Sweden Statistics

Capital:  Stockholm

Area:  449,964 km ²

Climate:  most of Sweden has a temperate climate, with four distinct seasons and mild temperatures throughout the year

Population:  9,354,462 (est. 2009)

Languages:  Swedish

Government-Economy

Government Type: Unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy National Holiday: June 6
GDP: $337.893 billion (est. 2009)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $ 36,502 (est. 2009)

Information for Foreign Students in Sweden Getting There
Major airports are the Stockholm Arlanda, the Goteborg Landvetter and the Copenhagen Kastrup. The Copenhagen Kastrup is located on an island between Copenhagen and Malmo and is ideal for traveling in southern Sweden. Train connections leave from the airport to both cities.

Obtaining a Visa
The student intending to study in any educational institutions including universities and colleges in Sweden for longer than 3 months period must have a residence permit except for nationals of Nordic countries. The requirement of visa and residence permit for students depends upon their nationality. Please visit the following website for details: http://www.abroadeducation.com.np/study-in/sweden/student-visa-process.html.

Accommodation
Please visit the following site (http://www.studyinsweden.se/Living-in-Sweden/Accommodation/) for detailed information regarding student housing in Sweden.

Money
Currency used in Sweden is the Swedish krona (SEK). Most stores, restaurants and bars accept all major credit cards.

Cost of Living
Sweden is fairly expensive, but if you are careful with your budget you can manage a daily budget of around 1000 SEK ($156/€112) per day. However, accommodation and dining out is cheaper in Stockholm than in most other West European capitals.

Health
Swedish health care is usually of a very high quality, but can be quite challenging for foreigners to receive. Most, but not all, medical clinics are state-owned, and their accessibility varies. Therefore, getting a time within a week at some medical centers could prove difficult. In case of a medical emergency, most provinces (and of course, the major cities) have a regional hospital with an around-the-clock emergency ward. However, if you are unlucky you can expect a long wait before getting medical attention. Tap water in Sweden is of great quality, and contains close to zero bacteria. Water in mountain resorts might contain rust, and water on islands off the coast might be brackish, but it is still safe to drink.

Safety
Sweden enjoys a comparatively low crime rate and is generally a safe place to travel with violent crime being rare. Use common sense at night, particularly on weeknights when people hit the streets to drink, get drunk, and in some unfortunate cases look for trouble.

Transportation
Travelling around Stockholm and visiting various places can easily turn quite expensive. Therefore, Stockholm offers a card called The Stockholm Card. With it you can ride with trains, busses, ferries and the tram for free. It also offers free admission to over 75 museums and attractions (http://www.adventurestockholm.com/getting-around/stockholm-card/). The national public transport authority is called Rikstrafiken, and it has online timetables in English, which include schedules for trains, buses and ferries.