalition of Russia, Denmark, and Poland. Having invaded Russia in 1708, the Swedes were defeated at Poltava the following year, 1709. The Swedish king died on the battlefield and Swedish dominance in the Baltic ended.

Based on the peace treaty signed in 1721, Sweden lost all previously captured lands, except Finland.

The war-weary country adopts a new constitution and limits the power of the king in favor of the estate parliament of the Riksdag. In 1805, Sweden joins the anti-Napoleonic coalition.

In 1808, Russian troops invaded Finland and annexed it to Russia.

Note 3

Sweden stopped taking part in wars in 1815 and began to develop its economy. Even during the First and Second World Wars, it remained neutral. In 1991, the country declared accession to the European Union and became its full member in 1995.

Features of the Swedish mentality

A small wooden house and always red. It should stand in the wilderness and it would be very good if there was a lake nearby where you could swim and fish. Yes, even just take a walk or ride a bike to reconnect with nature, listen to the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves.

No Swede can give up such a dream. Houses began to be painted with red paint for a reason: a rich copper deposit was found in the central part of the country, and local residents immediately began producing red paint. At that time, it was customary to paint buildings “royal” red.

Having received cheap red pigment, poor citizens hastened to paint their country. On the one hand, it was a more solid appearance, and on the other hand, an additional protective layer for their homes, which protected them from mold and dampness.

Every second poor person had such red houses and the Swedish nobility decided to make yellow a popular color, but it did not have the desired effect. The thought of the red wooden house warms the hearts of Swedes to this day.

Many sources point to common character traits of Swedes - severe shyness, silence and restraint, low communication skills. The picture is far from rosy, but it does not correspond to reality.

Despite their restraint and silence, which is a national trait, the Swedes will never refuse help. They are characterized by great responsibility for work responsibilities and the loss of a job becomes a personal tragedy. A person who does not work is immoral and is condemned.

The Swedes are very punctual, pedantic people who provide a warm welcome to everyone who comes to the country. For them, rudeness and impolite treatment are completely unacceptable.

All areas of Swedes' lives are regulated by unwritten rules of behavior. The Swedish model of the “welfare state” is of particular interest to the country. This model in the West is called “functional socialism”.

Swedish managers and heads of senior management levels put the problems of social security of their subordinates, employees of enterprises and firms in the first place.

The country's businessmen have a high level of qualifications and highly value this quality in their partners. As a rule, they speak several languages, but primarily English and French. Traditionally, all negotiations begin with general topics - weather, guests' impressions, sports, etc. Everyone is given the opportunity to speak.

Economic and geographical position of Sweden

Sweden is a country on the Scandinavian Peninsula, occupying 3/5 of its territory. The country has land borders with Finland in the east and Norway in the west, but the length of its sea borders is longer than the land borders.

From the south, the country is washed by the Baltic Sea, in whose waters there are two Swedish islands - Gotland and Öland.

Note 1

In the 17th-18th centuries, Sweden controlled the entire coast of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland, occupying a significantly larger territory. After the defeat in the Northern War, she began to build her own life, abandoning the idea of ​​greatness.

Sweden occupies a peripheral position relative to world trade routes and markets for finished products, however, this did not become an obstacle to achieving a high position in international rankings.

On the territory of the Kingdom in the central and southern regions there is a well-developed railway network, the total length of which is more than 11 thousand km. Major cities are connected by high-speed trains.

Ships ply along the coast. The country's capital has a metro, and cheap public transport is buses.

Swedish roads are of the highest quality and have dedicated bike lanes. The length of roads is more than 213 thousand km.

The country has its own merchant fleet, which is under the control of monopolistic groups.

Swedish Railways is connected to the Danish and German railway networks via a sea ferry service.

Air transport connects Sweden with many countries around the world. Arlanda International Airport is located near Stockholm, the capital of the country. Departures from it go in 160 directions. There are 52 airports in total, and 9 of them have international status.

One of the reasons for the country's economic growth was the rapid development of the export sector of the economy. The structure of exports began to be dominated not by traditional industries, but by services, information technologies, and telecommunications.

Germany, USA, Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Finland are Sweden's main foreign trade partners.

Arms occupy a special place in exports, 80% of which were supplied to the countries of the European Union, the USA, and South Africa.

The country's imports mainly include:

  • liquid and solid fuel,
  • metals,
  • chemical industry products,
  • machines.

The beginning of the 20th century resulted in a number of losses for Sweden. The fact is that the union that existed between Sweden and Norway was liquidated.

According to this document, the Swedish crown ruled Norway, but after a series of conflicts, Norway gained independence. As a result, the Kingdom of Sweden lost access to the North Atlantic, as well as the ability to fish.

During this period, the country was still largely agricultural, and the separation of Norway dealt an additional blow to the economy. Urgent measures were needed to modernize the economy.

Note 2

Thus, the economic and geographical position of the modern Kingdom of Sweden is favorable, despite its marginal physical and geographical location and not very rich reserves of mineral resources. The country learned to benefit for its development from what was determined by nature, and coped with this task perfectly, becoming one of the leading states in the world.

Natural conditions of Sweden

The Scandinavian Peninsula is located within the Baltic Shield and the Caledonian folded structures, with which the main features of the relief of Sweden are associated.

Its highest point is called Mount Kebnekaise, has a height of 2111 m.

In the Cenozoic era, vertical movements occurred here due to the activity of glaciers. The peninsula was the center of glaciation in Europe, and the thickness of the glaciers in some places was more than 1500 m. The last glacier in the Stockholm area lay for about 10 thousand years.

In modern Sweden there are two large natural regions - northern and southern.

On the territory of the northern, more elevated region, three vertical belts formed:

  1. the upper belt includes the eastern edge of the Scandinavian Highlands, rich in lakes;
  2. the middle belt includes the Norland plateau with peatlands;
  3. the lower belt runs along the plains along the western shore of the Gulf of Bothnia.

Ore deposits occur within the plateau. In the southern part there are the plains of Central Sweden, the Småland plateau, and the plains of the Skåne Peninsula. The plains, almost entirely plowed, are crossed by low ridges stretching from northwest to southeast. These plains were once covered with dense forests.

Due to the fact that the country is located along the meridian and has a significant extent from north to south, climatic conditions will be varied.

Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, its southern and eastern parts are characterized by a temperate maritime climate, turning into a temperate continental one. January temperatures range from -15 to -23 degrees. July temperature is +21…+23 degrees. Annual precipitation is 300-800 mm. There is excessive moisture because evaporation is low, and this leads to swampy areas.

The temperate continental climate has well-defined seasons. Winters are usually cold and summers are warm.

The subarctic climate is characteristic of the north and northeast, which lies outside the Arctic Circle. Summer here is short and winter is long.

The Scandinavian mountains and the Atlantic Ocean play a leading role in Sweden's climate. Air heated by the Gulf Stream makes the climate of the central and southern regions milder and more favorable for life.

The Scandinavian mountains do not allow warm winds from the Atlantic to pass through, so in the north of the country conditions are much colder.

In May, white nights begin, and daylight lasts up to 18 hours; in the north of the country it lasts up to 24 hours. Autumn is rainy and windy, with frequent fogs.

Natural resources of Sweden

The subsoil of Sweden is quite rich in metal-containing resources and poor in mineral fuel.

Outcrops of igneous and metamorphic rocks indicate the presence of metal ores; they are among the richest. Their reserves amount to 3.0 billion tons, with an iron content of about 60%.

The iron ore basin is located above the Arctic Circle, in Lapland. The Kirunavara field in this basin has reserves of 1.6 billion tons.

The second iron ore region is located in the middle part of the country - this is Bergslagen, although it is inferior in reserves to the northern basin, but contains fewer impurities.

Large reserves of non-ferrous metals were formed on the Norland Plateau. They contain copper, lead, zinc, silver, gold, arsenic, and sulfur pyrites. Copper reserves have been depleted during operation and are of no industrial importance. Copper pyrite deposits are known in Norrbotten.

Of the Central European oil and gas basin, only part of it falls into the territory of Sweden, with an area of ​​30 thousand square meters. km in the northwestern side of the island of Gotland. The largest field is Hamra with oil reserves of 20 thousand tons.

There are coal deposits in Öresunde and Höganäs, but the thickness of the seams is small and amounts to 0.8 m.

There are small reserves of gold and silver.

In the main territory of Sweden, with the exception of the south, podzolic soils have formed, which are of little agricultural value.

More favorable are soddy-podzolic ones, common in low-lying areas near lakes.

Forest brown soils have formed in the south of the country - these are the most fertile of all the soils formed on the peninsula.

Forest resources cover almost half of Sweden's territory. The area occupied by forests is more than 23 million hectares. The country holds the lead in forest reserves among European countries. The main forest species is coniferous.

The country's territory is covered by a dense river network. Rivers originating in the Scandinavian mountains have hydropower reserves - Ongermanelven, Dalelven, Luleelv, Umeelv, Indalselven. Rivers alternate with numerous lakes, occupying 8% of the country's territory. The largest is Lake Vänern.

Sweden is distinguished by its low density (10 million people live here - less than in Moscow), a long sea coast, dense forests and countless lakes. This is one of the northernmost countries in the world. In area it is comparable to Spain, Thailand or the American state of California. Sweden's borders have not changed since 1905, and the country has not been involved in wars since 1814 - which makes Sweden one of the most peace-loving countries on the globe.

Contrasts of day and night

Riches of wildlife

The diversity of Sweden's landscapes is matched by the abundance of its fauna: from wolves and brown bears in the north to roe deer and wild boars in the south. Biological diversity is the result of the richness of the plant and aquatic world.

The country, large by European standards, stretches from north to south for 1572 km. According to the climate zone, coniferous forests, in particular pine and spruce, predominate in Sweden. The further south you go, the more often they are adjacent to deciduous groves: birch and aspen. The very south of Sweden is gentle, picturesque fields and hills, thinned by copses and surrounded by long sandy beaches. Thanks to the limestone-rich soil combined with a mild climate, the islands of Gotland, Öland and parts of the Scandinavian Mountains are characterized by special flora, including a variety of orchid species.

Facts and figures

Capital: Stockholm

Population: 10 million

Total area: 528,447 sq. km, third largest country in Western Europe, after France and Spain

Lifespan: Men – 81 years old, women – 84 years old

Population born outside the country: 19,1%

Religion: The Church of Sweden is Evangelical Lutheran. Numerous other faiths and religions are also represented in the country.

Language: Swedish

Form of government: Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy

Parliament: Riksdag, unicameral, 349 deputies

Education: 9 years of compulsory schooling, most students study for 12 years (including “grammar school”). About a third continue their education at universities and colleges.

Working hours: The standard working week is 40 hours, the minimum paid vacation is 5 weeks.

Telephone code: +46

Internet domain:.se

Timezone: GMT +1

Currency: 1 crown (SEK) = 100 ore

GDP per capita (PPP): USD 56,935

GNI per capita: USD 50,840

Population of largest cities (including suburbs):

Stockholm: 2,344,124

Gothenburg: 1,030,000

Malmö: 730,529

Main export products: Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and plastic products, electronics and telecommunications equipment, energy products, industrial equipment, road vehicles, minerals, food

National parks

In 1909, Sweden became the first European state to establish national parks. The beginning was made in the mountain ranges of Norrland, a region in the north of the country. This helped save one of the last corners of pristine nature in Europe from destruction. Then, throughout Sweden, vast areas were declared nature reserves and protected cultural heritage areas.

Rule of universal access to natural areas ( allemänsrätten) states that everyone has the right to walk through forests and meadows, pick berries and mushrooms - without separate permission from landowners. But this right also comes with obvious responsibilities: to respect private property and.

Geography of Sweden

Length from north to south: 1,574 km

Length from west to east: 499 km

Urbanized and industrial areas: 3%

Agricultural grounds: 8%

Forests: 53% Swamps: 9%

Fields: 7% Mountains: 12%

Lakes and rivers: 9%

Highest mountain: Kebnekaise (2,103 m)

Largest lake: Vänern (5,650 sq. km)

National symbols of Sweden

The official Swedish heraldry is the yellow and blue flag, the national symbol “Three Crowns”, the national anthem, as well as the coat of arms in two versions: large and small. The oldest images of a blue flag with a yellow cross that have survived to this day date back to the 16th century. The symbol of the yellow cross itself has been applied to banners and standards in the Swedish army since time immemorial. It is based on the outlines of the ancient coat of arms of the kingdom with a blue background, divided into four parts by a golden cross. The sign of the "three crowns" has been used as the state emblem of Sweden since at least 1336, but long before that it was known to Europeans as a symbol of the "Three Wise Kings".

Since 1916, June 6 has appeared in the Swedish calendar. In 1983, it was renamed Swedish National Day, and in 2004 it was declared a public holiday and a day off. The date was chosen for two reasons: on June 6, 1523, the first Swedish king, Gustav Vasa, ascended the throne, and on the same day in 1809, the country adopted a new Constitution, which granted its citizens.

Swedish national anthem

The text of “Du Gamla, Du Fria” (“You are ancient, you are free”) was composed by the balladist and folklorist Richard Dubeck (1811-1877), and its musical basis was a mid-19th century folk melody from the Västmanland province in central Sweden. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, this ballad became so popular that it was declared the national anthem of Sweden.