Which countries are called Scandinavian? Scandinavian countries. Scandinavia Ferry Tours: Sweden, Finland

Where is Scandinavia?

Scandinavia is a historical and cultural region in Northern Europe, characterized by a common ethnocultural North Germanic heritage with the closely related North Germanic languages. The term "Scandinavia" includes three kingdoms - Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The outlying Norwegian islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen, as well as Greenland and the Danish overseas territory, are not usually considered part of Scandinavia. However, the Faroe Islands, the Danish Overseas Territory, Iceland, Finland and the Finnish Autonomous Region of Åland, due to their historical ties to Scandinavian countries, peoples and languages, are sometimes included as part of Scandinavia.

In a geographical sense, the concept of Scandinavia is synonymous with the concept of the Scandinavian Peninsula.The name Scandinavia originally vaguely referred to the former Danish, now Swedish region of Scania.The terms "Scandinavia" and "Scandinavian" were coined by the early linguistic and cultural Scandinavian movement, and came into use in the late 18th century, referring to Denmark, Norway, Sweden and their Germanic peoples, and uniting their languages and cultures.

The majority of Scandinavia's population is descended from northern Germanic tribes who originally inhabited southern Scandinavia and spoke a Germanic language that later evolved into Old Norse.Icelanders and Faroese are descended from Norwegian tribes, so they are often considered Scandinavians. Finland is mainly populated by Finns with a significant Swedish-speaking minority. NA small number of Sami people live in the far north of Scandinavia.

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish form a dialect continuum and are known as the Scandinavian languages and are mutually intelligible.Faroese and Icelandic, sometimes called the island Scandinavian languages, are similar to the continental Scandinavian languages, only to some extent.The Finnish and Meänkiel languages (also Tornedal Finnish) are closely related to each other, but are far from the Sami languages and have absolutely no relation to the Scandinavian languages. In addition to the languages listed, German, Yiddish and Romani are recognized minority languages in Scandinavia.

The southern and most densely populated areas of Scandinavia have a temperate climate. Regionextends north of the Arctic Circle, but has a relatively temperate climate for its latitude due to the Gulf Stream.Most of the Scandinavian mountains have an alpine tundra climate.The legacy of the last ice age, which ended about ten thousand years ago, are lakes and moraines (a geological body formed by the collapse of a glacier).

Scandinavia is

The use of the name "Scandinavia" as a general term for the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden began only recently. According to some historians, it was adopted and introduced in the eighteenth century, when ideas about a common heritage began to emerge and develop in early literary and linguistic social movement. Until this time, the term Scandinavia was familiar mainly from the writings of the classical scholar Pliny the Elder and was used for Scania and the southern region of the peninsula.

As a political term, "Scandinavia" was first used by students who agitated for pan-Scandinavianism in the 1830s.Popular use of the term in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, as a unifying concept, originated in the 19th century with Hans Christian Andersen's poem "I Am a Scandinavian". After his visit to Sweden, Andersen became a supporter of early political Scandinavianism. In a letter describing a poem to a friend, it was said: “Suddenly I realized how connected the Swedes, Danes and Norwegians are and with this feeling, after my return, I immediately wrote a poem: “We are one people, we are called Scandinavians!” "

Finland as part of Scandinavia

The clearest example of the use of the term "Scandinavia" as a political and social construct is the unique position of Finland, based largely on the fact that Finland has been part of the Swedish kingdom for hundreds of years, thus much of the world associates Finland with all of Scandinavia.However, the creation of a Finnish identity is unique in the region in that it was shaped by the Swedish and Russian models of empire, as described by the editors of the Finnish journal Yearbook of Political Thought at the University of Jyväskylä.

A term is often defined according to the conventions of cultures that claim the term in their own usage. When the speakerwants to clearly combine Finland with Scandinavia, sometimes geographical terms are used English language Fenno-Scandinavia or Fennoscandia, although such terms are unlikely to be used at all in Scandinavia itself. More precisely, and without any dispute, the term Finland is part of the broader term "Nordic countries".

Tourism in Scandinavia

Various Nordic advertising agencies in the United States, such as the American-Scandinavian Foundation, founded in 1910 by Danish American industrialist Niels Poulsen, serve to promote market and tourism interests in the region.Today, five Nordic heads of state serve as patrons of the organization and according to an official statement, the organization's mission is to "promote the Nordic region as a whole while enhancing the attractiveness of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in New York and the United States."The official tourist boards of Scandinavia sometimes work under the same roof as the Nordic Tourist Board.The cooperation was introduced for the Asian market in 1986, towhen the Swedish national tourism board joined the Danish National Tourist Board to coordinate intergovernmental promotion of the two countries. The Norwegian government joined a year later. All five Nordic governments are involved in joint promotional activities in the United States through the North American Nordic Tourism Board.

Scandinavian countries

Although the term "Scandinavia" is usually used for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the term "Scandinavian countries" is also used for Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, including their adjacent territories (Greenland, Faroe Islands and Åland Islands), i.e.Thus, Scandinavia can be considered part of the Nordic countries.Additionally, the term "Fennoscandia" refers to Scandinavia, Finland and Karelia, excluding Denmark and the overseas territories.However, the use of this term is limited to geology when referring to the Fennoscandian Shield (Baltic Shield).

In addition to mainland Scandinavian countries:

Denmark (Constitutional Monarchy with Parliamentary System)
Norway (Constitutional Monarchy with Parliamentary System)
Sweden (Formal Monarchy with Parliamentary System)

The Scandinavian countries also consist of:

Finland (Parliamentary Republic)
Iceland (Parliamentary Republic)
Åland Islands (autonomous region of Finland since 1920)
Faroe Islands (autonomous, self-governing country within the Danish kingdom since 1948)
Greenland (autonomous, self-governing country in the Kingdom of Denmark since 1979)
Svalbard, which is under the sovereignty of Norway, is not considered part of Scandinavia as a cultural and historical region, but is part of the Kingdom of Norway (since 1925) and is part of the Scandinavian countries.

Although Estonia is considered one of the Baltic countries, it applied for membership in the Nordic Council, citing its cultural heritage and close linguistic ties with Finland, as well as historical ties with Denmark and Sweden.This is similar to the situation with Finland in the 1920s, which was considered one of the Baltic states. After emerging from Russian domination along with other countries under similar circumstances. WhileFinnish and Estonian are Finnish languages, Latvian and Lithuanian are Baltic languages.

It should be noted that the term "Scandinavia" traditionally refers to the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. There is a certain ambiguity regarding the ethnic aspect of the concept in the modern era, sincethe term also includes members of minorities, such as the Sami and Mean peoples, in a political and to some extent cultural sense, who are citizens of Scandinavian countries and speak Scandinavian languages as their first or second language. However, "Scandinavia" is still considered an ethnic term for most of the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia, and therefore the inclusion of Sami and Finnish peoples can be seen as controversial in relation to these groups.

Origin of the name Scandinavia

The origins of the names Scandinavia and Scania (the southernmost province of Sweden) are considered to be the same.Both terms go back to the Proto-Germanic compound Skaðin-awjō, which appears later in Old English as Scedenig and in Old Norse as Skáney.The earliest identified source for the name Scandinavia is the Natural Histories, compiled around 77 AD. e. Pliny the Elder.

Various references to the region can also be found in Piteis, Pomponius Mela, Tacitus, Ptolemy, Procopius and Jordanes, usually under the title Scandza.The name used by Pliny is believed to be of West Germanic origin, originally meaning Scania.According to some scholars, the Germanic root was transformed into Skaðan (Skaidan), meaning "danger" or "damage" (English scathing, German Schaden, Dutch schade).The second part of the name has been reconstructed as awjō, meaning "land on water" or "island".The name "Scandinavia" would then mean "dangerous island", which refers to the treacherous sandy shores surrounding Scania.

The Old Norse goddess name Skaði, along with Sca(n)dinavia and Skáney, may be related to Gothic skadus, Old English sceadu, Old Saxon scado and Old German scato, meaning "shadow".Scholar John McKinnell suggests that the origin of the name is related to the goddess Skadi, and that she may once have been the personification of the geographical region of Scandinavia or associated with the underworld.

Descriptions of Scadinavia

Pliny's descriptions of Scatinavia and the surrounding area are not always easy to decipher.According to him, there were 23 islands and the "most famous" island of the region, Scatinavia, of unknown size, wherelived the Gillevions.The belief that Scandinavia was an island was common among classical authors in the first century and dominated classical texts for subsequent centuries.

Pliny describes Scatinavia as containing a mountain range called Saevo, which extends to a large promontory called Kimbri (Cimbrorum) and ends in a bay called Codanus Sinus. It is here, in this abyss, that you can find the island of Scatinavia.Geographical features have been identified in various ways;According to some scholars, "Saevo" is considered to be the mountainous Norwegian coast at the entrance to the Skagerrak, and the Cimbrian Peninsula is considered to be Skagen, the northern tip of Jutland, the only mainland part of Denmark.As described, Saevo and Scatinavia could also be the same place.

Pliny mentions Scandinavia again in Book VIII in his description of an animal native to the island of Scandinavia called the ahl. The animal grazes, has a large upper lip and some mythical attributes.

The name "Scandia", later used as a synonym for Scandinavia, also appears in Pliny's Natural Histories, but is used for a group of northern European islands which he refers to as lands north of Britain.Thus, "Scandia" does not appear to refer to the island of Scadinavia in Pliny's text.The idea that "Scadinavia" may have been one of the islands of "Scandia" was introduced by Ptolemy (c. 90 - 168 BC), a mathematician, geographer and astrologer from Roman Egypt.He used the name "Scandia" for the largest, easternmost of the three islands of "Scandia", which he said were located east of Jutland.

The lists of the Scandinavian tribes of Plytius and Ptolimaeus do not include the Suiones mentioned in the Tacitian Chronicles.Some early Swedish scholars of the Swedish Hyperborean school during the period of 19th century Romantic nationalism put forward the general theory that they must have been mentioned in the original texts and lost over time due to spelling errors or other changes.

Scandinavian countries interesting facts

Latin names in Pliny's text gave rise to various forms in medieval Germanic texts. According to the historian Jordan(551 BC) about the origin and deeds of the Getae, the form "Scandza" was used for the name of their original home, separated by sea from Europe.The location of where Jordans wanted to find this supposedly legendary island is still hotly debated, both in scientific discussions and in nationalist discourse in various European countries.The form of Scandinavia as the original home of the Lombards appears in the histories of Paulus Diaconus.Other versions of Lombard history include forms such as Scadan, Scandanan, Scadanan and Scatenauge.Frankish sources used Sconaowe and Aethelweard, Anglo-Saxon historians - Scani. In the poemBeowulf used the forms Scedenige and Scedeland.

Other origins of the name

Other theories are that all or part of the name segments were derived from the Mesolithic people inhabiting the region.In modern times, Scandinavia is a peninsula, but approximately 10,300 and 9,500 years ago the southern part of Scandinavia was an island, separated from the northern peninsula by the waters of the Baltic Sea through the area where Stockholm is now located.

Some Basque scholars have provided the idea that the sk segment that appears in Skaðinawjō is related to the name of the Yuzko peoples, native to the Basque people who inhabited parts of Europe during the Bronze Age.According to some of these intellectuals, Scandinavians share certain genetic characteristics (DNA) with the Basque people.

Location of Scandinavia on the world map

The geography of Scandinavia is extremely diverse.Well-known are the Norwegian fjords, the Scandinavian mountains, the flat, low regions of Denmark and the archipelagos of Sweden and Norway.Sweden has many lakes and moraines that are a legacy of the Ice Age.

The climate changes from north to south and from west to east. Maritime climate on the west coast, typical of Western Europe, predominates in Denmark, southern Sweden and along the west coast of Norway, characterized by frequent precipitation, reaching 5000 mm in some areas of Norway. The central part, from Oslo to Stockholm, has a humid continental climate, which gradually gives way to a subarctic climate further north and a cool maritime climate on the west coast. A small area along north coast east of the North Cape has a tundra climate, resulting in cool summers. The Scandinavian mountains block the mild, moist air from the southwest, so northern Sweden and the Finnmarksvid plateau in Norway receive little rainfall and cold winters. Most of the Scandinavian mountains have an alpine tundra climate.

The hottest temperature recorded in Scandinavia is 38.0 °C in Malilla (Sweden), andthe lowest temperature is 52.6 °C in Vuoggatlmeme (Sweden).The coldest month of 1985 was February in Vittangi (Sweden) with a temperature of -27.2 °C.

Due to southwesterly winds, the narrow Norwegian fjords experience warm winter temperatures;Tafjord recorded 17.9°C in January, and Sunndal recorded 18.9°C in February.

Scandinavian languages

North Germanic (Scandinavian) and Sami languages are language groups that have coexisted since ancient times on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Later, as a result of migrations, Finnish, Jewish and Gypsy languages spread. In Denmark, German is also a minority language. Along with common languages, Sami and minority languages such as Hebrew and Romani are protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

North Germanic languages of Scandinavia

The North Germanic languages of Scandinavia are traditionally divided into East Scandinavian (Danish and Swedish) and West Scandinavian branches of the family (Norwegian, Icelandic and Faroese), but due to changes seen in the languages since 1600, the East Scandinavian and West Scandinavian branches in have now been reorganized into the insular Scandinavian branch with the participation of Icelandic, Faroese and mainland Scandinavian, including Danish, Norwegian and Swedish.The modern division is based on the degree of mutual understanding between the languages of the two branches.The population of Scandinavian countries whose native language is Scandinavian can, with at least some training, understand each other's standard languages as they are used in print and heard on radio and television.

The reason why Danish, Swedish and the two official written forms of Norwegian (Nynorsk and Bokmål) are traditionally viewed as different languages, rather than dialects of one common language, is that each of them is the generally accepted standard language in its own country.Danish, Swedish and Norwegian have been influenced to varying degrees by Low German and Standard German since the Middle Ages.Much of this influence was a by-product of the economic activity caused by the Hanseatic League.

Norwegians accustomed to the variety can perceive Danish and Swedish at the level of distant dialects.This is due to the fact that they have two official written standard languages, in addition to a strong penchant for local dialects.People from Stockholm, Sweden, Copenhagen and Denmark have great difficulty understanding other Scandinavian languages.In the Faroe Islands and Iceland, learning Danish is compulsory.This leads to the fact that the Faroese, as well as the Icelanders, become bilingual and speak two completely different North Germanic languages at once, which allows them to understand the other two continental Scandinavian languages with relative ease.

Although Iceland was under Danish political control, the Danish language had little influence on Icelandic, and remainedpreferred language among the ruling classes in Iceland.Danish was not used for official communications, most royal officials were of Icelandic origin, and the language of the church and courts remained Icelandic.

Finnish language

The Scandinavian languages (as a language family) are completely unrelated to the Finnish, Estonian and Sami languages, which, like the Uralic languages, are distantly related to Hungarian.Due to the close proximity, there is still a lot of borrowing from Swedish and Norwegian by Finnish and Sami languages.The long history of linguistic influence of Swedish on Finnish is also explained by the fact that Finnish, the language of the majority of the Finnish population, was considered a minority language while Finland was part of Sweden.Finns had to learn Swedish in order to advance their careers to higher positions.The Swedish language spoken in modern Finland includes many words borrowed from Finnish, while the written language remains closer to Swedish.

Finland is officially bilingual, with Finnish and Swedish having equal status at the national level. The majority of Finland's population is Finnish, whose native language is either Finnish (approximately 95%) or Swedish, or both. The Swedish-speaking minority lives mainly on the coast from the city of Porvoo in the Gulf of Finland to the city of Kokkola in the Gulf of Bothnia.The Åland Islands, an autonomous province of Finland, located in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden, are entirely Swedish-speaking. Studying the official language in school depends on the background of the children: d For Swedes it is Finnish (usually from 3rd grade), and for Finns it is Swedish (usually from 3rd, 5th or 7th grade).

Finnish speakers constitute a linguistic minority in Sweden and Norway.There are also languages derived from Finnish that developed separately, such as Meänkiel in Sweden and Kven in Norway.

Sami languages

Sami languages are minority languages in Scandinavia.They belong to a branch of the Uralic language family and are not related to the North Germanic languages, except for some grammatical (especially lexical) characteristics resulting from long-term contact. Sami languagedivided into several languages or dialects.Consonant gradation is a feature in both the Finnish and Northern Sami dialects, but is not present in the Southern dialect, which is thought to have a different linguistic history.According to the Sami Information Center of the Sami Parliament in Sweden, southern population The Sami may have originated from an earlier migration from the south to the Scandinavian Peninsula.

History of the Scandinavian countries

During the period of Christianization and state formation in X-XIII centuries numerous Germanic petty kingdoms and chiefdoms were united into three kingdoms:

Denmark, formed from the Danish lands (including Jutland, Zealand and Scania on the Scandinavian Peninsula).

Sweden, formed from the Swedish lands on the Scandinavian Peninsula (excluding the provinces of Bohuslan, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Idre-Särna, Halland, Blekinge and Scania of modern Sweden, but including most modern Finland).

Norway (including Bohuslan, Härydalen, Jämtland and Ydre Särna on the Scandinavian Peninsula and the island colonies of Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney, the Isle of Man and the Hebrides).

In 1387, the three Scandinavian kingdoms joined the Kalmar Union under Queen Margaret I of Denmark.Sweden left the union in 1523 under the leadership of King Gustav Vasa.After Sweden separated from the Kalmar Union, an outbreak broke out in Denmark and Norway. Civil War and pfollowed by the Protestant Reformation.When everything was settled, the Norwegian Privy Council was abolished, meeting for the last time in 1537. The close alliance formed by the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway in 1536 lasted until 1814. From this unequal union subsequently emerged three sovereign successor states: Denmark, Norway and Iceland.

The borders between the three countries took the form they had since the mid-17th century. In the 1645 Treaty of Bremsebro, Denmark-Norway ceded to Sweden the Norwegian provinces of Jämtland, Härjedalen, Idre-Särna, as well as the Baltic Sea, Gotland and Osel Islands (in Estonia). Treaty of Roskilde, signed in 1658, forced Denmark-Norway to cede to Sweden the Danish provinces of Scania, Blekinge, Halland, Bornholm and the Norwegian provinces of Bohuslän and Trøndelag.The Treaty of Copenhagen in 1660 forced Sweden to return Bornholm and Trøndelag to Denmark-Norway and give up its recent claims to the island of Funen.

Scandinavian alliances

Denmark-Norway, as a historiographical name, refers to the former political union consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.During Danish rule, Norway retained its separate laws, coins and army, as well as some institutions such as the royal chancellor.The ancient royal dynasty of Norway ended with the death of Olav IV in 1387, but the inherited kingdom of Norway became an important factor for the Oldenburg dynasty of Denmark-Norway to win elections for the throne of Denmark.

The Treaty of Kiel (January 14, 1814) formally terminated the Danish-Norwegian alliance and ceded the territory of Norway to the King of Sweden, but Denmark retained Norway's overseas possessions.However, widespread opposition in Norway to the prospect of a union with Sweden prompted the governor of Norway, heir Prince Christian Frederick (later Christian VIII of Denmark), to convene a Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll in April 1814. The Assembly adopted a liberal constitution and Christian Friedrich was elected to the throne of Norway.After the Swedish invasion, under the terms of the peace negotiations of the Convention of Moss (14 August 1814), Christian Frederik left the throne, but Norway retained its independence and its constitution within a close union with Sweden.Christian Frederik officially abdicated his position on 10 August 1814 and returned to Denmark. November 4The Norwegian parliament, the Storting, elected King Charles XIII of Sweden as King of Norway.

Political Scandinaviism

On modern use The term "Scandinavia" was influenced by Scandinavianism (the political movement of the Scandinavians), which was active in the mid-19th century, during the period between the First Schleswig War (Danish-Prussian War 1848-1850) and the Second Schleswig War (Austro-Prussian-Danish 1864).

The Swedish king also proposed uniting Denmark, Norway and Sweden into a single kingdom.The source of this proposal was the turbulent events during the Napoleonic Wars at the beginning of the century.This war resulted in Finland (formerly the eastern third of Sweden) becoming the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809 and Norway (allied with Denmark since 1387, although considered a de facto province) becoming independent in 1814, but soon forced to join into an alliance with Sweden.The dependent territories of Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, historically part of Norway, remained in Denmark under the Treaty of Kiel.Thus, Sweden and Norway were united under the Swedish monarch, but the inclusion of Finland in Russian Empire ruled out the possibility of a political union between Finland and any other Scandinavian country.

The end of the Scandinavian political movement came when Denmark was refused military support promised by Sweden and Norway to annex the (Danish) Duchy of Schleswig, which, together with the German Duchy of Holstein, was allied with Denmark.The Second War of Schleswig followed in 1864, a short but disastrous war between Denmark and Prussia (supported by Austria).Schleswig-Holstein was conquered by Prussia and after Prussia's success in the Franco-Prussian War, the German Empire was created under Prussian leadership and a new balance of power was established among the Baltic Sea countries.

This question comes up quite often in discussions. In fact, there is not such a simple answer to this question. The answer to what Scandinavia is varies depending on the context of the question and who you ask. If we talk about geography, culture or language, then the options can be completely different. If you add the word “Nordic” to everything else, things take on an even more incomprehensible picture. Some use the words "Nordic" and "Scandinavian" interchangeably, while others assign a specific meaning to each word.

Naturally, I see that not everyone agrees with the definitions and concept of Scandinavia, so I have collected various terms and the aspects in which they are used to try to make sense of this chaos.

And finally understand what kind of Scandinavia this is?

What does the word "Scandinavia" mean?

The term "Scandinavia" arose in the early 18th century as a result of Danish and Swedish universities beginning to champion the shared history, mythology, art and culture of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Let me remind you that until 1814, Sweden and Norway were actually united into one kingdom. Scania is a historical region in southern Sweden, consisting of the three former Danish provinces of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge, approximately coinciding with the three modern counties of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge. Until 1658, Scania was part of Denmark under the name of the Eastern Provinces. The island of Bornholm, then transferred to Sweden, but later returned to Denmark, is also sometimes included in Scania. This is what ultimately gave rise to the term “Scandinavia”.

Scandinavian geography

Let's start with something simple. Scandinavia is geographically limited to three countries: Denmark, Sweden and Norway (commonly, the Scandinavian Peninsula and adjacent islands). Greenland (owned by Denmark), and the Faroe Islands (self-governing part of Denmark), are also included in this list.

Finland and Iceland are not part of Scandinavia geographically.

Scandinavian language

If you've ever studied comparative linguistics, you've probably heard of the North Germanic languages. They belong to the branch of Germanic languages, a subgroup of Indo-European languages. North Germanic languages include Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic.

So what language is spoken in Scandinavia? The term "Scandinavian languages" refers exclusively to three languages that are mutually understood (in theory) by native speakers of each language, namely Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

Finnish is part of the Uralic language family, which also includes Estonian and Hungarian. Swedish is one of the official languages of Finland, and Swedish-speaking Finns make up 5% of the population. This dialect is called Finnish Swedish (suomenruotsi).

Scandinavian culture

This is probably the most widely used context for conversations about Scandinavia, and also the least understood. When we refer to Scandinavian culture, what we are most referring to is the shared history, traditions, literature and design. As Scandinavian design has become popular throughout the world, the term is often used when talking about the minimalist design traditions of mid-century modern.

Because the histories and traditions of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland are so intertwined, this group of five countries is often called culturally Scandinavian. Political systems In all these countries, especially the device models are similar, but not identical. When we talk about the “Nordic” or “Scandinavian” model of society, we usually mean all five countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway).

The history of Finnish design and architecture is closely linked and intertwined with the culture of other regions of Scandinavia, and it would be a mistake to exclude Finland from this list (for example, an architect such as Alvar Aalto) when discussing Scandinavian design. It is therefore considered reasonable to include both Iceland and Finland in discussions of Scandinavia in the context of a cultural region. It would probably be more logical to refer to “Nordic culture.”

Additional questions on the topic

Is Finland part of Scandinavia?

It depends on political and geographical attitudes. Finland is part of the Nordic countries, but does not belong to the Scandinavian region. From a linguistic point of view, Finland is classified in a special category, since the official language of the majority of the population is not related to the Scandinavian languages. However, there is significant use of Scandinavian (particularly Swedish) languages in Finland, with Swedish being the official language.

Culturally, Finland can certainly be considered Scandinavia. From history, social patterns to design traditions, Finland is closely linked to other Scandinavian countries. In terms of design, famous Finnish brands such as Artek, Marimekko and Friends of Industry fall into the Scandinavian design heritage.

Is Iceland part of Scandinavia?

Iceland is not included in Scandinavia when discussing politics and geography. However, Iceland is part of Northern Europe. From a linguistic point of view, Icelandic belongs to the North Germanic subgroup of languages and is the closest to the Old Norse language, so native speakers of Icelandic can easily read the Old Norse sagas in the original.

Are the Faroe Islands part of Scandinavia?

Definitely yes! The Faroe Islands are an autonomous region, but it belongs to Denmark, so by any definition it is considered part of Scandinavia. However, Faroese culture and language can be considered separately from Scandinavian culture and language. But in any case, the Faroese language belongs to the linguistic group of North Germanic languages. So yes twice.

What does the word "Nordic" mean?

Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, a proponent of pan-Scandinavianism, wrote a poem in 1839, “I am a Scandinavian,” he noted that he wanted to convey “the beauty of the northern spirit.” In fact, the words “Scandinavian” and “Nordic” were synonymous.

The word "Nordic" can be used to refer to the geography and politics of the Nordic region, which includes: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland.

Let me briefly summarize what was written above.

In a specific geographic or political context, "Scandinavia" refers to the region that includes Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. If we include Finland and Iceland in the same context, it is better to use the word “Nordic”.

Scandinavian countries

Scandinavia is a geographical region located in northern Europe, on the peninsula of the same name. The term "Scandinavia" is an umbrella term and is often used as a synonym for the Scandinavian and Nordic countries.

Geographically, the Scandinavian countries include Sweden And Norway located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. However, traditionally, Scandinavia also includes Denmark With Iceland, united with Sweden and Norway in language, history, culture, religion, economy and way of life.

Since the formation of the Nordic Council in 1952, aimed at strengthening cooperation between northern countries, Finland often considered as part of Scandinavia, uniting 5 states into a “single entity”.

Each Scandinavian country is unique in its own way and is of great interest to travelers, striking and surprising with its natural beauty, history, culture and customs.

Tours to Scandinavia are a visit to five beautiful countries - Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland And Iceland .

Tours to Scandinavia are an excellent holiday, both in summer and winter.

This amazing region is full of mysteries and fabulous landscapes. Scandinavian nature inspires creativity and gives complete relaxation. There are a huge number of mountains, lakes, waterfalls and forests. It is not at all surprising that a vacation in Scandinavia resembles a fairy tale.

In Copenhagen you will have the opportunity to visit the ancient castles of Denmark; in Sweden you will be able to stroll through Stockholm national park and walk through modern boutiques, compare old and modern Sweden, and in Finland and Norway excursions to Helsinki, Oslo and other cities await you. And hot springs, waterfalls, icy rivers, active volcanoes - breathtaking and unique nature - you will see this in Iceland.

Tours to the countries of Scandinavia will not leave anyone without vivid impressions.

Sweden is known throughout the world for its Volvo cars, the ice hotel in the north of the country and the ABBA group. This country has many architectural monuments and recreational areas - lakes, wild rivers, high mountains and small islands.

Denmark is the oldest kingdom in northern Europe. Despite the fact that the country is not located on a peninsula, it belongs to Scandinavia, all because Denmark is close to Scandinavian culture.

Norway is a country of fjords and mountains, in whose cities you can hear interesting legends about trolls and buried treasures under the water between the islands. Holidays in Norway are always successful, despite the weather, each season has its own unique charm. Coming here in the summer, you can rediscover the country if you have already been here in the winter. This makes tourists come back here more than once and enjoy the excursions.

Scandinavia

Scandinavia includes the northern European countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

Scandinavian countries are countries that are completely or partially located on the peninsula of the same name - Sweden, Norway and Finland. TO
Scandinavia also includes neighboring Denmark, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Icelandic languages have in common
origin, but the Finnish language stands apart.

Faroe islands

This archipelago of more than 20 islands located in the North Atlantic is home to about 47 thousand people. Before 1380
The Faroe Islands belonged to Norway, and therefore many of their inhabitants are of Norwegian origin. For the last 600 years, the islands belonged to Denmark, in 1948 it granted
them internal autonomy. The Faroese have their own parliament, the Lagting, and are also represented in the Danish parliament.

White Nights

Due to its proximity to the North Pole, winters in Scandinavia are long, frosty and snowy. In Iceland and northern areas of Finland, Norway and Sweden,
located above the Arctic Circle, in the summer the sun does not set almost 24 hours a day, and at the end of December there is a long polar night.

Natural resources

Lowland Denmark is famous for its agriculture, Finland for its lakes, Sweden for its forests, Norway for its impressive fjords (narrow
bays), and Iceland - with majestic geysers (natural hot fountains) and volcanoes. This region is rich natural resources, in particular
oil, gas, iron and forests. Since oil was discovered in the Norwegian Sea in the 1960s, Norway has been completely self-sufficient.
this fuel and also specializes in the production of floating oil rigs. Sweden is an industrialized country in Scandinavia and one of the
richest in Europe. Fishing and shipbuilding are the most important industries in the entire region. Modern Scandinavian architecture and design,
especially in the production of furniture, metal and glass products, widely known throughout the world.

Northern peoples

More than 1000 years ago, Scandinavia was inhabited by Vikings - courageous sailors and warriors. In the 10th century, three different peoples already existed in this region:
Danes, Norwegians and Swedes. In subsequent centuries they often united. In the 16th century, Sweden became one of the strongest kingdoms in Europe. WITH
From 1563 to 1658, Sweden fought wars for dominance in the Baltic Sea. In 1700, Russia, Denmark and Poland declared war on Sweden to end
dominance in the Baltic. The war, called the Northern War, lasted 21 years. Russia conquered the eastern lands from Sweden and established itself on the Baltic shores.
Norway was dependent on the Danish kingdom until 1814, and then came under Swedish rule. Norway became an independent state in
1905.

Scandinavian politics

Norway, Denmark and Sweden are constitutional monarchies, while Finland and Iceland are republics. The Scandinavian countries have always actively supported
international organizations that fight for human rights, public health and protection environment. Many of these efforts are coordinated
Northern Council, created in 1952.

Mythology

In pre-Christian times, the ancient Scandinavians and Germans shared a common mythology. Myths, which were first passed down by word of mouth, were first recorded in
XIII century. Memory of the four main gods of Germanic-Scandinavian mythology - Tiu, Odin, Top and Freya - in modern Germanic languages
were stored in the names of the four days of the week (in English - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Nowadays the main religion in all
Scandinavian countries are Lutherans.

The article briefly talks about the Nordic countries. Indicates the distinctive features that distinguish the states of the region from the rest of European states. The main indicators according to which the Scandinavian countries are recognized and absolute leaders are considered.

Where are the Nordic countries located?

The area of the region occupies about 20% of the total Europe, and the number of inhabitants of the region is equal to almost 4% of the entire European population.

Rice. 1. Northern Europe on the map.

The Scandinavian states include:

two European countries - Sweden and Norway;
Iceland;
Denmark;
self-governing region - Faroe Islands.

The first two countries on the list occupy the Scandinavian Peninsula, which is the largest in Europe. Denmark is located on the Jutland Peninsula and neighboring islands. It is located geographically close to the Scandinavian Peninsula and is separated from it by the narrow Øresund Strait. Iceland is localized on the island of the same name in the northern part Atlantic Ocean. It is separated from the Scandinavian Peninsula by a significant area of ocean waters, which makes a difference of almost a thousand kilometers.

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The northernmost point of Scandinavia is the Spitsbergen archipelago, which is located in the Arctic Ocean.

Rice. 2. Spitsbergen Archipelago.

List of northern European countries and their capitals

The list of Northern Europe today includes the following small states:

Denmark - Copenhagen;
Latvia, Riga;
Iceland - Reykjavik;
Lithuania - Vilnius;
Finland - Helsinki;
Norway - Oslo;
Estonia - Tallinn;
Sweden - Stockholm.

Rice. 3. Turning Torso skyscraper in Maln. Sweden..

The largest of the states in the Northern European region that are part of Scandinavia is Sweden, whose population is 9.1 million people, and Iceland is recognized as the smallest state. Its population does not exceed 300 thousand people. About 48% of women and 52% of men live in Northern Europe.

According to the UN classification, Great Britain, along with part of its island territories, also belongs to Northern Europe.

The development of the Nordic countries is such that today these states are becoming leaders in the world economy. The states stand out significantly among other European regions in terms of inflation and unemployment.

The economic growth model of the Scandinavian countries is considered the most attractive in the world. This primarily concerns the level of efficiency of exploitation of external and national resources.

The main characteristic of the Northern European economy is that it is focused not on quantity, but on the quality of the product produced.

Almost all parts of Northern Europe have high standards of living. Countries represent benchmarks in this area including social development. From the report international organizations It is known that Norway ranks first in the world in the Human Development Index.

What have we learned?

We found out that the Scandinavian countries have the highest living standards in comparison with other European powers. We learned that the model of economic development of the northern region of Europe today is one of the most effective in the world. We supplemented our existing knowledge in the subject of geography (7th grade). Got background information regarding the states that are part of the region.