Capital: Stockholm
Time: : GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October.
Tel. Code: 00 46 .
Official Language: Swedish. Lapp is spoken by the Sámi population in the north; there are also Finnish-speaking minorities. English is taught as the first foreign language from the age of 9.
Currency: : Swedish Krona (SEK) = 100 öre. Notes are in denominations of SEK10,000, 1000, 500, 100, 50 and 20. Coins are in denominations of SEK10, 5 and 1, and 50 öre.
Electricity: : 230 volts, three-phase AC, 50Hz. Two-pin continental plugs are used.
Religion: Around 86 per cent of the population belong to the Church of Sweden (Evangelical Lutheran), separated from the state in January 2000; other Protestant minorities constitute the majority of the remainder.

Climate: : In spite of its northern position, Sweden has a relatively mild climate which varies greatly, owing to its length. The summers can be very hot but get shorter further north. The midnight sun can be seen between mid-May and mid-June above the Arctic Circle. Winters can be bitterly cold, especially in the north.
Required clothing: : Light- to mediumweight for summer, heavyweights for winter and rainwear all year.

Stockholm (STO) (Arlanda) is 42km (26 miles) north of the city.
Gothenburg (GOT) (Landvetter) is 24km (15 miles) east of the city (travel time – 25 minutes).
Malmö Sturup (MMX) is 31km (20 miles) east of the city (travel time – 35 minutes). Bus and taxi services go to the city. Airport facilities include a bureau de change and a duty-free shop.
Malmö City Hovercraft (HMA), 200m (650ft) from the Central Station, is now the city’s main terminal for international air passengers using the hovercraft service operated by SAS which connects with flights at Copenhagen Airport.


Departure tax: None.