Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. The term Scandinavia in local usage covers the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The majority national languages of these three belong to the Scandinavian dialect continuum, and are mutually intelligible North Germanic languages.

Etymology

The term "Scandinavia" derives from the Scandza root, which is a rendering of the Proto-Germanic word *Skaðinawjō, which appears in Old English as Scedenig and in Old Norse as Skáney. The name Scandinavia would then mean "dangerous island", which is considered to refer to the treacherous sandbanks surrounding Scania.

Geography

Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe, characterized by common ethnocultural North Germanic heritage and mutually intelligible North Germanic languages. The region includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, as well as the autonomous countries of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are both part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

History

The history of Scandinavia is the history of the geographical region of Scandinavia and its peoples. The region is in northern Europe, and consists of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It includes the larger countries of peninsular Scandinavia, as well as the smaller nations of the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Finland.

Culture

The culture of Scandinavia is rich and varied due to the history and geography of the region. The cultural heritage of the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden is characterized by a common ethnocultural North Germanic heritage and mutually intelligible North Germanic languages.

See also

• Nordic countries
• Scandinavian Peninsula
• Scandinavian languages
• Scandinavian folklore
• Scandinavian mythology

Scandinavia Resources
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