Sweden is the largest and most populous of the Nordic countries and has a roughly 1,000-year-long continuous history as a sovereign state.

It rose from backwardness and poverty into a highly developed post-industrial society, with a standard of living and life expectancy that rank among the highest in the world.

So let’s take a closer look at how this constitutional monarchy looks today.

We at Bored Panda put together a list of photos that paint a pretty accurate picture of Sweden’s land, people, and culture, so continue scrolling to check out just how unique it is. Just beware, you can also end up opening a new browser tab and buying some plane tickets…

#1 The Speed Camera Lottery In Stockholm, Sweden. Drive At Or Under The Speed Limit And You’ll Be Entered Into A Lottery. The Prize Fund Comes From The Fines That Speeders Pay

Average speed reduced from 32 km/h to 25 km/h (a reduction of 22%).

Image credits: Rolighetsteorin

#2 A Pharmacy I Stumbled Across In Stockholm. It Has Been A Pharmacy Since The 1800s And Maintained The Original Decor

Image credits: lightbulb663

Roughly the same size as California, Sweden is usually divided into three regions: to the north is Norrland, the vast mountain and forest region; in central Sweden is Svealand, an expanse of lowland in the east and highland in the west; and in the south is Götaland, which includes the Småland highlands and, at the southern extremity, the small but rich plains of Skåne.

The Swedish coastline is mostly rocky, with hundreds of small, sometimes wooded islands. Ground by glacial ice in the same direction, they share a common rounded shape. This type of coast, known as skärgård, is found in both the east and the west, especially around Stockholm and Gothenburg.

#3 What Is This, A Record Store For Mice? Well Yes It Is And Someone Built It Yesterday In The Swedish Town Of Lund

Image credits: socialdistanzing

#4 In Sweden, We Get A Text Message When Our Blood Has Helped A Patient. This Is My 3rd Time Donating

Image credits: cjsweden

#5 Stockholm Underground Stations Look Like Mystic Caves

Image credits: flarfoster

About 15 percent of the country lies within the Arctic Circle, so from about late May until mid-July, sunlight lasts around the clock north of the Arctic Circle, but, even as far south as Stockholm, the nights during this period have only a few hours of semidarkness.

In mid-December, on the other hand, Stockholm experiences only about 5.5 hours of daylight, and areas in the far north remain in nearly 20 hours of total darkness, relieved by a mere 4 hours of twilight.

#6 This “No Cars Allowed” Sign In Sweden

Image credits: Crispiann

#7 Nappies In Sweden Have A Father On The Packaging

Image credits: caspii2

#8 Northern Lights Over My House In Luleå, Sweden

Image credits: peterparnes

#9 Town Of Kiruna, Sweden

Image credits: nordlig.photo

The north-to-south extension of the country and the higher elevation of the northern part creates regional differences in winter climate.

The northern interior receives heavy snowfall for up to eight months of the year and has severe temperatures that drop as low as −22 to −40 °F (−30 to −40 °C).

The average January temperature in Haparanda, for example, at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia is 10 °F (−12 °C). Sea ice covers the Gulf of Bothnia from November to May. But in southern Sweden, snowfall is irregular and the average January temperatures range between 23 and 32 °F (−5 and 0 °C). Coastal waters seldom freeze.

Summer temperatures in the country vary far less, although summer is much shorter in the north.

#10 Sunrise In Sweden

Image credits: No_Expression6975

#11 In Sweden They Sell Chocolate Next To Pads

Image credits: fhcm_

#12 Rare Phenomenon Called Nacreous Clouds. They Are Formed High Up In The Atmosphere, At An Altitude Of 30 Kilometers. The Picture Is Taken In Jamtland, Sweden

Image credits: DiggaNog

#13 Shopping Carts In Sweden Have A Map Of The Supermarket

Image credits: caspii2

Although different groups of immigrants have influenced Swedish culture through the centuries, the population has been quite homogeneous, both ethnically and religiously.

It’s only since World War II that notable change has occurred. From 1970 to the early 1990s, net immigration accounted for about three-fourths of the country’s population growth, and by far, most of the outsiders came from the neighboring Nordic countries, with which Sweden shares a common labor market.

#14 A Stand For Bikers To Hold On To While Waiting For The Traffic Lights In Sweden

Image credits: medmik

#15 Some Mice Have Opened A Miniature Shop (70 X 30 Cm) In Malmö, Sweden

Image credits: EbaySweden

#16 Sweden Has The Largest Scale Model Of The Solar System In The World Stretching 950km Across The Country

Image credits: Einarspetz

#17 “Vapenkassuns” Are Armories Scattered Across Sweden In The Event That The USSR Would Ever Attack

Civil commanders would open the caches and grab weapons, armor, supplies, etc to enact “total defense” and protect Sweden.

Image credits: Calle Eklund

In the 1980s, Sweden began to receive an increasing number of asylum seekers from Asia and Africa, including countries such as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, Eritrea, and Somalia, as well as from Latin America that were suffering under repressive governments.

Then, from 2010 to 2014, the number of people seeking asylum in Sweden expanded dramatically, reaching more than 80,000 in 2014, and that number doubled to more than 160,000 in 2015. Thus, by 2016, one in six Swedish residents had been born outside the country, and Sweden, experiencing the mass influx of migrants, enacted new and more stringent immigration restrictions.

#18 Venue In Sweden Called Dalhalla. Made From An Old Quarry

Image credits: dalhalla

#19 Twinkies And Pop-Tarts In Swedish “Disgusting Food Museum”

Image credits: its_zara

#20 Øresund Bridge Tunnel, Connecting Sweden To Denmark

Image credits: Øresundsbron

#21 This Is A “Wall Of Kindness” In Stockholm, Sweden. Where People Can Leave Clothes, And Take Clothes If They Need Them, During The Cold Months Of Winter

Image credits: Anorcrakna

Whether we’re talking about IKEA or even H&M, Swedish design is one of the country’s main exports and has permeated the world consciousness in the last century.

It is known for its emphasis on sustainability and functionality; Swedes like things to look good, but they also like to keep it simple.

But if you’re visiting Sweden and want to bring back a little local design with you, look out for more unique finds from local artists, interior designers, and smaller fashion labels. In Stockholm, you can visit the Design District located in the trendy Södermalm neighborhood.

#22 Street Art, Sweden

Image credits: dittidot

#23 In Sweden Trees Can Send Texts When They Need Water Using An Implanted Moisture Sensor

Image credits: Helsingborgs stad

#24 This Is A Solitary Confinement Cell From The Toughest Prison In Sweden

Image credits: roadhogmainOW

#25 A Complaints Drop-Off Box For The City Of Gothenburg, Sweden

Image credits: Spikas

However, if you do not have the opportunity to go to Sweden, there is a way you can enjoy it at home. Well, kinda.

Swedish-produced or Swedish-written songs (including top British and American hits) have been entering the charts across the world for years.

Ever since their win at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, ABBA has paved the way for more Swedish acts, including Roxette, Robyn, Lykke Li, Avicii, and more.

So if you want to experience something Nordic, you can start with their work!

#26 Spotted In Sweden

Image credits: DrKingAce

#27 3,500-Year-Old Petroglyphs Found In Tanum, Sweden. Some Of The Carvings Are Boats, Animals, People And Mythological Creatures

Image credits: kajola1969

#28 Here’s A Picture Of What Swedish Fika Looks Like. Fika Is A Concept In Swedish Culture That Means “To Have Coffee, Cake, And Chit-Chat”

It’s a big part of the culture and most companies have two daily Fika breaks at 9 am and 3 pm.

Image credits: PM-ME-UGLY-SELFIES

#29 Mchive, Sweden: The World’s Smallest McDonald’s Aims To Save Bees

Image credits: NORD DDB

#30 This McDonalds In Sweden Has A “McSki”, Instead Of A Drive Thru. In Fact, It’s The Only One

Image credits: fabbe_r

#31 Internet Speed In Sweden

Image credits: birk

#32 The Only Taxidermied Blue Whale In The World Located In Gothenburg, Sweden

A couple got caught “making love” inside the creature, so now they open the mouth only on special occasions.

Image credits: Göteborgs Naturhistoriska Museum

#33 A Beautiful Afternoon Above The Swedish West Coast. Gullholmen, Sweden

Image credits: airpixels

#34 Trainy Mctrainface, Christened Today In Gothenburg, Sweden

Image credits: Peanutcat4

#35 Järnpojke, A Little Boy Looking At The Moon, The Smallest Public Monument In Stockholm At 15 Centemeters (5.9 Inches). Created By Liss Eriksson

Image credits: OpPieter Claerhouttrix

#36 Santa Has A Reserved Parking Spot At This IKEA In Sweden

Image credits: Eleeas

#37 Coolest Hotel Ever. Report From An Ice Hotel, Which Turns Out To Be Less Boring Than I Expected

Image credits: uspn

#38 The Air Vents On A Subway In Stockholm Have A Hidden Pacman Easter Egg

Image credits: Oluge2009

#39 University Of Uppsala’s Anatomical Theatre Where Bodies Were Dissected In Front Of An Audience (Built In 1663, Sweden)

Image credits: kaaattttt

#40 In Sweden, If You Work For The State For 30 Years You Receive A Gold Medal

Image credits: Etroutha

#41 The Guardians

At a campsite in Näsåker, Sweden, these figures can be seen sitting around a fire (at night a lamp with an orange glow can be seen in the campfire).

They are called “Väktarna” which means “The Guardians”.

Image credits: Warvillage

#42 Hanging In A Pizzeria In Stockholm, Sweden

Image credits: JPPM

#43 Treehotel – Unique Treerooms With Contemporary Design In The Nature In Harads, Near The Lule River, Sweden

Image credits: treehotel

#44 Bus Stop In Sweden. Talk About Personal Space

Image credits: Smiix

#45 Sweden Has Started Selling Portable Ashtrays That Completely Seal And Don’t Smell At Local Gas Stations To Minimize Littering

Image credits: B00NSH

#46 In Sweden We Celebrate Something We Call Midsommar On Friday 19th (Midsummer)

Image credits: RedditBeacon

#47 In Sweden We Have Trash Cans With WiFi

Image credits: glimpim01

#48 Valborg In Stockholm. Large Bonfires Are Lit Across The Country As Symbols Of The Passing Of Winter And The Approach To Spring

Image credits: mkj.fotografi

#49 Sweden Has Baby Stroller Parking Spots

Image credits: stowka

#50 This Art Installation In A Subway Entrance In Sweden

Image credits: Swee_et