National symbols

Flag: Blue field with yellow Scandinavian cross

Sweden Flag

Emblem: Great coat of arms with three crowns and royal shield, and simplified lesser coat of arms

Sweden Emblem

Trivia & facts

  • Holds Riksbank, the world's oldest central bank.
  • Pant deposit refund machines Pantamera return bottle deposits.
  • Founding country of IKEA; store meatballs are national food.
  • Famous 'Dagen H' one-night switch from right-hand left-side traffic to right-side in 1967.
  • Nearly half of parliament members are women, advancing gender equality.
  • Dala horse is a standard souvenir as lucky carved horse.
  • Cashless ratio among world's highest with many cash-refusing shops.
  • Fika (coffee break) is important culture also encouraged by labor law.
  • Nobel Prize banquet menu is treated as state secret annually.
  • Official language is Swedish but English proficiency is very high.