According to abbreviationfinder, Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden. It is administratively a municipality of the province of Stockholm, with a population of 1,287,988 residents in 2008, 2 million in its metropolitan area and it is considered a global city. It is built on 14 islands. See population of Sweden.
Geography
The city is located exactly between Lake Malarem and the Baltic Sea. It limits to the north with Norrmalm and Östermalm, and to the south with Södermalm.
In total, it is located on 14 islands, water being an omnipresent element. The city has 57 bridges that allow you to circulate between the different neighborhoods. That is why it is also called the Venice of the North. One of these bridges connects the city with Lidingö, on the Lilla Värtan Strait (Lidingo Bridge).
Climate
Stockholm’s climate varies greatly depending on the season of the year. In winter, the days are short and with a magical and particular light that spreads over the city, however, let’s not be fooled by the light that invades the city because the temperatures are around 0ºC and even below them and only you can enjoy 6 hours of light a day.
Spring is a time when the days are already beginning to be brighter and the daytime duration is also longer; the summer is the season with more hours of sunshine and clarity; and the autumns generally offer clean, fresh air.
Culture
As the capital of Sweden, Stockholm has a large number of theaters, museums or operas. Located in the city and its surroundings, they are inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Sweden of UNESCO several buildings like the Palace of Drottningholm or Cemetery Skogskyrkogården. Furthermore, Stockholm was designated the European Capital of Culture in 1998.
In its Plaza Mayor in the Old Town you can enjoy a Jazz Concert, denoting total well-being and tranquility hardly noticeable in other cultures.
Museums
Stockholm has a hundred museums. The most famous are the Vasa Museum, the Skansen, the Historical Museum, the Stockholm Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science and Natural History and the Nordic Museum..
Sports
The Summer Olympics of 1912 were held in the Swedish capital. There is an Olympic Stadium, the Globen and the Råsunda stadium for the practice of football, ice hockey or even bandy.
The main football clubs in the city are the Hammarby IF, the Djurgårdens ify the AIK Solna. The presence of a large amount of dammed water, which freezes easily in the winter, facilitates the practice of ice skating in the winter period.
Main neighborhoods
The main part of Stockholm is made up of various neighborhoods that are interesting and beautiful places to visit.
- The old city, Gamla Stan, is situated mainly on the island of Stadsholmen. It is made up of narrow streets and has many places of interest, such as the Royal Palace, the Nobel Museum, the German Church, Storkyrkan and Riddarhuset or House of Nobility
- Djurgården, one of the islands of Stockholm, brings together the main tourist attractions of the city. Here you will find the Vasa Museum, Skansen, the Nordic Museum, the Gröna Lund amusement park, as well as a large park.
- Södermalm is a very lively neighborhood with many nightclubs. The Mariatorget square is a very popular place, as well as the many churches.
Other notable neighborhoods are Norrmalm, Östermalm, Kungsholmen or Skeppsholmen.
Transport
Public transport is of a great variety. The Stockholm Metro (Tunnelbanan) for the main points of the city involves three commuter train lines (pendeltågen, Roslagsbanan and Saltsjöbanan) that connect the center with the outskirts, located at a great distance (a hundred kilometers from north to south).
There are also trams (Tvärbanan, Nockebybanan, Lidingöbanan and Djurgårdslinjen), as well as a vast bus network. The facilities are owned by the company Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL, owner of the Stockholm county council), and are operated and maintained by subcontractors. Boat transport is also used between the islands of the archipelago.
The 3 of January of 2006 a system of such congestion charge was introduced to that of London, for a trial period of six months. At the end of this time, by means of a referendum, it was decided to establish it permanently, beginning on August 1, 2007. The main objectives are to reduce traffic jams and pollution generated by vehicle traffic. Bus lines have been strengthened to aid these measures.
Stockholm is the central point of the Swedish railway system. The city has an international airport, Arlanda, as well as two less important airports: Skavsta and Bromma.
Economy
The registered office of more than 40% of Swedish companies is in Stockholm, which is the economic and financial center of Sweden. Here are located some high-tech companies, such as Ericsson, Electrolux or AstraZeneca, in the Kista district, which is one of the most dynamic European centers in terms of information and communication technologies. The tourism has become in a few years a very important activity for the city of Stockholm, with seven million visitors annually.
Stockholm is also a popular venue for holding international conferences thanks to its impressive venues, such as the Stockholm City Conference Center, and the Stockholm Globe Arena. The costs of the offices in Stockholm are comparable with other European capitals. Tourism has also become a major contributor to the city’s economy in recent years.
