About Sweden
Sweden has a special combination
of clean environment,
magnificent scenery, and
straightforward, friendly, and open
people. It has the largest economy of
all the Scandinavian countries and
its gross domestic product is one of
the highest in the world. Swedish
companies such as Ericsson Telecommunications,
Volvo, Saab, Kosta
Boda, and IKEA are household
names in the U.S.
Sweden has produced many
famous artists, including painter
Carl Larsson, author Astrid
Lindgren, and playwright August
Strindberg. It has taken on the
music world by storm with groups
such as ABBA and Roxette, and
influenced the film industry through
the unique vision of such movie
directors as Igmar Bergman and
Hasse Lasstrom. It is also home to
the Nobel Prize. Eight million
people live in Sweden. While
Swedish is the native language,
English is widely spoken in
Sweden.
Sweden and the U.S. have
enjoyed a historically close relationship,
beginning with the large influx
of Swedish immigrants into the
Midwest and Pacific Northwest in
the 1800’s. Swedes believe in
equality of the sexes and many
women hold important posts in
government and industry. Sweden
has universal health coverage and strong laws to protect the
environment.
Swedes love the ocean. One in
five Swedes owns a boat and
seafood is a staple of their diet.
They are passionate about their
sports, particularly tennis and
hockey, and it’s not unusual for
their teams to make the Olympic
finals. They love their coffee, with
one of the highest per capita
consumptions of coffee in the
world. They enjoy a close relationship
with nature, whether it’s to
take a walk in the woods or a dip in
the hundreds of lakes situated
throughout the Swedish countryside.
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Swedish
Educational System The Swedish educational system
typically involves nine years of
elementary school (grundskola) and
four years of secondary school
(gymnasieskola). Students often
specialize in their last year of
gymnasieskola. Credits taken at the
university are called “points,” with
20 points being an average semester
load (~15 U.S. credits). One point
corresponds to roughly one week of
study and grading is usually High
Pass, Pass, or Fail.
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