Nordic countries

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The Nordic countries, sometimes also the Nordic region, make up a region in Northern Europe consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories (in particular the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland). In English usage, Scandinavia is sometimes used in an extended sense that is synonymous with the Nordic countries.^[1]

The region's five nation-states and three autonomous regions share much common history as well as common traits in their respective societies, such as political systems. Politically, Nordic countries do not form a separate entity, but they co-operate in the Nordic Council. Linguistically, the area is heterogeneous, with two unrelated language groups, the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages and the Baltic-Finnic and Sami branches of Uralic languages. The Nordic countries have a combined population of approximately 25 million spread over a land area of 3.5 million km² (Greenland accounts for 60% of the total area).

Recently, Estonia has also projected itself as a Nordic country, although it is widely considered to be a Baltic state. Estonia has close linguistic, ethnic and cultural ties with Finland, some cultural ties with Sweden and Denmark, and most of its investment and trade is with the Nordic countries.

Contents 1 Etymology and terminology 2 History 2.1 Chronology of the Nordic countries 3 Nordic Passport Union 4 Political dimension and divisions 5 Flags and symbols 5.1 Flags 6 Areas with close relations to the Nordic countries 6.1 Shetland and Orkney 6.2 Estonia 6.3 Others 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Etymology and terminology

The term is derived from the French term Pays Nordiques as an equivalent of the local terms Norden (Scandinavian languages), Pohjola / Pohjoismaat (Finnish language), Norðurlönd (Icelandic) and Norðurlond (Faroese) with the meaning of "The North(ern lands)".

In English usage, the term Scandinavia is also used — though incorrectly — as a synonym for the Nordic countries. From the 1850s, Scandinavia came to include, politically and culturally, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Geographically, the Scandinavian Peninsula includes mainland Sweden and mainland Norway, and also a part of Finland, while the Jutland Peninsula includes mainland Denmark and a small part of Germany. (Denmark proper has not included any territory on the Scandinavian Peninsula since 1658). The Faroe Islands and Iceland are "Scandinavian" in the sense that they were settled by Scandinavians and speak Scandinavian languages, but geographically they are not part of Scandinavia. Finland was once part of Sweden, and has been significantly influenced by Swedish culture, but it is not geographically part of Scandinavia either nor is Finnish related to the Scandinavian languages. Greenland was settled by the Norse, and is currently part of the Danish realm, with the Danish language spoken by some, but geographically it is part of North America.

In geology, the term for the land area which lies above sea level on the Baltic shield (also known as the Fennoscandian Shield) is Fennoscandia (from the Latin toponyms Fennia and Scania).

Before the 19th century, the term Nordic may have been used more as a synonym for Northern to mean Northern Europe, including European Russia, the Baltic countries (at that time Estonia, Livonia and Courland) and occasionally the British Isles and other lands on the shores of the Baltic and North Seas.

[edit] History

See also: History of Finland, History of Iceland, and History of Scandinavia

The Nordic countries are characterised by similar structures of their societies and cultural traits. This results not only from similar environmental realities and thus traditional livelihoods but also from a shared history.

During the Middle Ages, what are now Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland, they shared a similar cultural, linguistic (Old Norse) and religious (Norse mythology) environment. From ca. the 12th century onwards what is now Finland (linguistically Baltic-Finnic and broader Finno-Ugric) started sharing the common developments as it was increasingly integrated into the kingdom of Sweden. As another example of a deeply rooted unifying past could be taken the indigenous Sami lifestyle (linguistically Finno-Ugric) across what is now northern Norway, Sweden and Finland (and beyond). Indeed, all Nordic countries have minority groups deriving or claiming heritage of a population residing within another Nordic state.

After being Christianised around the year 1000, the process of local unification established Denmark, Norway and Sweden as separate kingdoms. Finland became part of Sweden in the mid 1200s, whereas Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands, Orkney, Greenland and large parts of Scotland and Ireland belonged to Norway. All Nordic countries followed the Protestant Reformation of the Western church during the 16th century and adopted Lutheran state churches - still having a large membership count, although state church status varies. Finland also has a much smaller Orthodox state church whose members mainly come from the areas that were outside the Swedish realm when Christianity was introduced.

In the 14th century, Denmark, Norway (with Iceland) and Sweden (with Finland) were united under one regent, in the Kalmar Union. Denmark quickly gained the upper hand, but in the early 16th century Sweden reestablished itself as a separate kingdom. Denmark's domination over Norway lasted until 1814 when the king was forced to cede Norway to the king of Sweden. Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands remained Danish.

After establishing itself as one of the Great powers in Europe during the 17th century Sweden ultimately lost its foreign Dominions one by one. This process culminated in the loss of Finland to Russia in 1809 which became an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian tsar.

The 19th century saw a personal union between Sweden and Norway which was dissolved in 1905 due to growing dissatisfaction from the Norwegian part. At the same time Scandinavism emerged in Scandinavia. This movement strove to unite the three Scandinavian countries into one kingdom without much success.

During World War I and in the midst of the Russian revolution of 1917, Finland emerged for the first time as an independent nation and the perspective of a Nordic community replaced the idea of a united Scandinavia alone. During World War II in 1944, Iceland gained its independence from Denmark. The member states of the Nordic council (founded in 1952) had thus emerged.

The Nordic countries share similar traits in the policies implemented under the postwar period, especially in the socioeconomic area. All Nordic countries have large tax-funded public welfare sectors and extensive socialist legislation. In most cases, this is due to the political ambitions of the many Social Democrat governments that came to power during the interwar period in each of the Nordic countries.

[edit] Chronology of the Nordic countries

Century	Nordic Political Entities
21st	Denmark (EU)	Faroes (Denmark)	Iceland	Norway	Sweden (EU)	Finland (EU)
20th	Denmark				Sweden	Finland
19th	Denmark			Sweden and Norway		GD of Finland
18th	Denmark-Norway				Sweden
17th
16th
15th	Kalmar Union
14th	Denmark	Norway			Sweden
13th
12th		Faroes	Icelandic CW	Norway
Nordic Peoples	Danes	Faroese	Icelanders	Norwegians	Swedes	Finns

[edit] Nordic Passport Union

The Nordic Passport Union, created in 1954, and implemented on May 1, 1958, allows citizens of the Nordic countries (Denmark (Faroe Islands included since January 1, 1966, Greenland not included), Sweden, Norway (Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Bouvet Island and Queen Maud's Land not included), Finland and Iceland (since September 24, 1965)) to cross approved border districts without carrying and having their passport checked. Other citizens can also travel between the Nordic countries' borders without having their passport checked, but still have to carry a passport or another kind of approved travel identification papers.

Since 1996, these countries have joined the larger EU directive Schengen Agreement area, comprising 30 countries in Europe. Border checkpoints have been removed within the Schengen zone and only a national ID card is required. Within the Nordic area any ID card, e.g. driving licence is valid for Nordic citizens, because of the Nordic Passport Union.

From March 25, 2001, the Schengen acquis fully applied to the five countries of the Nordic Passport Union (except for the Faroe Islands, which remain outside of Schengen). There are some areas in the Nordic Passport Union that gives extra rights for Nordic citizens, not covered by Schengen, such as less paperwork if moving to a different Nordic country, and less requirements for naturalisation of citizenship.

[edit] Political dimension and divisions

The Nordic region has a mild political dimension in joint official bodies called the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. In this context, several aspects of the common market as in the European Union have been implemented decades before the EU implemented them.

In the European Union, the Northern Dimension refers to external and cross-border policies covering the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries, and Russia.

Politically, the Nordic dimension has grown increasingly irrelevant, since the member states disagree on memberships in the European Union, Eurozone, and NATO. Norway and Iceland are only members of NATO, while Finland and Sweden are only members of the European Union. Denmark alone participates in both organizations. Only Finland is a member of the Eurozone. The tasks and policies of the European Union overlap with the Nordic council significantly, e.g. the Schengen Agreement partially supersedes the Nordic passport free zone and a common labor market.

[edit] Flags and symbols

[edit] Flags

All Nordic countries, including the autonomous territories of Faroe and Åland Islands, have a similar flag design, all based on the Dannebrog, the Danish flag. They display an off-center cross with the intersection closer to the hoist, the "Nordic cross".

Denmark	Faroe Islands	Finland	Iceland	Norway	Sweden	Åland

Greenland and the Sami people have adopted flags without the Nordic cross, but they feature a circle which is placed off-center like the cross.

Greenland	The Sami people

[edit] Areas with close relations to the Nordic countries

Several areas have a long and close relationship with and often identify with some or all of the Nordic countries. These are however for the most part not regarded as part of the Nordic group themselves.

[edit] Shetland and Orkney

Orkney	Shetland

The Northern Isles of Scotland - Orkney and Shetland - have a long-established Nordic identity. The islands were Norwegian colonies for more than 500 years, but ownership defaulted to the crown of Scotland in 1472 following non-payment of the marriage dowry of Margaret of Denmark and Norway, queen of James III of Scotland.

During World War II Shetland and Orkney were important bases for the Norwegian armed forces in exile. The Shetland Bus was based in Shetland and smuggled refugees, agents and supplies to and from Norway.

In later years financial relations, particularly in the maritime industries, have been important. Cultural and sporting exchanges are frequent. A genetic survey showed that 60% of the male population of Shetland and Orkney had Norwegian genes.^{[citation needed]}

The traditional links to Scandinavia are reflected in the islands' flags, both of which are based around a Nordic cross:

Other regions of the British Isles have adopted symbols to allude to a similar Norse or Norse-Gaelic heritage.

[edit] Estonia

Estonians consider themselves a Nordic people rather than Balts,^[2][3] based on strong linguistic, cultural and historical ties with Finland in particular, and also with Sweden and Denmark. The Estonian language is closely related to the Finnish language and Estonians, as an ethnic group, are a Finnic people. Estonia was part of the Danish and Swedish empires for many centuries: it is generally thought that the name of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, derives from the Estonian taani linn, meaning 'Danish town.'

Current Estonian flag	Proposed Estonian flag featuring a Nordic cross

Estonia was part of the Swedish and Danish Empires for centuries prior to its absorption into the Russian Empire. Historically, large parts of Estonia’s north-western coast and islands have been populated by an indigenous ethnically Swedish population (Estonian Swedes). The majority of Estonia's Swedish population fled to Sweden in 1944, escaping the advancing Soviet Army. Only about a thousand Swedes were left.

Since regaining independence in 1991, Estonia has expressed interest in identifying with the Nordic community. In 1999, Estonian Foreign Minister — and current president since 2006 — Toomas Hendrik Ilves delivered a speech entitled "Estonia as a Nordic Country" to the Swedish Institute for International Affairs.^[4] In 2003, the foreign ministry also hosted an exhibit called "Estonia: Nordic with a Twist."^[5] In 2005, Estonia also joined the European Union's Nordic Battle Group and shows interest in joining the Nordic Council.

Today there is a great deal of economic interdependence between Estonia and some of its Nordic neighbors. Three quarters of investments into Estonia come from Nordic states (principally Finland and Sweden), to which Estonia sends 58% of its exports. On the other hand, the Estonian political system and non-welfare-state model distinguish it from the other Nordic states, and from many other European countries.

[edit] Others

The North of England, particularly the North East was once part of the Danish Viking Empire, and the modern Geordie dialect spoken in Newcastle-upon-Tyne shares some similarity to the modern Germanic languages of the Nordic countries. The region and its culture does not have a Nordic character however.

Finally, the northernmost part of Germany, Southern Schleswig on the Jutland peninsula, had a Nordic identity up until its transfer to Germany in the mid 19th century and its subsequent Germanisation. Today, the Nordic character of Southern Schleswig's society and its inhabitants is not very prominent.

[edit] See also

• Scandinavia
• Subdivisions of the Nordic countries
• Nordic Council
• Nordic Cross
• Northern Dimension
• Thule
• West Nordic Council
• Baltic countries
• Baltic region
• Largest Nordic Companies
• Northern Europe
• Nordic countries a journal created by Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Norden — the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers' website.
• Nordregio — a European centre for research, education and documentation on spatial development, established by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
• NordRegio Statistics — a collection of thematic maps and figures of Nordic and Baltic countries by NordRegio.
• Go Scandinavia — official website of the Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America.
• Scandinavia House — the Nordic Center in New York, run by the American-Scandinavian Foundation.

v • d • e Nordic Council
Members	Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Norway · Sweden
Associates	Åland · Faroe Islands · Greenland