Sweden during World War

Sweden remained officially neutral during World War I and World War II, although its neutrality during World War II has been debated.[34][35] Sweden was under German influence for much of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades.[34] The Swedish government felt that it was in no position to openly contest Germany,[36] and therefore made some concessions.[37] Sweden also supplied steel and machined parts to Germany throughout the war. However, Sweden supported Norwegian resistance, and in 1943 helped rescue Danish Jews from deportation to concentration camps. Toward the end of the war, Sweden began to play a role in humanitarian efforts and many refugees, among them many Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe, were saved partly because of the Swedish involvement in rescue missions at the internment camps and partly because Sweden served as a haven for refugees, primarily from the Nordic countries and the Baltic states.[36] Nevertheless, internal and external critics have argued that Sweden could have done more to resist the Nazi war effort, even if risking occupation.[36]

J...i...M

Gotland

Activities and Attractions on Gotland
Gotland has more to offer than limestone stacks safari and lazy days on the beach! Amongst the activities you´ll find everything from diving, cave exploring, golf, wind surfing, shooting and ocean kayak to horseback riding and kite-flying. Other attractions are the steam train railway and the Christmas market in Visby. Gotland offers almost unlimited resources of leisure and recreation for you to discover!
Yearly Events
Every week, there are always events going on on Gotland. From variety shows and the kite festival to big events like Round Gotland Race, organized by The Royal Swedish Yacht Club and the Medieval Week. Gotland Organ Week in the Cathedral St Mary of Visby is a week of organ music with concerts in the Cathedral and in the parish churches in the countryside. Other musical events are the Vadstuck Rock festival, the Gotland Chamber Music Festival with many international artists and the international Gotland Country and Folk Dancing Festival.There are many motor sports and racing events on Gotland. Gotland Grand National dirt bike competition in Tofta is Sweden’s biggest motorcycle competition. Gotland Ring is a multifunctional state-of-the-art motor facility. Many other events are organized every year on the island of Gotland.
Adventure and Sports
Horseback riding, nature trails, boat hire, ocean fishing, hiking areas and trail biking. The list of adventure activities on Gotland is very long! Stångaspelen, Gotland’s very own “Olympic Games”, is a competition in Gotlandic sports with activities including tossing the caber and the Gotland pentathlon. Also, golfers have many courses to choose from.
Beautiful Coastline and Silky Sand Beaches
Beaches lie within cycling distance and the ride along the cliffs is easily worth the negligible cost of renting a bike. If you get really tired, you can even take your bike on the bus. Gotland has many sandy beaches but also stony coastlines. Relax by taking long walks along the beaches. By the way - Gotland has Sweden’s sunshine record.
Arts, Museums and Theatre
During the summer the Roma Theatre ensemble performs Shakespeare’s plays in the monastery ruins of Roma. For more theatrical performances - visit the Gotland County Theatre. Other places to visit are the Gotland Museum of Fine Arts, the Muramaris artist villa and Bottarvegården, a cultural centre in the south of Gotland. Close to Visby are two car museums and in Havdhem there is a museum with vintage Farming vehicles.
Discover Our History
Gotland has many historic monuments, museums and ruins of churches and abbeys. More buried treasures have been found here in modern times than anywhere else in the world. The Historical Museum of Gotland shows treasures from the Viking era. Here you will meet the island´s 8000 years of very rich history with stories of brave medieval knights and Gotland’s last pirate. Another very special museum is the stone quarry museum in Bläse. All museums have guided tours.You can also learn about the history of the Vikings at the Viking Village, one of many exciting historical activities in the Gotlandic countryside. Also, the island has almost one hundred medieval churches, one in every parish. Take a guided walk through enchanting Visby and hear the city's tales and legends. The Visby Tourist Information Center sells tickets to sightseeings.

http://www.gotland.net/en

by Vineeta :))

Education in Sweden

Sweden has one of the best education systems in the world. Children aged 1–5 years old are guaranteed a place in a public kindergarten (Swedish: förskola or, colloquially, dagis). Between the ages of 6 and 16, children attend compulsory comprehensive school. Swedish 15-year-old pupils have the 22nd highest average score in PISA assessments, being neither significantly higher nor lower than the OECD average. After completing the 9th grade, about 90% of the students continue with a three-year upper secondary school (gymnasium), which can lead to both a job qualification or the entrance exam to university. The school system is largely financed by taxes. The Swedish government treats public and independent schools equally by introducing education vouchers in 1992 as one of the first countries in the world after The Netherlands. Anyone can establish a for-profit school and the municipality must pay new schools the same amount as municipal schools get. School lunch is free for all students in Sweden, which usually includes one or two different kinds of hot meals, a meal for vegetarians, salad bar, fruit, bread, and milk or water for drink. Some schools, especially kindergartens and middle schools, even serve breakfast for free to those who want to eat before school starts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden Cathy

The Vasa Museum

The Vasa Museum is Scandinavia's most visited museum, located in Stockholm, capital of Sweden. The Museum was inaugurated in 1990. In the large shiphall stands the warship Vasa - the only remaining, intact 17th century ship in the world. The lower rig has been rebuilt, complete with masts, stays and shrouds.Just like the Vasa would have looked like when set for winter in harbour. The wreck, salvaged in 1961, is now once again a complete ship. Surrounding the ship are several permanent exhibitions, cinemas, a shop and a restaurant.


from:http://www.vasamuseet.se/InEnglish/about.aspx
Penny

Alfred Nobel

Alfred Bernhard Nobel (help·info) (Stockholm, Sweden, 21 October 1833 – Sanremo, Italy, 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, armaments manufacturer and the inventor of dynamite. He owned Bofors, a major armaments manufacturer, which he had redirected from its previous role as an iron and steel mill. In his last will, he used his enormous fortune to institute the Nobel Prizes. The synthetic element nobelium was named after him.

Nobel was the third son of Immanuel Nobel (1801-1872) and Andriette Ahlsell Nobel (1805-1889). Born in Stockholm on 21 October 1833, he went with his family in 1842 to Saint Petersburg, where his father (who had invented modern plywood) started a "torpedo" works. Alfred studied chemistry with Professor Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin. When Alfred was 18, he went to the United States to study chemistry for four years and worked for a short period under John Ericsson.[1] In 1859, the factory was left to the care of the second son, Ludvig Nobel (1831-1888), who greatly enlarged it. Alfred, returning to Sweden with his father after the bankruptcy of their family business, devoted himself to the study of explosives, and especially to the safe manufacture and use of nitroglycerine (discovered in 1847 by Ascanio Sobrero, one of his fellow students under Théophile-Jules Pelouze at the University of Torino). A big explosion occurred on the 3rd September 1864 at their factory in Heleneborg in Stockholm, killing five people, among them Alfred's younger brother Emil.
The foundations of the Nobel Prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much of his wealth for its establishment. Since 1901, the prize has honored men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and for work in peace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel Cathy

ABBA

ABBA was a pop music group formed in Sweden in November, 1970. The band consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida), Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog. They topped the charts worldwide from 1972 to 1982. The name "ABBA" is an acronym formed from the first letters of each of the group members' given names (Agnetha, Björn, Benny, Anni-Frid), and the group took this name officially in late 1973.[1] The group's name is officially trademarked with the first "B" reversed.
ABBA gained international popularity employing catchy song hooks, simple lyrics, and a Wall of Sound achieved by overdubbing the female singers' voices in multiple harmonies. As their popularity grew, they were sought after to tour Europe, Australia, and North America, drawing crowds of ardent fans, notably in Australia. Touring became a contentious issue, being particularly unpopular with Fältskog, but they continued to release studio albums to great commercial success. At the height of their popularity, however, both marriages of the band members failed, and the relationship changes were reflected in their music, as they produced more thoughtful lyrics with different compositions.
They remain a fixture of radio playlists and are one of the world's best selling bands, having sold near 400 million records world wide;[2][3] they still sell two to four million records a year.[4] ABBA was also the first pop group from mainland Europe to enjoy consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Rhodesia, Australia and New Zealand. Their enormous popularity subsequently opened the doors for other Continental European acts.[5]
The music of ABBA has been re-arranged into the successful musical Mamma Mia! that has toured worldwide and had a movie version released in July 2008. All four of the former members of ABBA were present at the Stockholm premieres of both the musical (2005) and the film (2008). The film première took place at the Benny Andersson-owned Rival Theatre at Mariatorget, Stockholm on 4 July 2008. A new museum devoted entirely to the pop supergroup was scheduled to open in Stockholm in 2009, but the project was postponed as of September 2008.

from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABBA

by Becky:)