Swedish (or svenska, pronounced [‘sven’ska] is Swedish) is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 8.7 million people worldwide, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland. Along with the other North Germanic languages, Swedish is a descendant of Old Norse, the common language of the Germanic peoples living in Scandinavia during the Viking Era. One of the world’s most translated authors is the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, popular with her child fiction and of course, with her Pippi Longstocking. Writing system: Latin (Swedish alphabet) Official language in: Sweden, Finland, European Union