🌍 GlobeIQ ← Back to game

Sweden

Europe · 10 million

About Sweden

Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a sovereign country located in Europe, specifically within the Northern Europe subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Stockholm, and the country is home to approximately 10.6 million people. In its native language, the country is known as “Sverige”. Swedish serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Sweden. The official currency in circulation is the Swedish krona (kr), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Sweden is widely recognised for IKEA, ABBA and its Viking heritage. People from Sweden are referred to as Swedish.

Geography & climate

Sweden covers approximately 450,295 km² of territory, making it a mid-sized country by land area. It shares land borders with 2 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Sweden sits in the Northern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 62.0° N, 15.0° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+01:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Sweden can be summarised as: boreal forest & coast with cold winters, mild summers. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 10.6 million inhabitants, Sweden is a country of significant population size. The principal spoken language is Swedish, which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Locals refer to their homeland as “Sverige”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Swedish, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Swedish krona (kr) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Sweden should familiarise themselves with the capital, Stockholm, the local time zone (UTC+01:00), the local currency (Swedish krona). The international dialling prefix is +46, which is required when phoning a Sweden number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .se, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Sweden is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Sweden is generally classified within the Europe region and more specifically the Northern Europe subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties.

Bordering countries

Sweden shares land borders with 2 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

The three-point seatbelt was invented here in 1959 — and released to the world free of charge, estimated to have saved over a million lives globally.

Sweden in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Sweden appears as an easier opening puzzle for new players. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Sweden carries the personality tags “🌲 Nordic Pioneer” and “🎵 Music Export”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Sweden to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

Play today's GlobeIQ puzzle →