This article is part of the Scandinavia series Geography Mountains Peninsula The Viking Age Viking Age Varangian Viking Thing (assembly) Christianization Political entities Kalmar Union Denmark–Norway Sweden–Finland Sweden–Norway History Scandinavia Denmark Finland Norway Sweden Iceland Greenland Åland Faroe Islands Kalmar Union Karelia Other Scandinavism Monetary Union Defence union Royal League SAS

Scandinavia^[1] is a historical and geographical region centred on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe which includes the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The Scandinavian Mountains in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen ("the Fells quot or Kölen, and in Norwegian Kjølen, The Scandinavian Peninsula is a geographic region in northern Europe, consisting principally of the Mainland territories of Norway and Sweden Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas See also Medieval Scandinavian laws A thing or ting ( Old Norse, Old English and Icelandic: þing; other modern The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union Sweden–Finland is a historiographical term used especially in Finland, to refer to the Swedish Kingdom from the Kalmar Union to the The Union between Sweden and Norway (Unionen mellan Sverige och Norge Unionen mellom Norge og Sverige or the Swedish-Norwegian Kingdom was the union of the kingdoms of The history of Scandinavia is the history of the Nordic countries — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. This article covers the history of the Kingdom of Denmark and of the areas comprising modern-day Denmark. From around the time of the Roman Empire until about 800 AD many stone inscriptions can be found written in Runes Modern Sweden emerged out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century This article is about the history of Iceland and the areas comprising modern day Iceland. The history of Greenland, the world's largest island is the history of life under extreme Arctic conditions an Ice cap covers about 95 percent of the island Pre-Norse history The early details of Faroese history are rather nebulous The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal The history of Karelia dates to 7000-6000 BC. Mining began between 1 and 1000 AD Scandinavism (also called Pan-Scandinavianism) and Nordism are literary and political movements that support various degrees of cooperation between the Scandinavian The Scandinavian Monetary Union (Skandinaviska myntunionen Skandinaviske møntunion Skandinaviske myntunion was a Monetary union formed by Sweden and Denmark A Scandinavian defence union that would include Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark was planned between the four countries after World History For the Royal League 2004-05 tournament the twelve participating teams were initially placed into three groups Scandinavian Airlines System ( SAS) is a multi-national Airline for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in the A subregion is a conceptual unit which derives from a larger Region or Continent and is usually based on location The Scandinavian Peninsula is a geographic region in northern Europe, consisting principally of the Mainland territories of Norway and Sweden Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe ^[2][3] The other Nordic countries; Finland and Iceland, are sometimes included because of their close historic and cultural connections to Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Their inclusion stems from the seemingly interchangeable nature of the terms 'Nordic' and 'Scandinavian'. ^[4][5][6][7]

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. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages As a linguistic and cultural concept, Scandinavia thus also includes Iceland the Faroe Islands^[8] and Swedish speaking parts of Finland. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe.

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. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia Although Finland is culturally closely related to the other Scandinavian countries, Finns form a distinct linguistic and ethnic group which speaks a Finno-Ugric language of a different language family from Scandinavian languages, which are part of the Indo-European language family. Finno-Ugric (ˌfɪnoʊˈjuːgɹɪk is a grouping of languages in the Uralic language family comprising Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian and ^[9]

Since the Fennoman movement of the 1830s and political Scandinavism of the 1830s-1850s,^[10] the inclusion of Finland and Iceland has divided opinions in the respective states. The Fennomans were the most important political movement in the 19th century Grand Duchy of Finland. Scandinavism (also called Pan-Scandinavianism) and Nordism are literary and political movements that support various degrees of cooperation between the Scandinavian ^[11] Although which countries are considered Scandinavian depends on the context, the term the Nordic countries is used unambiguously for Norway, Sweden, Denmark (including the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Finland (including Åland) and Iceland. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, ^[12][13][14]

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. Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia The Kola Peninsula (from Sami language Guoládat) (Кольский полуостров Kol'skij poluostrov) is a Peninsula in the far

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 communities of the area. ^[8] 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^[15] and the Russian,^[16][17] as described by the University of Jyväskylä based editorial board of the Finnish journal Yearbook of Political Thought and Conceptual History^[18]:

Usage in geography

Geographically the Scandinavian Peninsula includes what is today mainland Sweden and mainland Norway. Physical geography (also known as geosystems or physiography) is one of the three major subfields of Geography. ^[19][20]. A small part of northwestern Finland is sometimes also considered part of the peninsula. ^[21] In physiography, Denmark is considered part of the North European Plain, rather than the geologically distinct Scandinavian peninsula mainly occupied by Norway and Sweden. Physical geography (also known as geosystems or physiography) is one of the three major subfields of Geography. ^[22] However, Denmark has historically included the region of Scania on the Scandinavian Peninsula. This region should not be confused with Skånland in Norway Official status When Skåneland was an official entity in its original Danish 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 considered part of the Scandinavian region also by the Scandinavians themselves. This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. Zealand (also Sealand Danish: Sjælland;) is the largest Island (7031 km² of Denmark (excluding Greenland

Variations in usage

In English, a wider definition of Scandinavia is sometimes used, which includes Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. ^[23][24] This larger region is by the concerned countries officially known as the Nordic Countries,^[12] 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 in the Nordic Council. The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers is an intergovernmental forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries. Some American-English dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, do not include the names "Nordic Countries" or "Nordic Council". Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary instead defines Nordic as an adjective dated to 1898 with the meaning "of or relating to the Germanic peoples of northern Europe and especially of Scandinavia. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland "^[25]

The use of the name Scandinavia as a convenient general term for the three kingdoms is also fairly recent; according to some historians, it was adopted and introduced in the 18th century, at a time when the ideas about a common heritage started to appear and develop into early literary and linguistic Scandinavism. Scandinavism (also called Pan-Scandinavianism) and Nordism are literary and political movements that support various degrees of cooperation between the Scandinavian ^[26] 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. Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author ^[26]

As a political term, "Scandinavia" was first used by students agitating for Pan-Scandinavianism in the 1830s. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well ^[26] The popular usage of the term in Sweden, Denmark and Norway as a unifying concept became established in the 19th century through poems such Hans Christian Andersen's "I am a Scandinavian" of 1839. Hans Christian Andersen (ˈhanˀs ˈkʰʁæʂd̥jan ˈɑnɐsn̩ in Danish or simply H 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!'". ^[27] 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. Scandinavian Airlines System ( SAS) is a multi-national Airline for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in the

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. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The American-Scandinavian Foundation, (ASF is an American non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting international understanding through educational and cultural 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. "^[28] The official tourist boards of Scandinavia sometimes cooperate under one umbrella, such as the Scandinavian Tourist Board. The Scandinavian Tourist Board (STB is a joint initiative by the national tourist boards of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ^[29] 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. ^[30]

Use of Nordic Countries vs. Scandinavia

Flag of the Nordic Council. The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers is an intergovernmental forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries.

Main article: Nordic countries

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). The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, ^[12] Scandinavia can thus be considered a subset of the Nordic countries. Occasionally, Scandinavia is used synecdochically for the entire Nordic region, especially outside the Nordic countries, and in these circumstances, the two terms can be considered synonyms. Synecdoche is taken from Greek sinekdohi (συνεκδοχή meaning "simultaneous understanding" (si-nek-duh-kee (pronounced /sɪˈnɛkdoˌki/ This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym"

In addition to mainland Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the Nordic countries consist of:

• Finland (a sovereign republic, independent since 1917)
• Iceland (a sovereign republic, independent since 1944)

and

• 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, referring to its cultural heritage and close linguistic links to Finland, although normally Estonia is regarded as one of the Baltic countries. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of Organization. An autonomous area is an area of a Country that has a degree of Autonomy, or freedom from an external authority Jan Mayen Island is a 55 km (34 miles long (southwest-northeast and 373 km² (144  mi²) in area Arctic Volcanic island in the Svalbard is an Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between Norway and the North Pole. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers is an intergovernmental forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries. The Baltic states (Balti riigid Baltijas valstis Baltijos valstybės or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the All Baltic states have shared historical events with the Nordic countries, including Scandinavia, during the centuries.

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 Fennoscandian Shield, even though Denmark is on the North European Plain. The Kola Peninsula (from Sami language Guoládat) (Кольский полуостров Kol'skij poluostrov) is a Peninsula in the far Karelia ( Karelian and Finnish Karjala, Карелия ( Kareliya) Karelen the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Baltic Shield (sometimes referred to as the Fennoscandian Shield) is located in Fennoscandia ( Norway, Sweden and Finland) northwest

Etymology

Satellite photo of the Scandinavian Peninsula, February 2003, with political boundaries added

Late Baltic Ice Lake around 10,300 years BP, with a channel near Mount Billingen through what is now central Sweden. The Scandinavian Peninsula is a geographic region in northern Europe, consisting principally of the Mainland territories of Norway and Sweden The Baltic ice lake is a name given by geologists to a freshwater lake that gradually formed in the Baltic Sea basin as glaciation retreated from that region at the Billingen is a Mesa in Västergötland, Sweden. Limestone used for concrete manufacturing is mined here "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. (Political boundaries added).

Scandinavia and Scania (Skåne) are considered to have the same etymology. Scania ( in Swedish and Danish) is a geographical region on the southernmost tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, a traditional province ( Both terms are thought to be derived from the Germanic root *Skaðin-awjō, which appears later in Old English as Scedenig and in Old Norse as Skáney. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age ^[31] The earliest identified source for the name Scandinavia is Pliny the Elder's Natural History, dated to the 1st century AD. Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author Naturalis Historia ( Latin for "Natural History" is an Encyclopedia written Circa AD 77 by Pliny the Elder.

Various references to the region can also be found in Pytheas, Pomponius Mela, Tacitus, Ptolemy, Procopius and Jordanes. Dates Pliny says that Timaeus (born about 350 BC believed Pytheas' story of the discovery of Amber. Pomponius Mela, who wrote around AD 43, was the earliest Roman Geographer. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca Procopius of Caesarea ( Προκόπιος ο Καισαρεύς, c Jordanes (also Jordanis or even Iornandes) was a 6th century Roman Bureaucrat, who turned his hand to History later in life It is believed that the name used by Pliny may be of West Germanic origin, originally denoting Scania. The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three traditional branches of the Germanic family of Languages and include languages such as English ^[32] According to some scholars, the Germanic stem can be reconstructed as *Skaðan- meaning "danger" or "damage" (English scathing, German Schaden). ^[33] 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. ^[33] Skanör in Scania, with its long Falsterbo reef, has the same stem (skan) combined with -ör, which means "sandbanks". Skanör med Falsterbo is a city in Vellinge Municipality, Skåne County in southernmost Sweden.

In the reconstructed Germanic root *Skaðin-awjō (the edh represented in Latin by t or d), the first segment is sometimes considered more uncertain than the second segment. Eth ( Ð, ð; also spelled edh or eð) is a letter used in Old English, Icelandic, Faroese (in The American Heritage Dictionary^[34] derives the second segment from Proto-Indo-European *akwa-, "water", in the sense of "watery land". Gothic saiws, "lake" is one of the Germanic groups which include English sea and German See. ^[35] However, according to the Indo-European Dictionary (IEED), a research project of the Department of Comparative Indo-European Linguistics at Leiden University, the second segment may not have an Indo-European etymology. Leiden University (Universiteit Leiden located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest University in The Netherlands. The IEED states that Uralic evidence has long been recognized for this segment, namely the Finnic saivo ("'transparent place in the sea'") and the Norwegian-Lappish saivvƒ ("'(holy) lake, idol'"). The Uralic languages (jʊˈrælɨk constitute a language family of 39 Languages spoken by approximately 20 million people ^[35] Some scholars have found a parallel between the Uralic evidence and the area's old mythology and belief systems, where the soul of mankind is believed to dwell in water until birth and return there after death. ^[35] IEED lists a Germanic reconstruction that indicates a similar connection to metaphysics, namely *saiwa-lō ("soul"), appearing as saiwala in Gothic and sēlein Old Frisian. Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science Old Frisian was the West Germanic language spoken between the 8th and 16th centuries by the people who had settled in the area between the Rhine

Pliny the Elder's descriptions

Pliny's descriptions of Scatinavia and surrounding areas are not always easy to decipher, even though his writing of geography was what he considered a "clarior fama" ("a clearer story"). Writing in the capacity of a Roman admiral, he introduces the northern region by declaring to his Roman readers that there are 23 islands "Romanis armis cognitae" ("known to Roman arms") in this area. According to Pliny, the most "clarissima" ("famous") of the region's islands is Scatinavia, of unknown size. There live the Hilleviones. The Hilleviones were a people occupying an island called Scatinavia in the first century AD according to the Roman geographer Pliny the Elder in The belief that Scandinavia was an island became widespread among classical authors during the first century and dominated descriptions of Scandinavia in classical texts during the centuries that followed.

Pliny begins his description of the route to Scatinavia by referring to the mountain of Saevo (mons Saevo ibi), the Codanus Bay (Codanus sinus) and the Cimbrian promontory. ^[36] The geographical features have been identified in various ways; by some scholars "Saevo" is thought to be the mountainous Norwegian coast at the entrance to Skagerrak and the Cimbrian peninsula is thought to be Skagen, the north tip of Jutland, Denmark. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Skagerrak Strait runs between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the The Cimbri were a Celtic or Germanic tribe who together with the Teutones and the Ambrones threatened the Roman Republic in the late Skagen ( The Skaw) is a projection of land and a town in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe As described, Saevo and Scatinavia can also be the same place.

Pliny mentions Scandinavia one more time: in Book VIII he says that the animal called achlis (given in the accusative, achlin, which is not Latin), was born on the island of Scandinavia. ^[37] The animal grazes, has a big upper lip and some mythical attributes.

The name "Scandia", later used as a synonym for Scandinavia, also appears in Pliny's Naturalis Historia, but is used for a group of Northern European islands which he locates north of Britannia. Scandia was a name used for various uncharted islands in Northern Europe by the first Greek and Roman geographers Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland Britannia was the term originally used by the Romans to refer first to the British Isles, and later to the island of Great Britain. "Scandia" thus does not appear to be denoting the island Scadinavia in Pliny's text. The idea that "Scadinavia" may have been one of the "Scandiae" islands was instead introduced by Ptolemy (c. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca 90 – c. 168 AD), 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. This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. ^[33]

Neither Pliny's nor Ptolemy's lists of Scandinavian tribes include the Suiones mentioned by Tacitus. The Swedes (svear Old Norse: svíar; Old English: Sweonas; Suiones Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North Some early Swedish scholars of the Swedish Hyperborean school^[38] and of the 19th-century romantic nationalism period proceeded to synthesize the different versions by inserting references to the Suiones, arguing that they must have been referred to in the original texts and obscured over time by spelling mistakes or various alterations. In Greek mythology, according to tradition the Hyperboreans were a mythical people who lived far to the north of Thrace. Romantic nationalism (also National Romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of Nationalism in which the state derives ^[39][40]

Germanic reconstruction

The Latin names in Pliny's text gave rise to different forms in medieval Germanic texts. In Jordanes' history of the Goths (AD 551) the form Scandza is used for their original home, separated by sea from the land of Europe (chapter 1, 4). The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s Scandza was the name given to Scandinavia by Jordanes, in his work Getica. ^[41] Where Jordanes meant to locate this quasi-legendary island is still a hotly debated issue, both in scholarly discussions and in the nationalistic discourse of various European countries. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation ^[42][43] The form Scadinavia as the original home of the Langobards appears in Paulus Diaconus' Historia Langobardorum^[44]; in other versions of Historia Langobardorum appear the forms Scadan, Scandanan, Scadanan and Scatenauge. The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from Paul the Deacon (c 720 &ndash 13 April probably 799 also known as Paulus Diaconus, Warnefred and Cassinensis (i ^[45] Frankish sources used Sconaowe and Aethelweard, an Anglo-Saxon historian, used Scani. Æthelweard (also spelled Ethelward) Anglo-Saxon Historian, was the great-great-grandson of Æthelred of Wessex (who was the brother of ^[46][47] In Beowulf, the forms Scedenige and Scedeland are used, while the Alfredian translation of Orosius and Wulfstan's travel accounts used the Old English Sconeg. Beowulf is an Old English Heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship dating as recorded in the Nowell Codex manuscript from between Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c Paulus Orosius (b circa 375 d 418? was a Christian Historian, theologian and disciple of St Wulfstan of Hedeby (Latin Haithabu) was a late 9th century traveller and trader ^[47]

The first segment in "Scandinavia" is also sometimes attributed to Norse mythology, namely the Scandinavian giantess Skaði (Skade). Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland

Sami etymology

Hunting ski goddess, or Sami woman hunting on ski, from Olaus Magnus, 1555. Olaus Magnus ( Olaus Magni or Olaus Magni Gothus) was a Swedish Ecclesiastic and Writer, who did pioneering work for the interest of

The earliest Sami yoik texts written down refer to the world as Skadesi-suolo (north-Sami) and Skađsuâl (east-Sami), meaning "Skade's island" (Svennung 1963). Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Finnic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway Yoik, Joik or juoiggus is a traditional Sami form of Song. Originally yoik referred to only one of several Sami singing styles but in Svennung considers the Sami name to have been introduced as a loan word from the North Germanic languages;^[48] "Skade" is the giant stepmother of Freyr and Freyja in Norse mythology. A loanword (or loan word) is a word directly taken into one Language from another with little or no translation The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages The Mythology and Legends of many different Cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation. Freyja (sometimes anglicized as Freya) is a major goddess in Norse Paganism, a subset of Germanic Paganism. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland It has been suggested that Skade to some extent is modeled on a Sami woman. The name for Skade's father Thjazi is known in Sami as Čáhci, "the waterman", and her son with Odin, Saeming, can be interpreted as a descendent of Saam the Sami population (Mundel 2000)^[49], (Steinsland 1991). In Norse mythology, Þjazi (anglicized as Thiazi, Thjazi or Thiassi) was a giant and the father of Skaði. Sæmingr was a king of Norway according to Snorri Sturluson 's euhemerized accounts ^[50] Older joik texts give evidence of the old Sami belief about living on an island and state that the wolf is known as suolu gievra, meaning "the strong one on the island". The Sami place name Sulliidčielbma means "the island's threshold" and Suoločielgi means "the island's back". Toponymy refers to the scientific study of place-names ( toponyms) their origins meanings use and Typology.

In recent substrate studies, Sami linguists have examined the initial cluster sk- in words used in Sami and concluded that sk- is a phonotactic structure of non-native origin. In Contact linguistics, a substratum ( lat sub: under + stratum: layer → lower layer) is a Language Phonotactics (in Greek phone = voice and tactic = course is a branch of Phonology that deals with restrictions in a Language on the ^[51]

Other etymologies

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-". The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic

Another possibility is that all or part of the segments of the name came from the indigenous Mesolithic people inhabiting the region. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age was a period in the development of human technology in between the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age and the Neolithic or New Stone Age ^[52] Today Scandinavia is a peninsula, but between approximately 10,300 BP and 9,500 BP, the southern part of Scandinavia was an island separated from the northern peninsula, with water exiting the Baltic Sea through the area where Stockholm is now located. Before Present (BP years are a time scale used in Archaeology, Geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the ^[53]

Some Basque scholars have presented the idea that the segment sk that appears in *Ska∂inaujàin is connected to the name for the Euzko peoples, akin to Basques, that populated Paleolithic Europe. Basque ( native name: euskara) is the Language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" According to some of these intellectuals, the Scandinavians share some genetic markers with the Basque people. A genetic marker is a known DNA sequence. It can be described as a variation which may arise due to mutation or alteration in the genomic loci that can be observed The Basques (Euskaldunak are a people who inhabit a region spanning over parts of north-central Spain and southwestern France. ^[52]

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".

Geography

Population density in the Nordic region (excluding Svalbard). Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Svalbard is an Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between Norway and the North Pole.

See also: Geography of Denmark, Geography of Norway, and Geography of Sweden

The geography of Scandinavia is extremely varied. Denmark is located in Northern Europe (it is one of the Nordic countries) on the Jutland peninsula and several islands in the Baltic sea Norway is located in Northern Europe on the western and northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering the North Sea in southwest Location Northern Europe, Scandinavian Peninsula bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak Notable are the Norwegian fjords, the Scandinavian Mountains, the flat, low areas in Denmark, and the archipelagos of Sweden and Norway. An alphabetic list of Norwegian Fjords follows The category:CategoryFjords of Norway and List of Norwegian Fjords (by geographic locations provide further The Scandinavian Mountains in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen ("the Fells quot or Kölen, and in Norwegian Kjølen, An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian When Finland is included, the moraines (ice age remnants) and lake areas are also notable.

The climate varies from north to south and from west to east; a marine west coast climate (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 (<5000 mm) in some areas in western Norway. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist Orographic lift occurs when an Air mass is forced from a low Elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 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. The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between Regions having a subarctic climate (also called boreal climate) are characterized by long usually very cold winters and brief warm summers 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. Finnmarksvidda (the Finnmark plateau Finnmark highland is Norway 's largest mountain plateau with an area greater than 22000 km² Large areas in the Scandinavian mountains have alpine tundra climate. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons

The warmest temperature ever recorded in Scandinavia is 38. 0 °C in Målilla (Sweden). Målilla is a small town in Hultsfred Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden. The coldest temperature ever recorded is −52. 6 °C in Vuoggatjålme (Sweden). The warmest month on record was July 1901 in Oslo, with a mean (24hr) of 22. 7 °C, and the coldest month was February 1985 in Vittangi (Sweden) with a mean of -27. 2 °C. ^[54]

Southwesterly winds further warmed by foehn wind can give warm temperatures in narrow Norwegian fjords in winter; Tafjord has recorded 17. A foehn wind or föhn wind is a type of dry downslope wind which occurs in the lee of a mountain range Tafjord is a branch of the Norddalsfjorden / Storfjorden in Norddal municipality in the county of Møre og Romsdal, 9 °C in January and Sunndal 18. is a municipality in the Nordmøre traditional district located in the northeast part of the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway. 9 °C in February.

Languages in Scandinavia

Main articles: Scandinavian languages, Sami languages, Finnic languages

Distribution of the North Germanic languages
Blue - Continental languages
Green - Insular languages

Historically verified distribution of the Sami languages: 1. The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Finnic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway Southern Sami, 2. Ume Sami, 3. Pite Sami, 4. Lule Sami, 5. Northern Sami, 6. Skolt Sami, 7. Inari Sami, 8. Kildin Sami, 9. Ter Sami. Darkened area represents municipalities that recognize Sami as an official language.

There are two language groups that have coexisted on the Scandinavian peninsula since prehistory - the North Germanic languages (Scandinavian languages) and the Sami languages. The Scandinavian Peninsula is a geographic region in northern Europe, consisting principally of the Mainland territories of Norway and Sweden The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Finnic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway ^[55] The majority languages on the peninsula, Swedish and Norwegian, are today, along with Danish, classified as Continental Scandinavian. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the ^[56]

The Scandinavian majority languages are traditionally divided into an East Scandinavian branch (Danish and Swedish) and a West Scandinavian branch (Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese),^[57][58] but because of changes appearing in the languages since 1600, the East Scandinavian and West Scandinavian branches are now usually reconfigured into Insular Scandinavian (ö-nordisk/ø-nordisk) featuring (Icelandic and Faroese)^[59] and Continental Scandinavian (Skandinavisk), comprising Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Faroese ( føroyskt ˈføːɹɪst or) often also spelled Faeroese (cf ^[60] The modern division is based on the degree of mutual comprehensibility between the languages in the two branches. ^[61]

The dialects of Denmark, Norway and Sweden form a dialect continuum and are mutually intelligible. Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the The Norwegian dialects are commonly divided into 5 main groups North Norwegian (nordnorsk Trøndelag Norwegian ( Trøndersk[http //www Swedish dialects can be categorized into Traditional Dialects (with no Standard Swedish influence and Modern Dialects (with various degrees of Standard Swedish influence A dialect continuum is a range of Dialects spoken across a large geographical area differing only slightly between areas that are geographically close and gradually decreasing The populations of the Scandinavian countries can easily understand each other's standard languages as they appear in print and are heard on radio and television. A standard language (also standard dialect, standardized dialect, or standardised dialect) is a particular variety of a Language that The reason why Danish, Swedish and the two official written versions of Norwegian (Nynorsk and Bokmål) 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. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. Faroese ( føroyskt ˈføːɹɪst or) often also spelled Faeroese (cf Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Danish, Swedish and Norwegian have, since medieval times, been influenced to varying degrees by Middle Low German and standard German. Middle Low German ( ISO 639 -3 code gml) is a Language that is the descendant of Old Saxon and is the ancestor of modern Low German. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. A substantial amount of that influence was a by-product of the economic activity generated by the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade

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 Scandinavian languages. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city ^[62] In the Faroe Islands Danish is mandatory, and since Faroese people this way become bilingual in two very distinct North Germanic languages, they find it relatively easy to understand the other two Mainland Scandinavian languages. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the ^[63] The North Germanic languages are (as a language family) entirely unrelated to Finnish, Estonian and Sami languages which as Finno-Ugric languages are distantly related to Hungarian. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Finnic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway Finno-Ugric (ˌfɪnoʊˈjuːgɹɪk is a grouping of languages in the Uralic language family comprising Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian and Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. 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. ^[64]

Sami languages

The Sami languages belong to the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language family and are unrelated to the North Germanic languages other than by limited grammatical (particularly lexical) characteristics resulting from prolonged contact. Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Finnic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway Finno-Ugric (ˌfɪnoʊˈjuːgɹɪk is a grouping of languages in the Uralic language family comprising Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian and The Uralic languages (jʊˈrælɨk constitute a language family of 39 Languages spoken by approximately 20 million people The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages ^[64] Sami is divided into two different languages, north Sami, which is linguistically splintered, and south Sami. ^[64] Consonant gradation is a feature in both Finnish and northern Sami dialects, but it is not present in south Sami, which is considered to have a different language history. According to the Sami Information Centre of the Sami Parliament in Sweden, southern Sami originated in an earlier migration from the south into the Scandinavian peninsula. The Sami Parliaments ( Sámediggi in Northern Sami, Sämitigge in Inari Sami, Sää´mte´ǧǧ in Skolt "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. ^[64]

Finland and Scandinavia

In Finland, native Swedish speakers constitute a small, but rather influential, minority. All children are given a course of their second official language at school; for Swedish-speakers, this is Finnish, and for Finnish-speakers, Swedish. The ethnic nationalist Fennoman movement in Finland began to fight for equal language rights for Finnish-speakers from the Swedish-speaking elite in the 1830s. Ethnic nationalism is a form of Nationalism wherein the " Nation " is defined in terms of Ethnicity. The Fennomans were the most important political movement in the 19th century Grand Duchy of Finland. Its motto, "Swedes we are no longer/not, Russians we will never become, so let us be/become 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. ^[65] 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 Kalevala is a book and epic poem which the Finn Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish and Karelian Folklore in the nineteenth 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". ^[66] The Fennoman movement met with resistance from the Svecoman movement and the Swedish elite. The Svecoman (Swedish Svekoman, literally Svecomaniac) movement was a nationalist movement that arose in the Grand Duchy of Finland at the end of the 19th ^[67] 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. Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of Dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their Zacharias (Zachris Sakari Topelius ( January 14 1818, Nykarleby, Finland &ndash March 12 1898, Sibbo, 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. The University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet is a University located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829 but founded " In response, Topelius wrote a poem arguing that the entire Finnish society was part of this promissory note. ^[66] Finland's struggles and success in establishing a unique identity has been followed by scholars and journalists around the world. ^[68]

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. Alexander (Aleksandr II Nikolaevich (Александр II Николаевич ( Moscow, 29 April 1818 – 13 March 1881 in St 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^[69], the region is unilingually Swedish-speaking. In most other areas of Finland, Finnish is the "lingua franca".

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 Baltic-Finnic languages, spoken around the Baltic Sea by about 7 million people are a branch of Finnic languages belonging to the Finno-Ugric group Meänkieli (lit "our language" is a Finno-Ugric language spoken in the most northern parts of Sweden around the valley of the Torne River. Kvens ( kveeni in Kven language / Finnish; kvener in Norwegian, and láddelažžat in Northern Sami 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.

History

Main article: History of Scandinavia

During a period of Christianization and state formation in the 10th-13th centuries, three consolidated kingdoms emerged in Scandinavia:

• Denmark, forged from the Lands of Denmark (including Jutland, Zealand and Scania (Skåneland) on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The history of Scandinavia is the history of the Nordic countries — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. The historical phenomenon of Christianization (or Christianisation &mdash see spelling differences) the conversion of individuals to Christianity The three lands of Denmark historically formed the Danish kingdom from its unification and consolidation in the 9th century: Scania ( This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. Zealand (also Sealand Danish: Sjælland;) is the largest Island (7031 km² of Denmark (excluding Greenland This region should not be confused with Skånland in Norway Official status When Skåneland was an official entity in its original Danish ^[70]. The island Gotland in modern-day Sweden was initially also part of the Danish realm. is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. )
• 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, the Orkneys, Isle of Man and the Hebrides. Historical lands Sweden was historically divided into the four lands Götaland, Svealand, Norrland and is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated on the west coast of the country is a historical province or landskap in the centre of Sweden. or Jamtland (ˈjamtˌlanː in Jamtish) is a historical province or Landskap in the center of Sweden in Northern Älvdalen Municipality ( Älvdalens kommun) is a municipality in Dalarna County in central Sweden. is one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish on the western coast of Sweden. is a one of the Provinces of Sweden ( landskap) situated in the south of the country Scania ( in Swedish and Danish) is a geographical region on the southernmost tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, a traditional province ( is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated on the west coast of the country is a historical province or landskap in the centre of Sweden. or Jamtland (ˈjamtˌlanː in Jamtish) is a historical province or Landskap in the center of Sweden in Northern Älvdalen Municipality ( Älvdalens kommun) is a municipality in Dalarna County in central Sweden. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Shetland (formerly spelled Zetland, from etland; Old Norse non Hjaltland; Sealtainn is an Archipelago off the northeast coast of Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands or incorrectly the Orkneys) is an Archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles (16 km north The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical See also Hebrides (disambiguation The Hebrides (ˈhɛbrɨˌdiːz "HEB-ri-deez" Gaelic: Innse Gall) comprise a widespread and diverse )

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 Brömsebro (or the Peace of Brömsebro) was signed on August 13, 1645, which ended the Torstenson War (a local conflict that The Treaty of Roskilde, signed in 1658, forced Denmark-Norway to cede the Danish provinces Scania, Blekinge, Halland, Bornholm and the Norwegian provinces of Båhuslen and Trøndelag to Sweden. The Treaty of Roskilde was signed on February 26, 1658 in the Danish city of Roskilde. Bornholm (b̥ʌnˈhʌlˀm or [bɔʀnˈhɔlˀm]) ( Old Norse: Burgundarholm ' is a Danish Island in the Baltic Sea located is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated on the west coast of the country Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. 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 Treaty of Copenhagen was signed on May 27, 1660, and marked the conclusion of the Thirty Years War or the Second Northern War between Sweden Funen ( Danish: Fyn; ˈfyːˀn with a size of 2984 km² (1152 sq ^[71]

Scandinavian unions

Denmark-Norway until 1814.

The three Scandinavian kingdoms were united in 1397 in the Kalmar Union by Queen Margrete I of Denmark. The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal Sweden left the union in 1523 under King Gustav Vasa. Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson (Colloquial 15th century Upplandic Gösta Jerksson) and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September In the aftermath of Sweden's secession from the Kalmar Union, civil war broke out in Denmark and Norway. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state The Protestant Reformation followed. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time When things had settled down, the Norwegian Privy Council was abolished—it assembled for the last time in 1537. A privy council is a body that advises the Head of state of a nation on how to exercise their executive authority, typically but not always in the context of a A personal union, entered into by the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway in 1536, lasted until 1814. A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct Three sovereign successor states have subsequently emerged from this unequal union: Denmark, Norway and Iceland. Succession of states is a theory in International relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created State by other states based on

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 Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse The corresponding adjective and demonym is Dano-Norwegian. In Grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to modify a Noun or Pronoun, giving more information about the A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place During Danish rule, Norway kept its separate laws, coinage and army, as well as some institutions such as a royal chancellor. Chancellor or chancellour (archaic ( Latin: cancellarius) is an official Title used in countries whose civilization has arisen Norway's old royal line had died out with the death of Olav IV,^[72] but Norway's remaining a hereditary kingdom was an important factor to the Oldenburg dynasty of Denmark-Norway in its struggles to win elections as kings of Denmark. Oluf IV Haakonsson ( 1370 - August 23, 1387) was king of Denmark as Oluf II (1376–1387 and king of Norway as Olav IV (1380–1387 History of Monarchy of Norway redirects here The Kingdom of Norway as a unified realm was initiated by King Harald Fairhair ||-||-||-||} Oldenburg ( Low German: Ollnborg) is an Independent City in Lower Saxony, Germany.

The Dano-Norwegian union was formally dissolved at the 1814 Treaty of Kiel. The Treaty of Kiel was a settlement between Sweden and Denmark-Norway on January 14, 1814, whereby the Danish king a loser in the The territory of Norway proper was ceded to the King of Sweden, but Norway's overseas possessions were kept by Denmark. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. 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. For the town in Australia see Eidsvold Queensland is a municipality in the county of Akershus Norway. 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. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire The parliament Storting elected king Charles XIII of Sweden as king of Norway on November 4. The Storting ( Stortinget, literally "the Great Thing /Assembly" is the Norwegian Parliament, and is located in the capital city Charles XIII (Karl XIII ( 7 October, 1748 - 5 February, 1818) was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway (where he Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani

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. Haakon VII (Prince Carl of Denmark born Christian Frederik Carl Georg Valdemar Axel) (3 August 1872 in Charlottenlund 21 September 1957 in Oslo)

Politics: Scandinavism

Scandinavia as a 19th century political vision (Scandinavism)

See also Politics of Denmark, Politics of Norway and Politics of Sweden. Scandinavism (also called Pan-Scandinavianism) and Nordism are literary and political movements that support various degrees of cooperation between the Scandinavian The Politics of Denmark takes place in a framework of a parliamentary, Representative democratic, Constitutional monarchy, in which the Politics of Norway takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Constitutional monarchy. Politics of Sweden takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Constitutional monarchy.

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). Scandinavism (also called Pan-Scandinavianism) and Nordism are literary and political movements that support various degrees of cooperation between the Scandinavian The First Schleswig War (Schleswig-Holsteinischer Krieg or Three Years' War (Treårskrigen was the first round of military conflict in southern Denmark and northern "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The First Schleswig War occurred in 1848–1851. The Second Schleswig War (2 In 1864, the Swedish parliament denounced the promises of military support made to Denmark by Charles XV of Sweden. Biography He was born in Stockholm Palace and dubbed Duke of Skåne at birth 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 and Sweden. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The background for the proposal was the tumultuous events during the Napoleonic wars in the beginning of the century. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions 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. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct The dependent territories Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, historically part of Norway, remained with Denmark in accordance with the Treaty of Kiel. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Treaty of Kiel was a settlement between Sweden and Denmark-Norway on January 14, 1814, whereby the Danish king a loser in the 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. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya

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. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Holstein (ˈhɔlʃtain ( Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) A personal union is the combination by which two different States are governed by the same Monarch, while their boundaries their laws and their interests remain distinct The Second war of Schleswig followed in 1864, a brief but disastrous war between Denmark and Prussia (supported by Austria). Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich 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. is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Power in international relations is defined in several different ways Baltic Seven Islandsgif|right|thumb|330px|A contemporary transnational Euroregion encompasses the islands of the Baltic countries

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 Krona/Krone as the common currency. The Scandinavian Monetary Union (Skandinaviska myntunionen Skandinaviske møntunion Skandinaviske myntunion was a Monetary union formed by Sweden and Denmark World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

Historical political structure

1/ The original settlers of the Faroes and Iceland were of Nordic (mainly Norwegian) origin, with a considerable element of Celtic or Pictish origin (from Ireland and Scotland) . The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Union between Sweden and Norway (Unionen mellan Sverige och Norge Unionen mellom Norge og Sverige or the Swedish-Norwegian Kingdom was the union of the kingdoms of The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional or Jamtland (ˈjamtˌlanː in Jamtish) is a historical province or Landskap in the center of Sweden in Northern The term Dane may refer to People with a Danish ancestral or ethnic identity whether living in Denmark, emigrants or the descendants of emigrants Icelanders are the Nation or Ethnic group of Iceland descended primarily from Norsemen of Scandinavia. Norwegians See also History of Norway and Demography of Norway. The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway or Jamtland (ˈjamtˌlanː in Jamtish) is a historical province or Landskap in the center of Sweden in Northern The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The terms Finns and Finnish people ( Finnish: suomalaiset, Swedish: finländare) are used in English to The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

2/ The settlers of Jämtland are of Norwegian—more specifically Trøndish—origin and their ancestors founded their own state similar to the Icelandic one governed by the Jamtamót assembly of free men. or Jamtland (ˈjamtˌlanː in Jamtish) is a historical province or Landskap in the center of Sweden in Northern Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. Jamtamót was the old assembly of Jämtland. Unlike other Scandinavian things, it is referred to as a mót, not þing, both meaning

See also

• Baltic region
• Nordic Council
• Nordic countries
• Nordic Cross Flag
• Northern Europe
• Scandinavian British
• Scandinavian colonialism
• Scandza
• Thule

Footnotes

External links

• Go Scandinavia - Official Website of the Scandinavian Tourist Boards in North America
• Nordic Council - Official site for co-operation in the Nordic region
• Nordregio - Site established by the Nordic Council of Ministers
• Scandinavia House - The Nordic Center in New York, run by the American-Scandinavian Foundation
• Scandinavia News - Scandinavia news and analysis of current events
• Scandinavia Now - Nordic business news in English
• Scandinavica - Monthly magazine about Scandinavia
• Historical atlas of Scandinavia - Personal web site of Örjan Martinsson
• ReRailEurope - A Railway map of Scandinavia (flash file)