Jönköping and Sweden
The setting for the 2008 International Program in Aging Research is the campus of the Jönköping University, which is located in the city of Jönköping, Sweden (pop. 120,000).
This historic city, dating back to the 13th century, is situated in the middle of the southern part of the country less than a few hours from the three largest Swedish cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. Jönköping has a thriving cultural life including museums, theaters, and a fine concert house. The great outdoors is also within easy reach, offering forests, mountains, and the shores of Lake Vättern. The University is centrally located in the city with an abundance of shops, cafés, and entertainment nearby.
Facts about Sweden
- Population 9,000,000
- The capital of Sweden is Stockholm.
- The Nobel Prizes, awarded annually in Stockholm, are internationally recognized as the world’s most coveted civil honors. The prizes were created by the Swedish industrial magnate Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite.
- Internationally renowned Swedish corporations include Volvo, SAAB, Ericsson, Husqvarna, Electrolux, and IKEA.
- Sweden is a monarchy, in which King Carl XVI Gustaf is head of state, but royal power has long been limited to official and ceremonial functions. The nation’s lawmaking body is the Swedish Parliament.
- Many of the unique features of Sweden’s scenery are traces of the “inland ice” which covered the Scandinavian peninsula about 10,000 years ago.
- The dominant color of the houses in the Swedish countryside is red. The original red hue comes from a by-product of the old copper mine in the town of Falun.
