Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ABBA is the fourth-best-selling musical act in history, after Elvis, the Beatles and Michael
Jackson - the group has sold over 380 million records worldwide.
Multiculturalism
Over the past couple of decades, immigration has noticeably altered the makeup of the
Swedish people. Around 15% of Swedes today are foreign-born, and that number is on the
upswing as immigration continues to expand. Swedish musician José González, celebrity
chef Marcus Samuelsson and film director Josef Fares are testament to Sweden's increas-
ingly multicultural composition. Some 200 languages are now spoken in the country, as
well as variations on the standard - the hip-hop crowd, for example, speaks a vivid mish-
mash of slang, Swedish and foreign phrases that's been dubbed 'Rinkeby Swedish' after
an immigrant-heavy Stockholm suburb.
As hip-hop artist Timbuktu (himself the Swedish-born son of a mixed-race American
couple) once told the
Washington Post
, 'Sweden still has a very clear picture of what a
Swede is. That no longer exists - the blond, blue-eyed physical traits. That's changing. But
it still exists in the minds of some people'.
Religion
Christianity arrived fairly late in Sweden and was preceded by a longstanding loyalty to
Norse gods such as Odin, Thor and their warlike ilk. Some of the outer reaches of Sweden,
particularly in the far north, were among the last areas to convert to Christianity in Europe.
According to the country's constitution, Swedish people have the right to practise any
religion they choose. Complete separation of church and state took effect in 2000; prior to
that, Evangelical Lutheranism was the official religion. There are also about 100,000
members of Christian Orthodox churches, 20,000 Jews and an estimated 100,000 Muslims
in Sweden.
Only about 10% of Swedes regularly attend church services, but church marriages, fu-
nerals and communions are still popular.
