An examination of the geography, culture, government, society, and demographics of the NORDIC COUNTRIES of NORWAY, FINLAND, ICELAND, SWEDEN, and DENMARK.

1. {
SCANDINAVIA

2. WHAT IS SCANDANAVIA?
 Scandinavia, historically Scandia, is a
peninsula in Northern Europe.
 The term Scandinavia can have two
different meanings.
 Politically, the term refers to the
constitutional monarchies of Denmark,
Norway, and Sweden (right, red).
 In geologic and economic terms, Finland,
(left, orange, with Iceland) a parliamentary
republic, is also sometimes included.
 Iceland (also a parliamentary republic)
and the Faroe Islands are additionally
included because their natives speak
North Germanic (or Scandinavian)
languages related to those of Norway and
Sweden.
 Greenland is usually excluded due to its
proximity to North America.
 Finland’s official language, Finnish, is a
Finno-Ugric language – Finland is thus
culturally not part of Scandinavia .

3. SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES A330-343
 Scandinavian Airlines System
(SAS), the flag carrier of
Denmark, Norway, and
Sweden

4. FINNAIR AIRBUS A320-214
 Finnair, the flag carrier of
Finland

5. ICELANDAIR 757
 Icelandair, the flag carrier of
Iceland

6. PHYSICAL MAP OF SCANDINAVIA

7. SCANDINAVIA, INCLUDING SVALBARD (NORWAY), FAROE
ISLANDS (DENMARK), AND GREENLAND (DENMARK)

8. NORDEN
 The term Norden (derived from nord, the word for
“north” in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish; also
German) is a Scandinavian term used in reference
to the geographical location of Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, Iceland, and Finland.
 These five countries collectively have similarities
with one another, notably the structure of their
social democratic governments, that distinguish
them from the rest of mainland Europe.
 The unique characteristics of the Nordic countries
include sparse populations, a large quantity of fish
resources, high living standards, and high literacy
rates.
 Three Nordic states are members of the European
Union: Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.
 Iceland, Norway, and Denmark are members of
NATO, but Finland and Sweden are not.
 All five states are members of the Council of
Europe (Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are
founding states, while Iceland and Finland are later
members).

9. NORDIC MODEL
 The Nordic countries have a mixture
of high living standards (among the
best in Europe and the world) and
low income inequality that has caught
international interest.
 At a time when the rising gap
between the rich and poor has become
a political hot topic in industrialized
countries, Scandinavia has been
mentioned by many academics as a
prime example for economic
opportunity and equality.

10. NORDIC MODEL – CONT.
 The term Nordic Model was created to
describe the distinct mixture of free-market
capitalism and social benefits that allow for
the growth of a society that enjoys a range of
top-standard services, such as free education
and free healthcare, as well as lavish, assured
income expenditures for senior citizens; these
benefits are financed by taxpayers and
managed by the government for the benefit
of all inhabitants.
 The citizens have an extraordinary degree of
confidence in their governments and a
history of cooperation to achieve
compromises and focus on common
challenges by means of democratic
procedures.
 Their government representatives choose to
govern by a mixed economic system that
diminishes the gap between the wealthy and
the poor via redistributive taxes and a
vigorous public sector while upholding the
advantages of capitalism.

11. NORDIC MODEL – CONT.
 The Nordic Model is supported by a
capitalist economy that encourages
creative destruction.
 Though the laws that the Nordic Model
makes are easy for businesses to protect
workers and enforce transformative
models, workers themselves are
supported by generous social welfare
programs.
 The tax system of Scandinavia is based
on individual and not common income,
together with a flat tax; all citizens are
thus treated equally, and membership in
the labor force is encouraged.
 Gender equality is an important symbol
of the Scandinavian culture; it results in a
high female participation in the labor
force and a significant degree of male
parental commitment.

12. WOMEN IN NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS

13. SCANDANAVIA: ECONOMIC PARTICAPATION AND
OPPORTUNITIES

14. THE THREE BASIC PILLARS OF THE NORDIC MODEL

15. PROS AND CONS OF THE NORDIC MODEL

16. U.S. SENATOR FROM VERMONT AND 2016 PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE BERNIE SANDERS, A FAMOUS PROPENENT OF THE
NORDIC MODEL

17. GEOGRAPHY OF SCANDINAVIA
 The Scandinavian Peninsula is the
biggest peninsula in Europe; it
spreads from above the Arctic
Circle to the North and Baltic
Seas.
 It covers most of Northern
Europe; the Baltic states of
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia
cover a smaller part.
 The Battle of Hoth scene in Star
Wars: Episode V – The Empire
Strikes Back (1980) was filmed at
the Hardangerjøkulen glacier,
near the town of Finse, Norway.

18. BATTLE OF HOTH

19.  The current population of each Nordic country as of late
2009; population figures are estimated and are determined
based on current census data for each country:
 Sweden - 9,230,000
 Denmark - 5,510,000
 Finland - 5,330,000 (includes Åland with a population of
27,000)
 Norway - 4,755,000
 Iceland - 320,000
 Greenland - 57,000
 Faroe Islands - 49,000
 The current total population of the Nordic countries is
about 25,251,000.
POPULATIONS OF THE NORDIC COUNTRIES

20. DENMARK (DANMARK)
 The southernmost Scandinavian
country, Denmark is made up of the
Jutland peninsula and more than 400
islands, some of which are connected
to the mainland via bridges.
 Practically all of Denmark is low and
flat, but there are many low hills
there. Windmills and old-fashioned
thatched lodges can be seen
everywhere.
 Both the Faroe Islands and Greenland
belong to Denmark.
 Copenhagen (København) is the
capital.
 Danish is the official language.

21. NORWAY (NORGE, NOREG)
 Norway is the northernmost
country in Europe; it is also known
as “The Land of Vikings and the
Midnight Sun”.
 It has a rough area of islands and
fjords.
 The marine industry supports the
Norwegian economy.
 Oslo is the capital.
 The official language is Norwegian
(Bokmål and Nynorsk are the two
official written standards).

22. SWEDEN (SVERIGE)
 Sweden is abundant in lakes; it is
the largest Scandinavian country
both in land size and population.
 Vehicle manufacturers like Saab,
Scania, and Volvo are native to
Sweden and account for a big part
of the Swedish economy.
 Swedish people are self-sufficient
and highly respect their people-
centered social programs,
particularly in women's rights.
 Stockholm is the capital.
 Swedish is the official language.

23. ICELAND (ÍSLAND)
 With a remarkably mild climate,
Iceland is the westernmost country in
Europe, the only Scandinavian
country that is not part of mainland
Europe, and the second-largest island
in the North Atlantic ocean.
 It is the least populous country in
Scandinavia.
 Flight time to Iceland from
continental Europe is only three and
a half hours.
 Iceland has a strong economy, low
unemployment, and low inflation; its
per capita income is among the
highest in the world.
 Reykjavík is the capital.
 Icelandic is the official language.

24. FINLAND (SUOMI, FINLAND)
 Like its fellow parliamentary republic
Iceland, Finland is a country where the
weather may take tourists by surprise.
 The weather in Finland varies so much that
what month you decide to travel there makes
a big difference.
 February is the coldest and driest month,
while July is the warmest.
 August is the wettest month in Finland.
 Unsurprisingly, Finland’s location (60°-70°
northern parallels) partly has an effect on its
weather, which is usual for the weather in
Scandinavia in general.
 Owing to its position in the Eurasian
continent’s coastal zone, Finland lays in both
a marine and a mainland climate.
 Helsinki is the capital.
 Finnish and Swedish are the official
languages.

25.  Stockholm, Sweden (Stockholm proper=942,370; urban=
1,515,017)
 Oslo, Norway (Oslo proper=669,060; urban area=975,744)
 Helsinki, Finland (Helsinki proper=629,512; urban area=
1,231,595)
 Copenhagen, Denmark (Copenhagen proper=763,908; urban
area=1,295,686)
 Reykjavík, Iceland (123,246)
CAPITAL CITIES OF THE NORDIC COUNTRIES,
BIGGEST TO SMALLEST

26. NORDIC COUNCIL
 The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of
Ministers are an international forum for co-
operation between the Nordic countries.
 It was founded after World War II; its inaugural
concrete success was the introduction of a
common labor market in 1952 and free
movement across borders without requiring
passports for the countries' citizens.
 The Nordic Council became legitimate in
February 1953.
 Finland, the only member of the council that did
not join upon its founding, joined only in 1956.
 The creation of the council made it possible for
Nordic parliamentarians to play a bigger role in
the procedure of forming co-operation on
lawmaking.
 The council currently consists of eighty-seven
members, elected among the members of the
national parliaments; the alignment of the council
mirrors the virtual depiction of the political
parties in the national parliaments.

27. SOURCES
 https://www.britannica.com/plac
e/Scandinavia
 http://www.investopedia.com/art
icles/investing/100714/nordic-
model-pros-and-cons.asp
 https://www.tripsavvy.com/popu
lation-in-nordic-countries-
1626872
 https://www.tripsavvy.com/coun
tries-of-scandinavia-1626694
 https://www.tripsavvy.com/weat
her-in-finland-4135832 (for slide
24)
 Empire of Dreams: The Story of the
Star Wars Trilogy (for last
bulleted point on slide 17)