Scandinavia | |
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 Photo of the Fennoscandian Peninsula and Denmark, as well as other areas surrounding the Baltic Sea, in March 2002 | |
| Languages | |
| Demonym(s) | Scandinavian |
| Composition |  Denmark Norway Sweden[4]Sometimes also:  Åland Faroe Islands Finland Iceland[5]
Nordic territories that are not part of Scandinavia: Bouvet Island Greenland Jan Mayen Svalbard |
| Internet TLD | |
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Scandinavia is a subregion of Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. Scandinavia most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also refer to the Scandinavian Peninsula (which excludes Denmark but includes a part of northern Finland). In English usage, Scandinavia is sometimes used as a synonym for Nordic countries.[6] Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes included in Scandinavia for their ethnolinguistic relations with Sweden, Norway and Denmark. While Finland differs from other Nordic countries in this respect, some authors call it Scandinavian due to its economic and cultural similarities.[4][5]
The geography of the region is varied, from the Norwegian fjords in the west and Scandinavian mountains covering parts of Norway and Sweden, to the low and flat areas of Denmark in the south, as well as archipelagos and lakes in the east. Most of the population in the region live in the more temperate southern regions, with the northern parts having long, cold winters.
The region became notable during the Viking Age, when Scandinavian peoples participated in large-scale raiding, conquest, colonization and trading mostly throughout Europe. They also used their longships for exploration, becoming the first Europeans to reach North America. These exploits saw the establishment of the North Sea Empire which comprised large parts of Scandinavia and Great Britain, though it was relatively short-lived. Scandinavia was eventually Christianized, and the coming centuries saw various unions of Scandinavian nations, most notably the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which lasted for over 100 years until the Swedish king Gustav I led Sweden to independence. It also saw numerous wars between the nations, which shaped the modern borders. The most recent union was the union between Sweden and Norway, which ended in 1905.
In modern times the region has prospered, with the economies of the countries being amongst the strongest in Europe. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Finland all maintain welfare systems considered to be generous, with the economic and social policies of the countries being dubbed the "Nordic model".
- ^ "Languages". Nordic Cooperation. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Landes, David (1 July 2009). "Swedish becomes official 'main language'". The Local (Se). Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ "Samisk". Språkrådet. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Definition of Scandinavia in English". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
A large peninsula in north-western Europe, occupied by Norway and Sweden [...] A cultural region consisting of the countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark and sometimes also of Iceland, Finland, and the Faroe Islands
- ^ a b "Scandinavia". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
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. Some authorities argue for the inclusion of Finland on geologic and economic grounds and of Iceland and the Faroe Islands on the grounds that their inhabitants speak Scandinavian languages related to those of Norway and Sweden and also have similar cultures.
- ^ "Nordic countries". Britannica. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
The term [Nordic] is sometimes used interchangeably with Scandinavia. [...] Scandinavia is typically defined more restrictively, however, and refers primarily to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.