Location: Between Finland and Norway in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak.

Capital: Stockholm.

Population: 9,031,088 (July 2007 est.).

Language: The official language of Sweden is Swedish

Lifestyle & Aspirations
Not surprisingly, popular leisure activities centre around the Great Outdoors. The Swedish "sports movement" is highly developed and well-dispersed. It reaches a large proportion of the population - men and women, people of all social classes and of all ages. This active lifestyle is one reason why Swedes as a whole are in comparatively good health and have one of the world's longest average life expectancies.
Walking and hiking are two of the most popular activities, with vast tracts of wilderness on the doorstep of even city-dwellers.
Winter sports: skiing, cross country skiing, ice skating, husky driving (in the north) and snowmobiling are all accessible to most Swedes. Sweden has some excellent ski resorts and many people will visit these at the weekends.
Golf: Sweden turns out some world-class golfers, male and female, and has a large number of public pay-and-play courses as well as prestigious private clubs.
Horse-riding: Many Swedes own horses, or ride regularly at stables. Little girls are inspired by Astrid Lindgren?s horse-riding heroine, Pippi Longstocking.
Wilderness cabins: Many Swedes own a second home, however modest, usually on the waterfront. Residents of Stockholm depart en masse at weekends for the archipelago, the thousands of islands scattered around the capital. Unlike in many countries, owning a second home is not a sign of wealth in Sweden. Sweden is a large country with a small population, and until a couple of generations ago most people lived in rural areas. Many families have kept the old family home in the countryside and spend their weekends and holidays there.
Other sports: Tennis, soccer and basketball are highly popular and are practiced regularly by a large number of people.
Drinking: Alcohol consumption is an issue in Sweden. Alcohol is prohibitively expensive, which leads to binge-drinking, and it is not uncommon for Swedes to hop on the ?booze cruises? that travel to Helsinki and back for 24-hour drinking sessions at duty-free prices.
Environmental issues: Swedes are an outdoor people with a traditionally close relationship with the environment. The ancient law of common access guarantees everyone free access to all areas of the countryside on condition that they treat it with respect. This has led to many Swedes being actively involved with environmental issues and to Sweden being one of the frontrunners in steps to protect the environment.

The Essentials (10 Key Tips)
1. Swedes are motivated by the urge to agree on things. Heated discussions are rare, and the best way to convince of your idea is to present your proposal in a well-planned, logical way.
2. The Swedish can come across as reserved and formal; it takes time to get to know someone.
3. Swedes value punctuality. Arrive on time for meetings. Plan and rehearse your presentations well so you don't overrun on time.
4. Swedes prefer to discuss the practical elements and outcomes of an idea rather than the concept itself. Make sure you are able to provide back-up data to satisfy this orientation for details.
5. Scandinavian countries are competitive with one another. You will win approval of your Swedish counterparts if you understand cultural differences between Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
6. Silence is something Swedes are comfortable with in communication, so do not be put off by long pauses in conversation.
7. Women and men are treated as equals in Sweden so expect everyone to be involved in the decision-making processes.
8. Good leaders are those who can bring out the best in a team; coaches rather than referees or controllers.
9. The Swedish may seem to take a long time to make decisions; this is because of their consensual approach.
10. Avoid open disagreement and conflict as much as possible.

Working with the Swedish
The Swedish workplace is egalitarian, with consensual decision-making and a certain politeness that may make the Swedes come across as cool and aloof.
Conflict is avoided, although a strong argument will have an attentive audience. Emotion should not get in the way of hard fact and presentations should be solidly backed up and understated rather than ostentatious. Being a good team player is essential in order to get on. Communication style is generally direct and straight-talking, although Swedes sometimes find it hard to say a direct 'no' and will skip around the issue. Punctuality is important to make a good impression. It takes time to get to know Swedish colleagues, so do not force the issue and invade their privacy.

Making a Good Impression
You will make a good impression in Sweden if you appear calm, level-headed, honest and open. Arguments and presentations should be backed up by hard fact rather than emotion. Heated discussion, boasting, arrogance and a flashy appearance are inappropriate. Diversity is highly valued and political incorrectness is a major gaffe; never make assumptions about anybody based on their appearance or apparent seniority.
You should be seen as a good team player, and be prepared for meetings in which everybody has their say. Don?t push the Swedish into making snap decisions. Be respectful of punctuality and deadlines.

Business Etiquette
Business is not governed by an especially stern etiquette, but would probably be summed up by the words understated, sober and reserved. Keep your emotions and appearance in check. Be friendly but not intrusive. Don?t expect too much in the way of small talk, and do expect to take time to build relationships.

Business cards
Business cards are exchanged all the time. Always have a good supply. Information on the card can be in English. Modest is better than flashy. Academic qualifications can be listed but are not essential.

Body language
The Swedish are not very expressive and gestures are kept to a minimum. People like their personal space and will not sit or stand very close together. Back-slapping, touching somebody on the arm or putting your arm around them will not be appreciated.
Maintain eye contact as long as the person is addressing you. Restrained and formal is better than casual and relaxed. Slouching, gum chewing and putting your feet up in a meeting are best avoided.

Communication style
Swedish is very much the language of democracy, and with courteous expressions and polite listening, they will try to reduce any barriers caused by differences in rank and status. The Swedes are one of the most attentive listening groups in the world. This is partly due to their reluctance to interrupt others. Calm concentration is their strong point. Silence in Sweden is not necessarily negative. Swedes are reflective and rather introvert.
Even though most Swedes like to move quickly from ?pleasantries? to the main business, when communicating with non-Swedes they also appreciate a full context, a setting of the scene, before going into details. They are keen not make any mistakes in understanding the full picture.
Straight talking is common practice in Sweden. Issues like price and payment terms are not skipped around, which may catch some visitors unaware. Having said this, getting close to a Swedish person may take time. Intimate personal questions will embarrass someone, as will heated argument. Exaggerating and speaking in superlatives will not impress. Stick to the facts. Conversational gaffes may be anything associated with rank, status, and showiness.
While trying to maintain cooperation among all equally, it may be difficult for Swedes to say, ?No.? They have developed many polite ways of indicating negativity, including, ?this may be difficult,? or ?Nja?, - combining the Swedish words for yes (ja) and no (nej), when they really mean they won't, can't or don't want to do something. Sometimes you might hear ?Tja,? which really means something like ?It doesn't look like I'll be able to do that.?

Gift giving
Business gifts are not widely given, although flowers are appreciated if you are invited to a private dinner party. Wine, spirits or chocolates are also considered appropriate when visiting a private home. When business gifts are exchanged, something practical will be appreciated, like desk accessories. Failing this, alcohol - a bottle of wine or whisky - is usually welcomed (because it is so expensive in Sweden), particularly if, say, it reflects your own country.

Business Meeting Culture
Before doing business in Sweden, know that Swedes respect someone who comes to them with knowledge and experience. They are very detail-orientated. Any proposal or presentation must be meticulously planned and logically organised. The first meeting may be low-key and very matter-of-fact. A decision will never be made in the first meeting. At this stage the Swedes will be evaluating you, your company and your proposal. Several meetings are required before all details are cleared and questions answered.
Swedish meeting culture is subtle and complex. The person calling the meeting is usually the one in the position of leader, who will steer the group in its consensual decision-making. This person?s vision will therefore influence the whole tone of the meeting. Those who do not agree with this leader?s style may boycott the meeting; conversely, those who share his or her perception may be at the meeting purely to offer moral support.

Planning a meeting
Swedes are planners and organisers. Business meetings will therefore start and end on time; arriving late is a sign of rudeness. Swedes will go straight to the point without any preliminaries. In most sectors business meetings should be arranged well in advance. Most Swedes also draw a strict line between working life and private life, so don?t expect meetings to run late into the evening, or conference calls which will take place after hours.

During a Meeting
Communication in meetings is open and ideas are shared. All participants in a meeting are expected to contribute. Meetings are held to thrash out problems and solve them and everybody is treated equally, although the meeting will be steered by a team leader. Meetings can therefore go on for a long time. The atmosphere will probably be informal and relaxed, with people taking turns to speak. It?s uncommon for everybody to talk at once, or for things to get heated.

Following a meeting
Follow up any meeting with a set of minutes, or an email reiterating what was decided, with a to-do list, and circulate it to everybody who was present.

Motivating Others
A good manager, according to Swedish standards, is someone who is able to leverage the natural creativity and motivation of his or her staff. People are not necessarily driven by material goods as large bonuses are swallowed up by tax. Consequently, Swedish managers take great pains to get the best out of their teams, who are likely to be motivated by recognition, and by successful performance. Swedes in general are conscientious and loyal so they are also driven by internal recognition and by leaders who are seen to be instilling a relaxed, cooperative work environment. This also means a recognition of work-life balance as Swedes believe strongly in the need to preserve family values over the stresses and strains of today's work ethic.
There is a theory that some Swedes may search hard for challenges in their working and personal lives, given the relatively easy way of living and strong welfare state.
Because teams are so strong in Sweden, teambuilding is constant. Companies may place strong emphasis on off-site teambuilding exercises, motivational exercises and company incentive schemes, as well as investing in mentoring schemes.

Effective Presentations
Presentations should be slick and professional and be supported by detailed handouts. Knowledge, honesty and experience are respected. A lot of Swedes have a technical background, so do not hold back on technical information. Humour does not have to be brought into a presentation, and a flamboyant, showman-like style is not necessary unless you are a true expert, in which case eccentricity is accommodated.
It is expected that presentations by visitors will be made in English. Product literature can also be in English but must be of top quality if you want to be taken seriously ? low-grade photocopies will not do.

Audience Expectations
Swedes are by nature good listeners and your audience will be expecting arguments which are logical and carefully thought out. Swedish audiences may not be familiar with a question-and-answer forum at the end of a presentation; in fact, it may be considered an insult to the speaker to ask questions. Instead, the audience will appreciate being given something to think about, and many Swedish presenters choose to end their speech with a rhetorical question. Anybody wanting to question the speaker should be given the opportunity to do so later on a one-to-one basis.

Managing Relationships
Managing relationships in Sweden requires diplomacy, good leadership skills and restraint. Being autocratic and power-hungry simply won't work; the Swedish will not respond to a style like this and the system will spit you out. Swedish workplaces are generally harmonious and managers will go to great lengths to maintain this. Most managers are technically competent, experienced at delegating and able to guide their team like a coach rather than dictate policy to them.
Relationships with customers and suppliers need work as it can take a long time to build a rapport with the Swedes. Consumers are sophisticated, demanding and are brand-aware and price sensitive. When dealing with suppliers, it is important to remain objective but at the same time to cultivate contacts and demonstrate loyalty.
In any relationship, it is important not to judge someone on their apparent status. They may seem like a junior but they may well be empowered to make decisions and failure to acknowledge this is a bad social gaffe.