Sweden is a country rich in culture, which has influenced the whole world. The unique cultural outlook of Sweden has gained an international currency that far exceeds what one might expect from this modestly-sized nation. One source of this unusual cultural strength, paradoxically enough, has been Sweden 's historic position at the margins of Europe. Relatively isolated from the main currents of continental European cultural change, many of Sweden 's artistic traditions developed their own rich and distinctive character. Drawing inspiration from folk culture, as well as from the stunning beauty of the land itself, these traditions have maintained vitality and a bold simplicity that are now appreciated all over the world.

Sweden is home to the world's most revered award, The Noble Prize. Established by Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), the Swedish inventor of dynamite, the prize is awarded each year in different categories: Chemistry, Physics, Medicine or Physiology, Literature, Economics, and Peace. In 1968, the Swedish National Treasury established a prize for economic science, dedicated to the memory of Alfred Nobel and awarded each year with the other prizes.

In literature, Sweden is best known for the groundbreaking works of August Strindberg, one of the original badboys of modernism. Thus, Sweden has much to offer culturally.