Sweden, country of islands

Filed in archive Culture , Travel on January 4, 2012

© Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi

IKEA. That's all many people know about Sweden, that it is the home of IKEA. Yet Sweden, of course, is much more than that. Internationally renowned for is gastronomic delights, most of which you will not find on the shelves of IKEA, Sweden is also an international business centre, tourist's delight, and a member of the EU.

Stockholm, the capital, is made up of 14 islands. Many well know books are set in and around Stockholm, including the late Stieg Larsson's Millenium series. Stockholm is the cultural centre of Sweden and galleries, museums and historic buildings abound. Greta Garbo is buried in the 'The Woodland Cemetery (Skogskyrkogården)', just a short walk from the centre of town. The cemetery is also on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Since Sweden is surrounded by islands and much activity takes place on the coastline, boating and all things maritime are very popular. Swimming, fishing, and lazing in the waters are especially well loved as the waters are not polluted.