Sweden is a Scandinavian country with a population of 9 million. It has a rich history, including the Viking Age, and remained neutral during both World Wars. Sweden is part of the EU, has a monarchy, and is known for its progressive and liberal attitudes, as well as its high tax rate.
The Kingdom of Sweden is a country located on the Scandinavian peninsula in the northern part of Europe. Its closest neighbors are Norway and Finland, and it borders the Baltic Sea and several smaller waterways. Its capital is Stockholm, which is also the largest metropolitan area in the country. The population of the country as a whole is about 9 million.
Human life has existed in this area for thousands of years, but one of the earliest recorded cultural eras is the Viking Age. Sweden, Denmark and Norway were all involved in Viking culture. One of the main shipping routes of the Swedish Viking tribe was in Russia; many scholars believe that the Swedish tribes actually founded the country of Russia and became an elite ruling group there.
In more modern times, Sweden was hit by an economic depression during the 1800s, and many Swedes moved to the United States to avoid famine in their homeland. Today, Chicago and much of the Midwest is populated by people of Swedish descent. However, with the industrial revolution of the early 1900s, the country began to regain its economic stability.
During World War I and World War II, during which much of Europe was decimated, Sweden remained famously neutral, refusing to fight for either side, although it did secretly take in many Jewish refugees during World War II. After the end of World War II, most of Europe had been destroyed, but Sweden remained intact. Because the country was strong and stable, he was instrumental in helping the rest of Europe rebuild, which led to the country’s greater prosperity that has survived to this day.
Today Sweden is part of the European Union, although it continues to use the krona (kr) as its currency. Although Swedish is the country’s official language, English is widely spoken as a second language, and many Swedes also know a third language such as French, Spanish or Italian. The country is officially a monarchy, but just like in the UK, royal titles are largely ceremonial; the real governing body is the House of Parliament, which is headed by an elected Prime Minister.
Sweden is known for being an extremely progressive and liberal country, with lenient attitudes towards sexuality of all kinds. It also has one of the best education and welfare systems in the world and provides healthcare, childcare and many other benefits to all citizens. These perks come at a price, however: it has the highest tax rate of any country in the world.
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