Sweden is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian peninsula of northern Europe to the west of the Baltic Sea and  Gulf of Bothnia. It is sometimes called the land of the midnight sun as in mid-summer in the region north of the  Arctic Circle, the sun never sets. Further south daylight lasts for eighteen hours in late June.  Sweden’s history is everywhere in the country, particularly that of the Vikings, while the extensive coastline makes it clear why a maritime culture would thrive here. With mountains, forests, lakes, beaches and modern, thriving cities,  Sweden is a country of contrasts.