Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
During a massive wave of emigration from the 1860s to World War II,
about a quarter of Sweden's people left for the Promised Land—America.
Many emigrants were farmers from the southern region of Småland. The mu-
seum in Växjö tells their story (see the Southeast Sweden chapter), as do the
movies The Emigrants and The New Land, based on the series of books by
Vilhelm Moberg.
The 20th century was good to Sweden. While other European countries
were embroiled in the two World Wars, neutral Sweden grew stronger, finding
a balance between the extremes of communism and the free market. After
a recession hit in the early 1990s, and the collapse of Soviet communism
reshaped the European political scene, some started to criticize Sweden's
“middle way” as extreme and unworkable. But during the late 1990s and early
2000s, Sweden's economy improved, buoyed by a strong lineup of success-
ful multinational companies. Volvo, Scania (trucks and machinery), Ikea, and
Ericsson (the telecommunications giant) are leading the way in manufactur-
ing, design, and technology. The recent economic downturn, however, has had
its impact on Sweden's export-driven economy—its Saab car manufacturer
filed for bankruptcy protection in the fall of 2011.
Sweden has come a long way when it comes to accepting immigrants. Less
than a century ago, only Swedes who traveled overseas were likely to ever
see people of different ethnicities. In 1927 a black man worked in a Stock-
holm gas station, and people journeyed from great distances to fill up their car
there...just to get a look. (Business boomed and his job was secure.)
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