Is Finland Part Of Scandinavia? Here's All You Should Know!

It's hard to classify Finland easily as it shares its border with diverse countries like Russia, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

Many times, people get confused between Nordic and Scandinavian countries and think that they are the same. If you ever mistakenly refer to Iceland or Finland as a Scandinavian country, you will certainly be corrected and be given a history lesson.

For someone not a resident of these nations, distinguishing between the phrases Scandinavian and Nordic might be a little difficult. But if we look geographically, all five countries, i.e., Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, are all Nordic council countries but with Scandinavian culture roots.

Yet, the people of three countries, i.e., the Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish, identify as Scandinavian people.

Because Scandinavian-made design has become so famous around the world, the word is frequently used to refer to mid-century and minimalist design aesthetics.

Finland's architectural history and designs are inextricably linked to that of the rest of the region of Scandinavia, and it would be a mistake to overlook Finland (and designers such as Alvar Aalto) when considering Scandinavian design.

As a result, while defining Scandinavia as a cultural region, it's appropriate to include both Iceland and Finland too. It's also acceptable to use the phrase 'Nordic culture' for them.

That being said, Finland was earlier grouped under the 'Baltic countries' label, as it is one of the countries that encloses the Baltic sea. The Baltic countries are mainly Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

If you liked reading our article on facts about Finland and whether it is part of Scandinavian or Nordic countries, take a look at our other articles like is Bahrain an island?, and Iceland flag meaning.

The Geographic Location Of Finland

The decision to include Finland as part of Scandinavian countries on a map is divisive.

The fact that Finland's northern half is geographically clearly part of Scandinavia is significant - that is why Finland is sometimes considered Scandinavian geographically. That said, only northern Finland is part of the Scandinavian peninsula.

So in order to not create confusion among the non-members of the country, it is one of the Nordic autonomous regions. Finland is not a constitutional monarchy like its neighbor Denmark, but a representative democracy.

Finland's geography is defined by its northern location, abundant landscapes of intertwined boreal lakes and forests, and also its low population density. The coastal lowlands and archipelagoes, uplands of the north and northeast, and a slightly high central lake plateau separate Finland into three parts.

The North Sea and Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Finland, and the Gulf of Bothnia, as well as countries including Russia, Sweden, and Norway, all share a border with Finland.

Finland is also on the list of the richest countries in the world. It is also considered a happy country mostly because this country has an excellent healthcare system and low crime levels.

Why is Finland not considered Scandinavian?

That is debatable! Finland is part of the Nordic countries, but not the Scandinavian peninsula, in terms of politics and geography.

Finland is also an exception in terms of linguistics, as it has two official languages. One is spoken by a majority and the other by a minority of the population.

Its majority official language is Finnish and is unconnected to the Scandinavian language or even Indo-European languages. Finland does, however, have a sizable Scandinavian population, to the point where they speak Swedish, and therefore it becomes an official minority language.

Scania, which is the name of a historical province in the southern Sweden region, is where the word 'Scandinavia' comes from. In the mid-19th century, the term 'Scandinavia' became popular.

As you know, the history, as well as traditions and holidays, of Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are so connected that this group of five countries is often categorized as culturally Scandinavian.

All of these countries' political systems, particularly their welfare models, are similar but not identical. These countries, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, are often included when discussing the 'Scandinavia' or 'Nordic' welfare model.

So, Finland could be categorized as reflecting Scandinavian culture but it is technically not a part of Scandinavia geographically.

What are the five Scandinavian countries?

Scandinavia is a northern European sub-region, and Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are the three countries that make up this region.

The Faroe Island, which is in the north of the United Kingdom, and Greenland, which is to the east of northern Canada, are both regarded as a part of Scandinavia from a political standpoint, as they are both under Danish rule and Swedish rule territory.

Scandinavian countries are also part of a wider known group known as the Nordic spirit countries, comprising the Scandinavia regions, Finland, and Iceland. Northern Finland and the majority of Finnish Lapland clearly extend into the Scandinavian Mountains.

The Nordkapp in Norway is Scandinavia's farthest northern-most point.

Even though there is a lot of justification to regard at least the country's north as part of Scandinavia, Finland is usually less considered part of Scandanavia than Denmark. Finland's history is inextricably linked to that of Sweden, as the country was ruled by the Swedish for centuries until the Napoleonic wars.

In comparison, Iceland shares significant linguistic and historical ties with Scandinavia and is hence sometimes regarded as part of a Scandinavian or Nordic cultural community of values, despite the fact that the island off the coast of Norway is about 621 mi (1000 km) away.

What language is spoken in Finland?

The Nordic culture has affected the (Finland) country's traditions and languages.

Helsinki is the country's capital. Finland has its own official languages, which are the Swedish language and the Finnish language. But there are also common languages for all the Nordic countries - the North Germanic Languages. It is the Nordic languages as well as the Scandinavian languages that are mostly spoken throughout these countries.

Finland's government is organized as a unitary parliamentary republic. Finland's government is known for providing its residents with the highest quality of life possible. Unlike the other three countries of the Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish people, the Finns' native dialect and mother tongue are not descended from Old Norse.

As a result, today's Finns are unrelated to the Norsemen. They don't have the same Norse ancestry as Swedes and Danes.

Even if some Finnish people had Viking ancestors, the vast majority of Finns have no relation to the Norse men of the past. The Norse people founded villages on the Finnish shores, according to archaeological evidence, although their descendants have experienced mutations.

So, in the end, it is not correct to say that the Finnish are directly related to Vikings.

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