Where can you hop on a snow scooter or a dog sledge and explore white wastelands? Where can you see relics of the Viking era and the Bronze Age? And where can you ski, take rides on Icelandic ponies, and stay in beautiful, exciting cities? Only in Sweden... Occupying an area of 450,000 square kilometres and home to 8.9 million people, Sweden is the largest of the Scandinavian countries. Glacial activity has formed much of the country’s landscape. Early life in Sweden is documented in the rock paintings (hallristningar) that survive in certain areas. The many Roman, Byzantine and Arab coins left in Sweden bear testament to the wealth and power that Swedish Vikings accumulated during the Viking age. Famous Swedes include the influential dramatist and author Strindberg and the famous children’s writer Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking. Another famous Swede was the 19th century chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel who became the first patron of the Nobel Institute and the coveted international prizes.