Countries included in Scandinavia. Scandinavian countries of Europe. Which countries belong to Scandinavia? Leaving their children on the street

Scandinavia is a historical region in Northern Europe characterized by a common ethnocultural North Germanic heritage and related languages.

This region consists of three kingdoms, and. Modern Norway and Sweden are characterized by their location on the Scandinavian Peninsula, and modern Denmark is located on Jutland and the small Danish islands.

The term Scandinavia is usually used as a cultural definition, but it also refers to a geographical area - the Scandinavian Peninsula, which takes its name from the corresponding cultural-linguistic concept. The name Scandinavia is thought to have been derived from the former Danish, now Swedish, region of Scania. The designations Scandinavia and Scandinavian came into use in the late 18th century as definitions for the three Scandinavian countries, which have a predominant Germanic population and interconnected languages and a common culture. Sometimes the term Scandinavia is also applied to the Faroe Islands, mainly due to the location and long-standing historical connections.

For a long time, the southern regions have been the most populated, mainly due to the temperate climate. Scandinavia extends beyond the Arctic Circle, but thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream, that is, a warm ocean current, the weather for such latitudes is quite mild. Most of the Scandinavian mountains have an alpine tundra climate. There are many lakes, moraines and glaciers dating back to the last ice age.

Ethnos

Danish, Norwegian and Swedish form a dialect continuum, and are known as a group of Scandinavian languages, all of which are mutually intelligible, although Danish is slightly closer to Norwegian. Faroese and Icelandic are sometimes called the island Scandinavian languages, although in relation to the continental ones they are only intelligible to a certain extent. Finnish, Estonian, Sami and several other smaller languages that have a small distribution in Scandinavia are related to each other, but do not overlap with the Scandinavian languages.

The vast majority of the human population of Scandinavia is a small-ethnic population, whose ancestors migrated from several Germanic tribes and settled on the shores of modern Denmark.

In academic literature, Scandinavia usually includes Denmark, Norway and Sweden, but some often tourist-oriented sources also include Finland and Iceland, generalizing them into the Nordic countries.

Term

The use of the name Scandinavia as an umbrella term for the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden began relatively recently. According to some historians, the term was adopted and coined in the eighteenth century, during which ideas about a common, unified heritage began to emerge and develop in early literature describing the relatedness of the three countries.

The term Scandinavia was popularized and established as a unifying concept in the nineteenth century by Hans Christian Andersen's 1839 poem "I Am a Scandinavian." After his visit to Sweden, Andersen became a supporter of Scandinavianism, which was emerging at that time. In a letter describing the poem and sent to his friend, Hans wrote: “I suddenly realized how close Sweden, Denmark and Norway are, and with this feeling, after returning from Sweden, I immediately wrote the poem: “We are one people, we are called Scandinavians!” ."

The term Scandinavia is often used in politics, with the most striking examples of such use occurring at rallies in Finland. After all, for hundreds of years the country was subordinate to the Kingdom of Sweden, which introduced part of its language, customs and culture into the way of life of the Finns. And such factors, as well as the close geographical location, make it possible to put Finland on the list of Scandinavian countries.

While the term Scandinavia is usually used for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the term Nordic or Nordic countries is used for Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Thus Scandinavia can be considered a subset of the Nordic countries. In addition, the term Finnoscandinavia refers to Scandinavia, Finland and Karelia, but excludes Denmark and other overseas territories, because it has geographical restrictions.

Scandinavia map

Nature

The geography of Scandinavia is extremely diverse. Notable are the Scandinavian mountains, plateaus, low-lying valleys and archipelagos. The eastern part is dominated by hills with many lakes and moraines, the southern lowlands are indented by river valleys, and the western and northern parts are dominated by mountains.

The climate varies both from north to south and from west to east. The west coast is dominated by a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The central part is dominated by a humid continental climate, gradually turning into a subarctic climate in the north.

National Geographic - Scandinavia

How to get there

When planning a trip across Scandinavia, it is important to create a complete route and select the starting and ending points of the trip. Typically, these points are large cities with an airport and convenient connections to other places of the planned trip.

So, for Scandinavia, the most convenient starting point will be the capital of Denmark - Copenhagen, since it is the southernmost of the major cities, and from it it is convenient to plan the most complete route through the entire region with an end point in Helsinki, from which buses constantly run to St. Petersburg .

Tickets to Copenhagen from Moscow can be found in the range of 4,000 - 10,000 rubles per person. And from the airport in the Danish capital to the city center can be reached in 15 minutes by public transport.

Scandinavian countries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many people associate Scandinavia with fairy tales, pure nature, ski resorts, and chocolate. However, this concept contains much more meaning and can give travelers much more than just walking.

What is Scandinavia

Geographically, Scandinavia is a region consisting of four countries. All these countries belong to Northern Europe. They are connected not only geographically, but have similar ethnic cultures and similar languages.

Scandinavia

Scandinavian countries and their capitals. Location on the world map

Scandinavia includes Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.

Geographically, Scandinavia extends beyond the Arctic Circle, however, the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current, warms this area and softens the weather. It is thanks to this warm current that the Scandinavian mountains have an alpine tundra climate. Nature will delight travelers with lakes and ancient glaciers.

Scandinavia covers the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Jutland Peninsula and the adjacent islands of Gotland, Zealand and others.

Scandinavian Peninsula on the world map – located in the northwestern part of Europe

Sometimes Scandinavia is considered in a broader concept, including Finland and the North Atlantic islands, thereby bringing together the concepts of Scandinavia and the “Northern European Countries”. But in this case it is more correct to use the term Fennoscandia rather than Scandinavia.

Language

The languages of the countries belonging to Scandinavia are related to each other and are very similar. Most of the indigenous population consists of the ancestors of emigrant Germanic tribes who settled in what is now Denmark.

Opinions vary about which countries belong to Scandinavia. Some scientists include Denmark, Norway and Sweden in this group. However, other sources join this group in Finland and Iceland. Such a union is called the Nordic countries.

Term Scandinavia

The term itself appeared relatively recently, just a couple of hundred years ago. It was at that time, historians believe, that the idea was accepted that these countries had one common heritage.

The term is used by politicians, scientists and, of course, tour operators to designate Scandinavia and where it is located on the world map. Due to the fact that Scandinavia is spread over a fairly large area, its climate is very diverse. Tourists can find mountains, valleys and archipelagos in Scandinavia. In the east of this territory you can find lakes and hills, and in the south there are lowlands and river valleys. In the west and north you can enjoy mountainous terrain.

Scandinavia

The climate is completely different both in the north and in the west. It changes in two directions. If in the western part of Scandinavia the climate can be called maritime, then in the center the climate takes on a more continental character. In the north you can find a subarctic climate.

Thus, on the west coast tourists will encounter cool summers and warm winters, in the center of Scandinavia there will be warm summers and cold winters, while in the north there is practically no summer.

Sights of Scandinavia

Chernan Tower

This building is located in the Swedish city of Helsingborg and is its symbol. The city has a very rich and interesting history; the oldest mention of this city was found in the records of the first hundred of the second millennium. Literally translated, the name of the tower means core. The structure consists of brick, the volume of this tower is amazing: six tens of meters. The height of this ancient structure is more than eleven floors. In the tenth century, on the site of this tower there was a wooden structure, and already in the fifteenth century a stone tower was built.

Chernan Tower

Bunde Palace

The second place worth traveling for is also in Sweden. Bunde Palace is a small building with a laconic design. The light-colored walls and the contrasting roof are an indicator of conciseness and good taste. Now it serves to make fair decisions, in other words, this is the building of the Supreme Court of Sweden. The organization located in this building is the highest authority in the consideration of civil and criminal cases. The building itself appeared in the eighteenth century. It was officially erected in 1989. It was Gustav III, the ruler of Sweden, who founded the Supreme Court.

Bunde Palace

Previously it consisted of twelve judges. Nobles and ordinary citizens received the same number of positions. The king could vote last and could vote for two. In the nineteenth century, they increased the required number of judges to sixteen and slightly changed the requirements for them, namely now judges had to have a certain rank. It was in this building that a rather big event for the modern world took place. At the very beginning of this century, a woman was chosen as chairman.

Bunde Palace

Whirlpool Saltstraumen

The character of this place is natural, not made by man. Essentially, this attraction is a strong tidal current. What is attractive about him? This current is recognized by humanity as the strongest on the planet. In order to see the attraction, you need to come to the town of Bude, near which this natural phenomenon appeared. An unusual flow can be observed every few hours. The spectacle itself is mesmerizing: four hundred million cubic meters of water pick up speed up to four tens of kilometers per hour and flow through the strait. The latter cannot be called wide; its size is only one and a half hundred meters.

Whirlpool Saltstraumen

The whirlpools are simply huge: more than ten meters in diameter and half that size in depth. The strait connects the Sherstadfjord and Saltenfjord with the sea. It’s worth coming to this area not only for this amazing phenomenon; in this part of Norway you can go fishing; this area has long been famous for its skillful hunters who fished precisely in these troubled waters. In addition, water tourism is very developed here. Diving and surfing enthusiasts flock here. If you are interested in an interesting and educational vacation, you need to come here.

Whirlpool Saltstraumen

This attraction is located in the city of Gothenburg. What is a plus is that this city is not very popular with tourists, so you can not expect a lot of crowds and relax quietly. The Swedish East India Company appeared in the eighteenth century. It was created in order to establish trade with eastern countries using the sea. Now the East India Company building houses museums. At one time, this trading company allowed the city to quickly develop. With the help of her services, very rare and expensive goods from eastern countries, namely India and China, were brought to the city.

House of the East India Trading Company

The city was filled with porcelain, tea, and spices. These goods were sold primarily at auctions, which allowed them to be sold at a higher price. This attraction was not always owned by this company. In the eighteenth century the building served as offices. Thanks to its influence, the East India Company became an undisputed monopolist among similar companies. Now the building houses two museums: archaeological and historical. The museums themselves began to function in the eighties of the twentieth century.

Christianborg Palace

This beautiful structure is located on the island of Slotsholmen in Denmark. The history of this castle began eight centuries ago. At the moment, the castle is the residence of the deceased king, which still serves for receptions of state importance. During its existence, the castle was rebuilt several times. For the first time, Christianborg had a Baroque style, then there was a fire, after which the building was built in the Classicist style. Now this landmark is an example of the neo-Baroque style. The first buildings on this island were built back in the thirteenth century. The palace building now stands on the site of the fortress. The latter was built by Bishop Absalon, who also founded this city. The island was created by human actions; it is unnatural. It appeared because people dug a canal that separated the peninsula from the land.

Christianborg Palace

The castle was burned for the first time during the war with the army of Lübeck, in the thirteenth century of the forty-ninth year. The second time the castle was burned almost a century later, in the sixty-ninth year of the fourteenth century. After this battle, the original appearance of the fortress was restored. It was built thanks to King Christian the Sixth, who appointed David Hauser as the author of the project. This version of the castle existed for more than two hundred years, until the forty-fifth year of the eighteenth century. Then he was struck by fire again. The architect of the new versions was Hansen. Construction lasted a quarter of a century. And again the castle was burned, half a hundred years later.

Christianborg Palace

The latest version of the castle was built by the architect Torvald Jogenson. A design competition was held, which he won. Construction lasted two decades. This beautiful structure had tiles on the roof, which were eventually replaced with copper sheets. Christiansborg is connected to the city by eight bridges. In addition, the castle includes the tallest tower on the island, which reaches one hundred and six meters in height. The interior of the castle is decorated with tapestries that depict events important to the residents.

Where is Scandinavia on the world map

You can get to the Scandinavian countries in several ways, choosing the most convenient one. For example, you can fly from Moscow to Oslo by plane. There are direct flights and there are options with transfers.

I travel regularly. About three trips a year for 10-15 days and many 2 and 3 day hikes.

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

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

And finally understand what kind of Scandinavia this is?

What does the word "Scandinavia" mean?

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

Scandinavian geography

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

Finland and Iceland are not part of Scandinavia geographically.

Scandinavian language

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

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

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

Scandinavian culture

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

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

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

Additional questions on the topic

Is Finland part of Scandinavia?

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

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

Is Iceland part of Scandinavia?

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

Are the Faroe Islands part of Scandinavia?

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

What does the word "Nordic" mean?

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

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

Let me briefly summarize what was written above.

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

Which countries belong to Scandinavia? Where is this region located and why is it interesting? You will find answers to these and other questions in our article. As well as a complete list of Scandinavian countries. In addition, we will tell you about the main geographical, historical, cultural and ethnolinguistic features of this region.

List of Scandinavian countries

Scandinavia is a historical and cultural region located in the northern part of Europe. Its “geographical basis” is the peninsula of the same name with an area of 800 thousand square kilometers. In addition, the borders of Scandinavia also include a number of nearby islands in the Norwegian, Baltic, North and Barents seas.

What countries are included in Scandinavia? Traditionally, only three states are included in it: Sweden, Norway and Denmark. However, here many geographers have a logical question: why is Iceland not part of the region? After all, it is more “Scandinavian” than Denmark.

Based on the above, we can highlight a more complete list of Scandinavian countries. And to some extent it correlates with the cultural and political concept of “Northern European countries”. This list includes five states:

Norway.
Sweden.
Finland.
Iceland.
Denmark (as well as its two autonomous regions - Greenland and the Faroe Islands).

All this is Scandinavia. We found out which countries are included in it. But why did the region get this name? The word “Scandinavia” itself is borrowed from medieval Latin. The name of this region was first mentioned in the book “Natural History” by Pliny the Elder. It is curious that Europeans for a long time considered Scandinavian. And only in the 11th century did Adam of Bremen suggest that there could be a land connection with it.

Climate and geography

The nature of Scandinavia is extremely diverse. There is everything here: mountains, swampy lowlands, lakes, and rocky archipelagos. The famous Scandinavian fjords - narrow and deep sea bays - amaze with their beauty and grandeur.

The climate varies in different parts of Scandinavia. So, on the west coast it is softer and wetter, with more precipitation. As you move north and east, it becomes drier and colder. In general, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, the climate of Scandinavia is warmer than at similar latitudes in other regions of the continent.

The highest air temperature in Scandinavia was recorded in Sweden (+38 degrees), as well as the lowest (-52.5 degrees).

Population and languages

Historically, the southern parts of Scandinavia were more populated than the central and northern parts. This was facilitated primarily by the climatic features of the region. Modern inhabitants of Scandinavia are considered the ancestors of the Germans, who penetrated the peninsula around the 14th century BC. The Scandinavian states have united more than once into various political unions. The most powerful of them was the Kalmar Union, which existed from 1397 to 1523.

5 most interesting and unexpected facts about Norway:

“If you don’t like the Norwegian weather, wait 15 minutes” - this saying very accurately describes the country’s changeable climate;
Norway is one of the most expensive countries in Europe;
Norwegian children are incredibly beautiful;
the level of population connection to high-speed Internet is 99.9%;
80% of Norwegians own either a boat or a motorboat.

Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is a state located on the Jutland Peninsula and 409 islands. It is washed by the waters of the North and Baltic seas. Population: 5.7 million people. The capital is the city of Copenhagen.

Denmark is a country with very high salaries, low unemployment, but high taxes. Leading sectors of the economy: mechanical engineering, metalworking, textile industry and highly developed livestock farming. Denmark's main export products are meat, fish, radio electronics, furniture and medicines.

5 most interesting and unexpected facts about Denmark:

according to recent studies, the Danes are the happiest people on the planet;
Denmark is famous in Europe for its amazing and delicious baked goods;
almost all stores in this country close at 5-6 pm;
the most recognizable Danish brand - LEGO children's construction set;
Danes love to ride bicycles.

Finally…

Scandinavia is a historical and cultural region in northern Europe. Three states are usually included in it. The full list of Scandinavian countries includes Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. All these countries are distinguished by high income levels, high-quality medicine and very low corruption.