Situated along the central part of Sweden's southeastern coast, along the point where the Baltic Sea connects to Lake Malaren, Stockholm stands on 14 islands, called the Stockholm archipelago. The center of the city is located in the Riddarfjarden Bay. Stockholm's latitude is a high northerly one. Because of this, daylight hours vary, from beyond 18 hours in summer to approximately six hours in winter.
Stockholm's climate is classified as "humid continental." Through the power of the Gulf Stream, Stockholm has mild temperatures, more so than other places with a similar latitude, or some places farther south.
Summer temperatures average a high of 68 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit and lows average around 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter temperatures average 27 to 33 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stockholm receives 21.2 inches of rain annually. Winters are usually too warm for snow, but snow can occur from December to March.
The oldest reference to Stockholm is from 1252, during the time the general area was a major part of the iron trade. Birger Jarl is said to have founded Stockholm to protect Sweden from invasions by sea and from the pillaging of surrounding villages. The Danish king Christian the Second entered Stockholm in 1520, and on November eighth of that year there were mass-scale executions of people opposing Danish rule. That date is now known as the Stockholm Bloodbath. This massacre incited more uprisings. Three years later Gustav Vasa ascended the throne.
By the 1600s Sweden had become a major European power. In 1634, Stockholm became the Swedish empire's official capital. Later, during the eighteenth century, Stockholm's economy slowed down, but this didn't stop Stockholm's importance as a political center or its cultural growth.
In the mid 1800s Stockholm's economy rebounded, as Sweden became industrial. During the 1800s, scientific institutes had opened in Stockholm, such as the Karolinska Institute. In the late twentieth century, Stockholm became a diverse, technologically advancing city.
Stockholm contains a variety of architecture styles, some dating back to medieval times. Stockholm's oldest section, the Gamla Stan, is on the city's original settlement islands. This section still contains a medieval street layout as well as a few palaces and mansions.
Stockholm's oldest building is the Riddarholmskyrkan, dating from the late 1200s. Another old building from the 1200s is the Storkyrkan Cathedral, with an exterior in the baroque style from the 1700s. Buildings dating from fifteenth century pre-industrial Sweden can be found in Sodermalm.
Through the 1800s, buildings were designed with Berlin and Vienna in mind. The Royal Swedish Opera was built during this time.
In the 1900s, nationalism rose, leading buildings to be styled with medieval styles in mind as well as Art Nouveau styles. The Stockholm Public Library is a building designed in this way.
Stockholm has more than a 100 museums, with the Moderna Museet (or Museum of Modern Art) being Sweden's national museum of art. Other major museums include the Stockholm City Museum, the Skansen (an open air museum) and the Nordic Museum. Stockholm also has many theaters, the two most known being the Royal Swedish Opera and the Royal Dramatic Theater. Other known theaters include the Theatre of Modern Dance, the People's Opera, the Gota Lejon Theatre and the Stockholm City Theatre.
Stockholm has a major amusement park called Grona Lund, on the island of Djurgarden. It has more than 30 attractions and is used as a concert venue. It is open from the end of April to the beginning of September. Grona Lund also opens during Christmas for market. Stockholm is the center of national events such as Stockholm Pride, held in the last week of July, and the Nobel Banquet, which is held at Stockholm City Hall annually on December 10.
