Difference between revisions of "Scandinavia" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:scandinavia.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Map of '''Scandinavia''' and Northern Europe]]
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'''Scandinavia''' is a historical and geographical region including the three kingdoms of [[Denmark]], [[Norway]], and [[Sweden]]. It is characterized by common ethno-cultural heritage and mutually intelligible North Germanic languages.
  
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The term has also been used to refer to the [[Scandinavian Peninsula]] or to the broader region more correctly known as the [[Nordic countries]] which includes [[Finland]], [[Iceland]], and the [[Faroe Islands]]. In linguistic terms, Scandinavia can be expanded to include the areas where [[Old Norse]] was spoken and where the [[North Germanic languages]] are now dominant, thus also including [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]]. However, the Finns form a distinct linguistic and ethnic group, with a Finno-Ugric population that has incorporated features from both Eastern and Western Europe.  
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While Norwegian and Danish Vikings traveled south and west, however,  [[Varangian|Swedish vikings]] travelled east, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, and Russia, whose name probably comes from the [[Slavic]] name for these Vikings: ''Rus''. Their routes passed the [[The Trade Route from the Varangians to the Greeks|rivers of Russia]] down south to [[Constantinople]], now present-day [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]].
 
  
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During the early stages of the Scandinavian [[Viking Age]], [[Ystad]] in [[Scania]] and [[Paviken]] on [[Gotland]], in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Remains from 600-700 C.E. of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad.<ref name="Sawyer" /> In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the 9th and 10th century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbour with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era horded more silver than the rest of the population of Scandinavia combined.<ref name="Sawyer">Sawyer, Birgit and Peter Sawyer (1993). ''Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800-1500''. University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392, pp. 150-153.</ref>
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== Terminology and usage ==
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[[Image:Scandinavia location map definitions.PNG|thumb|right|250px|Red: the three monarchies that compose Scandinavia according to the strictest definition; Orange: the possible extended usage; Yellow: the maximal extended usage that takes Scandinavia as synonymous to the Nordic countries]]
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[[St. Ansgar]] introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace [[paganism]] until the 12th century and onward. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms, including struggles for territory and comparative power.<ref name="NB3-14" />
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[[Image:Fennoscandia.png|thumb|right|220px|Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the [[Kola Peninsula]]]]  
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Being a purely historical and cultural region, Scandinavia has no official geopolitical borders. The region is therefore often defined according to the conventions of different disciplines or according to the political and cultural aims of different communities of the area.<ref name="olwig">Kenneth R. Olwig, "Introduction: The Nature of Cultural Heritage, and the Culture of Natural Heritage—Northern Perspectives on a Contested Patrimony." ''International Journal of Heritage Studies'' 11(1) (March 2005): 3-7.</ref>  
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[[Image:Royal mounds.JPG|thumb|left|250px|The three large "royal mounds" at [[Gamla Uppsala]]]]
 
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The early record of human activity in Scandinavia is sparse and the interpretations of the records from the [[Nordic Stone Age]] (10 000 B.C.E. – 1700 B.C.E.) are often conflicting.<ref> Nordstrom, Byron J. (2000). ''Scandinavia since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, p. 1: "The record of human activity in Scandinavia spans about 11,000 years. By far the greatest share of this, about 10,000 years (from the earliest evidence of human presence to the Viking Age), belongs to prehistory. Evidence for these times is fragmentary, scattered, and subject to conflicting interpretations."</ref> The oldest archeological evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of flint tools from 9500-9000 B.C.E. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millenniums.<ref name="NB3-14" /><!--
 
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In 4200 B.C.E., fired pottery, systematic farming and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of Mediterranean-style megalithic graves dated 3300-2000 B.C.E. have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early [[hunter-gatherer]]s and farmers were followed between 2500 and 2000 B.C.E. by a new ethnolinguistic group, the so-called boat axe, battle axe, or single-grave people, named for their stone weapons and graves. They were [[Indo-European]] nomads from the eastern [[Urals]] who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia. <ref name="NB3-14"> Nordstrom, Byron (2000). ''Scandinavia Since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, pp. 3-14.</ref> This period was followed by the [[Nordic Bronze Age]] (1700 - 500 B.C.E.), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the batte axe people. <ref name="NB3-14" /><!--- Nordstrom, Byron (2000). ''Scandinavia Since 1500'', University of Minnesota Press, p.6: "[I]t is clear that early in the period a chieftain-trader class, whose roots may have extended back to the batte axe people, enjoyed both prominence and affluence based on herding, exploitation of local resources, and conrol of trade with areas as far off as the Middle East. Rich in amber, furs, honey, wax, and (probably) slaves, an elite in southern Bronze Age Scandinavia appears to have exchanged these goods for copper, tin, bronze, and gold." ----> Archeological finds of this era are the petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites.<ref name="NB3-14" /> Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas, with no recognized borders yet existing in Scandinavia. Societies in Sweden remained on the preliterate tribal and [[chiefdom]] levels until the emergence of writing on rune stones in the [[Viking Age]].  
 
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'''Scandinavia''' is a historical and geographical [[subregion|region]] centered on the [[Scandinavian Peninsula]] in [[Northern Europe]] and includes the three kingdoms of [[Denmark]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]].<ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572025/Scandinavia.html Scandinavia.] (2006). ''Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia''. Retrieved January 30, 2007: "Scandinavia (ancient Scandia), name applied collectively to three countries of northern Europe—Norway and Sweden (which together form the Scandinavian Peninsula), and Denmark."</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9066021 Scandinavia]. (2007). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved January 31, 2007, from ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'': "Scandinavia, historically  Scandia, part of northern Europe, generally held to consist of the two countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Norway and Sweden, with the addition of Denmark."</ref>  The other [[Nordic countries]] [[Finland]], [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]] are sometimes included, because of their close historic and cultural relations to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.<ref>"Scandinavia" (2005). ''The New Oxford American Dictionary'', Second Edition. Ed. Erin McKean. Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-517077-6: "a cultural region consisting of the countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark and sometimes also of Iceland, Finland, and the Faroe Islands".</ref><ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/sc/Scandinv.html Scandinavia] (2001). ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition. Retrieved January 31, 2007: "Scandinavia, region of N Europe. It consists of the kingdoms of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark; Finland and Iceland are usually considered part of Scandinavia."</ref><ref>
 
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[http://www.bartleby.com/59/15/scandinavia.html Scandinavia]. ''The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy'', Third Edition, 2002. Eds. E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil.  Retrieved January 31 2007: "Scandinavia. The region in northern Europe containing Norway, Sweden, and Denmark and the peninsulas they occupy. Through cultural, historical, and political associations, Finland and Iceland are often considered part of Scandinavia."</ref>
 
  
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In linguistics and cultural studies, the definition of Scandinavia is expanded to include the areas where [[Old Norse]] was spoken and where the [[North Germanic languages]] are now dominant. As a linguistic and cultural concept, Scandinavia thus also includes [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]].<ref name="olwig" />
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One example of the Scandinavian region as a political and cultural construct is the unique position of [[Finland]]. The creation of a Finnish identity is unique in the region in that it was forged in the decolonization struggles against two different imperial models, the Swedish<ref>U.S. Library of Congress, Country Studies, [http://countrystudies.us/finland/9.htm Finland and the Swedish Empire.] Retrieved May 22, 2018.</ref> and the Russian,<ref>U.S. Library of Congress, Country Studies, [http://countrystudies.us/finland/11.htm The Rise of Finnish Nationalism.] Retrieved May 22, 2018.</ref> The situation is described as follows:
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<blockquote>The construction of a specific Finnish polity is the result of successful decolonization. The politico-cultural location of Finland is a moving one. It has shifted from being a province in the Swedish Empire to an autonomous unit in ‘Eastern’ Europe, then to an independent state in ‘Northern’ Europe or ‘Scandinavia. After the joining the European Union, Finland has recently been included in ‘Western Europe’.<ref>[https://jyx.jyu.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/48139/SoPhi10_978-951-39-6469-6.pdf Reflections on Political Thought in Finland] ''Finnish Yearbook of Political Thought'' (Jyväskylä University Printing House, Jyväskylä, 1997). Retrieved May 22, 2018.</ref></blockquote>
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As a cultural and historical concept, Scandinavia can include [[Finland]] as well (of the larger region [[Fenno-Scandinavia]]), often with reference to the nation's long history as a part of Sweden. Although Finland is culturally closely related to the other Scandinavian countries, the Finns form a distinct linguistic and ethnic group, with a Finno-Ugric population that has incorporated features from both Eastern and Western Europe.<ref> Peltonen, Arvo (2002). [http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25785 Politics and Society: The Population in Finland], ''Virtual Finland'', Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Department for Communication and Culture, 21 November 2002, retrieved 14 Nov. 2006, paragraph 1: "The Finns form a distinct linguistic and ethnic group; the original Finno-Ugric population bearing features from both eastern and western Europe. Finland is an interface between east and west." </ref>
 
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Since the [[Fennoman]] movement of the 1830s and political [[Scandinavism]] of the 1830s- 1850s,<ref>Oresundstid (2003). [http://www.oresundstid.dk/dansk/engelsk/oresundstid/1800/side03-03-tekst.htm Scandinavism - the students.] Retrieved 17 January 2007.</ref><!-- Scandinavism continued, transformed by the loss of Schleswig & Holstein—><!--- yes, but political  Scandinavism was a radical, liberalistic movement, aiming to abolish absolute monarchy, propagating for a federalist state, including Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Modern political "Nordism" is something totally different.---> the inclusion of Finland and Iceland has divided opinions in the respective states.<ref> In response to Scandinavism, some Norwegian scholars of the 19th century resisted the idea that Scandinavia had a shared heritage and stressed the unique aspects that unit Iceland's cultural output exclusively with Norway and make it separate and unique. See for example Bothne, Gisle (1898). [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0030-8129(1898)13%3A3%3C350%3ATLOMN%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X "The Language of Modern Norway"]. ''PMLA'', Vol. 13, No. 3 (1898), p. 350: "[While it is true that] the old Norwegian literature was far behind the contemporaneous Icelandic literature [...], every Norwegian holds it to be equally true that the language of Norway and that of her colony Iceland [...] were substantially the same. Norroent mál, and the Norroen literature (created by conditions peculiar to Norway and Iceland alone) are the exclusive historical property of Norway and Iceland, while Denmark and Sweden have no part in them."</ref> Although it depends on context which countries are considered Scandinavian, the term ''the [[Nordic countries]]'' is used unambiguously for Norway, Sweden, Denmark (including the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland (including Åland) and Iceland.
 
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== Terminology and usage ==
 
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[[Image:Scandinavia location map definitions.PNG|thumb|right|150px|Red: the three monarchies that compose Scandinavia according to the strictest definition; Orange: the possible extended usage; Yellow: the maximal extended usage that takes Scandinavia as synonymous to the Nordic countries.]]
 
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[[Image:Fennoscandia.png|thumb|right|150px|Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the [[Kola Peninsula]].]]
 
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Being a purely historical and cultural region, Scandinavia has no official geopolitical borders. The region is therefore often defined according to the conventions of different disciplines or according to the political and cultural aims of different communities of the area.<ref name="olwig">Olwig, Kenneth R. "Introduction: The Nature of Cultural Heritage, and the Culture of Natural Heritage—Northern Perspectives on a Contested Patrimony". ''International Journal of Heritage Studies'', Vol. 11, No. 1, March 2005, pp. 3–7.</ref> One example of the Scandinavian region as a political and cultural construct is the unique position of Finland. The creation of a Finnish identity is unique in the region in that it was forged in the decolonization struggles against two different imperial models, the Swedish<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/finland/9.htm "Finland and the Swedish Empire"]. ''Country Studies''. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 25 Nov. 2006. </ref> and the Russian,<ref name="redescriptions">[http://www.jyu.fi/yhtfil/redescriptions/articles_1997.htm  "Introduction: Reflections on Political Thought in Finland."] Editorial. ''Redescriptions, Yearbook of Political Thought and Conceptual History'', 1997, Volume 1, University of Jyväskylä, p. 6-7: "[T]he populist opposition both to Sweden as a former imperial country and especially to Swedish as the language of the narrow Finnish establishment has also been strong, especially in the inter-war years. [...] Finland as a unitary and homogeneous nation-state was constructed [...] in opposition to the imperial models of Sweden and Russia."</ref><ref>[http://countrystudies.us/finland/11.htm "The Rise of Finnish Nationalism"]. ''Country Studies''. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 25 Nov. 2006: "The eighteenth century had witnessed the appearance of [...] a sense of national identity for the Finnish people, [...] an expression of the Finns' growing doubts about Swedish rule [...] The ethnic self-consciousness of Finnish speakers was given a considerable boost by the Russian conquest of Finland in 1809, because ending the connection with Sweden forced Finns to define themselves with respect to the Russians."</ref> as described by the [[University of Jyväskylä]] based editorial board of the Finnish journal "Yearbook of Political Thought and Conceptual history"<ref>[http://www.jyu.fi/yhtfil/redescriptions/boardeditors.htm Editors and Board], Redescriptions, Yearbook of Political Thought and Conceptual History</ref>: "The construction of a specific Finnish polity is the result of successful decolonization. The location of Finland is a moving one. It has shifted from being a province in the Swedish Empire to an autonomous unit in Eastern Europe, then to an independent state in Northern Europe or Scandinavia. After joining the European Union, Finland has recently been included in Western Europe."<ref name="redescriptions" />  
 
  
 
===Usage in geography===
 
===Usage in geography===
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[[Physical geography|Geographically]] the Scandinavian Peninsula includes what is today mainland Sweden and mainland Norway.<ref>Seppälä, Matti, ed. (2005). ''The Physical Geography of Fennoscandia''. Oxford University Press,  2005, pp. XI, 1. ISBN 0199245908.</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9377888/Scandinavian-Peninsula Scandinavian Peninsula]. ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 1 February 2007.</ref>. A small part of north-western Finland is sometimes also considered part of the peninsula.<ref>Naval Intelligence Division (1920). ''A Handbook of Norway & Sweden By Great Britain''. Published by H. M. Stationery office.</ref> In [[physiography]], Denmark is considered part of the North European Plain, rather than the geologically distinct Scandinavian peninsula mainly occupied by Norway and Sweden.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/sc/Scandinv.html Scandinavia] (2001). ''The Columbia Encyclopedia'', Sixth Edition. Retrieved 2 February 2007.</ref> However, Denmark has historically included the region of [[Skåneland|Scania]] on the Scandinavian Peninsula. For this reason, but even more for cultural and linguistic reasons, Denmark &ndash; [[Jutland]] on the Jutland peninsula of the [[European continent]], along with [[Zealand]] and the other islands in the Danish archipelago &ndash; is typically considered part of the Scandinavian region also by the Scandinavians themselves.
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Geographically, the Scandinavian Peninsula includes what is today mainland [[Sweden]] and mainland [[Norway]]. A small part of northwestern [[Finland]] is sometimes also considered part of the peninsula. In physiography, [[Denmark]] is considered part of the North European Plain, rather than the geologically distinct Scandinavian Peninsula mainly occupied by Norway and Sweden. However, Denmark has historically included the region of [[Skåneland|Scania]] on the Scandinavian Peninsula. For this reason, but even more for cultural and linguistic reasons, Denmark&mdash;[[Jutland]] on the Jutland peninsula of the European continent, along with [[Zealand]] and the other islands in the Danish archipelago&mdash;is typically considered part of the Scandinavian region also by the Scandinavians themselves.
  
 
===Variations in usage===
 
===Variations in usage===
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A wider definition of Scandinavia, sometimes used in the English-speaking world, includes Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.<ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572025/Scandinavia.html Scandinavia]. MSN Encarta. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.</ref><ref>See also EU documents, such as the following {{PDFlink|[http://ec.europa.eu/comm/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/pdf/cohesion3/cohesion3_part1_terr_sv.pdf report in Swedish]|1.67&nbsp;[[Mebibyte|MiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 1755726 bytes —>}}, {{PDFlink|[http://ec.europa.eu/comm/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/pdf/cohesion3/cohesion3_part1_terr_da.pdf report in Danish]|1.70&nbsp;[[Mebibyte|MiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 1790211 bytes —>}} and [http://europa.eu/bulletin/de/9710/p102061.htm bulletin in German].</ref> However, this larger region is by the concerned countries officially known as the <em>Nordic Countries,</em> a political entity as well as cultural region where the ties between the countries are not merely historical and cultural, but based on official membership.
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A wider definition of Scandinavia, sometimes used in the English-speaking world, includes [[Finland]], [[Iceland]], and the [[Faroe Islands]]. However, this larger region is officially known as the “[[Nordic Countries]],” a political entity and cultural region where the ties between the countries are not only historical and cultural, but based on official membership.
  
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The use of the name Scandinavia as a convenient general term for the peninsula region is fairly recent and according to some historians, it was adopted and introduced only in the 18th century, at a time when the ideas about a common heritage took root and started to appear as literary and linguistic Scandinavism.<ref name="Ostergard">Østergård, Uffe (1997). "The Geopolitics of Nordic Identity – From Composite States to Nation States". ''The Cultural Construction of Norden''. Øystein Sørensen and Bo Stråth (eds.), Oslo: Scandinavian University Press 1997, 25-71. Also published online at [http://diis.dk/sw13149.asp Danish Institute for International Studies]. For the history of cultural Scandinavism, see Oresundstid's articles [http://www.oresundstid.dk/dansk/engelsk/oresundstid/1800/side03-02-tekst.htm The Literary Scandinavism] and [http://www.oresundstid.dk/dansk/engelsk/oresundstid/1800/side03-01-tekst.htm The Roots of Scandinavism]. Retrieved 19 January 2007.</ref> Before this time, the term ''Scandinavia'' was familiar mainly to classical scholars through [[Pliny the Elder]]'s writings, and was used vaguely for Scania and the southern region of the peninsula.<ref name="Ostergard" /> The popular usage of the term in Sweden, Denmark and Norway as a unifying concept became more firmly established in the 19th century, through poems such [[Hans Christian Andersen]]'s "I am a Scandinavian" of 1839. After a visit to Sweden, Andersen became a supporter of early political Scandinavism and in a letter describing the poem to a friend, he wrote: "All at once I understood how related the Swedes, the Danes and the Norwegians are, and with this feeling I wrote the poem immediately after my return: 'We are one people, we are called Scandinavians!'".<ref> [http://www.kb.dk/elib/noder/hcamusik/skandinav/index_en.htm Hans Christian Andersen and Music - I am a Scandinavian]. The Royal Library of Denmark, the National Library and Copenhagen University Library. Retrieved 17 January 2007.</ref> The historic popular usage is also reflected in the name chosen for the shared, multi-national airline, [[Scandinavian Airlines System]], a carrier originally owned jointly by the governments of the three countries, along with private investors.
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The use of the name Scandinavia as a convenient general term for the peninsula region is fairly recent. According to some historians, it was adopted and introduced only in the eighteenth century, at a time when the ideas about a common heritage took root and began to appear as literary and linguistic Scandinavism.<ref name="Ostergard">Uffe Østergård, "The Geopolitics of Nordic Identity – From Composite States to Nation States." ''The Cultural Construction of Norden'', Edited by Øystein Sørensen and Bo Stråth (Oslo: Scandinavian University Press, 1997), 25-71.</ref> Before this time, the term ''Scandinavia'' was familiar mainly to classical scholars through [[Pliny the Elder]]'s writings, and was used vaguely for Scania and the southern region of the peninsula. The popular usage of the term as a unifying concept in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway became more firmly established in the nineteenth century, through poems such [[Hans Christian Andersen]]'s "I am a Scandinavian" of 1839. After a visit to Sweden, Andersen became a supporter of early political Scandinavism and in a letter describing the poem to a friend, he wrote:
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<blockquote>All at once I understood how related the Swedes, the Danes and the Norwegians are, and with this feeling I wrote the poem immediately after my return: 'We are one people, we are called Scandinavians!'<ref> [http://www.kb.dk/elib/noder/hcamusik/skandinav/index_en.htm Hans Christian Andersen and Music - I am a Scandinavian,] The Royal Library of Denmark, the National Library and Copenhagen University Library. Retrieved May 22, 2018.</ref></blockquote>
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The historic popular usage is also reflected in the name chosen for the shared, multi-national airline, Scandinavian Airlines System, a carrier originally owned jointly by the governments and private investors of the three countries.
  
 
===Usage by cultural and tourist organizations===
 
===Usage by cultural and tourist organizations===
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The use of the term ''Scandinavian'' for the culture of the Nordic region is reflected in the name chosen for the various promotional agencies of the Nordic countries in the [[United States]] and around the world, such as [[The American-Scandinavian Foundation]], established in 1910 by the [[Danish-American]] industrialist [[Niels Poulsen]]. Today, the five Nordic Heads of State serve as the organization's patrons and according to the official statement by the organization, its mission is "to promote the Nordic region as a whole while increasing the visibility of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in New York City and the United States."<ref>[http://www.amscan.org/about.html About The American-Scandinavian Foundation]. Official site. Retrieved 2 February 2007.</ref> The official tourist boards of Scandinavia sometimes cooperate under one umbrella, such as the [[Scandinavian Tourist Board]].<ref>[http://www.visitscandinavia.or.jp/en/scandinavia/general_information.aspx Scandinavian Tourist Board]. Official site.</ref> The cooperation was introduced for the Asian market in 1986, when the Swedish national tourist board joined the Danish national tourist board to coordinate international promotions of the two countries. Norway entered one year later. All five Nordic countries participate in the joint promotional efforts in the United States through the [[Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America]].<ref>[http://www.goscandinavia.com/ The Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America]. Official Website. Retrieved 2 February 2007.</ref>
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The use of the term ''Scandinavian'' for the culture of the Nordic region is reflected in the name chosen for the various promotional agencies of the Nordic countries in the [[United States]] and around the world, such as The American-Scandinavian Foundation, established in 1910 by the Danish-American industrialist [[Niels Poulsen]]. Today, the five Nordic heads of state serve as the organization's patrons and according to the official statement by the organization, its mission is "to promote the Nordic region as a whole while increasing the visibility of [[Denmark]], [[Finland]], [[Iceland]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]] in [[New York City]] and the United States."<ref> The American-Scandinavian Foundation, [http://www.amscan.org/about.html About the American-Scandinavian Foundation]. Retrieved May 22, 2018.</ref>  
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The official tourist boards of Scandinavia sometimes cooperate under one umbrella, such as the Scandinavian Tourist Board. The cooperation was introduced for the Asian market in 1986, when the Swedish national tourist board joined the Danish national tourist board to coordinate international promotions of the two countries. Norway entered one year later. Together with Finland, these Nordic countries participate in joint promotional efforts in the United States through the Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America.<ref>[http://www.goscandinavia.com/ The Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America]. Retrieved May 22, 2018.</ref>
  
 
==The Nordic Countries vs. Scandinavia==
 
==The Nordic Countries vs. Scandinavia==
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[[Image:Nordiccouncil.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Flag of the Nordic Council]]  
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[[Image:Nordiccouncil.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Flag of the [[Nordic Council]].]]{{main|Nordic countries}}
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The term “Scandinavia” is most commonly used for Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; the term “Nordic countries” is used unambiguously for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, including:
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*[[Faroe Islands]] (an autonomous region of Denmark since 1948)
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While the term Scandinavia is most commonly used for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the term ''the [[Nordic countries]]'' is used unambiguously for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, including their associated territories (Greenland, the Faroes and Åland).
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*[[Greenland]] (a self-governing Danish territory since 1979)
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*[[Åland]] (an autonomous province of Finland since 1920)
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Scandinavia is thus a subset of the Nordic countries. All of the Nordic regions are occasionally listed as part of Scandinavia, especially outside the Nordic countries. More precisely, in addition to mainland Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the Nordic countries consist of
 
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*[[Finland]] (a [[Sovereignty|sovereign]] [[republic]], independent since 1917)
 
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*[[Iceland]] (a [[Sovereignty|sovereign]] [[republic]], independent since 1944)
 
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and
 
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*[[Faroe Islands]] (an [[Autonomous entity|autonomous]] region of Denmark since 1948)
 
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*[[Greenland]] (a [[self-governance|self-governing]] Danish territory since 1979)
 
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*[[Åland]] (an [[Autonomous entity|autonomous]] province of Finland since 1920)
 
 
*[[Jan Mayen]] (an integrated geographical body of Norway)
 
*[[Jan Mayen]] (an integrated geographical body of Norway)
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*[[Svalbard]] (under Norwegian [[sovereignty]] since 1920)  
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*[[Svalbard]] (under Norwegian sovereignty since 1920)  
  
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[[Estonia]] has applied for membership in the [[Nordic Council]], referring to its cultural heritage and close linguistic links to Finland, although normally Estonia is regarded as one of the [[Baltic countries]]. All Baltic states have shared historical events with the Nordic countries, including Scandinavia, during the centuries.  
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[[Estonia]] has applied for membership in the [[Nordic Council]], based on its cultural heritage and close linguistic links to Finland, despite Estonia's being regarded as one of the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] countries. All Baltic states have shared historical events with the Nordic countries, including Scandinavia, over the centuries.  
  
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The terms ''Fennoscandia'' and ''Fenno-Scandinavia'' are used to include the Scandinavian peninsula, the [[Kola peninsula]], [[Karelia]], [[Finland]] and (seldom) [[Denmark]] under the same term, alluding to the [[Baltic Shield|Fennoscandian Shield]], even though Denmark is on the [[North European Plain]].
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The terms ''Fennoscandia'' and ''Fenno-Scandinavia'' are used to include the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia, Finland, and occasionally Denmark under the same term, alluding to the Baltic Shield, even though Denmark is on the North European Plain.
  
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== Etymology ==
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== Geography ==
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[[Image:Scandinavian Peninsula in Winter (February 19, 2003).jpg|thumb|right|Satellite photo of the [[Scandinavian Peninsula]], February 2003, with political boundaries added]]
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[[Image:Royal mounds.JPG|thumb|right|400px|The three large "royal mounds" at Gamla Uppsala]]
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Scandinavia and [[Scania]] (''Skåne'') are considered to have the same etymology. The earliest identified source for the name Scandinavia is [[Pliny the Elder]]'s [[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]], dated to the 1st century AD. Various references to the region can also be found in [[Pytheas]], [[Pomponius Mela]], [[Tacitus]], [[Ptolemy]], [[Procopius]] and [[Jordanes]]. It is believed that the name used by Pliny may be of [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]] origin, originally denoting Scania.<ref>Haugen, Einar (1976). ''The Scandinavian Languages: An Introduction to Their History.'' Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1976.</ref> According to some leading scholars in the field, the Germanic stem can be reconstructed as *''Skaðan''- meaning "danger" or "damage"  (English ''scathing'', German ''Schaden'').<ref name="Helle">Helle, Knut (2003). "Introduction". ''The Cambridge History of Scandinavia.'' Ed. E. I. Kouri et al. Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-521-47299-7.</ref>  The second segment of the name has been reconstructed as *''awjo'', meaning "land on the water" or "island". The name Scandinavia would then mean "dangerous island", which is considered to be a reference to the treacherous sandbanks surrounding Scania.<ref name="Helle" /> [[Skanör-Falsterbo|Skanör]] in Scania, with its long Falsterbo reef, has the same stem (''skan'') combined with -''ör'', which means  "sandbanks".
 
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The belief that Scandinavia was an island became widespread among classical authors during the first century. This idea, along with the name "''Scandiae''" which was used by Pliny for a group of Nordic islands, dominated descriptions of Scandinavia in classical texts during the centuries that followed. Pliny's "''Scadinavia''" may have been one of the "''Scandiae''" islands. This idea was picked up by [[Ptolemy]] (c.90 – c.168 C.E.), a mathematician, geographer and astrologer of Roman Egypt. He used the name "''Skandia''" for the biggest, most easterly of the three "''Scandiai''" islands, which according to him were all located east of [[Jutland]].<ref name="Helle" /> Scandia was used for the entire "island" of Scandinavia by Ptolemy, including areas far north of today's [[Scania]], but neither Pliny's nor Ptolemy's lists of Scandinavian tribes include the [[Suiones]] mentioned by Tacitus. Some early Swedish scholars proceeded to insert them, arguing that they must have been referred to in the original texts and obscured over time by mistake.<ref>Malone,Kemp (1924). "Ptolemy's Skandia". ''The American Journal of Philology'', Vol. 45, No. 4. (1924), pp. 362-370.</ref>
 
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===Pliny the Elder's descriptions===
 
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Pliny the Elder, who was an admiral, wrote that there were 23 islands "Romanis armis cognitae", "''known to Roman arms''", in the [[Kattegat]]. His descriptions were not always easy to decipher, even though his writing of geography was what he considered a "clarior fama", "''a clearer story.''" 
 
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Pliny begins (4.96) with the mountain of Saevo (mons Saevo ibi), which forms the Codanian Bay (Codanus sinus) surrounding the Cimbrian promontory. These features are thought to be the mountainous coasts of Norway and Sweden, the [[Skagerrak]] and [[Skagen]]. Saevo is most likely an early form of [[Zealand]], which Pliny applied to southern Scandinavia. The "Cod-" in ''Codanus'' is a form of the second element in [[Kattegat]], (Latin ''coda'', "the tail of animals", Latin ''ănus'', "anus" or "old wife, also of feminine animals"). Danish ''katte'' (cat) is possibly a reference to the group ''[[Felis]]'', especially [[Lynx]]; and Danish ''gat'' as in ''gatfinn'' ("analfin of a fish"). Thus ''Kattegat'' is "tail of a cat" or a "cat's hole". This may be related to the myth about [[Freyja]], [[Norse mythology|Norse]] [[List of Norse gods|goddess]] of love, fertility and beauty, who travelled in a chariot drawn by huge cats). According to Pliny, the most famous (clarissima) of the islands in the Codanian Bay is Scatinavia, of unknown size. There live the [[Hilleviones]], who can possibly be identified with what is now Halland. As described, Saevo and Scatinavia appear to be the same place.
 
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Pliny mentions Scandinavia one more time: in 8.39 he says that the animal called achlis (given in the accusative, achlin), was born on the island of Scandinavia. Achlis is not Latin. As well as having some mythical attributes, the animal grazes and has a big upper lip. Pliny also uses the name Scandiae, presumably to mean the Danish islands, but perhaps some islands of Britain.
 
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===Germanic reconstruction===
 
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The Latin names in Pliny's text gave rise to different forms in Germanic languages, often transliterated by non-Germanic scribes. [[Ptolemy]] uses the form ''Scandia'', showing that the n had appeared by then. In ''[[Beowulf]]'' we meet the forms ''Scedenigge'' and ''Scedeland''. [[Pomponius Mela]] used ''Codanovia'', based on the ancient name of the [[Kattegat]]. This usage appears to support the "sealand" idea. The form ''Scadinavia'', the original home of the [[Lombards|Langobards]], appears in [[Paulus Diaconus]]' ''Historia Langobardorum''<ref>[[Paulus Diaconus]], [http://www.fh-augsburg.de/~harsch/Chronologia/Lspost08/PaulusDiaconus/pau_lan1.html Historia Langobardorum], ''BIBLIOTHECA AUGUSTANA''</ref>, but in other versions of ''Historia Langobardorum'' appear the forms ''Scadan'', ''Scandanan'', ''Scadanan'' and ''Scatenauge''<ref>[http://www.northvegr.org/lore/langobard/001.php History of the Langobards], ''Northvegr Foundation''</ref>. In Jordanes' history of the [[Goths]] (AD 551) we meet the form ''[[Scandza]]'' their original home, separated by sea from the land of Europe (chapter 1, 4)<ref>[[Jordanes]] (translated by Charles C. Mierow), [http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/jordgeti.html THE ORIGIN AND DEEDS OF THE GOTHS], April 22, 1997</ref>. If the -za represents an early form of zed, then it may replace *awia. On the other hand, Jordanes' spelling may just be an attempt to capture the late Latin palatalization of the d by a following i.
 
  
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In the reconstruction *''Skaðin-awjo'' (without the n, which can be seen as a later assimilation to the second n, and with the thorn, which might be represented in Latin by t or d), the first segment is sometimes consider more uncertain than the second segment, which is thought to be "''island''". The American Heritage Dictionary<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/61/81/I0248100.html "Island"]. ''Bartleby'', American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.</ref> derives the second segment from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] *akwa-, "''water''", in the sense of "''watery land''". Saevo is probably a synonym, as it resembles Gothic saiws, "''lake''", which is one of the Germanic groups of words including English sea, German See{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. The group does not have an Indo-European derivation and is not believed to be Indo-European. However, the word "saevo" in Latin means "raging, mad, furious, fell, fierce, savage, ferocious". <ref>Lewis, Charlton T. and Charles Short (1879). ''A Latin Dictionary''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879. ISBN 0-19-864201-6. Available online through [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/morphindex?lang=la&lookup=saevo&bytepos=91092567&wordcount=1&embed=2&doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059 The Perseus Digital Library]</ref>
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The geography of Scandinavia is extremely varied. Notable are the [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[fjord]]s, the Scandinavian Mountains, the flat, low areas in [[Denmark]], and the [[archipelago]]s of [[Sweden]] and Norway. When [[Finland]] is included, the [[moraine]]s (ice age remnants) and lake areas are also notable. The Scandinavian Peninsula measures roughly 1,245 miles (2,000 kilometers) north to south.
  
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===Other etymologies===
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The climate varies from north to south and from west to east; a marine west coast climate typical of western Europe dominates in Denmark, southernmost part of Sweden and along the west coast of Norway reaching north to 65° North, with [[orographic lift]] giving more than 78 inches (2,000 millimeters) per year [[precipitation]] (maximum of 138 inches or 3,500 millimeters) in some areas in western Norway.  
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Scadin- can be segmented various ways to obtain various Indo-European meanings: scand- or scad-in-, scan- or sca-din, scandin or scadin-. These segmentations have resulted in a number of possible etymologies, such as "climbing island" (*scand-), "island of the [[Scythian]] people", "island of the woodland of *sca-". Another possibility is that all or part of scadin- came from the indigenes along with achlis and sea.
 
  
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The designation of Scandinavia as an island may have preceded the Indo-Europeans there, and  the words for island and sea may come from the indigenes in the region.  Today Scandinavia is not an island, but the indigenous [[Mesolithic]] people inhabiting the region may have remembered [[Ancylus Lake]] and preceding times, when water exited the Baltic through what is now [[Stockholm]] and the lakes called saiws by the Goths.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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The central part&mdash;from [[Oslo]] to [[Stockholm]]&mdash;has a humid [[continental climate]], which gradually gives way to [[subarctic]] [[climate]] further north and cool marine west coast climate along the northwestern coast. A small area along the northern coast east of North Cape has [[tundra]] climate due to lack of summer warmth. The Scandinavian Mountains block the mild and moist air coming from the southwest, thus northern Sweden and Finnmarksvidda plateau in Norway receive little precipitation and have cold winters. Large areas in the Scandinavian Mountains have alpine tundra climate.
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Alternatively, the first element is sometimes attributed to the [[Giantess#Norse mythology|Scandinavian giantess]] [[Skaði]] from [[Norse mythology]]. If it is she, it is even less likely to be Indo-European, as a people moving in among another people typically take on their gods and goddesses (not quite daring to reject them).
 
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Some [[Basque language|Basque]] scholars thought the ''sk'' was connected to [[Euzko]] peoples, akin to Basques, that populated [[Paleolithic]] Europe. According to some of these intellectuals, the Scandinavians share some genetic markers with the Basques.<ref>J. F. del Giorgio (2006). ''The Oldest Europeans: Who Are We? Where Do We Come From? What Made European Women Different?''. A. J. Place, 2006. ISBN 980-6898-00-1.</ref>
 
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The name of the Scandinavian mountain range, ''Skanderna'' in Swedish, was artificially derived from ''Skandinavien'' in the [[19th century]], in analogy with ''Alperna'' for the Alps. The commonly used names are ''bergen'' or ''fjällen''; both names meaning "the mountains".
 
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== Geography ==
 
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[[Image:scandinavia.jpg|thumb|right|Map of Scandinavia and [[Northern Europe]].]]
 
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{{See also|Geography of Denmark|Geography of Norway|Geography of Sweden|Geography of Finland}}
 
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The geography of Scandinavia is extremely varied. Notable are the [[List of Norwegian fjords|Norwegian fjords]], the [[Scandinavian Mountains]], the flat, low areas in Denmark, and the [[archipelago]]s of Sweden and Norway. When Finland is included, the moraines (ice age remnants) and lake areas are also notable.
 
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The climate varies from north to south and from west to east; a marine west coast climate ([[Köppen climate classification#Group C: Temperate/Mesothermal climates|Cfb]]) typical of western Europe dominates in Denmark, southernmost part of Sweden and along the west coast of Norway reaching north to 65°N, with [[orographic lift]] giving more than 2000 mm/year [[precipitation]] (max 3500 mm) in some areas in western Norway. The central part - from Oslo to Stockholm - has a [[humid continental climate]] (Dfb), which gradually gives way to [[subarctic climate]] (Dfc) further north and cool marine west coast climate (Cfc) along the northwestern coast. A small area along the northern coast east of [[North Cape]] has tundra climate (Et) due to lack of summer warmth. The Scandinavian Mountains block the mild and moist air coming from the southwest, thus northern Sweden and [[Finnmarksvidda]] plateau in Norway receive little precipitation and have cold winters. Large areas in the Scandinavian mountains have [[alpine tundra]] climate.
 
  
 
== Scandinavian languages ==
 
== Scandinavian languages ==
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The codified standard languages of Scandinavia are often classified as belonging to either an East Scandinavian branch (Norwegian, Danish and Swedish) or a West Scandinavian branch (New Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese).
  
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The [[codification (linguistics)|codified]] standard [[Scandinavian languages|languages]] of Scandinavia are often classified as belonging to either an East Scandinavian branch (Norwegian, Danish and Swedish) or a West Scandinavian branch (New Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese).  
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Most dialects of [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] are mutually intelligible, and Scandinavians can easily understand each other's standard languages as they appear in print and are heard on radio and television. The reason why Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian are traditionally viewed as different languages rather than dialects of one common language is that they each are well-established standard languages in their respective countries.  
  
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Most dialects of [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]], are mutually intelligible, and Scandinavians can easily understand each other's [[standard language]]s as they appear in print and are heard on radio and television. The reason why Danish, Swedish and Norwegian are traditionally viewed as different languages, rather than dialects of one common language, is that they each are well established standard languages in their respective countries. They are related to, but not mutually intelligible with, the other North Germanic languages, [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] and [[Faroese language|Faroese]], which are descended from [[Old Norse language|Old West Norse]]. Danish, Swedish and Norwegian have, since medieval times, been influenced to varying degrees by [[Middle Low German]] and [[German language|standard German]]. A substantial amount of that influence was a by-product of the economic activity generated by the [[Hanseatic League]].
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They are related to, but not mutually intelligible with, the other North Germanic languages, [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] and [[Faroese language|Faroese]], which are descended from [[Old Norse language|Old West Norse]]. Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian have, since medieval times, been influenced to varying degrees by Middle Low German and standard [[German language|German]]. A substantial amount of that influence was a by-product of the economic activity generated by the Hanseatic League.
  
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Norwegians are accustomed to variation, and may perceive Danish and Swedish only as slightly more distant dialects. This is because they have two official written standards, in addition to the habit of strongly holding on to local dialects. The people of [[Stockholm]], Sweden and [[Copenhagen]], Denmark, have the greatest difficulty in understanding other Nordic languages.<ref>"Urban misunderstandings". [http://www.norden.org/norden_i_veckan/2005/uk/050117.asp Norden This Week - Monday 01.17.2005], Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen.</ref> In the [[Faroe Islands]] [[Danish language|Danish]] is mandatory, and since Faroese people this way become bilingual in two very distinct Nordic languages, they find it relatively easy to understand the other two Mainland Scandinavian languages.<ref>[http://www.nordkontakt.nu/ Internordisk språkförståelse], ''Nordisk Sprogråd'', November 2002.</ref>
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Norwegians are accustomed to variation, and may perceive Danish and Swedish only as slightly more distant [[dialect]]s. This is because they have two official written standards, in addition to the habit of strongly holding on to local dialects. The people of [[Stockholm]], Sweden and [[Copenhagen]], Denmark, have the greatest difficulty in understanding other Nordic languages.<ref> “Urban misunderstandings,” ''Norden This Week'', January 14, 2005. </ref>  
  
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For foreign people, who are studying Scandinavian languages, it's often common that they learn the basic Norwegian first. This is because Norwegian as a language, is extremely similar to written Danish, and also very similar to oral Swedish. They can thus easily expand their knowledge further [http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:RbbNgfqh8rUJ:www.universitetsavisa.no/ua_lesmer.php%3Fkategori%3Dnyheter%26dokid%3D436f4d330383b2.30182885+%22learning+scandinavian+languages%22&hl=no&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=no][http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:TcHMxfDH1ZQJ:www.ielanguages.com/eurolang.html+%22learn+norwegian+first%22&hl=no&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=no].
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For people who are studying Scandinavian languages, basic Norwegian is often the first language learned. This is because Norwegian is extremely similar to written Danish, and also very similar to oral Swedish. They can thus easily expand their knowledge further.  
  
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The Scandinavian languages are (as a language family) entirely unrelated to [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]] and [[Sami languages]] which as Finno-Ugric languages are distantly related to [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]. Due to the close proximity, there is still a great deal of borrowing from the Swedish and Norwegian languages in the Finnish, Estonian and Sami languages.  
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The Scandinavian languages are, as a language family, entirely unrelated to [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]], and [[Sami languages]], which are Finno-Ugric languages distantly related to [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]. Due to the close proximity, however, there is still a great deal of borrowing from the Swedish and Norwegian languages in the Finnish, Estonian, and Sami languages.
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===Swedish speakers in Finland===
 
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In Finland, native Swedish speakers constitute a small, but influential, minority. All children are nonetheless [[Mandatory Swedish|taught Swedish]] at school. The [[ethnic nationalism|ethnic nationalist]] [[Fennoman]] movement in Finland began to fight for equal language rights for Finnish-speakers from the Swedish-speaking elite in the 1830s. Its motto, "Swedes we are no longer, Russians we will never become, so let us be Finns" was popular among Finns. The movement's goal was to promote the equal legal status of the Finnish language in a country where the official language of government was Swedish or Russian, despite the large majority of the population being Finnish-speakers.<ref>See "Introduction: Reflections on Political Thought in Finland", p. 9: "Fennoman cultural nationalism put an emphasis on the education and elevation of the people, and it became the leading force in the university sphere and in the bureaucracy. In the late 19th century Fennoman politics were more exclusively concentrated on the language question, trying to replace Swedish with Finnish."</ref> The revival of the language spoken by the majority was symbolized by the creation of the national epos [[Kalevala]] and by a new reverence for the Finno-Ugric folk culture. The Fennomans protested against Finnish participation in the Scandinavian exhibition in Stockholm 1866, arguing that it would "enforce the impression that Finland belonged culturally to the Scandinavian realm" and imply that Finland did not have its own history before 1809 but was "first and foremost a periphery of western civilisation".<ref name="meinander" /> The Fennoman movement met with resistance from the [[Svecoman]] movement and the Swedish elite.<ref>Kolehmainen, John Ilmari (1943). "Antti Jalava and Hungarian-Finnish Rapprochement". ''Slavonic and East European Review''. American Series, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Nov. 1943), pp. 167-174.</ref> [[Finland Swedish]] author [[Zacharias Topelius]] joined in the criticism of the Fennoman movement in 1872, when a rhetorical question was posed by a peasant member of the Finnish parliament. The peasant parliamentarian referred to the often-mentioned claim that Finland was in debt to Sweden for its western civilization and he asked if anyone could show him the original promissory note of this debt. According to Dr. Henrik Meinander, Professor, Department of History, [[University of Helsinki]], Finland, the rhetorical question was meant to emphasize that "Finns already stood on their own two feet and had bowed enough to the domestic Swedish-speaking elite." In response, Topelius wrote a poem arguing that the entire Finnish society was part of this promissory note.<ref name="meinander">Meinander, Henrik. (2002). "On the Brink or Between? The conception of Europe in Finnish identity". ''The Meaning of Europe''. Ed. Mikael af Malmborg and Bo Stråth. Oxford: Berg, 2002. ISBN 1-85973-576-2</ref> Finland's struggles and success in establishing a unique identity has been followed by scholars and journalists around the world.<ref>See for example: Agrawal, Subhash. [http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=62507 Finland: A Turnaround Success Story], The Financial Express, net edition, Mumbai, India, 1 Jul. 2004.</ref>
 
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The Russian Emperor [[Alexander II]], Grand Duke of Finland, had issued a decree already in 1863 that would secure equal status for Finnish in public affairs within the following two decades, but only in [[1902]] did Finnish language finally receive an equal official status with Swedish and Russian. In Finland today, the only exception to the equality between Finnish and Swedish languages is made on the [[Åland]] islands, in favour of the Swedish language. According to the county legislation<ref>[http://www.lagtinget.aland.fi/eng/act.html Act on the  Autonomy of Åland]. Published by the Parliament of Åland.</ref>, the region is unilingually Swedish-speaking.
 
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Finnish speakers constitute a minority in Sweden and Norway of similar relative size to the minority of Swedish speakers in Finland. There are also Finnic languages different from standard Finnish, known as [[Meänkieli]] in Sweden and [[Kven]] in Norway. The linguistic distance between the language families has often been seen by native speakers of each of these languages as indicative of a cultural distance, as well as a reason to consider the native Finnish speakers as a people separate from the ''Scandinavian'' culture group. <!--The paragraphs below seem to belong under a header concerning politics or Scandinavism. Consider reorganizing a tad.—>
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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During a period of [[Christianization]] and state formation in the [[10th century|10th]]-[[13th century|13th]] centuries, three consolidated kingdoms emerged in Scandinavia:
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[[Image:Norden pop density.gif|thumb|right|275px|[[Population density]] in the Nordic region (excluding [[Svalbard]])]]
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* Denmark, forged from the [[Lands of Denmark]] (including [[Jutland]], [[Zealand]] and [[Skåneland|Scania (Skåneland)]] on the Scandinavian Peninsula.<ref>Olrik Fredriksen, Britta (2002). "The History of Old Nordic Manuscripts IV: Old Danish". ''Nordic Languages: An International Handbook of the History of the North Germanic Languages''. Ed. Oskar Brandle et al. Walter De Gruyter Inc: Berlin, 2002. ISBN 3-11-014876-5</ref>. The island [[Gotland]] in modern-day Sweden was initially also part of the Danish realm.)
 
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* Sweden, forged from the [[Lands of Sweden]] on the Scandinavian Peninsula (excluding the provinces [[Bohuslän]], [[Härjedalen]], [[Jämtland]] and [[Älvdalen Municipality|Idre & Särna]],  [[Halland]], [[Blekinge]] and [[Scania]] of modern-day Sweden)
 
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* Norway (including [[Bohuslän]], [[Härjedalen]], [[Jämtland]] and [[Älvdalen Municipality|Idre & Särna]] on the Scandinavian Peninsula, and the islands [[Iceland]], [[Greenland]], [[Faroe Islands]], [[Shetland]], [[the Orkneys]], [[Isle of Man]] and the [[Hebrides]].)
 
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In the 1645 [[Treaty of Brömsebro]], Denmark-Norway ceded the Norwegian provinces of Jämtland, Härjedalen and Idre & Särna, as well as the Baltic Sea islands of Gotland and [[Ösel]] (in Estonia) to Sweden. The [[Treaty of Roskilde]], signed in 1658, forced Denmark-Norway to cede the Danish provinces Scania, Blekinge, Halland, [[Bornholm]] and the [[Trøndelag]] region of central Norway to Sweden. The 1660 [[Treaty of Copenhagen]] forced Sweden to return Bornholm and Trøndelag to Denmark-Norway, and to give up its recent claims to the island [[Funen]].<ref>"Treaty of Copenhagen" (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 9, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online.</ref> 
 
  
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===Scandinavian unions===
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The earliest records of human activity in Scandinavia are sparse and the interpretations of the records from the [[Nordic Stone Age]] (10,000 B.C.E. – 1700 B.C.E.) often conflict. The oldest [[Archaeology|archaeological]] evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of [[flint]] tools from 9500-9000 B.C.E. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day [[Sweden]] during the ensuing millenniums. Archaeological finds of this era are the [[petroglyph]]s of southern Sweden and [[Norway]], grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites. Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas. Societies in Sweden remained preliterate tribes and [[chiefdom]]s until the emergence of writing on [[rune stone]]s in the [[Viking Age]].  
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[[Image:Denmark-Norway in 1780.PNG|thumb|right|Denmark-Norway until 1814.]]
 
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The three Scandinavian kingdoms were united in [[1397]] in the [[Kalmar Union]] by Queen Margrete I of Denmark.  Sweden left the union in 1523 under King [[Gustav Vasa]]. In the aftermath of [[Sweden]]'s secession from the Kalmar Union, [[civil war]] broke out in Denmark and Norway. The [[Protestant Reformation]] followed. When things had settled down, the Norwegian [[Privy Council]] was abolished—it assembled for the last time in 1537. A [[personal union]], entered into by the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway in [[1536]], lasted until 1814. Three sovereign [[successor states]] have subsequently emerged from this unequal union: Denmark, Norway and Iceland.
 
  
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'''Denmark-Norway''' is the historiographical name for the former political union consisting of the kingdoms of [[Denmark]] and [[Norway]], including the Norwegian dependencies of [[Iceland]], [[Greenland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]]. The corresponding [[adjective]] and [[demonym]] is [[Dano-Norwegian (disambiguation)|Dano-Norwegian]]. During Danish rule, Norway kept its separate laws, coinage and army, as well as some institutions such as a royal [[chancellor]]. Norway's old royal line had died out with the death of [[Olav IV]],<ref>[http://www.kongehuset.no/dt_kongehuset_allAtOnce.asp?ogid=20&mgid=20&gid=51&aid= The Monarchy: Historical Background]. The Royal House of Norway. Official site, retrieved 9 Nov. 2006.</ref> but Norway's remaining a [[Hereditary Kingdom of Norway|hereditary kingdom]] was an important factor to the [[Oldenburg]] dynasty of Denmark-Norway in its struggles to win elections as kings of Denmark.  
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In 4200 B.C.E., fired pottery, systematic farming, and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of [[Mediterranean]]-style megalithic graves dated 3300-2000 B.C.E.. have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early [[hunter-gatherer]]s and [[agriculture|farmers]] were succeeded by a new ethnolinguistic group between 2500 and 2000 B.C.E., the so-called boat axe, battle axe, or single-grave people, named for their stone weapons and graves. They were [[Indo-European]] nomads from the eastern [[Urals]] who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia.  
  
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The Dano-Norwegian union was formally dissolved at the 1814 [[Treaty of Kiel]]. The territory of Norway proper was ceded to the King of [[Sweden]], but Norway's overseas possessions were kept by Denmark. However, widespread Norwegian resistance to the prospect of a union with Sweden induced the governor of Norway, crown prince Christian Frederick (later [[Christian VIII of Denmark]]), to call a constituent assembly at [[Eidsvoll]] in April of 1814. The assembly drew up a liberal constitution and elected him to the throne of Norway. Following a Swedish invasion during the summer, the peace conditions specified that king Christian Frederik had to resign, but Norway was to keep its independence and its constitution within a personal union with Sweden. Christian Frederik formally abdicated on [[August 10]] 1814 and returned to Denmark. The parliament [[Storting]] elected king [[Charles XIII]] of Sweden as king of Norway on [[November 4]].
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This period was followed by the [[Nordic Bronze Age]] (1700&ndash;500 B.C.E.), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the battle axe people.  
  
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The union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in [[1905]], after which Prince Charles of Denmark was elected king of Norway under the name of [[Haakon VII]].
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During the early stages of the Scandinavian Viking Age, Ystad in Scania and Paviken on Gotland, in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Norwegian and Danish Vikings traveled south and west; Swedish Vikings traveled east, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, and [[Russia]], whose name probably comes from the [[Slavic]] name for these Vikings: ''Rus''. Their routes followed the rivers of Russia south to [[Constantinople]], now present-day [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]].
  
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== Politics: Scandinavism ==
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Remains from 600-700 C.E.. of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad. In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the ninth and tenth century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbor with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era horded more silver than the rest of the Scandinavians combined.<ref>Birgit Sawyer and Peter Sawyer, ''Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800-1500'' (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1993, ISBN 0816617392).</ref>
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[[Image:skandinavism.jpg|thumb|left|Scandinavia as a 19th century political vision ([[Scandinavism]])]]
 
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:''See also [[Politics of Denmark]], [[Politics of Norway]] and [[Politics of Sweden]].''
 
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The modern usage of the term ''Scandinavia'' has been influenced by [[Scandinavism]] (the Scandinavist political movement), which was active in the middle of the [[19th century]], mainly between the [[First war of Schleswig]] ([[1848]]-[[1850]]), in which [[Sweden]] and [[Norway]] contributed with considerable military force, and the [[Second war of Schleswig]] ([[1864]]). In 1864, the Swedish parliament denounced the promises of military support made to Denmark by [[Charles XV of Sweden]]. The members of the Swedish parliament were wary of joining an alliance against the rising German power.
 
  
−
The Swedish king also proposed a unification of [[Denmark]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]] into a single United Kingdom. The background for the proposal was the tumultuous events during the [[Napoleonic wars]] in the beginning of the century. This war resulted in Finland (formerly the eastern third of Sweden) becoming the [[Russia]]n [[Grand Duchy of Finland]] in [[1809]] and [[Norway]] (''de jure'' in union with Denmark since [[1387]], although ''de facto'' treated as a [[province]]) becoming independent in [[1814]], but thereafter swiftly forced to accept a [[personal union]] with Sweden. The dependent territories [[Iceland]], the [[Faroe Islands]] and [[Greenland]], historically part of Norway, remained with Denmark in accordance with the [[Treaty of Kiel]]. Sweden and Norway were thus united under the Swedish monarch, but [[Finland]]'s inclusion in the [[Russian Empire]] excluded any possibility for a political union between Finland and any of the other Nordic countries.  
+
[[Saint Ansgar]] introduced [[Christianity]] around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace [[paganism]] until the twelfth century. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms, including struggles for territory and power.
 +
 +
During the period of Christianization and state formation in the tenth through thirteenth centuries, three consolidated kingdoms emerged in Scandinavia:
 +
* [[Denmark]], forged from the Lands of Denmark (including Jutland, Zealand and Scania (Skåneland) on the Scandinavian Peninsula.<ref>Britta Olrik Fredriksen, "The History of Old Nordic Manuscripts IV: Old Danish," in ''Nordic Languages: An International Handbook of the History of the North Germanic Languages'', edited by Oskar Brandle, et al. </ref>. The island [[Gotland]] in modern-day Sweden was initially also part of the Danish realm.
 +
* [[Sweden]], forged from the lands of Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula (excluding the provinces Bohuslän, Härjedalen, Jämtland, and Idre & Särna, Halland, Blekinge and Scania of modern-day Sweden).
 +
* [[Norway]] (including Bohuslän, Härjedalen, Jämtland, and Idre & Särna on the Scandinavian Peninsula, and the islands [[Iceland]], [[Greenland]], [[Faroe Islands]], [[Shetland]], [[Orkney]], the [[Isle of Man]], and the [[Hebrides]].)
  
−
The end of the Scandinavian political movement came when Denmark was denied the military support promised from [[Sweden]] and [[Norway]] to annex the (Danish) [[Duchy]] of [[Schleswig]], which together with the (German) Duchy of [[Holstein]] had been in [[personal union]] with Denmark. The Second war of Schleswig followed in [[1864]], a brief 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]] a Prussian-led [[German Empire]] was created, and a new [[Power (international)|power-balance]] of the [[Baltic sea countries]] was established.
+
===Scandinavian unions===
 +
[[Image:Denmark-Norway in 1780.PNG|thumb|right|250px|Denmark-Norway until 1814]]
 +
The three Scandinavian kingdoms were united in 1397 in the [[Kalmar Union]] by Queen [[Margrete I of Denmark]]. Sweden left the union in 1523 under King [[Gustav Vasa of Sweden|Gustav Vasa]]. After [[Sweden]]'s secession from the Kalmar Union, [[civil war]] broke out in Denmark and Norway. The [[Protestant Reformation]] followed. When order returned, the Norwegian Privy Council was abolished&mdash;it assembled for the last time in 1537. A personal union, entered into by the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway in 1536, lasted until 1814. Three sovereign successor states have subsequently emerged from this unequal union: Denmark, Norway, and Iceland.
  
−
Even if a Scandinavian political union never came about at this point, there was a [[Scandinavian Monetary Union]] established in [[1873]], lasting until [[World War I]], with the [[Swedish krona|Krona]]/[[Krone]] as the common currency.  
+
'''Denmark-Norway''' is the historiographical name for the former political union consisting of the kingdoms of [[Denmark]] and [[Norway]], including the Norwegian dependencies of [[Iceland]], [[Greenland]], and the [[Faroe Islands]]. Under Danish rule, Norway nonetheless kept its separate laws, coinage, and army, as well as some institutions such as a royal [[chancellor]]. Norway's old royal line had died out with the death of [[Olav IV of Norway|Olav IV]], but maintaining a hereditary kingdom was an essential factor for the Oldenburg dynasty of Denmark-Norway in its struggles to win elections as kings of Denmark.  
  
−
=== Historical political structure ===
+
In the 1645 [[Treaty of Brömsebro]], Denmark-Norway ceded the Norwegian provinces of Jämtland, Härjedalen, and Idre & Särna, as well as the [[Baltic Sea]] islands of Gotland and [[Ösel]] (in [[Estonia]]) to Sweden. The [[Treaty of Roskilde]], signed in 1658, forced Denmark-Norway to cede the Danish provinces Scania, Blekinge, Halland, Bornholm and the Trøndelag region of central Norway to Sweden. The 1660 [[Treaty of Copenhagen]] forced Sweden to return Bornholm and Trøndelag to Denmark-Norway, and to give up its recent claims to the island Funen.
−
{| class="wikitable"
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
|'''Century'''||colspan=6|'''Scandinavia''' and the Nordic Countries
 
−
|-
 
−
| width=10% bgcolor=#f6faff align=center | [[21th century|21st]]
 
−
| width=14% colspan=1 bgcolor=gold align=center|[[Denmark]] ([[EU]])
 
−
| width=14% colspan=1 rowspan=2 bgcolor=#ffc0c0 align=center|[[Faroes]]
 
−
| width=14% colspan=1 rowspan=2 bgcolor=#fafaff align=center|[[Iceland]]
 
−
| width=14% colspan=1 rowspan=2 bgcolor=#ccccff align=center|[[Norway]]
 
−
| width=14% colspan=1 bgcolor=gold align=center|[[Sweden]] ([[EU]])
 
−
| width=14% colspan=1 bgcolor=gold align=center|[[Finland]] ([[EU]])
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
|[[20th century|20th]]
 
−
| bgcolor=#ffc0c0 align=center|[[Denmark]]
 
−
| bgcolor=#ffff80 align=center|[[Sweden]]
 
−
| bgcolor=#efffef align=center|[[Finland]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[19th century|19th]]
 
−
| colspan=3 bgcolor=#ffc0c0|[[Denmark]]
 
−
| colspan=2 bgcolor=#fff8f8|[[Norway]] and [[Sweden]]
 
−
| bgcolor=#ff8080|''[[Grand Duchy of Finland|GD&nbsp;of&nbsp;Finland]]''
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[18th century|18th]]
 
−
| rowspan=3 colspan=4 bgcolor=#ffc0c0|[[Denmark-Norway]]
 
−
| rowspan=3 colspan=2 bgcolor=#ffff80|[[Sweden]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[17th century|17th]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[16th century|16th]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[15th century|15th]]
 
−
|colspan=6 bgcolor=#fff8f8|[[Kalmar Union]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[14th century|14th]]
 
−
| rowspan=3 bgcolor=#ffc0c0|[[Denmark]]
 
−
| colspan=3 rowspan=2 bgcolor=#ccccff|[[Norway]]
 
−
| rowspan=3 colspan=2 bgcolor=#ffff80|[[Sweden]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[13th century|13th]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
| [[12th century|12th]]
 
−
| bgcolor=#fafaff|[[Faroes]]
 
−
| bgcolor=#fafaff|[[Icelandic Commonwealth|Icelandic&nbsp;CW]]
 
−
| bgcolor=#ccccff|[[Norway]]
 
−
|- bgcolor=#f6faff align=center
 
−
|Peoples||[[Danes]]||[[Faroese]]¹||[[Icelanders]]¹||[[Norwegians]]||[[Swedes]]||[[Finns]]
 
−
|}
 
  
−
<small>1/ The original settlers of the [[Faroes]] and [[Iceland]] were of Nordic (mainly Norwegian) origin, with a considerable element of [[Celt|Celtic]] or [[Picts|Pictish]] origin (from [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]]) .</small>
+
The Dano-Norwegian union was formally dissolved at the 1814 [[Treaty of Kiel]]. The territory of Norway proper was ceded to the King of [[Sweden]], but Norway's overseas possessions were kept by Denmark. However, widespread Norwegian resistance to the prospect of a union with Sweden induced the governor of Norway, crown prince Christian Frederick (later [[Christian VIII of Denmark]]), to call a constituent assembly at Eidsvoll in April of 1814. The assembly drew up a liberal constitution and elected him to the throne of Norway. Following a Swedish invasion during the summer, the peace conditions specified that King Christian Frederik had to resign, but Norway was to keep its independence and its constitution within a personal union with Sweden. Christian Frederik formally abdicated on August 10, 1814 and returned to Denmark. The parliament elected King [[Charles XIII of Sweden]] as king of Norway on November 4.
  
−
== Population of the Nordic region==
+
The union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905, after which Prince Charles of Denmark was elected king of Norway under the name of [[Haakon VII of Norway|Haakon VII]].
−
[[Image:Norden pop density.gif|thumb|right|275px|[[Population density]] in the Nordic region (excluding [[Svalbard]]).]]
 
−
{| width=40%
 
−
!colspan=6 |<center><big>The largest municipalities in the Nordic countries
 
−
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
 
−
!width=10%|#
 
−
!width=15%|
 
−
!!width=50%|Municipality
 
−
!!width=70%|With a counted land area
 
−
!width=25%|Population
 
−
|-
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
== Politics: Scandinavism ==
−
|align=center|'''1'''
+
[[Image:skandinavism.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Scandinavia as a nineteenth century political vision&mdash;Scandinavism]]
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
 
−
|[[Stockholm]]
 
−
|align=right|187 km²
 
−
|align=right|774,411
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
The modern usage of the term "Scandinavia" has been influenced by ''Scandinavism'', the Scandinavist political movement which aimed to abolish absolute monarchy, propagated for a federalist state, including Sweden, Denmark and Norway. It was active in the middle of the nineteenth century, mainly following the First War of Schleswig (1848-1850), a prolonged conflict between Denmark and insurgents of the continental duchies of Jutland. Denmark retained its control of the Jutland, and in the intervening years before the Second War of Schleswig (1864), Sweden and Norway contributed considerable military force to the Danes. That year signaled the end of the Scandinavian political movement when the Swedish parliament denounced the promises of military support made to Denmark by [[Charles XV of Sweden]]: The members of the Swedish parliament were wary of joining an alliance against the rising [[German]] power. Denmark's attempts to annex the (Danish) Duchy of Schleswig, which together with the (German) Duchy of Holstein had been in personal union with Denmark led to the Second War of Schleswig followed in 1864, a brief but disastrous war between Denmark and [[Prussia]] (supported by [[Austria]]), despite successful [[North Sea]] blockades of the Prussian and Austrian navies by Denmark. Schleswig-Holstein was conquered by Prussia, and after Prussia's success in the [[Franco-Prussian War]], a Prussian-led German Empire was created, and a new power-balance of the Baltic Sea countries was established.
−
|align=center|'''2'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|FIN}}
 
−
|[[Helsinki]]
 
−
|align=right|184.47 km²
 
−
|align=right|562,570
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
The Swedish king also proposed a unification of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden into a single united kingdom. The background for the proposal was the tumultuous events during the [[Napoleonic wars]] in the beginning of the century. This war resulted in Finland (formerly the eastern third of Sweden) becoming the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809 and Norway (''de jure'' in union with Denmark since 1387, although de facto treated as a province) becoming independent in 1814, but thereafter swiftly forced to accept a personal union with Sweden. The dependent territories Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, historically part of Norway, remained with Denmark in accordance with the Treaty of Kiel. Sweden and Norway were thus united under the Swedish monarch, but Finland's inclusion in the Russian Empire excluded any possibility for a political union between Finland and any of the other Nordic countries.
−
|align=center|'''3'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|NOR}}
 
−
|[[Oslo]]
 
−
|align=right|426 km²
 
−
|align=right|541,822
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
A Scandinavian political union was not achieved; however, there was a Scandinavian Monetary Union established in 1873, lasting until [[World War I]], with the Krona/Krone as the common currency.
−
|align=center|'''4'''
+
<br clear="all"/>
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|DEN}}
 
−
|[[Copenhagen]]
 
−
|align=right|88 km²
 
−
|align=right|501,158
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
==Culture of Scandinavia==
−
|align=center|'''5'''
+
To the extent that the cultural identity of separate nations can be generalized, Scandinavia with its intertwined histories and changing boundaries can be characterized by inward-looking, outwardly influential societies that hold traditions close while accepting new people and ideas. Scandinavians cherish individual freedoms and place a high value on privacy, discretion, and tolerance. They play active roles in defensive and peace-keeping forces as members of [[NATO]] and the [[United Nations]].
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
 
−
|[[Gothenburg]]
 
−
|align=right|450 km²
 
−
|align=right|487,627
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
Having so much in common, distinctions hold importance. For Danes, their language represents their unique identity. For Finns, the history and traditions invoked by their national epic, the ''Kalevala'', tells their story. The Norwegians, and the Icelanders regard their Viking heritage with pride.
−
|align=center|'''6'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|DEN}}
 
−
|[[Århus]]
 
−
|align=right|468 km²
 
−
|align=right|295,513
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
A list of notable Scandinavians would include [[Eliel Saarinen]], who together with his son [[Eero Saarinen]], designed and built some of the most distinctive structures of the mid-twentieth century, first in their home country of Finland, and then later working in the [[United States]]. [[Edvard Grieg]], the Norwegian humanitarian [[musician]] is celebrated for his music and work for social justice. Authors as diverse as [[Hans Cristian Andersen]] and [[Isak Dinesen]] (Karen Blixen) represent the Danish tradition in literature. Sweden's [[Ingvar Kamprad]] founded what is considered the most successful mass-market retail business in the world, IKEA, in his family's barn as a child. [[Carl Larsson]] and [[Edvard Munch]] are two examples of the depth and variety of Scandinavian painting. Sweden and Norway share in the awarding of [[Nobel Prize]]s, the [[Nobel Prize#Nobel Prize in Peace|Peace Prize]] awarded in [[Oslo]], and the prizes for, among others, economics, chemistry, and literature being awarded in [[Stockholm]].
−
|align=center|'''7'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
 
−
|[[Malmö]]
 
−
|align=right|335.1 km²
 
−
|align=right|272,634
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
== Notes ==
−
|align=center|'''8'''
+
<references/>  
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|NOR}}
 
−
|[[Bergen, Norway|Bergen]]
 
−
|align=right|445 km²
 
−
|align=right|242,854
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''9'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|FIN}}
 
−
|[[Espoo]]
 
−
|align=right|312 km²
 
−
|align=right|229,443
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''10'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|FIN}}
 
−
|[[Tampere]]
 
−
|align=right|522.7 km²
 
−
|align=right|204,385
 
−
|}
 
−
<br>
 
−
{| width=40%
 
−
!colspan=6 |<center><big>Largest metropolitan areas in the Nordic countries
 
−
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
 
−
!width=10%|#
 
−
!width=15%|
 
−
!!width=50%|Metropolitan area
 
−
!!width=70%|With a counted land area
 
−
!width=25%|Population
 
−
|-
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''1'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|DEN}}
 
−
|[[Copenhagen]]
 
−
|align=right|2,862 km²
 
−
|align=right|1,873,667
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''2'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
 
−
|[[Stockholm]]
 
−
|align=right|6,490 km²
 
−
|align=right|1,823,210
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''3'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|FIN}}
 
−
|[[Helsinki]]
 
−
|align=right|
 
−
|align=right|1,225,000
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''4'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|NOR}}
 
−
|[[Oslo]]
 
−
|align=right|
 
−
|align=right|1,090,012
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''5'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
 
−
|[[Gothenburg]]
 
−
|align=right|3,717 km²
 
−
|align=right|884,401
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''6'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|DEN}}
 
−
|[[Århus]]
 
−
|align=right|
 
−
|align=right|661,013
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''7'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
 
−
|[[Malmö]]
 
−
|align=right|
 
−
|align=right|597,232
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''8'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|NOR}}
 
−
|[[Bergen, Norway|Bergen]]
 
−
|align=right|
 
−
|align=right|369,099
 
−
 
 
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
 
−
|align=center|'''9'''
 
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|FIN}}
 
−
|[[Tampere]]
 
−
|align=right|
 
−
|align=right|300,000
 
  
−
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
+
== References ==
−
|align=center|'''10'''
+
* Balsved, Johnny E. [http://navalhistory.dk/English/History/1848_1864/TheWars1848_50.htm The 1st Schleswig War 1848-1850], ''Danish Naval History'',September 22, 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
−
|align=center|{{flagicon|NOR}}
+
* Bandle, Oskar, Kurt Braunmuller, Ernst Hakon Jahr, Allan Karker, Hans-Peter Naumann, and Ulf Teleman (eds.). ''The Nordic Languages: An International Handbook of the History of the North Germanic Languages''. Mouton De Gruyter, 2005. ISBN 978-3110171495
−
|[[Stavanger]]
+
* Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. ''Scandinavian Mythology'', London: Hamlyn, 1969. ISBN 0600036375
−
|align=right|
+
* Elting, John Robert. ''Battles for Scandinavia''. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1981. ISBN 0809433974
−
|align=right|275,814
+
* Heaney, Seamus. ''Beowulf: A New Verse Translation''. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux,  2000. ISBN 0374111197
−
|}
+
* Jones, Gwyn. ''A History of the Vikings''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968.
−
 
+
* Nordstrom, Byron. ''Scandinavia Since 1500''. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. ISBN 0816620989
−
==See also==
+
* Sawyer, Birgit, and Peter Sawyer. ''Medieval Scandinavia: From Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800-1500''. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392
−
*[[Nordic countries]]
+
* Sichel, Marion. ''Scandinavia'' (National Costume Reference). New York: Chelsea House, 1987. ISBN 1555467393
−
*[[Baltic region]]
+
* Time-Life Books. ''Scandinavia'' (Library of Nations). Amsterdam: Time-Life Books, 1985. ISBN 080945310X
−
*[[Thule]]
 
−
*[[Northern Europe]]
 
−
*[[Scandza]]
 
−
*[[Nordic Cross Flag]]
 
−
 
 
−
== Footnotes ==
 
−
<div class="references-small">
 
−
<references/>
 
−
</div>
 
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
−
{{Commonscat|Scandinavia}}
+
All links retrieved January 25, 2023.  
−
<!---*[http://www.julebyen. com/ Christmas im Scandinavia] - Official Website of the Lillehammer Tourist Board in Norway---><!---this is a local tourist board website and not about Scandinavia in general, but about Lillehammer. It needs to be moved to the Norway or Lillehammer article. If all the cities in Scandinavia link their Christmas sites in this article, we'll have a virtual link farm here--->
 
−
*[http://www.goscandinavia.com/ Go Scandinavia] - Official Website of the Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America
 
−
*[http://www.norden.org/start/start.asp?lang=6 Nordic Council] - Official site for co-operation in the Nordic region
 
−
*[http://www.nordregio.se/ Nordregio] - Site established by the Nordic Council of Ministers
 
−
*[http://www.scandinaviahouse.org/ Scandinavia House] - The Nordic Center in New York, run by the [http://www.amscan.org/ American-Scandinavian Foundation]
 
−
*[http://www.scandinavianews.com/ Scandinavia News] - Scandinavia news and analysis of current events
 
−
*[http://www.scandinavianow.com/ Scandinavia Now] - Nordic business news in English
 
−
*[http://www.scandinavica.com/culture/index.htm Scandinavica] - Monthly magazine about Scandinavia
 
−
*[http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/scandinavia/ Historical atlas of Scandinavia] - Personal web site of Örjan Martinsson
 
−
*[http://downloads.raileurope.com/map_europe/scandinavia.html ReRailEurope] - A Railway map of Scandinavia (flash file)
 
  
−
[[Category:Nations and places]]
+
*[http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/scandinavia/ Tacitus Historical Atlas of Scandinavia]
−
[[Category:Geographical areas]]
+
*[https://www.lonelyplanet.com/scandinavia Scandinavia] ''Lonely Planet''
  
 
{{credit|119213762}}
 
{{credit|119213762}}
 +
 +
[[Category:Geography]]
 +
[[Category:Global regions]]

Latest revision as of 02:32, 21 April 2023

Map of Scandinavia and Northern Europe

Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region including the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is characterized by common ethno-cultural heritage and mutually intelligible North Germanic languages.

The term has also been used to refer to the Scandinavian Peninsula or to the broader region more correctly known as the Nordic countries which includes Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. In linguistic terms, Scandinavia can be expanded to include the areas where Old Norse was spoken and where the North Germanic languages are now dominant, thus also including Iceland and the Faroe Islands. However, the Finns form a distinct linguistic and ethnic group, with a Finno-Ugric population that has incorporated features from both Eastern and Western Europe.

Terminology and usage

Red: the three monarchies that compose Scandinavia according to the strictest definition; Orange: the possible extended usage; Yellow: the maximal extended usage that takes Scandinavia as synonymous to the Nordic countries
Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the Kola Peninsula

Being a purely historical and cultural region, Scandinavia has no official geopolitical borders. The region is therefore often defined according to the conventions of different disciplines or according to the political and cultural aims of different communities of the area.[1]

One example of the Scandinavian region as a political and cultural construct is the unique position of Finland. The creation of a Finnish identity is unique in the region in that it was forged in the decolonization struggles against two different imperial models, the Swedish[2] and the Russian,[3] The situation is described as follows:

The construction of a specific Finnish polity is the result of successful decolonization. The politico-cultural location of Finland is a moving one. It has shifted from being a province in the Swedish Empire to an autonomous unit in ‘Eastern’ Europe, then to an independent state in ‘Northern’ Europe or ‘Scandinavia. After the joining the European Union, Finland has recently been included in ‘Western Europe’.[4]

Usage in geography

Geographically, the Scandinavian Peninsula includes what is today mainland Sweden and mainland Norway. A small part of northwestern Finland is sometimes also considered part of the peninsula. In physiography, Denmark is considered part of the North European Plain, rather than the geologically distinct Scandinavian Peninsula mainly occupied by Norway and Sweden. However, Denmark has historically included the region of Scania on the Scandinavian Peninsula. For this reason, but even more for cultural and linguistic reasons, Denmark—Jutland on the Jutland peninsula of the European continent, along with Zealand and the other islands in the Danish archipelago—is typically considered part of the Scandinavian region also by the Scandinavians themselves.

Variations in usage

A wider definition of Scandinavia, sometimes used in the English-speaking world, includes Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. However, this larger region is officially known as the “Nordic Countries,” a political entity and cultural region where the ties between the countries are not only historical and cultural, but based on official membership.

The use of the name Scandinavia as a convenient general term for the peninsula region is fairly recent. According to some historians, it was adopted and introduced only in the eighteenth century, at a time when the ideas about a common heritage took root and began to appear as literary and linguistic Scandinavism.[5] Before this time, the term Scandinavia was familiar mainly to classical scholars through Pliny the Elder's writings, and was used vaguely for Scania and the southern region of the peninsula. The popular usage of the term as a unifying concept in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway became more firmly established in the nineteenth century, through poems such Hans Christian Andersen's "I am a Scandinavian" of 1839. After a visit to Sweden, Andersen became a supporter of early political Scandinavism and in a letter describing the poem to a friend, he wrote:

All at once I understood how related the Swedes, the Danes and the Norwegians are, and with this feeling I wrote the poem immediately after my return: 'We are one people, we are called Scandinavians!'[6]

The historic popular usage is also reflected in the name chosen for the shared, multi-national airline, Scandinavian Airlines System, a carrier originally owned jointly by the governments and private investors of the three countries.

Usage by cultural and tourist organizations

The use of the term Scandinavian for the culture of the Nordic region is reflected in the name chosen for the various promotional agencies of the Nordic countries in the United States and around the world, such as The American-Scandinavian Foundation, established in 1910 by the Danish-American industrialist Niels Poulsen. Today, the five Nordic heads of state serve as the organization's patrons and according to the official statement by the organization, its mission is "to promote the Nordic region as a whole while increasing the visibility of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in New York City and the United States."[7]

The official tourist boards of Scandinavia sometimes cooperate under one umbrella, such as the Scandinavian Tourist Board. The cooperation was introduced for the Asian market in 1986, when the Swedish national tourist board joined the Danish national tourist board to coordinate international promotions of the two countries. Norway entered one year later. Together with Finland, these Nordic countries participate in joint promotional efforts in the United States through the Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America.[8]

The Nordic Countries vs. Scandinavia

Flag of the Nordic Council

The term “Scandinavia” is most commonly used for Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; the term “Nordic countries” is used unambiguously for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, including:

  • Faroe Islands (an autonomous region of Denmark since 1948)
  • Greenland (a self-governing Danish territory since 1979)
  • Åland (an autonomous province of Finland since 1920)
  • Jan Mayen (an integrated geographical body of Norway)
  • Svalbard (under Norwegian sovereignty since 1920)

Estonia has applied for membership in the Nordic Council, based on its cultural heritage and close linguistic links to Finland, despite Estonia's being regarded as one of the Baltic countries. All Baltic states have shared historical events with the Nordic countries, including Scandinavia, over the centuries.

The terms Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are used to include the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia, Finland, and occasionally Denmark under the same term, alluding to the Baltic Shield, even though Denmark is on the North European Plain.

Geography

The three large "royal mounds" at Gamla Uppsala

The geography of Scandinavia is extremely varied. Notable are the Norwegian fjords, the Scandinavian Mountains, the flat, low areas in Denmark, and the archipelagos of Sweden and Norway. When Finland is included, the moraines (ice age remnants) and lake areas are also notable. The Scandinavian Peninsula measures roughly 1,245 miles (2,000 kilometers) north to south.

The climate varies from north to south and from west to east; a marine west coast climate typical of western Europe dominates in Denmark, southernmost part of Sweden and along the west coast of Norway reaching north to 65° North, with orographic lift giving more than 78 inches (2,000 millimeters) per year precipitation (maximum of 138 inches or 3,500 millimeters) in some areas in western Norway.

The central part—from Oslo to Stockholm—has a humid continental climate, which gradually gives way to subarctic climate further north and cool marine west coast climate along the northwestern coast. A small area along the northern coast east of North Cape has tundra climate due to lack of summer warmth. The Scandinavian Mountains block the mild and moist air coming from the southwest, thus northern Sweden and Finnmarksvidda plateau in Norway receive little precipitation and have cold winters. Large areas in the Scandinavian Mountains have alpine tundra climate.

Scandinavian languages

The codified standard languages of Scandinavia are often classified as belonging to either an East Scandinavian branch (Norwegian, Danish and Swedish) or a West Scandinavian branch (New Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese).

Most dialects of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish are mutually intelligible, and Scandinavians can easily understand each other's standard languages as they appear in print and are heard on radio and television. The reason why Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian are traditionally viewed as different languages rather than dialects of one common language is that they each are well-established standard languages in their respective countries.

They are related to, but not mutually intelligible with, the other North Germanic languages, Icelandic and Faroese, which are descended from Old West Norse. Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian have, since medieval times, been influenced to varying degrees by Middle Low German and standard German. A substantial amount of that influence was a by-product of the economic activity generated by the Hanseatic League.

Norwegians are accustomed to variation, and may perceive Danish and Swedish only as slightly more distant dialects. This is because they have two official written standards, in addition to the habit of strongly holding on to local dialects. The people of Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark, have the greatest difficulty in understanding other Nordic languages.[9]

For people who are studying Scandinavian languages, basic Norwegian is often the first language learned. This is because Norwegian is extremely similar to written Danish, and also very similar to oral Swedish. They can thus easily expand their knowledge further.

The Scandinavian languages are, as a language family, entirely unrelated to Finnish, Estonian, and Sami languages, which are Finno-Ugric languages distantly related to Hungarian. Due to the close proximity, however, there is still a great deal of borrowing from the Swedish and Norwegian languages in the Finnish, Estonian, and Sami languages.

History

Population density in the Nordic region (excluding Svalbard)

The earliest records of human activity in Scandinavia are sparse and the interpretations of the records from the Nordic Stone Age (10,000 B.C.E. – 1700 B.C.E.) often conflict. The oldest archaeological evidence of human habitation in Scandinavia has been found in what is now Denmark and consists of flint tools from 9500-9000 B.C.E. Some scholars argue that the population slowly spread into what is present-day Sweden during the ensuing millenniums. Archaeological finds of this era are the petroglyphs of southern Sweden and Norway, grave goods from several large burial mounds, and offering finds from what is believed to have been sacrificial sites. Because of the wide access to water, Sweden's early inhabitants came in waves from many surrounding areas. Societies in Sweden remained preliterate tribes and chiefdoms until the emergence of writing on rune stones in the Viking Age.

In 4200 B.C.E., fired pottery, systematic farming, and permanent settlements developed in southern Scandinavia and spread northward. Hundreds of Mediterranean-style megalithic graves dated 3300-2000 B.C.E. have been found in Denmark and southern Sweden. The early hunter-gatherers and farmers were succeeded by a new ethnolinguistic group between 2500 and 2000 B.C.E., the so-called boat axe, battle axe, or single-grave people, named for their stone weapons and graves. They were Indo-European nomads from the eastern Urals who spread across much of northern Europe and may have also established cultural dominance over the earlier peoples of southern and central Scandinavia.

This period was followed by the Nordic Bronze Age (1700–500 B.C.E.), one of the richest periods in the Nordic region, especially in southern Scandinavia. The conditions were geologically and topographically very similar to those in the modern-day Scandinavian landscape, but the climate was milder. An elite is believed to have emerged during this period, a chieftain-trader class with possible roots in the social structure of the battle axe people.

During the early stages of the Scandinavian Viking Age, Ystad in Scania and Paviken on Gotland, in present-day Sweden, were flourishing trade centers. Norwegian and Danish Vikings traveled south and west; Swedish Vikings traveled east, going to Finland, the Baltic countries, and Russia, whose name probably comes from the Slavic name for these Vikings: Rus. Their routes followed the rivers of Russia south to Constantinople, now present-day Istanbul, Turkey.

Remains from 600-700 C.E. of what is believed to have been a large market have been found in Ystad. In Paviken, an important center of trade in the Baltic region during the ninth and tenth century, remains have been found of a large Viking Age harbor with shipbuilding yards and handicraft industries. Between 800 and 1000, trade brought an abundance of silver to Gotland and according to some scholars, the Gotlanders of this era horded more silver than the rest of the Scandinavians combined.[10]

Saint Ansgar introduced Christianity around 829, but the new religion did not begin to fully replace paganism until the twelfth century. The period between 1100 and 1400 was characterized by internal power struggles and competition among the Nordic kingdoms, including struggles for territory and power.

During the period of Christianization and state formation in the tenth through thirteenth centuries, three consolidated kingdoms emerged in Scandinavia:

  • Denmark, forged from the Lands of Denmark (including Jutland, Zealand and Scania (Skåneland) on the Scandinavian Peninsula.[11]. The island Gotland in modern-day Sweden was initially also part of the Danish realm.
  • Sweden, forged from the lands of Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula (excluding the provinces Bohuslän, Härjedalen, Jämtland, and Idre & Särna, Halland, Blekinge and Scania of modern-day Sweden).
  • Norway (including Bohuslän, Härjedalen, Jämtland, and Idre & Särna on the Scandinavian Peninsula, and the islands Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney, the Isle of Man, and the Hebrides.)

Scandinavian unions

Denmark-Norway until 1814

The three Scandinavian kingdoms were united in 1397 in the Kalmar Union by Queen Margrete I of Denmark. Sweden left the union in 1523 under King Gustav Vasa. After Sweden's secession from the Kalmar Union, civil war broke out in Denmark and Norway. The Protestant Reformation followed. When order returned, the Norwegian Privy Council was abolished—it assembled for the last time in 1537. A personal union, entered into by the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway in 1536, lasted until 1814. Three sovereign successor states have subsequently emerged from this unequal union: Denmark, Norway, and Iceland.

Denmark-Norway is the historiographical name for the former political union consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. Under Danish rule, Norway nonetheless kept its separate laws, coinage, and army, as well as some institutions such as a royal chancellor. Norway's old royal line had died out with the death of Olav IV, but maintaining a hereditary kingdom was an essential factor for the Oldenburg dynasty of Denmark-Norway in its struggles to win elections as kings of Denmark.

In the 1645 Treaty of Brömsebro, Denmark-Norway ceded the Norwegian provinces of Jämtland, Härjedalen, and Idre & Särna, as well as the Baltic Sea islands of Gotland and Ösel (in Estonia) to Sweden. The Treaty of Roskilde, signed in 1658, forced Denmark-Norway to cede the Danish provinces Scania, Blekinge, Halland, Bornholm and the Trøndelag region of central Norway to Sweden. The 1660 Treaty of Copenhagen forced Sweden to return Bornholm and Trøndelag to Denmark-Norway, and to give up its recent claims to the island Funen.

The Dano-Norwegian union was formally dissolved at the 1814 Treaty of Kiel. The territory of Norway proper was ceded to the King of Sweden, but Norway's overseas possessions were kept by Denmark. However, widespread Norwegian resistance to the prospect of a union with Sweden induced the governor of Norway, crown prince Christian Frederick (later Christian VIII of Denmark), to call a constituent assembly at Eidsvoll in April of 1814. The assembly drew up a liberal constitution and elected him to the throne of Norway. Following a Swedish invasion during the summer, the peace conditions specified that King Christian Frederik had to resign, but Norway was to keep its independence and its constitution within a personal union with Sweden. Christian Frederik formally abdicated on August 10, 1814 and returned to Denmark. The parliament elected King Charles XIII of Sweden as king of Norway on November 4.

The union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905, after which Prince Charles of Denmark was elected king of Norway under the name of Haakon VII.

Politics: Scandinavism

Scandinavia as a nineteenth century political vision—Scandinavism

The modern usage of the term "Scandinavia" has been influenced by Scandinavism, the Scandinavist political movement which aimed to abolish absolute monarchy, propagated for a federalist state, including Sweden, Denmark and Norway. It was active in the middle of the nineteenth century, mainly following the First War of Schleswig (1848-1850), a prolonged conflict between Denmark and insurgents of the continental duchies of Jutland. Denmark retained its control of the Jutland, and in the intervening years before the Second War of Schleswig (1864), Sweden and Norway contributed considerable military force to the Danes. That year signaled the end of the Scandinavian political movement when the Swedish parliament denounced the promises of military support made to Denmark by Charles XV of Sweden: The members of the Swedish parliament were wary of joining an alliance against the rising German power. Denmark's attempts to annex the (Danish) Duchy of Schleswig, which together with the (German) Duchy of Holstein had been in personal union with Denmark led to the Second War of Schleswig followed in 1864, a brief but disastrous war between Denmark and Prussia (supported by Austria), despite successful North Sea blockades of the Prussian and Austrian navies by Denmark. Schleswig-Holstein was conquered by Prussia, and after Prussia's success in the Franco-Prussian War, a Prussian-led German Empire was created, and a new power-balance of the Baltic Sea countries was established.

The Swedish king also proposed a unification of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden into a single united kingdom. The background for the proposal was the tumultuous events during the Napoleonic wars in the beginning of the century. This war resulted in Finland (formerly the eastern third of Sweden) becoming the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland in 1809 and Norway (de jure in union with Denmark since 1387, although de facto treated as a province) becoming independent in 1814, but thereafter swiftly forced to accept a personal union with Sweden. The dependent territories Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, historically part of Norway, remained with Denmark in accordance with the Treaty of Kiel. Sweden and Norway were thus united under the Swedish monarch, but Finland's inclusion in the Russian Empire excluded any possibility for a political union between Finland and any of the other Nordic countries.

A Scandinavian political union was not achieved; however, there was a Scandinavian Monetary Union established in 1873, lasting until World War I, with the Krona/Krone as the common currency.

Culture of Scandinavia

To the extent that the cultural identity of separate nations can be generalized, Scandinavia with its intertwined histories and changing boundaries can be characterized by inward-looking, outwardly influential societies that hold traditions close while accepting new people and ideas. Scandinavians cherish individual freedoms and place a high value on privacy, discretion, and tolerance. They play active roles in defensive and peace-keeping forces as members of NATO and the United Nations.

Having so much in common, distinctions hold importance. For Danes, their language represents their unique identity. For Finns, the history and traditions invoked by their national epic, the Kalevala, tells their story. The Norwegians, and the Icelanders regard their Viking heritage with pride.

A list of notable Scandinavians would include Eliel Saarinen, who together with his son Eero Saarinen, designed and built some of the most distinctive structures of the mid-twentieth century, first in their home country of Finland, and then later working in the United States. Edvard Grieg, the Norwegian humanitarian musician is celebrated for his music and work for social justice. Authors as diverse as Hans Cristian Andersen and Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) represent the Danish tradition in literature. Sweden's Ingvar Kamprad founded what is considered the most successful mass-market retail business in the world, IKEA, in his family's barn as a child. Carl Larsson and Edvard Munch are two examples of the depth and variety of Scandinavian painting. Sweden and Norway share in the awarding of Nobel Prizes, the Peace Prize awarded in Oslo, and the prizes for, among others, economics, chemistry, and literature being awarded in Stockholm.

Notes

  1. ↑ Kenneth R. Olwig, "Introduction: The Nature of Cultural Heritage, and the Culture of Natural Heritage—Northern Perspectives on a Contested Patrimony." International Journal of Heritage Studies 11(1) (March 2005): 3-7.
  2. ↑ U.S. Library of Congress, Country Studies, Finland and the Swedish Empire. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  3. ↑ U.S. Library of Congress, Country Studies, The Rise of Finnish Nationalism. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  4. ↑ Reflections on Political Thought in Finland Finnish Yearbook of Political Thought (Jyväskylä University Printing House, Jyväskylä, 1997). Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  5. ↑ Uffe Østergård, "The Geopolitics of Nordic Identity – From Composite States to Nation States." The Cultural Construction of Norden, Edited by Øystein Sørensen and Bo Stråth (Oslo: Scandinavian University Press, 1997), 25-71.
  6. ↑ Hans Christian Andersen and Music - I am a Scandinavian, The Royal Library of Denmark, the National Library and Copenhagen University Library. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  7. ↑ The American-Scandinavian Foundation, About the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ The Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  9. ↑ “Urban misunderstandings,” Norden This Week, January 14, 2005.
  10. ↑ Birgit Sawyer and Peter Sawyer, Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800-1500 (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1993, ISBN 0816617392).
  11. ↑ Britta Olrik Fredriksen, "The History of Old Nordic Manuscripts IV: Old Danish," in Nordic Languages: An International Handbook of the History of the North Germanic Languages, edited by Oskar Brandle, et al.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Balsved, Johnny E. The 1st Schleswig War 1848-1850, Danish Naval History,September 22, 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  • Bandle, Oskar, Kurt Braunmuller, Ernst Hakon Jahr, Allan Karker, Hans-Peter Naumann, and Ulf Teleman (eds.). The Nordic Languages: An International Handbook of the History of the North Germanic Languages. Mouton De Gruyter, 2005. ISBN 978-3110171495
  • Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. Scandinavian Mythology, London: Hamlyn, 1969. ISBN 0600036375
  • Elting, John Robert. Battles for Scandinavia. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1981. ISBN 0809433974
  • Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000. ISBN 0374111197
  • Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968.
  • Nordstrom, Byron. Scandinavia Since 1500. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. ISBN 0816620989
  • Sawyer, Birgit, and Peter Sawyer. Medieval Scandinavia: From Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800-1500. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1993. ISBN 0816617392
  • Sichel, Marion. Scandinavia (National Costume Reference). New York: Chelsea House, 1987. ISBN 1555467393
  • Time-Life Books. Scandinavia (Library of Nations). Amsterdam: Time-Life Books, 1985. ISBN 080945310X

External links

All links retrieved January 25, 2023.

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