Nordic countries

Nordic countries are a group of countries in Northern Europe. These countries include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and the territories of Greenland, Svalbard, the Åland Islands and the Faroe Islands. Though often confused as such, Scandinavia is not equivalent to the Nordic countries. Scandinavia is a peninsula while the Nordic countries are recognized states. Sweden and Norway (and a small part of Finland) rest on the Scandinavian peninsula. Scandinavia and Finland together belong to a larger peninsula, Fennoscandia. Finns speak a non-Germanic language.

Nordic countries have similar state, law and culture. Historically, Nordic countries have maintained close connections. Nordic countries are primarily socialist democracies and welfare states. Nordic countries have some political co-operation, such as the Nordic Council. Cooperation with a larger group, the European Union, makes the Nordic cooperation even smaller.

Nordic countries have long, cold winters with warm days in the summer, but only a small part of Northern Norway and approximately half of Iceland is arctic, although Iceland lies below the Arctic Circle except for one small island.

Nordic Countries Media

• Margaret of Denmark, Norway & Sweden (1389) effigy 2010 (2).jpg

  Effigy of Queen Margaret, founder and ruler of the Kalmar Union

• Kalmar Union ca. 1400.svg

  Kalmar Union, c. 1400

• The Prime Ministers of the Nordic Countries in October 2014 (cropped).jpg

  Nordic prime ministers at the Nordic Council meeting in 2014 in Stockholm

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  Satellite map of the European part of the Nordic countries, except for Jan Mayen and Svalbard

• Resundsbron 2009-09-17, Johannes Jansson.jpg

  The Öresund Bridge between Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark

• Share of total area in the Nordic countries in 2012.jpg

  Share of total area in the Nordic countries in 2012

• Territorial waters - Denmark.svg

  The exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of the Kingdom of Denmark

• Average temperatures in the capitals of the Nordic countries in 2012.jpg

  Average temperatures in the capitals of the Nordic countries in 2012

• Nordic-Treaty-1962.jpg

  Signing the Helsinki Treaty in 1962

• Nordic Council in session at the Parliament of Norway in 2007