Scandinavian Facts
Geographic Location
Denmark
(Danmark)
Area total:43,094 sq. km
Climate: temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool
summers
Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German
Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Eskimo dialect), German
(small minority)
Government type: constitutional monarchy
National capital: Copenhagen
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr)
Finland (Suomi)
Area total: 337,030 sq. km
Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild
because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and
more than 60,000 lakes
Languages: Finnish, Swedish, small Lapp - and Russian-speaking
minorities
Government type: Republic
National capital: Helsinki
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark
Iceland (Ísland)
Area total: 103,000 sq. km
Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy
winters; damp, cool summers
Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of the descendants of Norwegians
and Celts
Languages: Icelandic
National capital: Reykjavik
National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic,
17 June (1944)
Currency: 1 Icelandic krona (IKr)
Norway (Norge)
Area total:324,220 sq. km
Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current;
colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast
Ethnic groups: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic), Lapps (Sami)
Languages: Norwegian
National capital: Oslo
National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
Currency: 1 Norwegian krone (NKr)
Sweden (Sverige)
Area total: 449,964 sq. km
Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly
cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Languages: Swedish
Government type: constitutional monarchy
National capital: Stockholm
National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June
Currency: 1 Swedish krona (SKr)
Scandinavian Trivia
Did you know?
Although all five countries are thought of as Scandinavia, they are more correctly known as the Nordic
countries (Norden) and Scandinavia actually refers to the countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Denmark is famous for its LEGO and the LEGO land.
Finland, Norway and Sweden have a lot of moose!
Santa comes from and lives in Finland although many Swedes claim
he comes from Mora, Sweden.
Finland is famous for its Sauna and NOKIA.
Iceland is known all over the world for its horses, Hot Springs and volcanoes.
Norway invented the modern ski binding with iron lugs (1894), the gas turbine (1884),
the cheese slicer and the paper clip! Norway is also famous for its beautiful fjords
and Lusekofter.
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Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Langstrump is from Sweden!
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Celcius who invented the thermometer came from Sweden! Sweden is also famous for Ericsson,
IKEA, SAAB and VOLVO.
Scandinavian song groups: Denmark: Aqua Finland: Salinius, The Leningrad Cowboys, Värttinä
Iceland: Bjork Norway: a-ha Sweden: ABBA, Ace of Base, Cardigans, Eagle Eye Cherry, Europe, Robyn, Roxette and many more!
This page was written by Cecilia Burman and
Christina Johansson at Dalhousie University.
Modifications were made by A. McKenzie and K. Sibley.
updated 07 Jun 2010
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