Scandinavia

Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula and some surrounding areas. The Scandinavian countries are in present day understood as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, even if the latter actually does not reside on the Scandinavian Peninsula. These countries have mutually recognized each other as parts of political and cultural Scandinavia, since the golden days of the nationalist movements in respective countries in the middle of the 19th century CE.

Related Topics:
Scandinavian Peninsula - Norway - Sweden - Denmark - Political - Cultural - CE

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Before 1850's, Finland was also considered a part of Scandinavia for hundreds of years, due to the strong historical and geographical ties. However, popular sentiment and subsequent national government policies changed the usage of the term. The main reasons cited for this change were the dwindling use of the Swedish language in certain areas of Finland and because the country had by that time fallen under Russian political rule.

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The collective label "Scandinavia" nowadays primarily reflects the linguistic similarity, but also the strong historical and social ties between these countries despite their current political independence.

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The usage and meaning of the term 'Scandinavia' is somewhat ambiguous:

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• Finland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland are still sometimes counted as parts of Scandinavia, as they share strong social and historical ties to Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
• In a German mindset, Norway, Sweden and Finland are usually included, but Denmark is not.
• In a British mindset, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are usually included, often with the addition of Iceland, Finland, and sometimes even Greenland.

These alternative meanings are sometimes considered incorrect in some parts of Scandinavia, and occasionally some people may take offence at such usage.

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However, the usage of the term among scholars and teachers, as well in Scandinavia as other regions, has again increasingly started to refer to it's historical definition with Finland included.

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The term the Nordic countries is used unambiguously for the Scandinavian kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the republics of Finland and Iceland.

Related Topics:
Nordic countries - Kingdom - Republic

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The terms Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are used either to include the Scandinavian peninsula, the Kola peninsula, Karelia and Finland under the same term alluding to the Fennoscandian Shield, or they may be used in a more cultural sense, more or less as a synonym for the Nordic countries, to signify the historically close contact between Finnic, Sami and Scandinavian peoples and cultures.

Related Topics:
Kola peninsula - Karelia - Finland - Fennoscandian Shield - Finnic - Sami

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Scandinavia: Etymology ►