Nordic Nations

Countries
The following countries make up the Nordic Nations
Norway Sweden Finland Denmark Iceland

NORWAY

Norways Land
Long, jagged Atlantic Ocean coastline Known for the many fjords their coastline has FJORDS = steep-sided valleys that are inlets of the sea Has over 150,000 offshore islands that protect the coast from Atlantic storms

Government, Economy and People

GOVERNMENT

Parliamentary Democracy (aka Prime Minister) with a Constitutional Monarchy (aka King with little power)

ECONOMY Wealthy country One of the worlds largest oil exporters Fish is a major export

PEOPLE Scandinavian Very similar to Swedes and Danes Close ties to U.S. because of migration Outdoor sports, especially skiing (national sport) Very good education system

Current Events
July 2011: 77 people died in Norways worst terrorist violence since World War II. A domestic terrorist detonated a bomb in downtown Oslo, killing eight people. The bomber then traveled to nearby Utya Island, where he shot and killed 69 people at a youth camp. He was sentenced to the maximum possible term of 21 years and was ordered to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison.

SWEDEN

Government, Economy and People

GOVERNMENT Parliamentary Democracy (aka Prime Minister) with a Constitutional Monarchy (aka King with little power) ECONOMY Wealthy industrial country Abundant natural resources Iron ore deposits and extensive pine forests PEOPLE Most live in urban areas in the central and southern part of country Sweden is famous for smrgsbord Outdoor sports (skiing and hockey) Welfare State and high standard of living

Finlands Popular Culture

ABBA (Mamma Mia) Stieg Larssons (author)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest

IKEA

FINLAND

Finlands Land
Known for scenic beauty 70% of land covered by thick, dense forest Thousands of scenic islands offshore Some northern parts lie in Arctic Circle and receive 24 hours a day of sunlight during periods of the summer

Government, Economy and People

GOVERNMENT Democratic Republic (similar to U.S.) President is head of state ECONOMY Wealthy industrial country Abundant natural resources Iron ore deposits and extensive pine forests PEOPLE Most live in the south where the climate is mild Love the outdoors and arts Well-known for style of bath called a sauna Welfare State and high standard of living

DENMARK

Denmarks Land
Consists of a peninsula and 482 islands. About 100 of islands have people living on them Peninsula is called Jutland Link between Nordic countries and mainland Europe Greenland is a province and the Faroe Islands are a self-governing part of Danish kingdom More than 1/5th live in the Copenhagen area

Government, Economy and People

GOVERNMENT Constitutional Monarchy The Queen has actual powers Prime Minister ECONOMY Strong economy despite lack of natural resources Windmills produce about 20% of electrical power Meat and other food products, petroleum products and pharmaceuticals PEOPLE One of the highest standards of living in the world Outdoor sports, especially skiing (national sport) Very good education system

Denmarks Popular Culture

Denmark came up with the LEGO. Hans Christian Andersen (author)
The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor's New Clothes, and The Little Mermaid t

Lars Ulrich (Metallica) Rich, flaky raised sweet rolls (Danish pastries)

ICELAND

Icelands Land
Called the Land of Ice and Fire because large glaciers lie next to steaming hot springs, geysers, and volcanoes Called the Land of Midnight Sun. It is light almost 24 hours a day in June and dark for a similar period in December.

Government, Economy and People

GOVERNMENT Republic President elected by people (has little power) Prime Minister and Cabinet do majority of governing ECONOMY Relies on fish and fish products Country is introducing new manufacturing and service industries Banking is an incredibly important sector of economy PEOPLE Icelanders resemble the people of Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia. Icelanders do not have family names. They have a first name, and a second name that combines the father's first name and -son for a male or -dottir for a female Majority of people live on coast or in Reykjavik