Cultures of the world : Sweden / Delice Gan, Leslie Jermyn.

Cover title: Sweden : land of the midnight sun. Contents: Introduction - Geography - History - Government - Economy - Environment - Swedes - Lifestyle - Religion - Language - Arts - Leisure - Festivals - Food - Map of Iran - About the Economy - About the Culture - Time Line

As the introduction to this entry in the "Cultures of the World" series notes, "Sweden is a land of lakes and seas, mountains and plains, industry and agriculture." Its complex history, like that of other Scandinavian counties, includes the much-feared Vikings. But Sweden has offered much to the world, as the authors tell the story of human inhabitants that go back more than 10,000 years. The wars, alliances, struggle for neutrality and Sweden's constitutional monarchy are all clearly detailed. As one reads the various books about Norway, Denmark and Sweden, it is sometimes difficult to keep straight who was fighting or ruling whom. Fortunately, the last century had eliminated strife among these countries. Sweden is a member of the European Union, but only after promises that it could maintain its neutrality. It has a strong economy and a strong concern for the environment. Readers will learn about the Sami, a nomadic minority that reside in Sweden and other parts of Scandinavia. Like its neighbors Norway and Denmark, Sweden is also a welfare state with a very high standard of living and long life expectancy for its population. The section relating to names will make for great trivia and dinnertime conversation. Holidays, foods including a couple of recipes, a map, a recap of the economy and culture, a timeline, a glossary, a list of additionalresources, a bibliography and an index are found in this reference.