NORTHERN EUROPE • Denmark • Norway • Sweden • Finland • Iceland NORTHERN EUROPE’S CLIMATE • High Latitude – Sunlight…. • X Seasonal Variations • N. Atlantic Drift – Mild Winters • Den, W Nor • Harsh Winters… – Mtns – Interior – Far North RELIGION • 90% Lutheran – State religion Lutheran Church Finland LANGUAGES • Germanic – Norwegian – Except… FINNISH Northern Europe • Social Welfare Programs – Free/Low-Cost Health Care, Education • High income taxes... DENMARK • Jutland Peninsula • Flat • Fairly Mild Climate due to... • 60% of Den = Farmland – Largest % in Eur – Few Other Resources – Close to German Market – Member of EU – #1 Ag of… DENMARK • Copenhagen – On Zealand Island • Largest city… • Entrance to Baltic Sea • 10 Miles from Sweden – Bridge, Copen. Malmo, Swe FAEROE ISLANDS • Self-Governing part of Den. • Rugged, Volcanic Landscape – Sheep Grazing – Fishing • Self-Governing GREENLAND • 85% Ice-Covered GREENLAND Greenlandic People • Related to Inuit… NORWAY • Landscape – 70% of Nor: Barren Mtns – Little or no Soil • Scraped... – Skiing… Glaciers in Norway • Entirely glaciated in last Ice Age • Now - Largest glaciers of mainland Eur. Glacial Cave & Meltwater NORWAY • U-Shaped Glacial Valleys FJORDS • Xlnt Natural Harbors • But isolated FJORDS • Magnificent Beauty • Cruise Ship Tourism OSLO • On Oslo Fjord – Good Harbor • Flatlands • Mild part of Nor – Ag – Forests FISHING • Whaling, despite worldwide ban – Nor – 500 Minke Whales per yr. SEAFARING TRADITION • Vikings – Reached Iceland, Greenland, Canada • Now, Merchant Fleet – Norwegian Registry OIL & NATURAL GAS • North Sea • 99% of Nor Electricity from… • #1 Oil Producer... NORWAY SWEDEN • Largest Area & Pop… • 15% are Foreign-Born – From ex-Yugoslavia … SWEDEN’S LANDSCAPE • Mostly Forests & Glacially Carved Lakes • Most Forests in Europe – Furniture • Ikea ERODED MTNS, FORESTS, LAKES SWEDEN’S FORESTS • Evergreen Conifers – Stunted in the north • Extensive Wilderness – Moose SWEDEN’S LANDSCAPE • Barren Mtns near Nor Border… SWEDISH MTNS - JULY SWEDEN’S LANDSCAPE • Central Lowlands – Stockholm to Goteborg – Lakes & Canals – Most of Swe Pop. – Good Ag STOCKHOLM • Capital • Largest City of … GOTEBORG • Swe #1 Port • Ice-Free Harbor – Stockholm harbor freezes… • Volvo Cars… • Saab… SWEDEN’S POLITICAL STATUS • No wars since 1814 • Neutral – Like Switz… – Peace Prosperity FINLAND’S LANDSCAPE • Forests = 2/3 of Finland • Exports Timber… FINLAND’S LANDSCAPE • Lakes in Glacial Basins SAUNA • Sweat Bath – Finnish Invention – Heat rocks by wood fire – Pour water on hot rocks – Then jump in cold lake • 5 mln Finns; 2 mln saunas FINLAND’S POPULATION • Influenced by Climate – In Far South – Helsinki HELSINKI • Capital • Fin’s Main Seaport – Frozen Harbor, Jan-May • Fin’s Main Industrial Center – Produces… LAPLAND • No. Nor, Swe & Fin. • Home to Sami (“Lapps”) • Nomadic Herders of… SAMI • Cultural Change… • Forced Assimilation • Now Cultural Promotion FINLAND’S POLITICAL HISTORY • Dangerous Location – Between Swe, Ger, & Rus • Ruled by Sweden 500+ yrs – Swedish = 2nd Official Language… • Ruled by Russia, 1809-1917 • Independence - 1917 FINLAND’S POLITICAL HISTORY • WWII – Allied w/ Germany – Defeated • Lost Valuable Land to Soviet Union… • Had to Pay Reparations to Sov. Un. • Neutral since Cold War – Not a NATO member ICELAND “Land of Fire and Ice” VOLCANOES GEYSERS GEYSER ABOUT TO ERUPT HOT SPRINGS FUMAROLES ICELAND’S GEOLOGY • Basalt (like Hawaii) • Mid-Atlantic Ridge ICELAND – DIVERGING PLATES North American & Eurasian Plate… ICELAND’S LANDSCAPE • Barren Volcanic Rock, Glaciers, or Grasses UPLAND GLACIERS RESOURCES • Rivers & Waterfalls • Hydro Power – 75% of Electricity RESOURCES • Geothermal Energy ICELAND’S ECONOMY • No Minerals • Fishing, 70% of exports ICELANDS’ CLIMATE • Mild on south coast due to… – N. Atlantic Drift • Jan = 30sF • Jul = 50sF • Reykjavik REYKJAVIK • ½ of Ice Pop. ICELAND .