Sweden is over 1,000 years old as a continuous state, with its modern independent kingdom established in 1523 when Gustav Vasa broke from the Kalmar Union, making it around 500 years old as a fully independent nation, though people have lived in the area for 12,000 years and a unified kingdom formed around the 10th century.
Sweden's old names reflect its Viking-era origins, coming from Old Norse Svíþjóð ("People of the Swedes") and Svíaríki ("Realm of the Swedes"), which evolved into the modern Sverige. In Old English, it was called Swēoland or Swēorīċe, while early modern English used Swedeland, with the current English name "Sweden" coming from Middle Dutch/Low German in the 17th century when the nation grew powerful.
The Swedish Empire or the Great Power era (Swedish: stormaktstiden) was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region.
Human habitation of present-day Sweden began c. 12000 BC. The earliest known people belonged to the Bromme culture of the Late Palaeolithic, spreading from the south at the close of the Last Glacial Period.
Which Nordic country is the oldest in Europe? Denmark has been an independent country since the mid-900s, famously united by King Harald Bluetooth.
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There's no objective reason to consider Swedes any less 'vikings' than Danes or Norwegians - again, though in reality most of those people weren't vikings in the Old Norse sense of the word nor identified as such.
While the Vikings as a group are gone, their descendants live across Scandinavia and Europe. Some communities in Norway and Sweden maintain Viking heritage through re-enactments and reconstructed villages.
Sweden's "five-year rule" primarily refers to the required period of legal residence for non-EU citizens to apply for long-term resident status, granting EU mobility, and to qualify for applying for Swedish citizenship, though stricter citizenship rules (8 years, tests) are proposed for 2026. The five-year mark is crucial for obtaining permanent rights, either as a long-term resident (EU-wide benefits) or for a permanent residence permit (within Sweden).
The Swedes (Swedish: svear; Old Norse: svíar, Old English: Swēon) were a North Germanic tribe who inhabited Svealand ("land of the Swedes") in central Sweden. Along with Geats and Gutes, they were one of the progenitor groups of modern Swedes.
Sweden's monarchy is amongst the oldest in the world, with a regnal list stretching back to the tenth century, starting with Eric the Victorious; the Swedish monarchy has, for the past thousand years, undergone cycles of decline and strengthening, culminating in the modern constitutional monarchy.
Napoleon's plans to invade Sweden were never executed because of the British activity on the Baltic Sea, the weakness of the Danish military and the hesitations of French Marshal Bernadotte, whose actions made him popular enough to be elected as a Swedish Crown Prince after the coup d'etat in March 1809.
"The two groups that migrated to Scandinavia at that time were genetically distinct. People from the south probably had blue eyes and dark skin, while those from the northeast had various eye colours and light skin," says population geneticist Mattias Jakobsson from Uppsala University, another of the main authors.
Minimal exposure to other cultures historically meant that Swedes were less likely to take up this decidedly un-Swedish practice. Yet, despite their seemingly cool exterior, Swedish people will almost always be polite and friendly, albeit simply in a different way to those from more talkative cultures.
Sweden's oldest town is Sigtuna and it was found by Vikings. Around year 970, king Erik the Victorious (Segersäll) established a settlement by a bay linked to Lake Mälaren.
They explained that the name was "a pregnant, expressionistic development that we see as an artistic creation." They also stated that the name can be understood in the spirit of pataphysics, a parody of science described as "the science of imaginary solutions." Since Sweden's Naming Law clearly states that "first names ...
This rule is part of the legislation on special income tax for non-residents (“SINK”). A person living abroad is exempt from paying income tax in Sweden if all of the following conditions are met: The person spends no more than 183 days in Sweden during a 12-month period. Compensation is paid by a non-Swedish employer.
Foreigners obtain Swedish passports by descent, marriage, or naturalisation. The path to citizenship by naturalisation takes at least 10 years: 5 with a temporary residence permit and 5 with permanent residency. Sweden allows its citizens to have two passports, so you don't need to renounce your first citizenship.
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You share about 25 percent of your DNA with a biological aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew. Your aunt or uncle shares 50 percent of their DNA with your parent (their sibling), who shares 50 percent of their DNA with you.
African populations have the highest levels of genetic variation among all humans.
While there is evidence to suggest that Vikings may have been more diverse than previously believed, including the possibility of Viking presence in Africa, the evidence for the existence of black Vikings is still extremely limited. We can therefore say that no, it is not likely that there were black Vikings.
If you were a big Norseman, you probably decided to become a Viking as opposed to taking up farming. The average man from Norway, Denmark, or Sweden during the middle ages would typically be around 5'7" to 5'9", while someone living on mainland Europe (i.e. former Roman Empire) would be closer to 5'3" or 5'4".
Generally regarded as Sweden's oldest town, Birka (along with Hovgården) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Many burial sites have been uncovered at Birka, leading to the finding of many objects including jewelry and many textile fragments.
Vikings largely had similar genetic markers linked to eye color as modern-day Scandinavians according to two different Viking DNA studies published in Nature in 2020 and 2025, meaning the vast majority (50-80+% depending on region) would have blue, green, or hazel eyes following the findings in Peter Frost's European ...