Have you ever wanted to find out more about the country which has given us the Volvo, IKEA, Abba and the smorgasbord? If so, you're in luck! By Miriam Liberman

The name of the country which has given us all of the above and a number of other well-known brands and events such as for example Ericsson, H&M and the Nobel Prize is Sweden. Sweden is located in Northern Europe, more precisely in the part of Europe which is commonly referred to as Scandinavia. It is a fairly large country, larger than both Germany and the UK, but with a population of just over 9 million, it is not exactly crowded. Up until the late nineteenth century Sweden was a poor nation dominated by agriculture, but then came the industrial revolution and people started leaving the countryside. These days the majority of the population lives in cities and towns. The largest city is Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It is located on the east coast, next to the Baltic Sea, and is home to around 1.3 million people. Stockholm is sometimes called "the Venice of the North" because nearly one third of the central parts of the city is water. All in all, the city centre consists of fourteen islands which are connected by bridges. In recent years, Stockholm has become a popular tourist destination for people from all over the world. Some of the more famous sights include the royal castle and the "old town" which dates back to medieval times. You might also want to visit the Vasa Museum which houses the warship Vasa - the only remaining, intact seventeenth century ship in the world and the open air museum Skansen. 

Sweden's second largest city is Gothenburg. It is located on the opposite side of the country, on the south west coast, and has a strong maritime and trade tradition. Unlike Stockholm, the city of Gothenburg has over the years been very influenced by other European nations most notably the Dutch who, in the seventeenth century, built canals all over the city centre. Since then some of the canals have been filled up and converted into streets, but there are still many left and if you visit Gothenburg in the summer it is highly recommended to take a guided tour on the water. A trip on the canal boats will give you a wonderful view of not only the city centre, but also the harbour area where, among other things, you will get an up-close look at the four-masted barque Viking and the modern Gothenburg Opera house.

City sightseeing can be a lot of fun, but what is really amazing about Sweden is the beautiful nature and rich wildlife. If you travel from north to south you'll see deep forests and mountainous terrain as well as farmland and sandy white beaches. In Sweden the general public have the right to access public and privately owned land (there are some exceptions) thanks to a law called Allemansrätten which roughly translates to "the right to roam". To be able to stroll around freely is fantastic and gives you a unique opportunity to really experience the wilderness. But, don't worry, contrary to popular opinion, there are no polar bears in Sweden, not even in a zoo, but there are plenty of bears and moose.

Another common misconception is that all Swedes are tall and blond. The modern Swedish society is multicultural and nearly 15 per cent the population were born in another country. Since the Second World War, the number of immigrants has increased steadily. In the 1950s and 1960s there were many immigrants from countries such as Finland, Italy, Greece and Turkey, but in the last three decades most immigrants have come from the Balkans, South America, the Middle East and Africa.

If this article has made you curious about Sweden and perhaps made you consider coming here as a student, you will probably be glad to know that there are plenty of opportunities for international students at Swedish universities,  in particular at the MA and PhD level. There are many different universities to choose from. There are large campuses with over 30,000 students and smaller schools with only a few thousand students. There are old, traditional schools with hundreds of years of academic excellence as well as more modern schools. In Stockholm and Gothenburg there are also special technical universities. Most universities are located in the southern part of the country, but there are a few in the north as well. One is almost as far north as the arctic circle (!) All the information you need about university studies in Sweden can be found on www.studera.nu. It's the official website for applying to higher education in Sweden and is managed by The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education in cooperation with The National Admissions Office to Higher Education.

Miriam Liberman currently resides in her hometown Gothenburg, Sweden

Photo copyright: Nicho Södling - Stockholm Visitors Board