Northern Europe: Land of the Midnight Sun

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Northern Europe Land of the Midnight Sun

• Denmark
• Sweden
• Finland
• Norway
• Iceland

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Nordic Europe
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Nordic Europe

• Northern-most group of countries on earth
• Democratic governments mixed with socialist
  economies
• Sparsely populated - homogenous
• Mostly Protestant (Lutheran)
• Highly developed and affluent

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• Scandinavia includes only Sweden, Denmark, and
  Norway
• Languages among all Nordic European countries are
  very similar (except Finnish)
• Women participate more in government here than
  anywhere else in the world
• Individual rights and social welfare are
  carefully protected

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Viking Voyages

• The first Europeans to land on North America
  were the Vikings. Around 1000 CE, Leif
  Erikssons Vikings landed in Newfoundland, Canada

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Norway

• Fjords narrow, steep, long coastal valleys with
  water (created by glaciers)
• Under Nazi control, fjords were used to ambush
  Allied planes and ships
• Large reserves of oil and gas off the coast in
  the North Sea
• The Norwegians are known for nature-loving

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Norway Fjords
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Sweden

• Most industrialized nation in Northern Europe
• Largest in area and population
• Known for neutrality remained neutral in WWII
  while Norway and Denmark were occupied by Nazis
  and Finland fought the Nazis

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Finland

• Unlike its neighbors (Norway Sweden), Finland
  is flat
• Poor soil and cold weather make agriculture
  impossible, but they have lots of trees
• Therefore, thriving paper and lumber industries
• The Russo-Finnish War (1939-1940) - the only war
  to be fought almost totally on skis

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Kingdom of Denmark

• Kingdom comprises 482 islands, including
  Greenland the worlds largest island
• Most agricultural of Nordic nations
• Copenhagen is known for nightlife and sexual
  promiscuity

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Iceland

• Almost 50 of Icelanders live in Reykjavik
• Get their heat for cooking hot water from
  underground
• Economic opportunities are limited to fishing