Sweden Sends Ambassadors to Second Life

In recent months, real world economic and journalistic institutions have been moving into Second Life, Linden Lab's online and highly cash-driven virtual world, as real-life accounting has been offered for in-game businesses and a full-time Reuters news bureau has been opened within the game. Now, in a move backed by the Swedish foreign ministry, Sweden plans to add political institutions to Second Life, by establishing a Swedish embassy within the game. The Swedish embassy will provide information about the European nation to residents of Second Life, and will provide help on how to obtain passports or visas to visit the country. "Second Life allows us to inform people about Sweden and broaden the opportunity for contact with Sweden easily and cheaply," Swedish Institute director Olle Wästberg told the Agence France-Presse. The Swedish Institute hopes to have the embassy up and running soon, and is even considering purchasing an in-game island as a home for Swedish businesses with operations in Second Life. Upon opening its new embassy, Sweden will become the first nation to maintain official state representation within Second Life.