Although it is often referred to as a small country, Sweden's land area of 450,000 km2 makes it
the third largest country in Western Europe.
Half of the land is covered with forests while
much of the remaining half is wilderness and countryside. This means that each Swede can have 50,000 square metres - the equivalent of seven football pitches - to himself.
All this beautiful countryside and wilderness is accessible to everyone, thanks to a very Swedish phenomenon called the "right of public access", Allemansrätten. The essence of this right is expressed in the phrase "do not disturb, do not destroy". With those considerations in mind, anyone may move around freely and camp overnight almost anywhere. And Swedes do indeed enjoy nature; there are a million private boats and 1.3 million private summer cottages in Sweden. Considering the modest population of 9 million people, this is a clear sign of Swedes' inherent yearning for nature and outdoor life. This notwithstanding, 84 per cent of the population lives in urban areas, where they have access to sports events, cinemas, classic and modern music, operas and theatres.
One might say that Swedes huddle together in cities and escape to the countryside on a regular basis.
