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Comment by TazeTSchnitzel | Hacker News Reader

I think this is just for some site focussed at promoting Sweden's image to foreigners? I don't think I've ever seen this font in use in normal communications from the Swedish state, living here in Sweden.

I like the Swedish Tax Agency's design language, if it can be called that. I don't think they use this Sweden Sans, but I'm not sure what they do use.

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> I think this is just for some site focussed at promoting Sweden's image to foreigners?

It’s run by the Swedish Institute.

> The Swedish Institute is a public agency that builds interest and trust in Sweden around the world. We work with Sweden promotion, cooperation in the Baltic Sea region and global development. […] SI’s operations are financed mainly through appropriations directly through the state budget. SI has approximately 470 million Swedish government funds in four areas: international cooperation, international assistance, education and university research and business.[1]

[1] https://si.se/en/about-si/our-mission/

I believe Sweden Sans is used as title typeface on the most recent national ID-cards and passports.

Yep

It's definitely interesting how countries have their own PR these days. And it's working, if you think of a nordic country, chances are, Sweden is the first one that comes to mind.

It happens to be the biggest (excluding Greenland).

Biggest by population by a wide margin.

> Sweden is the first one that comes to mind

Is it? Norway has been topping all the livability charts for at least the past decade so that's the one I've always considered "the best in the world." Then probably the Netherlands, if you stretch the definition of Nordic.

It's more that Sweden is the biggest/most populous, and has the most internationally-recognizable brands (IKEA, Volvo, H&M, Husqvarna, Absolut Vodka, Spotify, Klarna, etc)

Netherlands? Are you perhaps thinking of Denmark?

I'm thinking of "Not Just Bikes" on YouTube, so definitely the Netherlands. I rarely hear about Denmark. Finland even less so.

Finland is thought to house the happiest people in the world which I always found an interesting contrast to their more grim and hardened reputation!

In 2023 too, no less than six years in a row!

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/27/1166180048/finland-is-the-wor...

Tbh, they're all nearly the same country in my mind. Minor differences, all in all.

Definitely different countries in my mind, just because of the accent when speaking English. Norwegians have a pleasant accent, but it gets harder to understand as it goes west. The Finns I have met are really hard to understand.

> I think this is just for some site focussed at promoting Sweden's image to foreigners?

I did think that myself, certainly a bit of space and countryside to enjoy and getting around Sweden doesnt take long if you have a motorbike...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXiIJ32kaZU

Someone on Sweden was saying the Police have to catch you on the day to prove you are the driver, but I think I will stick to the German autobahns, less moose on the loose.

ghost rider patrik fürstenhoff

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