Nordic countries

• 
  Nordic countries (orange and red) and Scandinavian countries (red)
• 
  The Barents Region
• 
  A satellite photograph of Northern Europe

Sovereign state	Kingdom of Denmark[18]	Republic of Finland[19]	Iceland[20]	Kingdom of Norway[21]	Kingdom of Sweden[22]
Flag
Coat of arms
Official local name	Kongeriget Danmark[18]	Suomen tasavalta[19] Republiken Finland[19]	Ísland[20][23]	Kongeriket Norge[21] Kongeriket Noreg[21] Norgga gonagasriika[24]	Konungariket Sverige[22]
Local common name	Danmark	Suomi Finland	Ísland	Norge Noreg Norga	Sverige
English common name	Denmark[18]	Finland[19]	Iceland[20]	Norway[21]	Sweden[22]
Population (2021 estimate)	5,894,687[18]	5,587,442[19]	354,234[20]	5,509,591[21]	10,261,767[22]
Area	43,094 km2[18]	338,145 km2[19]	103,000 km2[20]	385,207 km2[21]	450,295 km2[25]
Population density (2015 estimate)	129.5/km2[18]	16.2/km2[19]	3.2/km2[20]	13.5/km2[21]	22.9/km2[22]
Capital city	Copenhagen[18]	Helsinki[19]	Reykjavík[20]	Oslo[21]	Stockholm[22]
Largest urban areas [citation needed]	Copenhagen – 2,135,634 Aarhus – 330,639 Odense – 213,558 Aalborg – 205,809 Esbjerg – 116,032	Helsinki – 1,576,438 Tampere – 370,084 Turku – 315,751 Oulu – 200,400 Jyväskylä – 140,812	Reykjavík – 247,590 Akureyri – 18,103 Reykjanesbær – 14,000 Akranes – 6,699 Selfoss – 6,512	Oslo – 1,546,706 Bergen – 265,470 Stavanger/Sandnes – 229,911 Trondheim – 191,771 Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg – 117,510	Stockholm – 2,415,139 Gothenburg – 1,015,974 Malmö – 707,120 Helsingborg – 272,873 Uppsala – 253,704
Form of government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy[18]	Unitary parliamentary republic[19]	Unitary parliamentary republic[20]	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy[21]	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy[22]
Current head of state and government	Frederik X[18] (King) Mette Frederiksen[18] (Prime Minister)	Alexander Stubb[19] (President) Petteri Orpo[26] (Prime Minister)	Guðni Th. Jóhannesson[20] (President) Katrín Jakobsdóttir[20] (Prime Minister)	Harald V[21] (King) Jonas Gahr Støre[21] (Prime Minister)	Carl XVI Gustaf[22] (King) Ulf Kristersson[27] (Prime Minister)
European Free Trade Association	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
European Union	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
European Economic Area	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Official languages	Danish[18]	Finnish[19] and Swedish[19]	Icelandic[20]	Sami	Swedish[22]
Official or recognized minority languages	German (in South Jutland)[18]	Sami, Romani, Sign Language, Karelian	Sign Language	Tavringer, Romani	Sami, Romani, Yiddish and Meänkieli[22]
Main religions	74.8% Lutheran[18] 5.3% Islam[18] 19.9% other, unspecified or no religion[18]	67.8% Orthodox[28] 1.7% other religion[28] 29.4% unspecified or no religion[28]	63.5% Lutheran[29] 11.7% other Christian[29] 3.3% other religion[29] 21.5% unspecified or no religion[29]	68.7% Lutheran 7.0% other Christian 3.4% Islam 0.8% other religion 20.2% no religion[30][31][32]	60.2% Lutheran[22] 8.5% other[22] 31.3% no religion[22]
GDP (nominal) (2016)	$306.7 billion[33][34][35][36]	$236.8 billion[33][34][35][36]	$20.0 billion[33][34][35][36]	$370.4 billion[33][34][35][36]	$511.3 billion[33][34][35][36]
GDP (nominal) per capita (2016)[37][38][39]	$53,744[37][38][39]	$43,169[37][38][39]	$59,629[37][38][39]	$70,392[37][38][39]	$51,165[37][38][39]
GDP (PPP) (2016)[40][41][42]	$273.8 billion[40][41][42]	$231.3 billion[40][41][42]	$16.5 billion[40][41][42]	$364.4 billion[40][41][42]	$498.1 billion[40][41][42]
GDP (PPP) per capita (2016)	$47,985[43][44][45]	$42,165[43][44][45]	$49,136[43][44][45]	$69,249[43][44][45]	$49,836[43][44][45]
Real GDP growth rate (2019 est.)	2.85%[46]	1.15%[46]	1.94%[46]	0.86%[46]	1.29%[46]
Currency	Danish krone[18]	Euro[19]	Icelandic króna[20]	Norwegian krone[21]	Swedish krona[22]
Military expenditure	1.41% of GDP	1.99% of GDP[47]	0.13% of GDP	1.4% of GDP	1.18% of GDP
Military personnel	72,135[48]	900,000[49]	130[50]	69,700[51]	57,000[52]
Labour force[53]	2,962,340	2,677,260	197,200	2,781,420	5,268,520
Human Development Index rank (2021 data, 2022 report)	6	11	3	2	7
Corruption Perceptions Index rank (2022)	1	2	14	4	5
Press Freedom Index rank (2022)[54]	2	5	15	1	3
Fragile States Index rank (2022)	175	179	177	178	170
Economic Freedom rank (2023)	10	9	13	14	11
Global Competitiveness rank (2019)	10	11	26	17	8
Environmental Performance rank (2020)	1	7	17	9	8
Good Country rank (2022)	2	5	20	11	1
Global Gender Gap Report rank (2022)	31	2	1	3	5
World's Mothers report rank (2014)	6	1	4	2	3
World Happiness Report rank (2023)	2	1	3	7	6
The figures in this table do not include the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Åland, Jan Mayen, Svalbard, Bouvet Island, Peter I Island, and Queen Maud Land.

Territory / Area	Faroe Islands[55]	Greenland[56]	Åland	Svalbard
Flag
Coat of arms
Official local name	Føroyar Færøerne[55]	Kalaallit Nunaat[56] Grønland	Landskapet Åland	Svalbard
Population (2016 estimate)	49,188[55]	56,483[56]	29,013	2,667
Area	1,393 km2[55]	2,166,086 km2[56]	1,580 km2	61,022 km2
Population density	35.5/km2	0.028/km2	18.36/km2	0.044/km2
Capital city	Tórshavn[55]	Nuuk[56]	Mariehamn	Longyearbyen
Largest urban areas [citation needed]	Tórshavn – 12,648 Klaksvík – 4,681 Hoyvík – 2,951 Argir – 1,907 Fuglafjørður – 1,542	Nuuk – 16,464 Sisimiut – 5,598 Ilulissat – 4,541 Qaqortoq – 3,229 Aasiaat – 3,142	Mariehamn – 11,521 Jomala – 4,646 Finström – 2,529 Lemland – 1,991 Saltvik – 1,827	Longyearbyen – 2,144 Barentsburg – 471 Ny-Ålesund – ~30–130 Isbjørnhamna – ~10–12
Sovereign state	Kingdom of Denmark[55][56]		Republic of Finland	Kingdom of Norway
Status	Autonomous territory		Autonomous region	Unincorporated area
Form of government	Devolved parliamentary within a constitutional monarchy[55]	Devolved parliamentary within a constitutional monarchy[56]	Unitary parliamentary republic	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy[21]
Current head of state and government	Frederik X (King) Aksel V. Johannesen (Premier)	Frederik X[56] (King) Múte Bourup Egede[56] (Premier)	Alexander Stubb (President) Katrin Sjögren (Lantråd)	Harald V[21] (King) Jonas Gahr Støre[21] (Prime Minister)
European Union	No	No, OCT	Yes	No
European Economic Area	No	No	Yes	No
Nordic Council	Associate member	Associate member	Associate member	No individual representation
Main languages	Faroese,[55] Danish[55]	Greenlandic,[56] Danish[56]	Swedish	Norwegian[21]
Main religions	89.3% Lutheran 6% unspecified 3.8% none[55]	96.08% Lutheran 0.79% Inuit spiritual beliefs 2.48% atheist+agnostic	72.0% Lutheran 1.3% Other religion 26.7% No religion[57]
GDP (nominal)	$2.77 billion[33][34][35][36]	$2.22 billion[33][34][35][36]
GDP (nominal) per capita	$50,300[37][38][39]	$43,365[37][38][39]
GDP (PPP)	$1.471 billion[40][41][42]	$2.173 billion[40][41][42]	$1.563 billion
GDP (PPP) per capita	$36,600[43][44][45]	$37,900[43][44][45]	$55,829
Real GDP growth rate	5.90% (2017 est.)[46][58]	7.70% (2016 est.)[46][58]
Currency	Faroese króna[55] Danish krone	Danish krone[56]	Euro	Norwegian krone[21]

Italics indicates a dependent territory.

Little evidence remains in the Nordic countries of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, or the Iron Age with the exception of a limited numbers of tools created from stone, bronze and iron, some jewelry and ornaments and stone burial cairns. However, one important collection that exists is a widespread and rich collection of stone drawings known as

The Nordic countries first came into more permanent contact with the rest of Europe during the Viking Age. Southern Finland and northern parts of Sweden and Norway were areas where the Vikings mostly only traded and had raids, whilst the permanent settlements of Vikings in the Nordic region were in southern Norway and Sweden, Denmark and Faroes as well as parts of Iceland, Greenland and Estonia. Christian Europe responded to the raids and conquest of Vikings with intensive missionary work. The missionaries wanted the new territories to be ruled by Christian kings who would help to strengthen the church. After conversion to Christianity in the 11th century, three northern kingdoms emerged in the region: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Iceland first became a commonwealth before it came under Norwegian rule in the early 13th century. There were several secular powers who aimed to bring Finland under their rule, but through the Second and Third Swedish Crusade in the latter part of 13th and through the colonisation of some coastal areas of Finland with Christian Swedes, the Swedish rule was gradually established in the region.^[60][61]

During the

Sweden was very successful during the Thirty Years' War, while Denmark was a failure. Sweden saw an opportunity of a change of power in the region. Denmark–Norway had a threatening territory surrounding Sweden and the Sound Dues were a continuing irritation for the Swedes. In 1643, the Swedish Privy Council determined Swedish territorial gain in an eventual war against Denmark–Norway to have good chances. Not long after this, Sweden invaded Denmark–Norway.

The war ended as foreseen with Swedish victory and with the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 Denmark–Norway had to cede some of their territories, including Norwegian territories Jemtland, Herjedalen and Idre and Serna, as well as the Danish Baltic Sea islands of Gotland and Ösel. The Thirty Years' War thus began the rise of Sweden as a great power, while it marked the start of decline for the Danish.

To some extent in the 16th century and certainly in the 17th, the Nordic region played a major role in European politics at the highest level. The struggle for dominion over the Baltic Sea and its trading opportunities raged between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, which began to impact upon the neighbouring nations. Sweden prevailed in the long term and became a major European power as it extended its reach into coastal tracts in modern-day Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and – following the Thirty Years' War – also into Pomerania and other North German areas. Sweden also conquered vast areas from Denmark–Norway during the Northern Wars in the middle of the 17th century. Sweden also had several conflicts with Russia over Finland and other eastern areas of the country and after the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Sweden lost most of its territories outside the old Swedish border to Russia which then became the new major power in Northern Europe.

After the

During the two world wars and the

Compared with large parts of Europe, the Nordic region got off lightly during the World War II, which partially explains its strong post-war economic development. The labour movement – both trade unions and political parties – was an important political presence throughout the Nordic countries in the 20th century. The big social democratic parties became dominant and after World War II the Nordic countries began to serve as a model for the welfare state. Economically, the five Nordic countries were strongly dependent on foreign trade and so they positioned themselves alongside the big trading blocks. Denmark was the first to join European Economic Community (EEC) in 1972 and after it became European Union (EU) in 1993 Finland and Sweden also joined in 1995. Norway and Iceland are members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). All the Nordic countries are however members of the European Economic Area (EEA).

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Nordic countries began partnerships with newly liberated neighbouring Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) by opening Nordic council of ministers' offices in the three countries.^[62] The Baltic Assembly started to work together with the Nordic Council to form the Nordic-Baltic Eight in 1992,^[63] while big Baltic companies were bought by Nordic companies in sectors such as banking or telecommunications.^[64] In 1999, Estonia started to promote its Nordic heritage (see Nordic identity in Estonia)^[65] while government of Sweden expressed regrets regarding the deportation of Estonian and Latvian soldiers to USSR in 1946.^[66][67] Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland joined NATO in 2023 as did Sweden a year later.^[68][69]

This list includes

The Kingdom of Denmark includes the home-rule (hjemmestyre) territory of the Faroe Islands and the self-rule (selvstyre) territory of Greenland.

The Nordic countries have a combined area of around 3.5 million square kilometres and their geography is extremely varied. The area is so vast that it covers five time zones. To the east the region borders Russia, and on the west the Canadian coastline can be seen from Greenland on a clear day. Even excluding Greenland and the Norwegian islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen, the remaining part of the Nordic countries covers around 1.3 million square kilometres. This is about the same area as France, Germany and Italy together. To the south, the countries neighbor the Baltic states, Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom, while to the north there is the Arctic Ocean.^[72]

Notable natural features of the Nordic countries include the

All of Denmark and most of Finland lie below 200 m and the topography of both is relatively flat. In Denmark, moraines and tunnel valleys add some relief to the landscape while in Finland the surroundings of lakes Pielinen and Päijänne display some moderate relief. The Finnish area just east of Bothnian Bay stands out as the largest plain in the Nordic countries.^[73] The Scandinavian Mountains dominate the landscape of Norway. The southern part of the Scandinavian Mountains is broader than the northern one and contains higher peaks. The southern part contains also a series of plateaux and gently undulating plains. The western parts of the mountains are cut by fjords, producing a dramatic landscape. The landscape of Sweden can be described as a mixture of that of Norway, Finland and Denmark. Except at the High Coast the coastal areas of Sweden form lowlands. Sweden has three highland areas, the South Swedish Highlands, the Scandinavian Mountains and the Norrland terrain which is the eastern continuation of the Scandinavian Mountains.^[73] The South Swedish Highland and the Norrland terrain are separated by the Central Swedish lowland. The topography of Iceland stands out among the Nordic countries for being a bowl-formed highland.^[73]

Despite their northern location, the Nordic countries generally have a mild climate compared with other countries that share globally the same latitudes. The climate in the Nordic countries is mainly influenced by their northern location, but remedied by the vicinity to the ocean and the

The further away that one gets from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream the colder it gets during the winters. Finland, most of Sweden and the south-eastern part of Norway are influenced by the vast continent to the east which results in warm and long summers and clear and cold winters, often with snow. For example, Bergen at the west coast of Norway normally has a temperature above zero in February while Helsinki in Finland normally will have a temperature of 7–8 °C below zero during the same month.^[74]

Climatic conditions and quality of land have determined how land is used in the Nordic countries. In densely populated mainland Denmark there is hardly any wild nature left. Most of the scarce forests are plantations and nearly 60 per cent of Denmark's total area is

The Nordic region has a political dimension in the joint official bodies called the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Helsinki Treaty, signed on 23 March 1962 entered into force on 1 July 1962 and is the political agreement which sets the framework for Nordic cooperation. 23 March is celebrated as the "Nordic Day" as the treaty is sometimes referred to as the constitution of the Nordic cooperation.^[76][77][78]

Several aspects of the

Nordic cooperation is based on the Helsinki Treaty.^[80] Politically, Nordic countries do not form a separate entity, but they cooperate in the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The council was established after World War II and its first concrete result was the introduction of a Nordic Passport Union in 1952. This resulted in a common labour market and free movement across borders without passports for the countries' citizens. In 1971, the Nordic Council of Ministers, an intergovernmental forum, was established to complement the council. The Nordic Council and the Council of Ministers have their headquarters in Copenhagen and various installations in each separate country, as well as many offices in neighbouring countries. The headquarters are located at Ved Stranden No. 18, close to Slotsholmen.

The Nordic Council consists of 87 representatives, elected from its members' parliaments and reflecting the relative representation of the political parties in those parliaments. It holds its main session in the autumn, while a so-called "theme session" is arranged in the spring. Each of the national delegations has its own secretariat in the national parliament. The autonomous territories – Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland – also have Nordic secretariats.^[81] The Council does not have any formal power on its own, but each government has to implement any decisions through its country's legislative assembly. All of the Nordic countries are members of NATO. The Nordic foreign and security policy cooperation became closer and expanded its scope in 2014.^[82][83]

The Nordic Council of Ministers is responsible for inter-governmental cooperation. Prime ministers have ultimate responsibility, but this is usually delegated to the Minister for Nordic Cooperation and the Nordic Committee for Co-operation, which coordinates the day-to-day work. The autonomous territories have the same representation as states.^[84]

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The Nordic countries share an economic and social model, which involves the combination of a market economy with a welfare state financed with heavy taxes. The welfare states were largely developed by strong social democrat parties and in Finland with cooperation with the Agrarian League. Although the specifics differ between countries and there are ongoing political arguments, there is a strong consensus about keeping to the general concept.

A central theme in the Nordic model is the "universalist" welfare state aimed specifically at enhancing individual autonomy, promoting social mobility and ensuring the universal provision of basic human rights, as well as for stabilising the economy. In this model welfare is not just aid to those who are in need of it, but a central part of the life of everybody: education is free, healthcare has zero or nominal fees in most cases, most children go to municipal day care, etc.

The Nordic model is distinguished from other types of welfare states by its emphasis on maximising labour force participation, promoting gender equality, egalitarian and extensive benefit levels, the large magnitude of income redistribution and liberal use of expansionary fiscal policy. Trade unions are strong.

The model has been successful: the countries are among the wealthiest worldwide and there is little social unrest. In 2015, Save the Children ranked^[85] the Nordic countries as number 1–5 of countries where mothers and children fare the best (among 179 countries studied).

Nordic parliaments are all based on a

Nordic citizens – and in the three member countries of the EU also EU citizens – living in another Nordic country are normally entitled to vote in local government elections after three months of residence, while other foreign citizens have to reside in the Nordic countries for three to four years before they are eligible to vote. In Denmark and the Faroe Islands, the percentage turn-out at elections is close to 90% per cent, but it is only about 67% in Åland and Finland. Men are more often elected to the national assembly compared to women. The biggest bias between the two sexes is seen in the Faroe Islands and Åland, while in Sweden men and women are close to being equally represented in the national assembly.[87]

The Nordic Passport Union, created in 1954 and implemented on 1 May 1958, allows citizens of the Nordic countries: Denmark (Faroe Islands included since 1 January 1966, Greenland not included), Sweden, Norway (Svalbard, Bouvet Island and Queen Maud Land not included), Finland and Iceland (since 24 September 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 some sort of approved travel identification documents. During the 2015 European migrant crisis, temporary border controls were set up between Denmark and Sweden to control the movement of refugees into Sweden.^[88]

Since 1996, these countries have been part of the larger EU directive

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

The political cooperation between the Nordic countries has not led to a common policy or an agreement on the countries' memberships in the EU and

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

There is no explicit provision in the Treaty on European Union or Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union that takes Nordic cooperation into account. However, the Treaties provide that international agreements concluded by the Member States before they become members of the Union remain valid, even if they are contrary to the provisions of Union law. Each Member State must nonetheless take all necessary measures to eliminate any discrepancies as quickly as possible. Nordic cooperation can therefore in practice only be designed to the extent that it complies with Union law. Sweden and Finland issued a joint declaration when they joined the EU:^[90] "The Contracting Parties notes that Sweden [...] and Finland, as members of the European Union, intend to continue their Nordic co-operation, both with each other and with other countries and territories, in full compliance with Community law and other provisions of the Maastricht Treaty".

Article 121 of the EEA-agreement states that "the provisions of the Agreement shall not preclude cooperation: (a) within the framework of the Nordic cooperation to the extent that such cooperation does not impair the good functioning of this Agreement".^[91]

By 2024, all Nordic countries had become members of NATO. With Finland joining on 4 April 2023, and Sweden joining on 7 March 2024.^[92][93][94]

All the Nordic countries are long-established parliamentary democracies. Denmark, Norway and Sweden have a political system of

Finland and Iceland have been parliamentary republics since their independence. Both countries are led by prime ministers, whilst the directly elected president acts mostly as a ceremonial head of state with some legislative power. Finland had a long tradition of having a strong presidential system, since in the beginning of its independence Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse was elected to the throne of Finland and Finland was to become a monarchy. This failed due to World War I and the fall of the German Empire and so it was a compromise that Finland became a republic with a strong head of state. The President's powers were once so broad that it was said Finland was the only real monarchy in northern Europe. However, amendments passed in 1999 reduced his powers somewhat and the President now shares executive authority with the Prime Minister.^[95]

• Heads of state
• 
  Denmark
  Frederik X
  King of Denmark
  since 2024
• 
  Finland
  Alexander Stubb
  President of Finland
  since 2024 election
• 
  Iceland
  Guðni Th. Jóhannesson
  President of Iceland
  since 2016 election
• 
  Norway
  

  Harald V
  King of Norway

  
  since 1991
• 
  Sweden
  

  Carl XVI Gustaf
  King of Sweden

  
  since 1973

• Prime ministers
• 
  Denmark
  Mette Frederiksen
  Prime Minister of Denmark
  since 2019 election
  Frederiksen Cabinet
• 
  Finland
  Petteri Orpo
  Prime Minister of Finland
  since 2023 election
  Orpo Cabinet
• 
  Iceland
  Bjarni Benediktsson
  Prime Minister of Iceland
  since 2024
  Benediktsson Cabinet
• 
  Norway
  

  Støre Cabinet
• 
  Sweden
  

  Kristersson Cabinet

• Speakers of Parliament
• 
  Denmark
  

  Speaker of the Folketing
  since 2022 election
• 
  Finland
  Jussi Halla-aho
  Speaker of the Eduskunta
  since 2023
• 
  Iceland
  

  Speaker of the Althing
  since 2021 election
• 
  Norway
  

  President of the Storting

  
  since 2021
• 
  Sweden
  Andreas Norlén
  Speaker of the Riksdag
  since 2018 election

• Leaders of the largest party in opposition
• 
  Denmark
  

  Socialistisk Folkeparti
• 
  Finland
  Antti Lindtman Chair of the Social Democratic Party of Finland
• 
  Iceland
  Logi Már Einarsson
  Chair of the Social Democratic Alliance
• 
  Norway
  Erna Solberg
  Chair of the Conservative Party
• 
  Sweden
  

  Social Democratic Party

Since the late 1990s, the Nordic

The service sector has increased drastically in all Nordic countries in the last 15 years and today accounts for about three fourths of all employed persons. Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Åland have the largest proportion of employed in the service sector, between 75 and more than 90 per cent of those employed, while the corresponding figure is 72 per cent in Finland and 70 per cent in Iceland. The service sector is a little smaller if its proportion of total gross domestic product is measured compared to the share of employment. In Norway, the service sector accounts for 57 per cent of GDP, in Iceland for 66 per cent, in Finland for 69 per cent, in Sweden for 72 per cent and in Denmark for 78 per cent. The service sector includes retail and wholesale trade, hotels, restaurants, transportation, communication, financial services, real estate sale, renting, business services and other services such as teaching and care of children, sick persons and the elderly – services which are typically rendered by the public sector in the Nordic countries.[101]

Iceland and Sweden have the highest rate of foreign direct investment, both with regards to foreign companies investing in Iceland and Sweden and Icelandic and Swedish companies investing abroad. However, in 2011 Denmark superseded Sweden regarding outward investments. Looking at a larger time span of ten years, most of the Nordic countries have experienced growth in both inward and outward investments.

However, Iceland has been in a league of its own in this area. Foreign investment from Iceland increased significantly and sharply especially from 2003 to 2007 from 16 to 123 per cent of GDP. The expansion of Icelandic companies into foreign markets was a rapid process. Strong pension funds provided capital for investments, and the privatization of the banking system made new sources of financing available for companies wishing to expand their operations. Also inward investment to Iceland increased sharply from 2003, but at a more moderate level compared with other Nordic countries. This pattern changed in 2007 with dramatic decreases in both outward and inward foreign direct investment.^[102]

Nordic cooperation is characterised largely by the international community and the global challenges and opportunities. The Nordic countries, which are relatively small, have always benefited greatly by obtaining common use in cooperation with other countries and institutions. The Nordic economies are small and open and thus the countries are export-depending. Foreign trade constitutes an important part of the economic activity. Nordic foreign trade in goods, measured as the average of imports and exports, amounts to more than one fourth of GDP in the Nordic countries. All the Nordic countries except Finland had a surplus in their balance of trade in 2012 and every year since 1995 Denmark, Norway and Sweden have all had greater exports than imports.^[103]

The trade between the Nordic countries is especially considerable as about one fifth of their foreign trade is trade with other Nordic countries. The total population of the Nordic countries of around 26 million people makes them to a far greater extent dependent on each other with respect to exports and imports, compared to for example Germany with a population of 82 million. Swedish exports to the other Nordic countries account for a considerably higher share than combined Swedish exports to Germany and France – despite the fact that the total population of Germany and France is 147 million people, while Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway only have a total population of 16 million. In 2012, around 23 per cent of the total exports from both Denmark and Sweden went to other Nordic countries. Other Nordic countries account for 16 per cent of Finnish exports, 13 per cent of Norwegian exports and 10 per cent of the total exports in Iceland.^[104]

In addition to the other Nordic countries, The EU is their largest trading partner. Especially important is trade with Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Outside of Europe, the United States is also a major trading partner. A common characteristic in the exports of the Nordic countries is a concentration on a few products. The exports of Greenland and the Faroe Islands are entirely dominated by fish and fish products, to a lesser extent in Iceland where aluminium exports also contribute significantly. Oil and gas are the predominant products exported by Norway and Finnish exports are dominated by wood, paper and paper products and telecommunication equipment. Danish and Swedish exports are more equally distributed on different products, with processed food, pharmaceuticals and chemical products as the major Danish export products and cars, wood, paper products and telecommunication equipment as predominant in Swedish exports. Germany is completely dominant when it comes to Nordic imports. However, the Nordic countries also have considerable imports from the Netherlands, China and Russia.^[105]

The Nordic region is one of the richest sources of energy in the world. Apart from the natural occurrence of fossil fuels such as oil and gas, the Nordic countries also have good infrastructure and technology to exploit renewable energy sources such as water, wind, bio-energy and geothermal heat. Especially Iceland and Norway, but also Finland and Sweden, have a significant production of electricity based on

The most important energy sources in the Nordic countries measured in terms of energy supply in million toe (tonnes oil equivalent) are in order of importance: oil, solid fuels (e.g. coal and wood), nuclear power, hydro and geothermal power and solar energy and gas. In the EU, the most important source of energy is also oil, but gas comes in second. Hydro and geothermal power and other renewable sources of energy are major sources in the Nordic countries as compared to the EU countries. Particularly in Iceland and Norway, hydro and geothermal power constitute a major share of the overall energy supply. Denmark depends almost entirely on thermal power generated from coal, oil and gas. Iceland obtains a substantial part of its energy for heating from geothermal energy and depends almost entirely upon hydro-power resources for its production of electricity.^[107]

The Nordic countries in order of popularity with tourists are Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland then Iceland.^[108]

At the beginning of the 20th century, almost 12 million people lived in the Nordic countries. Today, the population has increased to 27 million people. The Nordic countries have one of the lowest population densities in the world. The low density is partly due to the fact that many parts of the Nordic countries are marginal areas, where nature puts limitations on settlement. In the four most populous of the five Nordic countries, around 20 per cent of the population is to be found in the vicinity of the respective capitals. In Iceland, this percentage is even higher, with more than 60 per cent of Icelanders residing at or nearby the capital city of Reykjavík.^[72]

During the past 100 years, population growth has been strongest in Greenland, where the population has multiplied by almost five, from 12,000 to 56,000 people. In Iceland, the increase has gone from 78,000 to 322,000 people. The population on the Faroe Islands has more than tripled, from 15,000 to 48,000 people. The Swedish and Ålandic populations are the only ones that have not at least doubled.^[

Life expectancy is rising in all the Nordic countries, though the levels vary greatly. Life expectancy for men in Greenland is 68.3 years (2011), compared to 80.8 years for men in Iceland. Women in the Faroe Islands and in Åland are expected to live the longest – more than 84 years. The population in the Nordic countries is getting older and according to the population projection for the Nordic countries as a whole, the share of the population above the age of 80 will reach 8.4 per cent in 2040, as compared to the 2013 level of 4.7 per cent. The share of population 80 years or older has increased from 1990 to 2013. The increase in the share of people above the age of 80 over the last 10 years is partly due to the fact that the death rate has fallen for almost all age groups and partly that the number of births has been low during the same period. In the next 25 years, the demographic dependency ratio is expected to have the strongest growth in Finland and Åland. According to the most recent population forecasts in Finland and Åland, in 2030 it is expected that people over 65 will make up 50 per cent of the adult population. Sweden and Denmark can look forward to a relatively modest increase in the next decades. Iceland and Norway seem to maintain their positions with the lowest proportions of elderly people in the Nordic countries.^[118]

Languages

Most of the Nordic languages belong to one of three linguistic families: North Germanic languages,

Eskimo–Aleut languages. Although the area is linguistically heterogeneous, with three unrelated language groups, the common linguistic heritage is one of the factors making up the Nordic identity.^[119]

Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish belong to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. The languages have developed from a common Nordic language, but have moved away from each other during the past 1000 years. However, it is still possible for Danish, Norwegian and Swedish speakers to understand each other. These languages are taught in school throughout the Nordic countries: for example, Swedish is a mandatory subject in Finnish schools, and Danish is mandatory in Icelandic and Faroese schools. Approximately 5,3 per cent of population of Finland speak Swedish as their mother tongue.^[120]

In the

minority language of Sweden.^[121][122]

Greenlandic or Kalaallisut belongs to the Inuit branch of the Eskimo-Aleut languages and is spoken in Greenland. The language is related to a number of languages spoken in northern Canada and Alaska. As of 2009^[update], the Greenland Home rule does not require Danish to be taught or the use of Danish for official purposes.^[123]

A number of other minority languages also exist in the region. German is spoken by a

minority in Southern Jutland and their cultural and language rights are protected by the government. Finnish Kale, Norwegian and Swedish Travellers and other Romani peoples of the Nordic countries have the right to maintain and develop their language and culture. Yiddish is also an official minority language in Sweden. Besides the so-called "natural" languages national variants of sign languages are used. The Icelandic Sign Language is derived from the Danish, while the Finnish Sign Language is developed on the basis of the Swedish variant. The right to use sign language is set in the Finnish Language Act and in Sweden the Swedish Sign Language is an official minority language.^[124]

• 
  The North Germanic languages in the Nordic countries
• 
  The Finnic languages in Northern Europe

Migration

In 2012, net migration had the greatest impact on the rise in population in Sweden. That was also the case with Denmark, Finland, Åland and Norway. In the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Iceland, natural population increase had the greatest impact on the population change, but both Greenland and the Faroe Islands still had a slight decrease in the population due to a negative net migration in 2012.

A large proportion of the migration in the Nordic countries occurs between the countries themselves, largely as the result of the free labour market and liberal rules for the exchange of students. This trend has led to an increasing number of foreign citizens in the Nordic countries during the past few decades. In all the countries, the major part of the foreign citizens is non-Nordic. That is not the case for Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which have a high proportion of other Nordic citizens. Non-nationals range from 47 per cent of the total immigration in Iceland, to 89 per cent in Norway. In 2013 the largest proportions of non-nationals were in Norway and Denmark, where they account for 8.9 and 8.8 per cent of the population. The proportion of non-nationals in the Finnish population is small compared to the other Nordic countries – 3.6 per cent in 2013 – but the proportion has risen significantly during and after the 1990s.^[125]

Sami people

The

Sami people, also spelled Sámi or Saami, are a Finno-Ugric people who have their traditional settlement areas in northern Finland, Norway and Sweden and Western Russia. Most Sami live in Norway, followed by Sweden and Finland, while the fewest Sami live in Russia. Because the countries do not make an official record of who has the Sami identity or background,^{[clarification needed}

] no one knows the exact number of the Sami people. The Sami are the only indigenous people of the Nordic countries excluding Greenland that are recognised and protected under the international conventions of indigenous peoples. They are hence the northernmost indigenous people of Europe. There are several Sami languages.

Traditionally, the Sami have plied a variety of livelihoods, including coastal fishing, fur trapping and sheep herding. However, the best known Sami livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding. For traditional, environmental, cultural and political reasons, reindeer herding is legally reserved to Sami people in certain regions of the Nordic countries. Nowadays, the Sami work in all sectors, although the primary industries are still important culture bearers for the Sami people.

• 
  Share of total population of the Nordic countries by country in January 2013
• 
  Life expectancy at birth in the Nordic countries in 2012
• 
  Marriages and divorces in the Nordic countries in 2012
• 
  Immigrants in the Nordic countries in 2012

Culture

Nordic countries have historically had some of the most socially progressive cultures in the world, and culture is one of the main bases of cooperation between them. The policies of the Nordic countries with respect to cultural life, mass media and religion have many shared values and features in common. However, some differences may be seen, for instance in cultural institutions that arise from historical circumstances. In both Denmark and Sweden, there are cultural institutions with roots in the traditions of the royal courts. In these countries, national institutions formed the foundation of cultural life at an early stage while in Norway cultural institutions began to form later.^[126]

Iceland has the highest government expenditure on culture, a total of 3.3 per cent of its GDP in 2011. Denmark comes second with a total of 1.6 per cent of GDP in 2011. Sweden spend the least in 2011 with 1.1 per cent. Looking at per capita expenditure, Iceland again has the highest expenditure with Norway coming second. Greenland spends the third highest amount on culture and leisure per capita. In Iceland and Norway, expenditures have more than doubled since 2000. In the other Nordic countries, expenditures have gone up between 40 and 50 per cent in the same period.^[127]

Denmark has the most museums, a total of 274, but museums in Åland and Iceland have the most visitors, an average of 4 and 5 visits per inhabitant. Many theatres in the Nordic countries receive public funding. Theatre funding constitutes a major share of allocations within the cultural area in all the countries. All countries have national theatres, where plays, ballets and operas are performed. In addition to the national theatres, there are professional regional theatres, which are also supported by the state, counties or municipalities. Most countries also have a few private theatres and many amateur ensembles, which may be supported at least partially by municipalities, primarily.^[128]

The Nordic Culture Fund, established in 1966, aims to support a broad spectrum of cultural cooperations between the Nordic countries. The Fund's ambition is to enable talented artists, both professionals and amateurs, to enrich each other via the cultural diversity that exists among the 26 million or more people of the Region. Its activities are based on an agreement between the Nordic countries, which came into force in 1967. The Fund receives its money in the form of an annual grant from the Nordic Council of Ministers.^[129]

Music

See also: Nordic folk music and Nordic popular music

Nordic countries share certain traditions in music, many of which have diverged significantly. In folk music, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands share many common aspects. Greenland's Inuit culture has its own musical traditions, influenced by Scandinavian culture. Finland shares many cultural similarities with both the other Nordic countries as well as Estonia. The Sami have their own unique culture, with ties to the neighboring cultures.

Art music has a strong position in Nordic countries. Apart from state-owned opera houses, there are symphony orchestras in most major cities. The most prominent historical composers from Nordic countries are the Finn Jean Sibelius, the Dane Carl Nielsen and the Norwegian Edvard Grieg. Of contemporary composers, the Finns Magnus Lindberg, Kaija Saariaho and Esa-Pekka Salonen are among the most often performed in the world.

Rock and roll influences that came from the United States and United Kingdom were the start of the Nordic pop scene, but influences from the Nordic folk music can still be found today in popular music. Common characteristic in Nordic pop music is that it can often be either very lighthearted pop music or very dark metal. Some of the most well-known Nordic music groups include ABBA, Ace of Base, a-ha, Aqua, Björk, The Cardigans, Europe, Hanoi Rocks, Roxette, The Rasmus, Kaizers Orchestra and The Spotnicks. Sweden and Finland have possibly the largest music industries in the area, especially Sweden which is the largest exporter of pop music per capita and the third largest overall after the United States and the United Kingdom. Norway, Iceland and Denmark have all had successful domestic record industries for many years.^[130][131]

The Nordic metal scene is highly visible compared to other genres from the region. Many big names such as Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, In Flames, Meshuggah and Opeth originate from the Nordic countries. Nordic metal bands have had a long and lasting influence on the metal subculture alongside their counterparts in the United Kingdom and the United States. The black metal genre was developed in Norway by bands such as Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum, Immortal and Emperor and the related genre of Viking metal was developed throughout the Nordic region by bands such as Bathory, Enslaved, Burzum, Emperor, Einherjer, Moonsorrow and Amon Amarth.

Since 2000, the total sale of music has declined by almost 50 per cent in all the Nordic countries and at the same time digital sales have increased (covering both downloads and streaming). In Denmark, Norway and Finland, the sale of digital music has increased by 400 per cent since 2006 and now amounts to 39, 27 and 25 per cent of the total sale in 2010/2011. In Denmark and Sweden, sales of digital music rose almost eight-fold in the same period and now represent 51 per cent of the total sale. In Iceland, digital sales still only represent three per cent of the total sale.^[132]

Literature

See also:

Nordic literature

The earliest written records from Scandinavia are

Skaldic poetry is mostly preserved in late manuscripts but was preserved orally from the 9th century onwards and also appears on runestones, such as the Karlevi Runestone. In Iceland the sagas of Icelanders are the best-known specimens of Icelandic literature. In Finland the most famous collection of folk poetry is by far the Kalevala, which is the national epic

of the country.

Nordic countries have produced important and influential literature.

children's book writers include Hans Christian Andersen, Tove Jansson and Astrid Lindgren

.

Since 1962, the Nordic Council has awarded a

literature prize once a year for a work of fiction written in one of the Nordic languages. Since its establishment, the prize has been won by fifteen Swedish, ten Danish, ten Norwegian, eight Finnish, seven Icelandic, two Faroe and one Sami writers.^[133]

Nordic libraries function as information centres with a wide variety of services and access to all kinds of printed and electronic media. In the last twenty years, there has been an overall decline in stock and lending of books in public libraries. Despite the general decline in stock and loans, most of the Nordic countries have had an increase in the lending of other media than books. Since 2000, the stock of other media has increased between 30 and 85 per cent. The lending of books has at the same time decreased in all Nordic countries, a decline between 10 and 20 per cent.[134]

Art

Main article: Nordic art

• Examples of nordic art from the 19th century
• 
  Vilhelm Hammershøi
  (1864–1916)
  Interior with Young Man Reading, 1898
• 
  Helene Schjerfbeck
  (1862–1946)
  Dancing Shoes, 1882
• 
  Þórarinn B. Þorláksson
  (1867–1924)
  Þingvellir, 1900
• 
  Edvard Munch
  (1863–1944)
  The Scream, 1893
• 
  August Strindberg
  (1849–1912)
  Seascape, 1894
• 
  Díðrikur á Skarvanesi
  (1802–1865)
  Birds, 1800s

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2016)

National symbols

The Nordic countries, including the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Åland, have a similar flag design, all based on the Dannebrog, the Danish flag.^[135] They display an off-centre cross with the intersection closer to the hoist – the "Nordic cross" or "Scandinavian cross"^[136]– however each has a different aspect ratio. Greenland and Sápmi have adopted flags without the Nordic cross, but they both feature a circle which is placed off-centre, similar to the cross.

See also

Associated

• Climate of the Nordic countries
• Subdivisions of the Nordic countries
• Universal basic income in the Nordic countries

Others

• Baltic region
• Baltoscandia
• British Isles
• Nordic-Baltic Eight
• Nordic identity in Estonia

Notes

1. ^ Two unincorporated territories in the Arctic Ocean, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, are considered integral parts of the Kingdom of Norway and are sometimes included in definitions of the Nordic countries.^[3] Norway's three dependencies in the Southern Hemisphere (Bouvet Island and two areas subject to the Antarctic Treaty System, Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land), all of which are uninhabited and geographically remote from the Nordic region, are not generally included in the term.

References