Nordic Countries

Nordic Countries Latest News

In the fourth leg of his visit, the Prime Minister will reach Norway for the 3rd India-Nordic Summit and bilateral engagements. 

About Nordic Countries

• The Nordic countries, also known as the Nordic region, are a group of countries in northern Europe consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. 
• The designation includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are autonomous island regions of Denmark, and the Åland Islands, an autonomous island region of Finland. 
• The term is sometimes used interchangeably with Scandinavia, a peninsular region of northern Europe that serves as the geographic core of the Nordic countries. 
  • Scandinavia is typically defined more restrictively, however, and refers primarily to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. 
• Sweden is the largest and most populous of the Nordic countries. Iceland is the least populous. Denmark is the smallest.
• The countries have many similarities in that they rank highly worldwide in such areas as education, civil liberties, quality of life, and economic competitiveness.  
• Language: 
  • Most inhabitants of the Nordic region speak North Germanic languages (also called Nordic or Scandinavian languages): Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, as well as Faroese and Icelandic.  
  • Native non-Germanic languages include Greenlandic, Finnish, and Sami languages.  
• Political System: 
  • Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are constitutional monarchies and parliamentary democracies. 
  • Finland and Iceland are democratic republics.
  • Iceland’s parliament, the Althing, is the oldest parliament in the world.
• Cooperation: 
  • There is close cooperation between the countries through the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers.
  • Denmark, Sweden, and Finland are members of the European Union (EU).
  • Norway and Iceland are European Economic Area (EEA) members. 
    • EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Source: NOA

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