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Sweden: Swedish Royal Jewellery stolen last year found in a bin with “BOMB” written on it

NordenBladet – The Swedish royal jewellery that was stolen in July last year has been recovered. The two crowns and an orb were found in a bin in a suburb north of Stockholm with the word “BOMB” written on it.

A security guard who spotted the bin found the funeral regalia of King Karl IX. The regalia was taken in a smash-and-grab attack on 31 July 2018 from the cathedral in Strängnäs, which gained worldwide media attention. The discovery has stopped the trial of a 22-year-old man who was arrested on 12 September and has been in custody for several months. The suspect has admitted to stealing the bicycle and boat used in the theft but denies any involvement in stealing the treasures.

The trial will resume on Friday 15 February with new investigative measures, including a technical examination of the returned regalia. Authorities will also try to determine how the jewellery ended up in the bin and who put them there.

Featured image is illustrative:  Sweden (NordenBladet)

Helena-Reet: 6 STEPS HOW TO get closer to success, how to enter the elite circles & how to find investors to your million-euro business plans!

NordenBladet – How to become part of the elite* class? Whether you have an idea you want to turn into a business, a startup you need funding for, a partnership you want to secure, or a dream job you’d love to have; all of these things require getting into the winner’s circle. Get to know the elite community & learn how to make important connections with influential people!

1. Stop waiting to be rescued from financial mediocrity
The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are fortunate or dishonest. Stop believing self-made millionaires are just lucky. Being rich has very little to do with luck and everything to do with habits. Start believing you are worth every euro you earn and more. Start first believing in yourself!

The middle class lives in a perpetual waiting game for outside forces to come to their aid and grant their every wish. They are operating at a level of consciousness that encourages them to passively wait for life to improve. The hero they are waiting for may be G-d, government, their boss, or their spouse. It’s the average person’s level of thinking that breeds this approach.

Start creating a daily plan of action that will move you closer to building financial independence. The rich are savvier about money because they follow a plan of action, not because they are more intelligent. They don’t wait for their ship to come in. They build their own ship.

2. Start thinking or start thinking more
The rich know their most valuable asset is their ability to think, and because they use their mental powers so often, they become very good at it. Build your thinking muscles by pushing yourself every day to solve new problems that are directly related to amassing wealth. Creativity is critical to financial success!

3. Utilize your network
This sounds overly obvious, but you would be surprised how much people under-utilize their own personal and professional network. Even if it is not a strong connection, just knowing the same people or person opens the door much better than having zero shared contacts. Preferably, you want someone who your target also knows who can vouch for you (ideally, more than just one reference actually). If that is not possible, use whatever first, second, or third degree contacts to help you get that introduction, not matter how small.

Whether it is an investor, executive, or other successful winner’s circle member, they are always looking to meet anyone doing something interesting. They wouldn’t be where they are if they weren’t open to new and promising opportunities.

4. Be prepared, make sure you are ready
First, make sure that this is actually the right time to make your way into the winner’s circle. If you’re not taking care of you, you’re not in a position to help anyone else and you’re not in a position to sell your ideas. Members of the millionaire’s circle could be industry leaders or high-net worth individuals – whom are respected and esteemed – and have a network that you can’t put a price on. Because of the pull and influence someone in the winner’s circle may have, it is critical you impress them. Too often, there are stories of entrepreneurs who make great impressions and have a great idea, but they used their network, resources, and energy to secure a meeting of any sorts way too early.

If your “target” thinks that there is even a small chance that you have something worthwhile, he or she will ask to meet with you. This is one major reason you need to ensure that your social media accounts come off respectable – without anything that could damage your image – and also do your best to ensure your profile most accurately reflects the impression you want to make.

5. Don’t hit up everyone at once
What happens when you text 10 girls all at once who are all friends and hanging out with each other at the time when they receive your text? If they were going to respond to you initially, they certainly wont now. Getting into the winner’s circle is the same way. Don’t contact six guys who are all friends, work at the same firm, or partners in any way. You will be embarrassed. Contact each person individually one at a time. If they decline, go on to the next one. It is always great to have multiple contacts within a circle, but you need to know how to utilize your network the right way.

6. Don’t be discouraged, just try again
Take advantage of the feedback they give you – find out why they declined and then fix it, because the next winner’s circle target you pursue will probably find the same defect. 99% of these people will be open to meeting or talking to you again in the future, so make sure not to burn ay bridges. Once you have bettered whatever it is you bring to the table, contact them again. There are a ton of cases where entrepreneurs get shut down the first time, but then after some hard work they are accepted the second time and go on to reach great success.

Remember, the wealthy focus on earning! In the minds of millionaires, leverage is everything. The wealthy strategically focus their efforts on the most profitable areas of their businesses while leveraging their contacts, credibility, and resources to maximize the results of every action they take. The middle class sees hard work as a badge of honor. The wealthy sees success as a more important badge of honor. There is no limit to ideas; therefore, there is no limit to how much money they can earn. Rich people use other people’s money as well. So never be afraid or belittle yourself.

! Rich people have an action mentality… while average people have a lottery mentality.

______________________________________
* In political and sociological theory, the elite (French élite, from Latin eligere) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a society. Defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, the “elite” are “those people or organizations that are considered the best or most powerful compared to others of a similar type.”

 

Read also:
Helena-Reet Ennet: MY JOURNEY TOWARDS BECOMING A BILLIONAIRE or How to join the world’s most elite group of people?
In the world people are desiring the status of a billionaire instead of that of a millionaire – in order to belong to the top notch you must be a billionaire. There is one billionaire for every million people in the world. In 2014 the number of billionaires increased 7% and the elite list embraced 2325 people, in 2017 according to Forbes there were 2043 billionaires. How can you become one? Lets have a wider look and dig into statistics – what does one need to become a billionaire?

Featured image: For illustrative purposes (REALTOR®)

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Norwegian Royal Family celebrate King Karl Johan with a series of lectures at Royal Palace

NordenBladet – This year marks 200 years since Karl Johan became King of Norway and Sweden. This has been celebrated with significant events in both nations, now separated from each other, each having its own royal house. Although, both King Harald of Norway and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden descended from King Karl Johan. One of the very last events in celebrating Karl Johan is now taking place in November in Norway.

The Norwegian Royal Family has decided to end the Karl Johan anniversary with four lectures on the life of King Karl Johan. The lectures will be on Tuesdays in November at the Royal Palace in Oslo.

There will be a total of four lectures, and they are:

– Historian and Senior Europe Correspondent for Royal Central, Oskar Aanmoen will, on 6 November, talk about his last book, Karl Johan’s Coronation Journey in 1818.
– Historian Bård Frydelund, on 13 November, is to speak about Karl Johan as a strategist.
– Professor Emeritus Thomas Thiis-Evensen, will on Tuesday 20 November, talk about King Karl Johan and the heritage from Rome.
– Cultural historian Nina Høye, will, on Tuesday, 27 November, discuss the House of Bernadotte’s plans for royal homes in Christiania.

Those who visited the Royal Palace in Oslo this summer saw a brand new exhibition on King Karl Johan in the main rooms of the palace. The original uniform Karl Johan wore during the coronation in 1818 was exhibited together with Karl Johan’s bed as he used during his visits to Oslo during his reign and some of his personal belongings.

King Karl Johan (1763-1818-1844), originally Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, was born in the south of France and became a soldier 17-years-old. In 1810 there was a political and constitutional crisis in Sweden. The Riksdag chose Jean Baptiste Bernadotte to be King Carl XIII’s successor. It happened in Örebro in August 1810.

Karl Johan had to go to war in Norway in 1814 to get Norway to accept the union. After a short military campaign, the convention in Moss was signed, and on 4 November 1814 Carl Johan’s adoptive father, Carl XIII, was elected Norwegian King as King Carl II. Carl II died in 1818, and his adoptive son became King of Norway and Sweden.

On August, His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden attended a seminar at Ørebro Castle in Sweden in connection with the 200th anniversary of King Karl Johan’s ascension to the throne. The workshop “The Coronation year of 1818” was held in the main hall at Ørebro Castle in Sweden. The guests where mainly historians and politicians from the Nordic countries as well as Russia, France and Great Britain.

Royal Central’s Senior Europe Correspondent, Oskar Aanmoen has published his book this autumn about King Karl Johan’s journey in Norway in 1818. He had the honour to hand over a copy of the book to Their Majesties the King and Queen when they left the castle. Aanmoen describes the royals as “very nice and warm people who showed great interest in the book”.

Featured image: King Karl Johan (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

Enontekiö, the Finnish part of Lapland – municipality overview and info + PHOTOS!

NordenBladet – Enontekiö (Eanodat, Enontekis) is a municipality in the Finnish part of Lapland with approx. 1,900 inhabitants. It is situated in the outermost northwest of the country and occupies a large and very sparsely populated area of about 8,400 square kilometres (3,200 sq mi) between the Swedish and Norwegian border. Finland’s highest point, the Halti fell with a height of 1,324 metres (4,344 ft) above the mean sea level, lies in the north of Enontekiö, where the municipality occupies a part of the Scandinavian Mountains. The administrative centre of Enontekiö is the village of Hetta. About one fifth of the community’s population are Sami people. Enontekiö’s main industries are tourism and reindeer husbandry.

Location and dimensions
Enontekiö is located in the province of Lapland in the outermost northwest tip of Finland. The bulge between Swedish and Norwegian border, which is occupied by the municipality of Enontekiö, is called Käsivarsi (Finnish for “arm”), because before World War II, Finland’s borders had the shape of a woman’s figure (Suomi-neito) and the area looked like her raised right arm. The municipality occupies a large and sparsely populated area of 8,391.35 km2 (3,239.92 sq mi) (more than three times the area of Luxembourg). Thus Enontekiö is Finland’s third-largest municipality in size, after Inari and Sodankylä, and with a population density of only 0.24/km2 (0.62/sq mi), it is the second-most sparsely populated municipality, after Savukoski.

Enontekiö’s neighbouring municipalities are Inari in the east, Kittilä in the southeast, and Muonio in the south; on the Swedish side in the west, there is the municipality of Kiruna and on the Norwegian side in the north, there are Storfjord, Gáivuotna (Kåfjord), Nordreisa, and Kautokeino. Enontekiö shares a border of more than 450 kilometres (280 mi) with the two adjacent states. The border to Sweden is formed by the river Muonionjoki and its tributary, Könkämäeno.

Villages
The main village of Enontekiö is the settlement of Hetta in the south, with approx. 800 inhabitants. There is no village with the name of Enontekiö, but Hetta is often called the municipality’s name. Other important places are the village of Kilpisjärvi, which is located near the border triangle of Finland-Sweden-Norway, as well as Karesuvanto and Palojoensuu, both of which are located at the Muonionjoki at the Swedish border. Enontekiö’s villages are concentrated in the southern area and along the banks of the rivers Könkämäeno and Muonionjoki in the west of the municipality. Often, there is a corresponding village on the Swedish side of the river, bearing the same name (or the Swedish form of the name), e.g. Karesuvanto/Karesuando. In contrast, the part of the Käsivarsi Mountains away from the rivers is almost completely uninhabited.






5x Kilpisjärvi, Finland (NordenBladet)

Hetta (Northern Sami: Heahttá) is the main village in the municipality of Enontekiö in the north-west part of Finnish Lapland. It is also the municipality’s administrative centre and the start or end point of the standard trekking / skiing route across the Pallas-Yllastunturi National Park.

Enontekiö Airport is located 9 kilometres (6 mi) west of Hetta and generally has flights from Helsinki in the Spring months. Otherwise, the nearest Finnish airport is Kittilä, c. 2 hours South although Alta, in Norway is a similar distance. Tromso (Norway), Kiruna (Sweden) and Rovaniemi (Finland) are all a similar distance (c. 3–4 hours drive) although flying into Tromso is a good option if your intention is to spend the majority of your time in the far West of Enontekiö, in the village of Kilpisjärvi.

Hetta is a popular tourist destination for cross country skiers and winter outdoor activity enthusiasts. Ice fishing, husky sledding (the local company, Hetta Huskies, won a Gold Award in the World Responsible Tourism Awards in 2015), snowmobiling and visiting traditional reindeer farms are all popular activities for visitors. There is also plenty of cabin and hotel accommodation and easy access to the high tundra arctic plateaus just 20 km north of the village.


Hetta and Ounasrjärvi in Enontekiö, Finland (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)

2x Hetta´s Church – Hetan kirkko (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)

The following villages belong to Enontekiö (Sami name, if available, in parentheses):

Hetta (Heahttá)
Jatuni (Jáhton)
Karesuvanto (Gárasavvon)
Kelottijärvi
Ketomella
Kilpisjärvi (Gilbbesjávri)
Kultima (Gulddán)
Kuttanen (Guhttás)
Leppäjärvi (Leaibejávri)
Luspa (Luspi)
Markkina (Boaresmárkan)
Maunu (Mávdna)
Muotkajärvi (Muotkejávri)
Näkkälä (Neahčil)
Nartteli
Nunnanen (Njunnás)
Palojärvi (Bálojávri)
Palojoensuu (Bálojohnjálbmi)
Peltovuoma (Bealdovuopmi)
Raittijärvi
Ropinsalmi
Saivomuotka
Sonkamuotka
Vähäniva
Vuontisjärvi (Vuottesjávri)
Yli-Kyrö



2x Little Näkkälä village in Enontekiö, Finland (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)

Topography
In its northern tip, Enontekiö is the only Finnish municipality that includes part of the Scandinavian Mountains. Through that and through its location in the far north of Finland, it is geologically and scenically very different from the rest of the country. Halti, the highest mountain of Finland with a height of 1,324 m, is located in Enontekiö, together with all 21 other mountains higher than 1,000 m (3,281 ft) in the country. Besides Haltitunturi, probably the best known and scenically most distinctive mountain is the Saana with a height of 1,029 metres (3,376 ft), which rises above the village of Kilpisjärvi. The southern part of the municipality is less mountainous, but some single fjells (tunturi, which means hills towering above the timber line) rise above the otherwise rather flat surrounding area. Below, a part of the Pallastunturi–Ounastunturi-massif extends into Enontekiö’s territory.

A little more than 5% of the municipality’s area consists of water. Several large rivers originate in Enontekiö: The Muonionjoki, Ounasjoki, Ivalojoki, and one of the headstreams of the Tenojoki have their sources in the municipality. Enontekiö owes its name to them: Eno is an old Finnish word for “major river” and tekiö is derived from the verb tehdä (“to make”). All of the 825 lakes in the area are rather small. The largest lakes are the Pöyrisjärvi, the Kilpisjärvi near the village with the same name, and the Ounasjärvi near Hetta.

Saana (Northern Sami: Sána) is a fell in Enontekiö, Finland. Saana’s summit lies 1,029 metres (3,376 ft) above sea level and 556 m (1,824 ft) above the adjacent Kilpisjärvi lake. Geologically it is part of the Scandinavian Mountains, and is made of the same kinds of schist and gneiss rock. The mountain was historically considered sacred to the Sami people. The peak is a popular destination for hikers and backpackers because of the sweeping views offered at the summit.




3x Stairway to Saana (NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet)

Flora and fauna
The vegetation of Enontekiö is very meagre, due to the extreme northern latitude. The northern border of the natural geographic range of the spruce approx. matches the southern border of the municipality; the range of the pine ends only 20 km (12 mi) north of Hetta, too. North of that, only birches grow. The timber line is approximately 600 m (2,000 ft); above that, a tundra-like vegetation predominates. The largest part of the municipal area consists of these plateaus or bogs, which mainly predominate at the rivers. Only 19% of Enontekiö’s area is afforested. About 70% of the total area is conservation area of various grades. Enontekiö contains parts of the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, as well as the wilderness areas of Käsivarsi, Pulju, Pöyrisjärvi and Tarvantovaara.

Due to the harsh climatic conditions, there are not especially many species among Enontekiö’s fauna; however, there are Arctic species that are unknown to southern Finland, e.g. Norway lemming, Arctic fox, snowy owl, Eurasian dotterel, ptarmigan, and ring ouzel. Besides the semi-domesticated reindeer, there are a lot of small mammals and bird species.

Climate
Enontekiö’s climate is characterised by the extreme northern location, the high altitude compared to the rest of Finland and the closeness of the Arctic Ocean. Due to the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream, the winters are not quite as harsh as in central Lapland, which is characterised by the continental climate, but the summers are shorter and cooler.

The annual average temperatures of Enontekiö are the lowest of Finland. In Kilpisjärvi, in the north of the municipal area, the long-term average is −2.3 °C (compared to Helsinki: approx. +5 °C; Berlin approx. +9 °C). July is the warmest month, with an average temperature of +10.9 °C, the coldest is January with −13.6 °C. Due to these extreme climatic conditions, the growing season only lasts a little over 100 days. Thus, the winter, with its 200 days, is very long. The annual average precipitation is 459 millimetres (18.1 in). In the cold season, enormous amounts of snow can fall: The highest snow depth ever recorded in Finland was measured on April 19, 1997, in Kilpisjärvi: 190 centimetres (75 in). Normally, a permanent snow cover is generally formed in October and does not melt again until the end of May. In sheltered places, snow can remain even longer; thus a ski race is traditionally held for Midsummer’s night in Kilpisjärvi.

Enontekiö’s municipal area is located between 200 and 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. Accordingly, there are extreme seasonal differences in the length of daylight. In Kilpisjärvi, the Midnight Sun shines between May 22 and July 23. Accordingly, Polar night (kaamos) prevails between December 2 and January 11. Enontekiö has the highest rate of occurrence of Polar lights in Finland: In the region around Kilpisjärvi, this natural spectacle can be observed on average three out of four nights during the dark season in clear weather.

Population development and structure
Enontekiö currently has nearly 2,000 inhabitants. In the beginning 1990s, there were still 2,500 inhabitants. Because the structurally weak Lapland was hit harder by the Finnish economic crisis than the south, a wave of migration to expansion centers in the south started in the middle of the decade. Initially, the number of inhabitants also rapidly decreased in Enontekiö, but it now has consolidated at a lower level. Enontekiö’s population consists of 12.4% under the age of 15, 69.2% between 15 and 64, and 18.3% older than 64. The excess of men is conspicuous. They account for 53.2% of the population

Sami
Enontekiö is part of the native settlement area of the indigenous Sami people. Nineteen percent of the municipality’s population are ethnic Sami, but only 9.2% speak Sami as their native language. The municipality is part of the Sami “homeland” (kotiseutualue), which is defined by law and where Sami have special minority rights. Thus Northern Sami, the particular Sami language used in Enontekiö, has official status in the municipality besides the Finnish language, and therefore is allowed to be used in contact with the authorities. Well-known Sami from Enontekiö are the artist, Nils-Aslak Valkeapää and the Joik-singer Wimme.

Economy
Enontekiö’s economic structure has a large percentage involved in the service sector: 76% of the gainfully employed population work in the tertiary sector, 45% of these work in civil service. Agriculture and forestry employ 13% of Enontekiö’s inhabitants, the manufacturing sector 6%. As is usual in the structurally weak Lapland, the unemployment in Enontekiö is a big problem: In January 2007 with 24.7%, the municipality had the second highest unemployment rate of all Finnish municipalities. In 1996 at the peak of the Finnish economic crisis, the unemployment rate was near 40%.

Reindeer husbandry was the dominant branch of business in Enontekiö for a long time. In the northwest of Lapland, reindeer husbandry has already been done for centuries, in contrast to the other regions of the Finnish reindeer husbandry area, where it was only introduced on a large scale in the 19th century after the eradication of the wild Finnish forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus). Reindeer husbandry plays an important role even today. The herders are organised in the cooperatives (paliskunta) of Näkkälä and Käsivarsi and have a total of 20,000 semi-domesticated reindeer. Due to the climatic conditions, agriculture is scarcely possible, but dairy farming is operated on a small scale. Due to the sparse vegetation, forestry plays only a minor role.

Tourism is a major branch of business in Enontekiö, even if there are fewer visitors than in those municipalities of Lapland which have big skiing centres. Enontekiö mostly attracts nature tourists, who travel to Lapland for hiking, fishing, canooing, skiing or snowmobiling, as well as automobile tourists, such as those on their way to the North Cape. Annually, more than 100,000 overnight stays are registered. Twenty percent of the tourists are from abroad. The largest group are the Norwegians, followed by the Germans, Swedes, Dutch, and British. The Norwegians visit Enontekiö mainly for its low prices. The Norwegian shopping tourism made up 40% of the retail business volume in all of Enontekiö, and even 60–70% in Kilpisjärvi, near the border.

Transportation
Enontekiö’s most important traffic connection is highway 21 (E8). Along its entire route, starting in Tornio at the Gulf of Bothnia, it follows the line of the Finnish–Swedish border and ends in Kilpisjärvi at the Norwegian border. The main road 93 branches off highway 21 at Palojoensuu and at first leads in an eastward direction to the municipal centre of Hetta and then further in a northward direction to the Norwegian border. The villages of the southern part of the municipality are connected to each other by small roads. But in the northern part of Enontekiö, highway 21 is the only road, taking a course next to the banks of the Muonionjoki and Könkämäeno; the uninhabited area between the river valley and the Norwegian border has no roads at all. There are three border crossings in Enontekiö: The village of Karesuvanto is connected by a bridge with the Swedish bank and there are border crossings to Norway in Kilpisjärvi and Kivilompolo.

The municipality has its own airport, (Enontekiö Airport), west of Hetta. It is mainly approached by charter flights, whose passengers account for 95% of the airport’s passenger volume. Regular flights to Enontekiö are established only in the spring. The company Finncomm Airlines provides direct flights to Enontekiö from Helsinki-Vantaa between March and May. The passenger volume of 13,700 passengers per year is relatively low.

Enontekiö is not connected to the railroad network. The next railroad station is in Kolari, approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) to the south.

Education and social affairs
There are five primary schools in Enontekiö: In the Kilpisjärvi primary school, pupils are taught from preschool to 9th grade, in the schools of Karesuvanto, Hetta, and Peltojärvi, from preschool to 6th grade. Enontekiö’s upper school is attended by pupils of the 7th to 9th grade. The higher education entrance qualification can be obtained after graduating from the upper school at the secondary school of Enontekiö. The primary schools of Kilpisjärvi and Karesuvanto and the upper school of Enontekiö offer native language education to Sami pupils. Adult education takes place at an adult education centre. The municipality’s library is located in the main village of Hetta, more remote regions are supplied by a mobile library. The University of Helsinki runs a biological research station in Kilpisjärvi. The University of Oulu runs the KAIRA radio telescope facility at Kilpisjärvi as well.

Healthcare is organised together with the neighbouring municipality of Muonio. In Enontekiö, there are two health centres for inpatient treatment, one in Hetta and one in Karesuvanto. Beds are available in Muonio’s health centre.

Useful links:
Enontekiö´s official website: https://enontekio.fi/
Enontekiö Airport: https://www.finavia.fi/en/airports/enontekio (Finnish: Enontekiön lentoasema) (IATA: ENF, ICAO: EFET) is an airport located in Enontekiö, Finnish Lapland, 5 NM (9.3 km; 5.8 mi) west southwest of Hetta, the municipal centre of Enontekiö.

Featured image: Kilpisjärvi (NordenBladet)

Helena-Reet: Scandinavian theme parks – with children in Astrid Lindgren’s world in Vimmerby, Sweden + BIG GALLERY!

NordenBladet – Apparently in Scandinavia there is not a single child who wouldn’t know the Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren’s* main character from the book “Pippi Longstocking” – the wealthy, naughty, strong and kind-hearted Pippi. For many a kid in the northern countries this girl with two red braids has brought an abundance of splendid emotions to their childhood. I recall how much I enjoyed the Pippi character as a child and just how my own children got the Pippi thrill a few years back.

In Sweden, going by car from Stockholm through Linköping 350 km along E4 road heading South (ca 4 hours driving) or from Göteborg along road 40 via Jönköping heading East (ca 3 hours driving) there’s Vimmerby where back in 1981 initially under the name Sagobyn the “Astrid Lindgren World” was open (address: Fabriksgatan 59840, Vimmerby / home page astridlindgrensvarld.se) – an actual fairy tale land that continues to fascinate children as well as their parents. An ideal place to visit with the entire family! It is an exciting theme park open from May to August where you can meet lots of well-known characters from Astrid Lindgren’s book for children.

The theme park with the Swedish name “Astrid Lindgren’s Värld” (with a more common name “Pippi Longstocking Värld”) is situated on a 180 000 square metre territory and there you can find everything – a cinema, theatric spectacles, a large fairy tale town full of doll houses, cafes, shops, playing grounds, a museum, a mini zoo, etc. The park offers employment to more than 50 actors depicting various characters from the book. it is possible to stroke Pippi’s horse and step inside her great yellow “Villa Villekulla” or Villekulla Cottage. Many times a day plays are performed in Swedish language.

I like to travel with children – be it then a children-centered travel or my own business travel. When possible I always take my children along. Ivanka Shoshana (10) who has been diagnosed with autism has as a result of my continuous effort grown to be very brave. Despite the fact that usually a child with autism is very tough to be travelling with (you will never know when the tantrums occur and when they would lay down screaming so that there is nothing else to do than take the child in your arms and quickly flee from the scornful icy glances of people around you), travelling actually has been a factor that has helped broaden her horizon and has facilitated her socialisation. Today I am able to take her along with a light heart – the embarrassing moments are less, next to none. Oooh, but what happened in Pippi-land. Estella Elisheva (during the trip 9 years of age), who is usually a super obediant child and who has from birth been very easy to raise, dashed off to one direction, driven from excitement and joy of discovering the place, and Ivanka Shoshana (during the travel 7 years of age) dashed to the opposite direction – but I can fully understand the children. The entire theme park was just amazing that even a grown person will be overwhelmed! And of course we could not leave without clothing from head to toe into Pippi brand garments.

I add a few photos from that journey (summer 2015).
























__________________________

Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for children’s book series featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil i Lönneberga, Karlsson-on-the-Roof, and the Six Bullerby Children (Children of Noisy Village in the US), as well as the children’s fantasy novels Mio, My Son, Ronia the Robber’s Daughter, and The Brothers Lionheart. In January 2017, she was calculated to be the world’s 18th most translated author, and the fourth most-translated children’s writer after Enid Blyton, H. C. Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. Lindgren has so far sold roughly 165 million books worldwide.

Biography
Astrid Lindgren grew up in Näs, near Vimmerby, Småland, Sweden, and many of her books are based on her family and childhood memories and landscapes.

Lindgren was the daughter of Samuel August Ericsson and Hanna Jonsson. She had two sisters, Stina and Ingegerd, and a brother, Gunnar Ericsson, who eventually became a member of the Swedish parliament.

Upon finishing school, Lindgren took a job with a local newspaper in Vimmerby. She had a relationship with the chief editor, who was married and a father, and who eventually proposed marriage in 1926 after she became pregnant. She declined and moved to the capital city of Stockholm, learning to become a typist and stenographer (she would later write most of her drafts in stenography). In due time, she gave birth to her son, Lars, in Copenhagen and left him in the care of a foster family.

Although poorly paid, she saved whatever she could and traveled as often as possible to Copenhagen to be with Lars, often just over a weekend, spending most of her time on the train back and forth. Eventually, she managed to bring Lars home, leaving him in the care of her parents until she could afford to raise him in Stockholm.

In 1932 she married her employer, Sture Lindgren (1898–1952), who left his wife for her. Three years later, in 1934, Lindgren gave birth to her second child, Karin, who would become a translator. The character Pippi Longstocking was invented for her daughter to amuse her while she was ill in bed. Lindgren later related that Karin had suddenly said to her, “Tell me a story about Pippi Longstocking,” and the tale was created in response to that request.

The family moved in 1941 to an apartment on Dalagatan, with a view over Vasaparken, where Lindgren remained until her death on 28 January 2002 at the age of 94, having already become blind.

Astrid Lindgren died in her home in central Stockholm. Her funeral took place in the Storkyrkan (Great Church) in Gamla stan. Among those attending were King Carl XVI Gustaf with Queen Silvia and others of the royal family, and Prime Minister Göran Persson. The ceremony was described as “the closest you can get to a state funeral.”

Career
Lindgren worked as a journalist and secretary before becoming a full-time author. She served as a secretary for the 1933 Swedish Summer Grand Prix.

In 1944 Lindgren won second prize in a competition held by Rabén & Sjögren, a new publishing house, with the novel Britt-Marie lättar sitt hjärta (Britt-Marie Unburdens Her Heart). A year later she won first prize in the same competition with the chapter book Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Longstocking), which had been rejected by Bonniers. (Rabén & Sjögren published it with illustrations by Ingrid Vang Nyman, the latter’s debut in Sweden.) Since then it has become one of the most beloved children’s books in the world and has been translated into 60 languages. While Lindgren almost immediately became a much appreciated writer, the irreverent attitude towards adult authority that is a distinguishing characteristic of many of her characters has occasionally drawn the ire of some conservatives.

The women’s magazine Damernas Värld sent Lindgren to the United States in 1948 to write short essays. Upon arrival she is said to have been upset by the discrimination against black Americans. A few years later she published the book Kati in America, a collection of short essays inspired by the trip.

In 1956, the inaugural year of the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, the German-language edition of Mio, min Mio (Mio, My Son) won the Children’s book award.(Sixteen books written by Astrid Lindgren made the Children’s Book and Picture Book longlist, 1956–1975, but only Mio, My Son won a prize in its category.)

In 1958 Lindgren received the second Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Rasmus på luffen (Rasmus and the Vagabond), a 1956 novel developed from her screenplay and filmed in 1955. The biennial International Board on Books for Young People, now considered the highest lifetime recognition available to creators of children’s books, soon came to be called the Little Nobel Prize. Prior to 1962 the Board cited a single book published during the preceding two years.

On her 90th birthday, she was pronounced International Swede of the Year 1997 by Swedes in the World (SVIV – Svenskar i Världen), an association for Swedes living abroad.

In its entry on Scandinavian fantasy, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy named Lindgren the foremost Swedish contributor to modern children’s fantasy. Its entry on Lindgren summed up her work in glowing terms: “Her niche in children’s fantasy remains both secure and exalted. Her stories and images can never be forgotten.

Translations
By 2012 Astrid Lindgren’s books had been translated into 95 different languages and language variants. Further, the first chapter of Ronja the Robber’s Daughter has been translated into Latin. Up until 1997 a total of 3,000 editions of her books had been issued internationally, and globally her books had sold a total of 150 million copies. Many of her books have been translated into English by the translator Joan Tate.

 

75 COMMON QUESTIONS with answers about Sweden

NordenBladet – What is the Sweden known for?, What is traditional Swedish food?, What is the climate like in Sweden?, Can I see Northern Lights from Stockholm?, How long does it take to become a citizen of Sweden?, What animals are found in Sweden?, Who was the first king of Sweden? – get answers to all your questions!

What is the Sweden known for?
What is Sweden famous for? You probably know all about ABBA, IKEA and meatballs (Svenska Kottbullar). … Swedish food has also hit the big time recently, going far beyond classic dishes like meatballs and pickled herring (though you can still get both at any local supermarket).

What are some popular foods in Sweden?
Meatballs made from meat and herbs tightly rolled together, frequently served with mashed potatoes and pickles. Sliced sausage pieces (usually falukorv) served in a creamy tomato sauce, a cheaper Swedish variation of Beef Stroganoff.

What is traditional Swedish food?
Swedish cuisine is the traditional food of the people of Sweden. … Many traditional dishes employ simple, contrasting flavours, such as the traditional dish of meatballs and brown cream sauce with tart, pungent lingonberry jam (slightly similar in taste to cranberry sauce).

What is in Swedish meatball sauce?
Whisk together the beef stock, heavy cream, flour, soy sauce, black pepper, and rosemary in a large saucepan until smooth. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the meatballs, and continue cooking until meatballs are heated through, about 5 more minutes.

What is a Swedish Dala horse?
Over the years the handcarved and painted Dala Horse has become a symbol of authentic Swedish handicraft and one of Sweden’s most popular souvenirs. The name comes from its home province, Dalarna, in central Sweden. Most popular are the red-orange horses from the little village of Nusnäs near Mora.

What is Sweden’s favorite sport?
Sweden is a country with a high interest in sport. It is estimated that about half the population is active in some sport. The most popular sports that Swedes play are handball, football, golf, athletics and gymnastics. Other common games played or competed in are tennis, ice hockey, basketball, table tennis and bandy.

What is the climate like in Sweden?
Sweden’s many lakes and the gulfs of Bothnia give Sweden generally a relatively mild climate. July temperatures in Sweden average 13 to 17°C. February is usually Sweden’s coldest month, with temperatures from – 22 to -3°C. In northern Sweden, winter temperatures often drop to -30°C, sometimes even lower.

How cold is Sweden in the summer?
Stockholm, Sweden has on average the warmest summer of the Nordic countries, with an average maximum temperature of 23 °C (73 °F) in July; Copenhagen, Oslo and Helsinki have an average July maximum temperature of 22 °C (72 °F).

What is the weather like in Sweden in June?
June is also one of the warmest months, the abundance of sunshine helping to keep things warm. The average temperature is 16°C—only July and August are warmer, but only by a degree or two. June afternoons heat up to 21°C on average, which is absolutely delightful.

How hot does it get in Sweden?
Between June and August you can expect temperatures to regularly top 20°C (68°F) and it can get as hot as 30°C (86°F), with occasional rainy weather. Summer temperatures in the southern cities of Sweden average out around 18°C and winter temperatures around -2°C.

What is the coldest month in Sweden?
Stockholm: Annual Weather Averages. July is the hottest month in Stockholm with an average temperature of 64°F (18°C) and the coldest is January at 27°F (-3°C) with the most daily sunshine hours at 12 in June. The wettest month is July with an average of 72mm of rain.

Is it always cold in Sweden?
The air is relatively humid here, making warm days feel warmer and cold days colder. However, even in winter months, snow is rare near any southern coast. Stretching from Stockholm in the east to southern Norway in the west, Svealand has a climate that is normally a few degrees cooler than that of Götaland.

Is it cold in Scandinavia?
Parts of the Scandinavian mountains in Norway and Sweden have an alpine tundra climate with very cold temperatures, especially in winter. Further north, in the regions of Greenland and Iceland, you experience arctic climate with cold winters.

What is the weather like in Sweden in October?
Guaranteeing enjoyment all year round, Stockholm, Sweden, impresses visitors with its majestic landscape, historic highlights and natural scenery. Vast green areas and numerous waterways ornament the city. In October, temperatures reach up to 10°C in the afternoon and drop to an average low of 5°C overnight.

What is the best time to go to Sweden?
Summer — When it comes to weather, the ideal time to visit Sweden is from June to August. At this time, all its cafes and most attractions, including open-air museums, are open, and thousands flock to the north of Sweden to enjoy the midnight sun.

How expensive is it to visit Sweden?
Add in some museums, and you’ll need around $70 USD per day (420 SEK). If you’re the average “stay in a hostel/hotel, eat cheap, go out a few times” traveler, then you should budget around $90 USD per day (540 SEK).

How safe is it in Sweden?
Sweden is very safe overall, with a low crime rate, although some cities have some rough areas that tourists should better avoid. … Sweden is the 18th safest country in the world, based on the safest and most dangerous countries ranking.

Is Sweden the safest country?
Scandinavia: The Safest Region In The World. Having all three of its most prominent constituent nations (Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) among the 25 safest countries in the world, Scandinavia has to be considered the safest region. … Scandinavia also appears to have some of the happiest people on the planet.

Is Sweden safe for American tourists?
Sweden is very safe overall, with a low crime rate, although some cities have some rough areas that tourists should better avoid. … Sweden is the 18th safest country in the world, based on the safest and most dangerous countries ranking.

Are Sweden Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, appear around the beginning of September (Kiruna) to around the end of March all over Swedish Lapland. But for the very best chance of seeing the Northern Lights you should make the trip to the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko National Park.

Can I see Northern Lights from Stockholm?
Usually, the northern lights are only visible in Sweden’s northern reaches. It is possible to see the northern lights much further south than Jokkmokk, however, and during periods of particularly high solar activity, it’s not unheard of to see the aurora as far south as Stockholm and Gothenburg.

When can you see the Northern Lights in Scandinavia?
Historically, the chances of seeing the northern lights are best viewed in Northern Norway between October and March, because the polar night makes them easier to see. The northern lights are visible in a belt around the magnetic North Pole.

What is the best month to see the Northern Lights?
In this period of time, no Northern Lights can be observed. In the most intense Northern Lights area (notably Alaska, Iceland, Northern Scandinavia and Yukon), the lights are observed from late August to mid April. However, from late September to late March, it is dark after 6pm, and one enjoys maximum chances.

Is there a monarchy in Sweden?
When The King is unable to fulfil his duties as Head of State because for example he is abroad, his duties are discharged to Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip or Princess Madeleine. Sweden has a constitutional monarchy. The Monarch’s power is regulated by the Swedish constitution.

Who is the current queen of Sweden?
Queen Silvia of Sweden (born Silvia Renate Sommerlath on 23 December 1943) is the spouse of King Carl XVI Gustaf and mother of the heir apparent to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria.

What is the last name of the Swedish royal family?
Estelle, her mother Crown Princess Victoria, and the rest of Sweden’s royal family, belong to the House of Bernadotte. However, they do not use Bernadotte as their surname, with the exception of the country’s newest prince, Prince Daniel, whose full name is Daniel Westling Bernadotte.

Where does the royal family live in Sweden?
Drottningholm Palace. Drottningholm Palace, just outside Stockholm, has been home to the Swedish Royal Family since 1981. Today, however, only the King and Queen live there.

How did Sweden become a country?
During the 11th and 12th centuries, Sweden gradually became a unified Christian kingdom that later included what is today Finland. Modern Sweden started out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century.

Is Sweden a democracy or a monarchy?
Politics of Sweden takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the government, led by the Prime Minister of Sweden. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, elected within a multi-party system.

Is Sweden a capitalist country?
The Nordic model (also called Nordic capitalism or Nordic social democracy) refers to the economic and social policies common to the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Sweden).

Is Sweden a republic?
Republicanism in Sweden (Swedish: Republikanism) is the collective term for the movement in Sweden that seeks to establish a republic and abolish the Swedish constitutional monarchy.

Who was the first king of Sweden?
However, due to scant and unreliable sources before the 11th century, lists of succession traditionally start in the 10th century with king Olof Skötkonung, and his father Eric the Victorious, who also were the first Swedish kings to be baptized.

Who is the current president of Sweden?
The current Prime Minister of Sweden is Stefan Löfven, leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.

What is Sweden’s economy based on?
Sweden is an export-oriented mixed economy featuring a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade.

Are Vikings from Sweden?
According to the Icelandic sagas, many Norwegian Vikings also went to eastern Europe. In the Viking Age, the present day nations of Norway, Sweden and Denmark did not exist, but were largely homogeneous and similar in culture and language, although somewhat distinct geographically.

Who was the greatest Viking?
There are so many badass Vikings that it’s tough to narrow it down, but these ten who made their peers soil their breeches.

Eric Bloodaxe.
Freydis Eriksdottir.
Sweyn Forkbeard.
Harald Hardrada.
Bjorn Ironside.
Gunnar Hamundarson.
Erik the Red.
Ragnar Lodbrok.

Is there a real Ragnar Lothbrok?
In fact, Lothbrock is a legendary Vikings figure who almost certainly existed, although the Ragnar Lothbrok in the Viking Sagas may be based on more than one actual person. He is the scourge of England and France. One highly probably link is to the real life character Ragnall.

Why did the Vikings die out?
The Viking age ended when the raids stopped. The year 1066 is frequently used as a convenient marker for the end of the Viking age. At the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norwegian king Haraldr harðráði was repulsed and killed as he attempted to reclaim a portion of England.

Where would Kattegat be?
According to the definition established in a 1932 convention signed by Denmark, Norway and Sweden (registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series 1933–1934), the northern boundary between the Kattegat and Skagerrak is found at the northernmost point of Skagen on Jutland.

Is Thor a Viking god?
Thor was one of the most important and famous gods in Norse mythology. He was the son of Odin and Fyorgyn, the earth goddess. Thor was considered the storm-weather god of sky and thunder and also a fertility god. His wife was Sif, a goddess also linked to fertility.

What was Sweden called before?
Before Sweden’s imperial expansion, Early Modern English used Swedeland. Sweden is derived through back-formation from Old English Swēoþēod, which meant “people of the Swedes” (Old Norse Svíþjóð, Latin Suetidi). This word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas (Old Norse Sviar, Latin Suiones).

What is the color of the cross in the Swedish flag?
The Nordic Cross design traditionally represents Christianity. The design and colors of the Swedish flag are believed to have been inspired by the present coat of arms of Sweden of 1442, which is blue divided quarterly by a cross pattée of gold, and modeled on the Danish flag.

What is the national animal of Sweden?
So, they are the same animal species. But then it gets really confusing, because in North America there is another member of the Deer family, the Wapiti, which is also called Elk. So, the Swedish Älg (Alces alces) is a Moose in American English and an Elk in British English.

Is Sweden a developing or developed country?
Sweden is considered to be a developed country. In fact, Sweden is considered to be one of the most highly developed post-industrial societies in the world. According to the IMF, Sweden has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $46,420 as of 2016. It is ranked number 17 in the world in terms of GDP per capita.

What animals are found in Sweden?
Sweden is a great place if you are interested in wildlife. Besides moose, reindeer, deer and various birds, which you can spot without too much effort, Sweden is also home to predators such as the bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine.

Are there polar bears in Sweden?
Contrary to popular belief, we have no polar bears, or ice bears, walking in the streets. In fact, there are no wild polar bears in Sweden at all. The wildest animal you’re likely to see here is a moose, and the best chance to meet one is to run into it with your car.

What kind of bears are in Sweden?
The bears which inhabit the forests and mountains of Sweden are Brown Bears, Ursus arctos. In the wild, a male can weigh as much as 350 kg and a female up to 240 kg. No! The nearest polar bears are in Spitsbergen in Norway, almost 1000 miles north of Stockholm.

What are the main ethnic groups in Sweden?
ETHNIC GROUPS. The Swedes are primarily Scandinavians of Germanic origin. There is also a small the Lapp (Sami) population. The remaining 12% of the population is comprised of foreign-born or first-generation immigrants, including Finns in the north, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, and Turks.

What are the people of Sweden?
Swedes (Swedish: svenskar) are a Germanic ethnic group native to Sweden. They mostly inhabit Sweden and the other Nordic countries, in particular Finland, with a substantial diaspora in other countries, especially the United States.

Who is the richest man in Sweden?
1. Stefan Persson, (born 4 October 1947) is a Swedish business magnate. In March 2013, Forbes reported Persson’s net worth as $28 billion[2] making him the richest of Sweden’s 12 billionaires and the 17th richest person in the world; he has since dropped to number 80. Persson is the chairman and main shareholder in fashion company H&M, which was founded by his father Erling Persson in 1947. Persson took over the company from his father in 1982 and served as its manager until 1998. Persson also owns a substantial stake in the Swedish technology company Hexagon AB. Through his privately held real estate company Ramsbury Invest, Persson owns a large number of properties in London, Paris and Stockholm.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Persson had a net worth of US $31.9 billion in 2014, making him the 17th richest person in the world at the time.

How wealthy is Sweden?
Sweden ranks 11th in the world by nominal GDP per capita (53,218 US$). The top 10 countries by GDP (nominal) per capita are: Luxembourg, Switzerland, Macau, Norway, Ireland, Iceland, Qatar, United States, Singapore, Denmark, Australia.

What is the main source of income in Sweden?
Sweden is an export-oriented mixed economy featuring a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade.

What is the tax rate in Sweden?
Denmark’s top marginal effective income tax rate is 60.4 percent. Sweden’s is 56.4 percent. Norway’s top marginal tax rate is 39 percent. However, the rates are not necessarily the most important feature of the Scandinavian income tax systems.

What is the average salary in Sweden?
A typical Swedish man works in the manufacturing industry, earning an average of SEK 33,305 per month. The largest share of working Swedish women is found in the healthcare sector, where they have an average salary of SEK 24,176 per month.

Is health care free in Sweden?
The Swedish health care system is mainly government-funded and decentralized, although private health care also exists. The health care system in Sweden is financed primarily through taxes levied by county councils and municipalities.

What is the minimum salary in Sweden?
There is no general minimum wage, instead the companies sign agreements with the unions and these agreements set the minimum level depending on the employee’s age and experience.

Is there free college in Sweden?
Swedish colleges and universities are free. … College in Sweden is free. That’s not even all that common in Europe anymore. While the costs of education are far lower than in the US, over the past two decades sometimes-hefty fees have become a fact of life for many European students.

How much maternity leave do you get in Sweden?
For 390 of the days, parents are entitled to nearly 80 per cent of their normal pay. Benefits are calculated on a maximum monthly income of SEK 37,083, as of 2015. The remaining 90 days are paid at a flat rate. Those who are not in employment are also entitled to paid parental leave.

What is the race of Swedish people?
The majority of the population are Swedes or Swedish people. The Sweden Finns are a large ethnic minority comprising approximately 50,000 along the Swedish-Finnish border, and 450,000 first and second generation immigrated ethnic Finns, mainly living in the Mälaren Valley region.

How can I get permanent residence in Sweden?
Get a job offer from an employer in Sweden that will help you get a work permit. Once you move to Sweden, you’ll need to live and work there for 4 years. You will then be eligible for permanent residency when you renew the permit. Another year after that and you can apply for citizenship.

Do I need a visa to travel to Sweden from the US?
Many foreign nationals, including those from the United States, do not require a visa to enter Sweden if the intended length of stay is less than 90 days. But for stays that will exceed 90 days, or if the applicant is from a country that requires a visa to enter, it is necessary to obtain a Schengen visa.

How long does it take to become a citizen of Sweden?
To become a Swedish citizen, you must have been living in Sweden on a long-term basis for a certain period of time. As a rule you must have been resident in Sweden for a continuous period of five years.

How do you immigrate to Sweden?

Offer of employment. To obtain a work permit, you must have an offer of employment in Sweden.
The employer initiates the application.
You receive an email.
Enclose documents.
Pay and submit your application.
The Migration Agency processes the application.
Information needed for residence permit card.
Receiving the decision.

Do you need a visa to go to Sweden?
Visit the Embassy of Sweden website for the most current visa information. Sweden is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Sweden for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa.

Do I need a visa to go to Sweden from the US?
Sweden is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Sweden for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the period of stay. You need sufficient funds and a return airline ticket.

Can I get Swedish citizenship?
In order to apply for Swedish citizenship you must fulfil the requirements needed for right of residence, a residence card, or have been given a permanent residence permit. You can also apply if you have been given a permanent residence card, or have permanent right of residence in Sweden.

How can I become a citizen of Sweden?
To become a Swedish citizen you must:

be able to prove your identity.
have reached the age of 18.
have a permanent residence permit, a right of residence or residence card in Sweden.
have fulfilled the requirements for period of residence (lived in Sweden for a specified period)
have conducted yourself well in Sweden.

How do you become a citizen of Sweden?
To obtain Swedish citizenship you must meet the following requirements:

Be at least 18 years of age.
Have permanent right of residence in Sweden.
Have lived in Sweden for at least five consecutive years or two if you are a Nordic citizen.
Have no criminal record.

Is a child born in Sweden a Swedish citizen?
A child born after 1 April 2015 is always given Swedish citizenship if: one of the parents is a Swedish citizen. It does not matter if the child is born in Sweden or abroad. a deceased parent to the child was a Swedish citizen upon their death.

What is the nationality of Sweden?
Swedish nationality law determines entitlement to Swedish citizenship. Citizenship of Sweden is based primarily on the principle of jus sanguinis. In other words, citizenship is conferred primarily by birth to a Swedish parent, irrespective of place of birth.

Is dual citizenship allowed in Sweden?
If you become a Swedish citizen, you may retain your foreign citizenship if the other country permits it. Likewise, if you are a Swedish citizen and become a citizen of another country, you may keep your Swedish citizenship if the other country permits it. Some countries do not allow dual citizenship.

Is it hard to learn Swedish?
In addition, there are also a lot of grammatical similarities. So, for someone with a background in a Germanic language (German, Dutch, Flemish etc.), learning Swedish will not be that difficult. Probably the hardest thing to grasp about Swedish is how “intonated” the spoken language is.

Is Swedish easy to learn for English speakers?
Learning Swedish. … Speaking Swedish gives you access to the world of 9 million native speakers in Sweden and parts of Finland. Swedish is considered one of the easiest languages for a native English speaker to understand. The grammar and sentence structure are very similar to English, but with fewer irregularities.

Do all Swedes speak English?
Swedes really do like getting the chance to speak some English now and then. In general, people in Sweden believe that their language proficiency is as good or even better than the average English speaker. But do keep the following in your mind; Don’t try to simplify the language.

What is the main religion in Sweden?
The Church of Sweden (Swedish: Svenska kyrkan) is the largest Christian church in Sweden, and also the largest religious body. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion.

Featured image: Sweden (NordenBladet)

Sweden: The Royal Palace, with the Royal Apartments, the museums and gift shop, is open year round + PHOTOS!

NordenBladet — The Palace, with the Royal Apartments, the museums and gift shop, is open Tuesday to Sunday at 10:00–16:00. Stroll on your own or join the guided tours!

Welcome to The Royal Palace in Stockholm. You are welcome to stroll round in the Royal Apartments*, the Treasury with the State regalia and the Tre Kronor Museum – about the palace’s medieval history. Guided tours are available all openings days.

Tickets online or at all entrances at the Palace

Don’t miss the Royal Gift Shop and the changing of the Royal Guards at the Outer Court Yard.


In the Royal Apartments you will see interiors from four centuries. The photo shows Oskar II’s Drawing Room. Photo: Alexis Daflos/The Royal Court


At Museum Tre Kronor you will learn about the Palace’s medieval history. Photo: Alexis Daflos/The Royal Court


At the Royal Gift Shop, at the Outer Courtyard, you will find quality souvenires and products with links to the Royal Collections. Photo: Alexis Daflos/The Royal Court

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*The Royal Apartments closes fully or partially in conjunction with His Majesty The Kings offiacial receptions.


Featured image: The Royal Palace is housing the State regalia at the Treasury (Alexis Daflos/The Royal Court)
Source: Swedish Royal Court

Find us also on Twitter: @NordenBladet

 

WHO ARE rich in Scandinavia? List of Nordic dollar billionaires (Forbes’ 2017-edition of the world’s billionaires)

NordenBladet – According to Forbes’ 2017-edition of the world’s billionaires the world’s richest person is still Bill Gates, with a combined wealth of almost $87 billion dollars. Biggest gainer was Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who grew his wealth by almost $3 bn in a year. But who are wealthy in Scandinavia? The list also contains 58 people from the Nordics, more than half of them from Sweden. Meanwhile, Norway, with 14 billionaires, has one more than Finland and Denmark combined.

This year, Sweden saw five new billionaires enter the list, whereas oil & gas billionaire Mika Anttonen (ST1) was Finland’s only new entry. Denmark stayed the same, while Norway had investor Svein Stole and cruise magnate Torstein Hagen enter the list.

The region’s biggest family dynasties are duly represented on the Forbes list. H&M, IKEA and Tetra Laval family members take up more than a third of Swedish spots; elevator giant KONE’s inheritors dominate the Finnish list; and Norwegian investment company Ferd’s inheritors Alexandra and Katharina are the world’s youngest billionaires. The third youngest, 23-year old Gustav Magnar Witzoe, is also Norwegian.

The richest Nordic person on the Forbes list is LEGO Group’s former president and CEO, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen from Denmark. His estimated net worth is $21,2 billion.

Here are the Nordics dollar billionaires 2017, according to Forbes:

Sweden – 31 billionaires

(*Ingvar Kamprad  ­­– $69 bn – 90 years – IKEA) (Died: January 27, 2018)

Stefan Persson ­– 19,6 bn – 69 – fashion (H&M)

Hans Rausing – 12,5 bn – 90 – packaging (Tetra Laval)

Frederik Paulsen – 6,8 bn – 66 – healthcare (Ferring)

Melker Schörling – 6,8 bn – 69 – investments (Securitas)

Jörn Rausing ­– 6,1 bn – 57 – packaging (Tetra Laval)

Finn Rausing – 6 bn – 62 – packaging (Tetra Laval)

Kirsten Rausing ­– 6 bn – 64 – packaging (Tetra Laval)

Antonia Ax:son Johnson – 5,5 bn – 73 diversified (Axel Johnson) Johnson)

Dan Olsson – 5 bn – 70 – diversified

Fredrik Lundberg – 4,1 bn – 65 – real estate, investments

Bertil Hult – 4 bn – 76 – education (EF Education First)

Gustaf Douglas – 3,3 bn – 79 – investments

Lottie Tham – 3,2 bn – 67 – fashion (H&M)

Carl Bennet – 2,5 bn – 65- investments

Stefan Olsson – 2,3 bn – 68 – diversified

Charlotte Söderström – 2,2 bn – 40 – fashion (H&M)

Karl-Johan Persson – 2,1 bn – 41 – fashion (H&M)

Tom Persson – 2,1 bn – 32 – fashion (H&M)

Erik Selin – 2,1 bn – 49 – real estate

Torbjörn Törnqvist – 2,1 bn – 63 – oil trading (Gunvor)

Madeleine Olsson Ericksson – 1,9 bn – 72 – diversified

Markus Persson – 1,4 bn – 37 – computer games (Mojang)

Thomas Sandell – 1,3 bn – 56 – hedge funds

Carl Douglas – 1,2 bn – 55- investments

Eric Douglas – 1,2 bn – 48 – investments

Louise Lindh – 1,1 bn – 37 – investments

Katarina Martinson – 1,1 bn – 35 – investments

Mathias Kamprad – 1 bn – 47 – IKEA, IKANO

Jonas Kamprad – 1 bn – 51 – IKEA, IKANO

Peter Kamprad – 1 bn – 52 – IKEA, IKANO

Erik Paulsson – 1 bn – 75 – construction, real estate

*Not officially on Forbes list.

Denmark – 6 billionaires

Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen – $21,1 bn – 69 years – retail, (LEGO)

Anders Holch Povlsen – 6,3 bn – 44 – Fashion (Zalando)

Niels Peter Louis-Hansen – 3,8 bn – 69 – Medical devices (Coloplast)

Lars Larsen – 3,5 bn – 68 – Retail (Jysk)

Hanni Toosbuy Kasprzak – 2,4 bn – 59 – Shoes (ECCO)

Martin Moller Nielsen – 1,5 bn – 52 – aircraft leasing (Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC))

Finland – 7 billionaires

Antti Herlin – $3,5 bn – 60 years – Elevators (KONE)

Heikki Kyöstilä – 2,1 bn – 71 – Dental products (Planmeca)

Antti Aarnio-Wihuri – 1,9 bn – 77 – Diversified

Mika Anttonen – 1,4 bn – 50 – oil & gas

Niklas Herlin – 1,4 bn – 53 – Elevators (Died: October 10, 2017)

Ilkka Herlin – 1,4 bn – 58 – Elevators

Ilona Herlin – 1,2 bn – 52 – Elevators

Norway – 14 billionaires

Odd Reitan – $5,3 bn – 65 years – Retail, real estate

Johan Johansson – 3,3 bn – 50 – Grocery Stores (NorgesGruppen)

Andreas Halvorsen – 3,1 bn – 55 – hedge funds

Kjell Inge Rokke – 2,9 bn – 58 – shipping, seafood

Arne Wilhelmsen – 2,8 bn – 86 – cruise ships (Royal Caribbean Cruises)

Svein Stole – 2,6 bn – 53 – investments (Pareto Group)

Caroline Hagen Kjos – 2,5 bn – 33 – conglomerate

Stein Erik Hagen – 2,3 bn – 60 – consumer goods (Canica)

Petter Stordalen – 1,6 bn – 54 – hotels (Nordic Choice Hotels)

Gustav Magnar Witzoe – 1,6 bn – 23 – fish farming

Alexandra Andresen – 1,2 bn – 20 – investments

Katharina Andresen – 1,2 bn – 21 – investments

Torstein Hagen – 1 bn – 74 – cruises (Viking cruises)

Alexander Vik – 1 bn – 62 – investments

Look also:
List of Swedes by net worth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Swedes_by_net_worth
List of Finns by net worth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Finns_by_net_worth
List of Danes by net worth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Danes_by_net_worth
List of Norwegians by net worth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Norwegians_by_net_worth

Featured image: Odd Reitan from Norway (NordenBladet)

Read also:

Scandinavian media mogul Helena-Reet Ennet: MY JOURNEY TOWARDS BECOMING A BILLIONAIRE or How to join the world’s most elite group of people?

24-year-old Gustav Magnar Witzøe is Norway’s richest with a capital of NOK 11.1 billion

TOP 10 Scandinavian media groups – Bonnier, Sanoma, MTG, Schibsted, Egmont, Aller, YLE, Otava, Alma, NordenBladet

WHY is Scandinavia so rich? Why are Scandinavian/Nordic countries so wealthy?

Keywords: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, World´s billionaires, Bill Gates, Amazon, Jeff Bezos, rich people in scandinavia, list, Nordic dollar billionaires, Forbes, List of Swedes by net worth, richest people in Scandinavia, Why is Scandinavia so rich, how did sweden get rich, is sweden a rich or poor country, is iceland a rich or poor country, norway is a rich country because, where does finland get most of its wealth, why are the scandinavian countries so happy. Who are Sweden’s ten richest people, country’s richest billionaires, norwegian billionaires, sweden richest country, richest person in the world, rickard deler billionaire, finnish billionaires, richest states in sweden, billionaire list 2016, billionaire list 2017, info, information, lists, young, ages,  billionaire list 2018, billionaire, Norden, Nordic, Scandinavia, Scandinavian, Nordics’ wealthiest person, Ingvar Kamprad, Stefan Persson, magnate, Carl Stefan Erling Persson, Hans Rausing, Frederik Paulsen, Melker Schörling, Jörn Rausing, Finn Rausing, Kirsten Rausing, Antonia Ax:son Johnson, Axel Johnson Heiress, Dan Olsson, Fredrik Lundberg, Bertil Hult, Gustaf Douglas, aristocrat, Lottie Tham, Carl Bennet, Stefan Olsson, Charlotte Söderström, Karl-Johan Persson, Tom Persson, Erik Selin, Torbjörn Törnqvist, Madeleine Olsson Ericksson, Markus Persson, Thomas Sandell, Carl Douglas, Eric Douglas, Louise Lindh, Katarina Martinson, Mathias Kamprad, Jonas Kamprad, Peter Kamprad, Erik Paulsson. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, Anders Holch Povlsen, Niels Peter Louis-Hansen, Lars Larsen, Hanni Toosbuy Kasprzak, Martin Møller Nielsen. Antti Herlin, Heikki Kyöstilä, Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, Mika Anttonen, Niklas Herlin, Ilkka Herlin, Ilona Herlin. How to get rich, how to become wealthy, money, business, investments, blog, Helena-Reet Ennet. Odd Reitan, Johan Johansson, Andreas Halvorsen, Kjell Inge Rokke, Arne Wilhelmsen, Svein Stole, Caroline Hagen Kjos, Stein Erik Hagen, Petter Stordalen, Gustav Magnar Witzoe, Gustav Witzøe, Alexandra Andresen, Katharina Andresen, Torstein Hagen, Alexander Vik. List of Norwegians by net worth, List of Danes by net worth, List of Finns by net worth, List of Swedes by net worth

BIG GALLERY: Tourest 2018 travel trade fair in Tallinn, Estonia

NordenBladet – Tourest is the oldest and largest travel trade fair in the Baltic countries that has been organized by the Estonian Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ETFL) since 1991. It covers all the main travel segments, offering efficient platform to meet face to face the travel-hungry consumers and the majority of the market’s travel trade professionals who make the purchase decisions. It’s the optimum environment to present your products at the start of the season.

Tourest 2018, organized already for the 27th time, nearly 30 000 visitors wil be expected, who will have a great possibility to familiarize with the over 500 exhibitors from ca 30 countries.

Estonia is a growing market. 26 years of independence have not come close to satisfying the ever-growing motivation for travel and the need for exciting new destinations. In 2016 the number of visits to different countries abroad exceeded the population 3 times.

Nearly 8000 m2 of exhibition area of the Estonian Fairs exhibition centre, located on a pictureresque shore of the Gulf of Finland, is divided into three exhibition halls.

“The Main Hall” accommodates Estonian and international tour operators, travel agencies, transportation and insurance companies, educational institutions, hotels, leisure companies, etc. A special “Global Village” area has been reserved for different international destinations.

“Travellers’ Club” seminar area offers an inspirational programme of different travel destinations. It will definitely be one of the highlights at Tourest 2018 as well as a chance to enhance visibility as a destination.

“Travel ABC” is another seminar area in the Main Hall, where interesting topics connected to travelling will be discussed.

The hall “Visit Estonia!” lines up Estonian national tourism regions and attractions.

In the hall “Taste Estonia!” one finds a large selection of Estonian authentic food and cafeterias offered by Estonian Culinary Route. You could treat yourself during the long days of exhibiton and buy presents for those back at home. On top of that a colourful programme could be enjoyed on the main stage, with games and auctions. There will be a special area and acitivites for kids, organized by the Põlvamaa county.

TOUREST IS OPEN:

Friday, Feb 9 12:00-18:00
Saturday, Feb 10 10:00-18:00
Sunday, Feb 11 10:00-15:00
















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Fotod: NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet

GALLERY: Nordic Council of Ministers Information Day in Võru

NordenBladet – Nordic Council of Ministers is introducing subsidy programs for cooperation with the Nordic countries, by carrying out information meetings in various towns around Estonia. Yesterday, 6 February there was an information day in Võru cultural house Kannel (Liiva 13). NordenBladet reflects on the event, conveying to you a resume of what took place at the workshops, together with an exclusive gallery about the information day.

During the information day the following issues were tackled:
– what are the Nordic Council of Ministers subsidy programs for the public sector, NGOs and the culture domain;
– what are the criteria for applying for a subsidy;
– how to apply;
– introduction to the Nordic Council of Ministers and an overview of its representational structure and function in Estonia in 2018.

The opening speeches were given by Anti Allas, mayor of Võru city, and the head of Nordic Council of Ministers branch in Estonia, Tartu, Madis Kanarbik, and the director of the Nordic Council of Ministers local agency, Christer Haglund, introducing the Nordic Council of Ministers mission for the year 2018.

There was a speech by Võru municipality development advisor Tiina Hallimäe about best practices, via Skype connection there was also an overview about best practices by Piret Talur, head of Tartu municipality culture department youth service, and Eda Veeroja, head of the NGO Sann and Süük, gave an overview about the Nordic and Baltic NGO program.

The workshops were enriched by beneficial guidelines by the Nordic Council of Ministers officers Eha Vain (culture), Merle Kuusk (NGOs and study visits for officials to branch offices of NCM), and Madis Kanarbik (public administration).

































Photography and text by: NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet