Fun facts about Sweden

1. The astronomical lense is a Swedish invention.
2. A traditional and famous dish of Sweden is Swedish meatballs, served with gravy, boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam
3. The world-famous discount furniture chain IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943
4. The Royal Palace of Stockholm could be considered the world's largest palace still used for its original purpose
5. The Swedes invented the pacemaker, computer mouse and Safety matches
6. Sweden is officially called the Kingdom of Sweden.
7. Sweden shares a land border with it's Scandinavian counterparts Finland and Norway, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge
8. While it was once a great military power. Sweden has remain neutral in all wars since 1814
9. While being part of the EU Sweden has retained its own currency the krona
10. Many prominent manufacturing and technology company's were founded in Sweden including Ericsson, Volvo, Saab, Scania trucks, IKEA and Electrolux.
11. A crayfish party (kr_ftskiva) is a traditional summer eating and drinking celebration in August. It involves boiled crayfish served with boiled potato and dill.
12. Ice hockey and football (soccer) are Sweden's main sports, other popular sports include handball, golf, gymnastics, athletics and cross country skiing.
13. The Swedish term lagom doesn't have an English equivalent. it is a concept that means just right or adequate
14. Sweden was the first country in the world to ban the smacking of children in 1979
15. The Swedish monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. It dates back a thousand years
16. The Minecraft world-building video game was Swedish programmer Markus Persson's one-man hobby project.
17. The Swedish company King is behind the app game Candy Crush.
18. Sweden has one of the highest life expectancies in the world
19. The Swedish word gift can mean married or poison
20. The famous Swedish smorgasbord was once a peasant custom where whole villages would gather at the end of the summer to celebrate the harvest
21. he world's first ice hotel was built in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, in the 1980s
22. The crayfish party has become one of the most typical of Swedish traditions, held on the first Thursday in August.
23. The most famous Swedish sporting event is the Vasaloppet (Vasa race) for cross-country skiers.
24. The Nobel Prize ceremonies are held in Sweden and Norway every year
25. On Easter children dress up as witches and go trick-or-treating. Two holidays in one!
26. There are 10 nuclear reactors in Sweden.
27. The Swedish Kingdom used to include Norway and Denmark.
28. Pippi Longstocking is Swedish.
29. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy.
30. Contrary to popular belief, Swedish Vikings did not have horns on their helmets.
31. The sun rises at 3:30am in the summer.
32. The sun sets at 3:30pm in the winter.
33. To celebrate the start of summer, Swedes celebrate midsummer by dancing around a pole and leaping over each other like frogs.
34. Moose, lynx, bears and wolves can be found in the wild throughout Sweden.
35. All children have access to free education. All have access to free health care and many other social programs that the government sponsors.
36. Sweden is a beautifully majestic country that is home to ancient, lush forests and wonderful lakes.