SWEDEN ROCKS! SWEDEN
DAZZLING DISPLAYS
The north of Sweden is known as the ‘land of the midnight sun’ because, for part of the summer, the sun never sets. But in the depths of winter, it hardly ever gets light! In the darker seasons, you can witness a spectacular light show called the aurora borealis, or northern lights. The magical coloured lights are caused by tiny particles colliding in the Earth's atmosphere.
Sweden is in Scandinavia, sandwiched between Norway and Finland. The country is home to almost 100,000 lakes! And was once also home to Vikings. You won’t find Vikings these days, but you will find another band of bold seagoers –a team of RNLI-like lifesavers.
In
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northern Sweden, the sky puts on an unmissable light show to beat any fireworks display
moose for an elk. They get quite upset
ARMOURED WILDLIFE
Over half the country is covered in forests. In the north you might spot a bear or a wolverine, which is related to the badger and otter, not the wolf (or the superhero – boo). Sweden is helping to save the endangered Arctic fox (Europe has less than 200 left). But there’s one species it does have a lot of – the country has more moose than you can shake some funny looking antlers at.
Each year, the Ice Hotel is rebuilt in a new form, and artists create fancy ice sculptures
THE VIKINGS
The name Sweden comes from the Svea tribe. Swedes call their land Sverige, which means ‘land of the Svea’. The Svea – which means ‘pirate’ in an old Norse language – became known as Vikings, and made raids along the coasts of Europe. But did you know that they made it all the way to North America half a century before Christopher Columbus did? The voyage was
In Jukkasjärvi, north of the Arctic Circle, you’ll find the famous Ice Hotel – a hotel made entirely of ice. Every year, the hotel is completely rebuilt and, as well as ice, the creators use ‘snice’ (a mix of snow and ice). The temperature, even on the inside, is around -5°! The good news is, you’ll never have to ask for ice in your drink – even the glasses are made out of it!
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THE RESCUE SERVICE
Like the UK and Ireland, Sweden has a maritime rescue service powered by volunteers. Formed in 1907, the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS) plays a part in 90% of the country’s sea rescues. And just like the RNLI, the society – which has 260 modern rescue vessels – is funded by donations, and special members like you. 2,500 volunteers stand ready to launch 24/7 on the major lakes and anywhere along the Swedish coast.
3.
Why doesn't Batman like fishing?
Because Robin always eats the worms!
STAN AND FRIENDS
I
WHO ARE YOU?
Peter and Polly, lifeboat crew members
What does Wonder Woman have in her drinks?
Just-ice!
What do you call Iron Man without his outfit?
Tony Stark-naked!
Because she's really green. 4.
Why is She-Hulk always recycling?
Personalites: Both lively and friendly
Likes: Petey likes comics and telling bad jokes. Polly likes to sing
Dislikes: Both complain that the weather is too hot. Polly is scared of sharks
Fave food: Cherry tomatoes, pizza with anchovies, sand eels
Other facts: They (secretly) love each other
