Swedes and Gaza City: Difference between pages

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Revision as of 15:26, 13 May 2007

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{{otheruses}}

:''"Swede" redirects here. This article is about the Swedish people as an [[ethnic group]]. For information about residents or nationals of [[Sweden]], see [[demographics of Sweden]]. For swede, the vegetable, see [[rutabaga]].''

{{distinguish2|the Spanish name [[Garza]]}}

{{Ethnic group|

{{Infobox City

|group=Swedes

|official_name = Gaza

|image=[[Image:Swds.JPG|300px|]]

|other_name = Gaza City

|poptime= 14 million (est.)

|native_name = غزة<!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->

|popplace=[[Sweden]]:<br> &nbsp;&nbsp; 7.9 million<br />

|nickname = Gaza City

[[USA]]:<br> &nbsp;&nbsp; 4.5 million [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=ACS_2004_EST_G00_DP2&-ds_name=ACS_2004_EST_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on]<br />

|motto =

[[Canada]]:<br> &nbsp;&nbsp; 0.3 million <br />

|image_skyline = Gaza Beach.jpg

[[Finland]]¹:<br> &nbsp;&nbsp; 0.29 million<br />

|imagesize =

[[Germany]]:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 16,200 <br />

|image_caption = Crowded beach in Gaza City

[[Spain]]:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp; 15,818<ref>Instituto Nacional de Estadística [http://www.ine.es/prodyser/pubweb/anuario06/anu06_02demog.pdf]</ref> <br />

|image_flag = Ps-gaza1.gif

Other:<br> &nbsp;&nbsp; 400,000 <br />

|flag_size =2

<br> ^{footnote 1: Note that this is based on primary language use only; many Swedish-speaking people of Finland do not consider themselves ethnic Swedes.} </br>

|image_seal =

|langs=[[Swedish language|Swedish]]<br>

|seal_size =

Related languages include [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Icelandic Language|Icelandic]], [[Faroese language|Faroese]], and to a lesser extent, all [[Germanic languages]]

|image_shield =

|rels= 87% of Sweden is composed of [[Lutherans]]

|shield_size =

|related=[[Danes]], [[Norwegians]], [[Icelanders]], [[Germans]], [[Faroese people|Faroese]] and to a lesser extent, all [[Germanic peoples|Germanic ethnic groups]]

|city_logo =

}}

|citylogo_size =

|image_map = Gz-map2.png

|mapsize =

|map_caption = Map of the Gaza Strip from [[The World Factbook]]

|pushpin_map = <!-- the name of a ___location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->

|pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->

|subdivision_type = [[Country]]

|subdivision_name = [[Palestinian National Authority]]

|subdivision_type1 = [[Territory]]

|subdivision_name1 = [[Gaza Strip]]

|subdivision_type2 =

|subdivision_name2 =

|subdivision_type3 =

|subdivision_name3 =

|subdivision_type4 =

|subdivision_name4 =

|government_type =

|leader_title = mayor

|leader_name = Majid Abu Ramadan<ref name="australian">{{cite news |title=Sewage flood brings more misery to Gaza |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21466133-2703,00.html |work=The Australian |date=[[March 29]], [[2007]]}}</ref>

|leader_title1 = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->

|leader_name1 =

|leader_title2 =

|leader_name2 =

|leader_title3 =

|leader_name3 =

|leader_title4 =

|leader_name4 =

|established_title = First occupied<!-- Settled -->

|established_date = [[15th century BCE]]

|established_title2 = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->

|established_date2 =

|established_title3 = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->

|established_date3 =

|area_magnitude =

|unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->

|area_footnotes =

|area_total = 45

|area_land =

|area_water =

|TotalArea_sq_mi =

|LandArea_sq_mi =

|WaterArea_sq_mi =

|area_water_percent =

|area_urban =

|UrbanArea_sq_mi =

|area_metro =

|MetroArea_sq_mi =

|population_as_of =

|population_footnotes =

|population_note =

|settlement_type = <!--For Town or Village (Leave blank for the default City)-->

|population_total = 400,000

|population_density =

|population_density_mi2 =

|population_metro =

|population_density_metro_km2 =

|population_density_metro_mi2 =

|population_urban =

|population_density_urban_km2 =

|population_density_urban_mi2 =

|timezone =

|utc_offset =

|timezone_DST =

|utc_offset_DST =

|latd= |latm= |lats= |latNS=

|longd= |longm= |longs= |longEW=

|elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->

|elevation =

|elevation_ft =

|postal_code_type = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->

|postal_code =

|area_code =

|website = http://www.mogaza.org/

|footnotes =

}}<!--THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT GAZA CITY; PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE MATERIAL NOT RELEVANT TO THE CITY ITSELF. MATERIAL ABOUT THE GAZA STRIP WHICH DOES NOT RELATE SPECIFICALLY TO THE CITY SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE Gaza Strip ARTICLE-->

'''Gaza''' ({{lang-ar|غزة}} {{ArTranslit|Ġazzah}}; {{lang-he|עזה}} Azzah) is the largest city within the [[Gaza Strip]], part of the [[Palestinian territories]]. The city, which has a population of approximately 400,000, is frequently termed "Gaza City" in order to distinguish it from the larger [[Gaza Strip]].

==History==

The '''Swedish people''' or '''Swedes''' ([[Swedish language|Swedish]]: ''Svenskar'') are an [[ethnic group]] who comprise the native speakers of the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] [[Swedish language]] and their descendants who have retained some other elements of strong [[ethnicity|ethnic]] Swedish [[self-identity]] besides the language. The largest area inhabited by ethnic Swedes, as well as the earliest known original area inhabited by their linguistic ancestors, is on the eastern side of the [[Scandinavian Peninsula]] and islands adjacent to it, situated west of the [[Baltic Sea]] in [[northern Europe]]. The Swedish speaking people living in near-coastal areas on the north-eastern and eastern side of the Baltic Sea, including the [[Finland-Swedish]] minority in [[mainland Finland]] and the small Swedish minority in [[Estonia]], also have a long history of continuous settlement which in some of these areas possibly started over a [[millennium]] ago. Smaller groups of historical descendants of [[18th century|18th]]-[[19th century]] Swedish emigrants who still retain some forms of Swedish identity to this day can be found in the [[Americas]] and in [[Ukraine|the Ukraine]].

Strategically located on the Mediterranean coastal route, ancient Gaza was a prosperous trade center and a stop on the caravan route between Egypt and Syria. The city was occupied by Egypt around the 15th century BCE. [[Philistines]] settled the area several hundred years later, and Gaza became one of their [[Pentapolis|chief cities]].

The [[Suiones]], as an ancient [[Germanic people|Germanic tribe]], sometimes named [[Svear]] in academic works, were at the roots of the Swedish statehood, and contemporary with the [[Geats]] and the [[Goths]] in [[Scandinavia]]. Notably, in modern [[North Germanic language|Scandinavian languages]], with the exception of [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]], there is a distinction between ''svenskar'' and ''svear'' (as between ''danskar'' ([[Danes]]) and ''[[Dani (tribe)|Daner]]''), since the latter term does not include the [[Geats]] and the [[Gotland]]ers and other populations whose descendants are part of the present population of Sweden.

In 145 BCE Gaza was conquered by [[Jonathan Maccabaeus|Jonathan]] the [[Hasmonean]] (Brother of [[Judas Maccabeus|Judah]] the [[Maccabees|Maccabee]]). There was a prospering Jewish presence in Gaza until the Roman ruler Gavinius expelled them in 61 CE as part of the [[First Jewish-Roman War]]. In the times of the [[Mishnah]] and the [[Talmud]] there was a large Jewish community in Gaza, and on one of the pillars of the [[Great Mosque of Gaza|Great Mosque]] of Gaza there was a Greek inscription which read "Hananiah bar Yaakov" (a Hebrew name) with a [[menorah]] carved above it. This column was originally part of a Byzantine-era synagogue, destroyed at an unknown date and reused (recycled) as part of a grand Church of St. John Baptist, built by Crusaders. When the Crusaders were driven out, the church was commandeered for use as a mosque. At an undetermined date between between 1987 and 1993, during the [[Al-Aqsa Intifada|intifada]] a very tall ladder or scaffolding were erected and the carving was chisled off.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://members.bib-arch.org/nph-proxy.pl/000000A/http/www.basarchive.org/bswbSearch.asp=3fPubID=3dBSBA&Volume=3d20&Issue=3d2&ArticleID=3d4&UserID=3d0& |title=Peace, Politics and Archaeology |last=Shanks |first=Hershel |work=Biblical Archaeology Society}}</ref> The remains of the ancient Gaza [[synagogue]], built around 500 CE, were found near the city wharf.

For the global genetic make-up of the Swedes and other peoples, see also: [http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/~mcdonald/WorldHaplogroupsMaps.pdf] and [https://www5.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html]

Gaza was occupied by [[Arabs]] in the 630s after a siege during which the Jewish population of the city defended it alongside the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] garrison.<ref>{{cite book | first=Norman | last=Stillman | title=The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book | publisher=Jewish Publication Society of America | ___location=Philadelphia | year=1979 | id=ISBN 1590454936 |pages=p. 24}} </ref> Believed to be the site where [[Muhammad]]'s great grandfather was buried, the city became an important Islamic center. In the 12th century, Gaza was taken by Christian Crusaders; it returned to Muslim control in 1187. The city fell to the [[Ottomans]] in the 16th century and was taken by the British in the [[Third Battle of Gaza]] on [[7 November]] [[1917]] during the [[First World War]].{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

== Ethnic Swedes ==

The notion of ''ethnic Swedes'' is controversial, and especially the Swedish and Finnish views contradict each other. The usage in English does not necessarily reflect the usage in Sweden and Finland, or in Swedish and Finnish.

Following [[World War I]], Gaza became part of the [[Palestine (mandate)|British mandate for Palestine]]. After the first Arab Israel war in [[1948]], [[Egypt]] occupied Gaza and its surrounding area. The Egyptians never accepted the inhabitants as citizens of Egypt and prohibited them from leaving Gaza Strip. [[Israel]] captured the city and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Six Day War, and Gaza remained occupied by Israel for the next 27 years. With the onset of the Palestinian uprising known as [[First Intifada|the intifada]] in [[1987]], Gaza became a center of political unrest and confrontation between [[Israelis]] and [[Palestinians]], and economic conditions in the city worsened.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

In an English language context, the concept of ''ethnic Swedes'' may or may not be used for:

* People of Swedish heritage, typically immigrants to the Americas

In September 1993, leaders of Israel and the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO) signed the [[Oslo Accords]] calling for Palestinian administration of the Gaza Strip and the [[West Bank]] town of [[Jericho]], which was implemented in May 1994. The Israeli forces left Gaza, leaving a new [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian Authority]] to administer and police the city, along with the most of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority, led by [[Yasser Arafat]], chose Gaza as its first provincial headquarters. In September 1995, Israel and the PLO [[Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip|signed a second peace agreement]] extending the Palestinian Authority to most West Bank towns. The agreement also established an elected 88-member Palestinian Council, which held its inaugural session in Gaza in March 1996.{{Fact|date=April 2007}} The process of gradual Palestinian control did not lead to anticipated [[Palestinian]] statehood or assuage Israeli security concerns. In the summer of 2006, in desire to reduce Israeli military commitments after the [[Second Intifada]] and under the sudden dovish leadership of Israeli Premier [[Ariel Sharon]], [[Israel]] approved the hotly debated [[Disengagement Plan]] and unilaterally withdrew all Jewish communities from Gaza. Israel still maintain and insists on Israeli oversight of Gaza's borders and transport, even with international staffing.

* Minorities outside of Sweden with Swedish [[mother tongue]], who however might not designate themselves as "ethnically Swedish"

** the inhabitants of the Swedish speaking [[Åland Islands]], belonging to [[Finland]]

** The circa 265,000 [[Finland-Swedes]] in mainland Finland.

** the Swedes living in [[Noarootsi Parish|northwestern Estonian]] mainland and adjacent islands, and the island of [[Ruhnu]] (''Runö'') in the [[Gulf of Riga]] ([[Estonia-Swedes]], in Swedish: ''estlandssvenskar'')

** the Swedes living in ''[[Gammalsvenskby]]'' ("Old Swedish Village") in Ukraine.

The current mayor of Gaza is Majid Abu Ramadan.<ref name="australian"/>

In Sweden, the connotation of ''Swede,'' when used without qualifications, is often a person who is

* a [[citizen]] of Sweden,

* living in Sweden, and

* born by Swedish parents.

Not all Swedes would agree with such a usage. Immigrants and their offspring may by some persons be denoted as Swedes, particularly if their Swedish is flawlessly without foreign accent or if they are prominent industrialists or sportsmen and they appear [[Assimilation (sociology)|assimilated]] in the Swedish culture.

===Jewish communities in Gaza===

In a Swedish mindset, the concept of ''ethnic Swedes'' is used chiefly in the following contexts:

* To distinguish "Swedish citizens" who are naturalized immigrants, but not indistinguishably assimilated, from the other Swedes.

* To distinguish, typically in school settings, pupils of immigrant heritage from them without.

The Jewish community in Gaza was destroyed during the [[Crusade]]s, but returned and was rebuilt with the return of the [[Mamluk]] occupation. In February 1799, when the French forces led by Napoleon entered the city, it was struck by a terrible plague which caused the Jews to move to other areas in Palestine. By the year 1886, thirty Jewish families had returned to Gaza, but they were deported by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]]s during World War I. Jews returned to Gaza after the war ended but they were forced to leave once again after the [[1929 Palestine riots]] and the subsequent massacre of Jews in Safed and Hebron by Arabs. Following these riots, in which over 130 Jews were killed, the British prohibited Jews from living in Gaza to quell tension. Jews didn't return to Gaza, though in 1946 they established kibbutz [[Kfar Darom]] nearby in the central Gaza Strip.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/gaza_settlements |title=A Brief History of the Gaza Settlements |work=Jewish Virtual Library}}</ref>

In addition to this, ''ethnic Swedes'' is sometimes used to include the Swedish speakers not living in Sweden:

* the Swedish speaking minority living in Finland (Finland-Swedes) and [[Åland]],

* the Swedish speaking minority living in Estonia (Estonia-Swedes) and

* the decendents of Swedes who immigrated to places like the US and Canada, some of whom still speak Swedish

* the Swedish speaking minority living in ''Gammalsvenskby'' (Old Swedish Village) in Ukraine.

The majority of those Estonia-Swedes who reside in Estonia and most Ukraine-Swedes do not speak Swedish any more, but may yet be considered being ethnic Swedes (cf [[ethnic German]]). In a [[nationalism|nationalist]] context, the ethnic Swedes living outside Sweden are sometimes called "East-Swedes" (in Swedish: ''östsvenskar''), to distinguish them from the ethnic Swedes living in Sweden proper, called ''rikssvenskar'' or ''västsvenskar'' ("Western-Swedes"), reflecting [[irredentism|irredentist]] sentiments.

Famous Gazan Jews have included the medieval liturgical poet [[Israel Najara]], who is buried in Gaza's local cemetery, and the [[Sabbatai Zevi|Sabbatean]] prophet [[Nathan of Gaza]]. Rabbi [[Abraham Azulai]] lived in Gaza in 1619, and it was there that he wrote the book for which he is remembered, his cabalistic work "Ḥesed le-Abraham".{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

== Swedish speakers outside Sweden ==

The Finland-Swedes form a [[minority group]] in Finland of about 265,000, comprising 5.10% of the population of mainland Finland, or 5.50 %[http://www.stat.fi/tk/tp/tasku/taskue_vaesto.html] if the 26,000 inhabitants of Åland are included (there are also about 60,000 Finland-Swedes currently resident in Sweden).

==People and Culture==

The presence of Swedish speaking permanent residents in what is now Estonia (Estonia-Swedes) was first documented in the [[14th century]], and possibly dates back to the [[Viking Age]]. There were an estimated 12,000 Swedes resident in Estonia in [[1563]]. Estonia was under Swedish rule [[1558]]&ndash;[[1710]], after which the territory was ceded to Russia in the [[1721]] [[Treaty of Nystad]]. In [[1781]], 1,300 Estonia-Swedes of the island of [[Hiiumaa]] (''Dagö'') were forced to move to [[Ukraine]] by [[Catherine II of Russia]], where they formed ''[[Gammalsvenskby]]'' (Old Swedish Village). According to the [[1934]] census there were 7,641 Estonia-Swedes (Swedish speaking, 0.7% of the population in Estonia), making Swedes the third largest [[national minority]] in Estonia, after Russians and Germans. During [[World War II]] almost the entire community of Estonia-Swedes fled to Sweden. Today there are, at most, a few hundred Estonia-Swedes living in Estonia and a few hundred in Ukraine, with the estimates varying widely depending on who identifies, or can be identified, as a Swede.

{{Unreferenced|date=April 2007}}

[[Image:Gold Market, Gaza City.jpg|right|thumb|Gold Market, Gaza City]]

Gaza's population is composed almost entirely of Muslims, though it also has a small Christian community. A massive influx of [[Palestinian refugee]]s swelled Gaza's population after the [[1948 Arab-Israeli war]]. By 1967, the population had grown to about six times its 1948 size. The city's population has continued to increase since that time, and poverty, unemployment, and poor living conditions are widespread. Gaza has serious deficiencies in housing, educational facilities, health facilities, infrastructure, and an inadequate sewage system, all of which have contributed to serious hygiene and public health problems. As in the rest of the Palestinian territories, the birth rate is extremely high. The vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza live in poverty (less than 2$ per day), and rely on [[United Nations]] food aid to survive.

==Economy==

== National character ==

{{Unreferenced|date=April 2007}}

It is of course difficult to pinpoint the national character of the Swedes considering the differences between the people of [[Skåneland]] and [[Lapland]] or city and countryside for instance.

[[Image:GazaTextiles.jpg|thumb|left|Backyard Industry]]

Gaza is the economic center for a region in which citrus fruits and other crops are grown. Many Gazans work in Israeli service and industry when the border is open. The city contains some small industry, including textiles and food processing. A variety of wares are sold in Gaza's street bazaars, including carpets, pottery, wicker furniture, and cotton clothing; commercial development in the city is minimal. Gaza serves as a transportation hub for the [[Gaza Strip]], and contains a small port that serves a local fishing fleet. Overall economic development has been slow and hampered by frequent political unrest.

==Attractions==

Many Swedes have rather reserved personalities compared to other cultures, which has led to the stereotype of quiet, cold, unfriendly Swedes. However, in spite of the common shyness, Swedes are generally nice, friendly people, just typically less outgoing than many other cultures. As such, Swedes tend to be somewhat wary around unknown people, and it can be difficult for foreigners and immigrants to assimilate in Sweden. At the same time, Swedes are well known for their tolerance and appreciation of other cultures. Many people have noticed a dramatic difference between "winter Swedes" and "summer Swedes", because people's moods tend to be affected by the cold, dark winters. One prejudice is that Sweden and Swedes is all about sex and nudism. This probably have its roots from early legalization of pornography and early teaching about sex in school.

{{Unreferenced|date=April 2007}}

Places of interest to the visitor are the [[Great Mosque of Gaza|Great Omari Mosque]], the [[The Mosque of Al Sayed Hashem|Mosque of Al Sayed Hashem]], [[the Mosque of Ibn Othman]], the [[Mosque of Ibn Marwan]], The [[Sheikh Abul Azm sanctuary]], the [[Sheikh Ajlin sanctuary]], Tell al Mintar, [[Napoleon's fort]] (Al Radwan Castle), and the [[Church of St. Porphyrius]]. The city also has many new resorts where tourists and local people can swim and relax by the beach or swimming pools.

*'''The Great Mosque (Al-Omari Mosque)'''

Located in downtown Gaza, Al-Omari Mosque with its splendid minaret, reputedly occupying the site of the first ancient temple of Marnas and then a Greek Orthodox Church. The mosque was also the site of a Norman church built by the Crusaders in the 12th century.

*'''Napoleon's Fort (Qasr El-Basha)'''

Also located in downtown Gaza, this imposing stone building dates back to the Mamluk period. It is known as Qasr El-Basha because Napoleon spent a few nights here on his way through the town in 1799.

*'''St. Porphyrus Church'''

This 4th century church is where [[St. Porphyrus]] died and was buried (420 CE) It is located in the Gaza's old city and still in use today by the Greek Orthodox Community.

*'''Al-Sayed Hashem Mosque'''

Located in Al-Daraj Quarter, the mosque is one of the largest and most beautiful ancient mosques in Gaza. The tomb of Hashem bin Abd-Manaf, Mohammad's grandfather who died in Gaza during a trading voyage, is believed to be under the dome of the mosque.

==Transport==

Many Swedes enjoy hiking as well as using nature for various forms of exercise and/or recreation, such as picking berries and mushrooms as well as hunting. As a result Sweden created Allemansrätten [http://www.allemansratten.se/templates/firstPage.asp?id=2058], the [[right of public access to the wilderness]], allowing almost free access to nature even on private property. In many ways going for walks in the woods is used by Swedes in a similar way a visit to church is used in other places.

<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:beach.jpg|thumb|Gaza's beach]] -->

Gaza shared [[Yasser Arafat International Airport]] with the rest of the Gaza Strip. It was opened in 1998, but is currently inoperational, its runways and support facilities having been largely destroyed by Israeli armed forces during the [[Al-Aqsa Intifada]]. Following the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in autumn 2005, discussions took place between the Palestinian and Israeli sides on its reopening. So far, Israeli negotiators have not agreed to allow the airport be reopened.

Many Swedes are not interested in religion. 46-85% classify themselves as atheist/agnostic [http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html], yet almost 80% are members of [[Church of Sweden]] since membership was rendered automatically to anyone born in Sweden before the year 2000 when Church and State were separated. Thousands of Swedes are leaving the Church though every year since the past decade. Note that this study only concerns residents of [[Sweden]], and not ethnic Swedes who live abroad.

'''Arriving to Gaza''':

Sweden is located in the "vodka belt" and drinking was a problem until the [[temperance movement]] gained influence. Swedes now have a strict division so they rarely drink alcohol during the working week, but instead do binge drinking in the weekends. As such many Swedes tend to become much more outgoing on the weekends. During the latter decades there have been a move towards more "continental" drinking habits during the week as well as binge drinking in weekends. To prevent excessive drinking the selling of alcohol (except for low alcohol beer) is handled by a government monopoly, [[Systembolaget]]. The tax on alcohol is also high. The high cost of alcohol that is even higher on pubs and restaurants have led to the tradition of "grunda" (building a foundation), i.e. gathering at home and drink before going out.

*'''By air''':

[[Gaza International Airport]], 40 km south of Gaza.

[[Ben Gurion International Airport]], Tel Aviv, 75 km north of Gaza.

*'''By car''':

Northern access: [[Erez Crossing]] point (border with [[Israel]]).

Southern access: [[Rafah Border Crossing|Rafah crossing]] point (border with [[Egypt]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=Palestinians take over key border |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4468818.stm |work=BBC News |date=[[November 25]], [[2005]]}}</ref>

==Mayors of Gaza==

As elsewhere in Scandinavia, Swedes often take pride in being "normal". If you are rich you often don't show it off in a manner that looks out of the ordinary and you often downplay it when talking about it. If you have a large house in the archipelago you may say that you have "A house a bit outside town." [[Lagom]] is a Swedish word that lacks a counterpart in most languages. It basically means "just the right amount, but not too much." This explains the Swedish desire to live a normal, pleasant life. Elitism is often frowned upon, and Swedes speak of [[Jantelagen]] and the "Swedish jealousy" as norms which keep people in their place, even though these norms have become slightly more lax in recent years. Egalitarianism remains a strong ideal in Sweden. Swedes prefer a polite yet casual form of interaction, without strict rules dividing social groups. It is perfectly normal to greet your boss or teacher using first name or nickname.

* Maged Awni Abu Ramadan (current)

* Sa’ed Kharma{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

* Aown S. Shawa (1994-2001)

==[[Town twinning]]==

Since for the larger part of the year the weather is wet in one way or another Swedes remove their shoes when visiting somebody. If it's a more formal occasion you bring indoor shoes with you in a bag and change.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bengts|first=Marie|coauthors=Uli Buno, Silvia Nilson-Puccio|title=Den svenska koden|id=ISBN 91-88783-39-1}}</ref>

*{{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Cascais]], [[Portugal]]

*{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]]

==See also==

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Sweden was an international leader in what is now referred to as the "sexual revolution," with gender equality particularly promoted during this time.

{{commonscat|Gaza}}

* [[West Bank]]

* [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]

* [[Sinai Peninsula]]

* [[Porphyry of Gaza]]

* [[Al-Azhar University - Gaza]]

* [[First Battle of Gaza]]

* [[Second Battle of Gaza]]

* [[Little Gaza]]

==References==

Physically, Swedes are often stereotyped as being tall and very thin; with strikingly fair complexions; long, thick, bright blonde hair; green or blue eyes; and a generally elegant disposition about them. As with most stereotypes, this one is inaccurate; just under 50% of Swedes are naturally blonde, plenty are pudgy or overweight, and the [[Lapp]]s in the north of Sweden are actually quite dark in appearance (though many would not consider them to be "Swedish").

{{reflist}}

== New Swedes ==

New Swedes, or ''Nysvenskar'' in Swedish, is a term used in Swedish society and currently fashionable in public debate, to denote 20th century [[immigrants]] and their offspring, particularly those of southern-European and non-European descent. Critics of this usage do however object to it as an exaggerated [[politically correct|political correctness]] or alternatively as disguised [[racism]], pointing out that this usage ignores roughly a third of the immigrants who originate from Finland, [[Denmark]], [[Norway]], [[Poland]] and [[Germany]].

In a school-yard context, in our day's Sweden, ''Swedes'' do typically refer to ethnic Swedes contrasting to those pupils who identify themselves as ''immigrants'' &ndash; or of immigrant heritage. Many second and third generation immigrants have experienced how being born in Sweden is not sufficient to escape [[discrimination]]. A family name or physical looks that hint at low-status immigrant ancestry can be a critical disadvantage. Also ''Finland-Swedish'' immigrants to Sweden have experienced how they first and foremost are perceived as ''immigrants from Finland'' and not as ''Swedes'' by both authorities, neighbours and colleagues.

<!-- (Should be integrated into the text or dropped.)

Classifications with regard to [[ethnicity]] and [[ethnic groups]] are chiefly relevant only in the context of conflicting interests between groups who recognize their ethnicity as different. By its nature, this makes virtually all such notions controversial, one way or another. -->

There is one famous "v-vikare" from Sweden and his name is Marcus Jacobsson.

Marcus Jacobsson has been famous for his ability to solve techinal problems in the world.

==See also==

*[[List of Swedes]]

*[[Swedish-Canadian]]

*[[Swedish American]]

==External links==

== References ==

{{wikinews}}

<references />

*[http://www.mogaza.org/ Municipality of Gaza]

*[http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=31.513289,34.463425&spn=0.133744,0.240704&t=k Gaza at Google Maps]

*[http://www.alazhar-gaza.edu Al-Azhar University-Gaza]

*[http://www.iugaza.edu.ps The Islamic University - Gaza]

*[http://jihadwatch.org/archives/009533.php Creation of Disputed Gaza Buffer Zone December 2005]

*[http://www.mogaza.org/latemayor.htm]

{{coor title dm|31|30|N|34|27|E|}}

== External links ==

{{Cities in the Gaza Strip}}

* [http://www.arthist.lu.se/kultsem/sonesson/swed_cult_1.html In Search of Swedish Nature]

{{Asian capitals}}

* [http://www.fika.de/typical-swede.htm A Typical Swede] (humorous article, with some gross stereotypes and inaccuracies, but also some truths)

* [http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____4822.aspx The Swedes Revealed]

* [http://international.monster.com/workabroad/articles/swedenguide/ The Global Etiquette Guide: Sweden]

[[Category:Ethnic groupsCities in Europethe Gaza Strip]]

[[Category:GermanicCoastal peoplescities]]

[[Category:SwedishSea societyPeoples]]

[[Category:Tanakh cities]]

[[dear:Schweden (Volk)غزة]]

[[eobs:SvedojGaza (grad)]]

[[fibg:RuotsalaisetГаза]]

[[hrca:ŠveđaniGaza]]

[[de:Gaza (Stadt)]]

[[ka:შვედები]]

[[lves:ZviedriGaza]]

[[nleo:Zweden (volk)Gaza]]

[[plfr:SzwedziGaza]]

[[rugl:ШведыGaza (cidade)]]

[[slhr:ŠvediGaza]]

[[svid:SvenskarGaza]]

[[he:עזה]]

[[nl:Gaza]]

[[ja:ガザ]]

[[no:Gaza]]

[[nn:Gaza]]

[[pl:Gaza (Palestyna)]]

[[pt:Gaza (cidade)]]

[[ru:Газа]]

[[sk:Gaza]]

[[sr:Газа]]

[[sv:Gaza]]

[[zh:加薩]]