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Every year, thousands of people from other
countries come to Canada to start a new life. They come with many
different talents and with the hope of contributing to their new
society. Your interest in reading this cultural profile may be
due to your involvement with the HOST Program, where you have
the opportunity to meet people from Sweden and introduce them
to life in Canada. You may have Swedish colleagues at work or
Swedish students at your school.
Swedes began to migrate to Canada in the 1870s.
Today, more than 100,000 Canadians are of Swedish descent. They live
in all regions of Canada, but the largest numbers are in the Prairie
Provinces and British Columbia. |
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The decision to make a new home in a different
country is not an easy one. People must leave behind familiar surroundings.
Although Canada may seem quite different from Sweden, there are also
many similarities. Swedish immigrants will have many of the same
questions that you would have if you moved to a new town or city.
They will wonder how to find a job, which school their children
should attend, where to find a doctor, where to shop and what their
new community will be like. You will probably find that you have much
in common with your Swedish friends and that you can learn from them
too.
Although this cultural profile provides insight
into some customs, it does not cover all facets of life. The customs
described may not apply in equal measure to all newcomers from
Sweden. |
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Did you know? |
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Every year, the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm,
Sweden. Alfred Nobel, who founded the prizes, was a Swedish manufacturer
of armaments and explosives.
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Summary Fact Sheet |
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| Official Name |
Kingdom of Sweden |
| Capital |
Stockholm |
| Type of Government |
Constitutional Monarchy |
| Population |
9 million |
| Area |
450,000 sq. km |
| Major Ethnic Groups |
Swedes, Saamis, Finns, Eastern Europeans, Arabs, Asians |
| Language |
Swedish |
| Religions |
Protestantism, Islam, Roman Catholicism |
| Unit of Currency |
Swedish Krona |
| National Flag |
A yellow cross against a light blue background |
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