The KINGDOM of SWEDEN An Introduction Written by Johan Maltesson © Johan Maltesson Johan Maltesson The Kingdom of Sweden: An Introduction Cover photo: Örelid Iron Age Grave Field, Veinge, Halland, Sweden. Photo by Johan Maltesson. Contact:
[email protected] Helsingborg, Sweden, February 2018 Preface This book is a condensed guide to Sweden intended for visitors and guests as well as for persons interested in studying or working in Sweden, or just learning a little more about the country in general. Its main focus is on things such as: Language (including a small glossary of common words and phrases, with a pronounciaton guide) Society and politics Culture, sports and religion Nature and geography (including an extensive taxonomic list of Swedish terrestrial verte- brate animals) Brief individual overviews of all of the 21 administrative counties of Sweden Transportation options within the country Media channels Science and education options An overview of Sweden’s history (including lists of Swedish monarchs, prime ministers and persons of interest) The most common Swedish given names and surnames … and more... Wishing You a pleasant journey! Some notes... National and county population numbers are as of December 31 2017. Political parties and government are as of February 2018. New elections are to be held in September 2018. City population number are as of December 31 2015, and denotes contiguous urban areas – without regard to ad- ministrative divisions. Sports teams listed are those participating in the highest league of their respective sport – for soccer as of the 2018 season and for ice hockey and handball as of the 2017-2018 season.