Sweden Tours

Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula, that borders Norway to the west, Finland to the northeast, and is connected to Denmark by the Öresund Bridge. Sweden is the third largest country by area in Western Europe, and has a population of over 9.2 million. Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. It joined the Kalmar Union formed in 1397, and received a modern centralized administration beginning with King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union with Sweden, a union which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and neutrality in wartime. Sweden's capital is Stockholm, which is also the largest city in the country.