Northern Europe Northern Europe is made up of five countries: Norway and Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula, Denmark on the Jutland Peninsula, Finland in the eastern part of the region, and the island country of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean. Glaciation is the primary process by which the landforms of Northern Europe came to be as they are today. During the last ice age, ice filled the valleys and carved out fjords that are now filled with seawater, creating steep, rugged mountains.

Glaciation- a process by which glaciers form and spread. fjords (feeAWRDS)-a long, steep-sided glacial valley now filled by seawater.

Fjord in Norway

Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean that constitutes the northernmost part of Norway. This group of islands is located about 400 miles (644 km) north of the mainland, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Iceland is an island country in the North Atlantic. Iceland is located 186 miles (300 km) east of Greenland and 621 miles (1,000 km) west of Norway. It is situated on a geological hot spot along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The island is very geologically active. With about 200 volcanoes, volcanic activity is frequent. Earthquakes are also frequent but rarely result in serious damage.

geothermal energy-a form of energy conversion that captures heat energy from within Earth hot spring-a spring whose water issues at a temperature higher than that of its surroundings Geyser-a spring that throws forth intermittent jets of heated water and steam

Iceland vs. Greenland There have been some misconceptions over the years about how Iceland and Greenland were named. The fact that Iceland is green for part of the year and many parts of Greenland are covered in ice has been the source of debate over their names. Some historians once believed that the Viking explorer, Erik the Red, who founded the first settlement on Greenland, may have given it the name to make it sound appealing to settlers. This has not been verified, but it certainly makes for a good story. The naming of Iceland is actually much simpler. In the Norse language, the word for ice is íss, and the word Iceland actually means “island.”

Northern Europe, also referred to as the Nordic countries, has been shaped by years of invasions, migrations, and trade. Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland share similar structures of societies and cultural traits. Industrialization brought an influx of new social classes, which changed the political culture. Following World War II, the Nordic countries developed democracies.

Population Patterns Migration and ethnicity have influenced where people have settled. The Sami are descendants of nomadic peoples who lived in Scandinavia for thousands of years. The Nordic countries have lower population densities than most other countries in Europe. Populations concentrate in areas near the sea and in metropolitan areas.

Society and Culture Today While Protestant religions dominate in every Nordic country, society is very secular. Northern Europe is filled with the world's most educated population, with literacy rates at nearly 100 percent throughout the region. The governments function as welfare states, providing social services but levying large taxes. Women are achieving equal status in Nordic society, nearing the same status as men in the workplace.

The climate patterns and biomes of Northern Europe are affected by latitude, landforms, wind patterns, ocean currents, and distance from water. Natural vegetation varies from forests to tundra plants. While the area has oil and natural gas resources, the countries of the region are leaders in developing renewable energy.

Economic Activities All of the Nordic countries are small, open economies that rely on foreign trade. Nordic countries rapidly evolved from agrarian- based economies into modern, industrialized countries. Commercial fishing, mining, forestry, and energy are the main resources in the area. The Nordic model emphasizes labor force participation and promotes gender equality and fiscal expansion.