Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden. However, the United Nations report published in 2011 defines Northern Europe as including the following 10 countries and dependent regions[1].
A subset of the countries and territories listed above, all of whom are members of the Nordic Council, are also known as the Nordic countries. Before the establishment of the Nordic Council in 1952, the term 'Nordic', or 'Northern', was commonly used to also refer to the Lutheran Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia, as well as the northern sections of European Russia.
The United Kingdom and Ireland are sometimes included in Western Europe[2] and Lithuania in Central Europe.
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Historically, when Europe was dominated by the Mediterranean region (i.e. the Roman Empire), everything not near this sea was termed Northern Europe, including Germany, the Low Countries, and Austria. This meaning is still used today in some contexts, such as in discussions of the Northern Renaissance. In medieval times, the term (Ultima) Thule was used to mean a mythical place in the extreme northern reaches of the continent.
| Northern Europe:[1] | ||||||
| Country | Area (km²) |
Population (2011 est.) |
Population density (per km²) |
Capital | GDP (PPP) $M USD | GDP per capita (PPP) $ USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Åland (Finland) | 1,527 | 28,007 | 18.1 | Mariehamn | (Finland) | |
| Denmark | 43,098 | 5,564,219 | 129 | Copenhagen | $204,060 | $36,810 |
| Faroe Islands (Denmark) | 1,399 | 48,917 | 35.0 | Tórshavn | (Denmark) | |
| Estonia | 45,227 | 1,340,021 | 29 | Tallinn | $27,207 | $20,303 |
| Finland | 336,897 | 5,374,781 | 16 | Helsinki | $190,862 | $35,745 |
| Guernseyd[›] | 78 | 65,573 | 836.3 | St Peter Port | $2,742 | $41,815 |
| Iceland | 103,001 | 318,452 | 3.1 | Reykjavík | $12,664 | $39,823 |
| Ireland | 70,273 | 4,581,269 | 65.2 | Dublin | $188,112 | $42,076 |
| Isle of Mand[›] | 572 | 80,085 | 140 | Douglas | $2,719 | $33,951 |
| Jerseyd[›] | 116 | 92,500 | 797 | Saint Helier | $5,100 | $55,661 |
| Latvia | 64,589 | 2,245,357 | 34.3 | Riga | $38,764 | $17,477 |
| Lithuania | 65,200 | 3,221,216 | 50.3 | Vilnius | $63,625 | $19,391 |
| Norway | 324,230 | 4,905,200 | 15.1 | Oslo | $256,523 | $52,229 |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (Norway) |
61,395 | 2,572 | 0.042 | Longyearbyen | (Norway) | |
| Sweden | 449,964 | 9,354,462 | 20.6 | Stockholm | $341,868 | $36,459 |
| United Kingdom | 243,610 | 62,008,048 | 254.7 | London | $2,256,830 | $38,376 |
| Total | 1,811,176 | 99,230,679 | 54.8 | $3,591,077 | $36,226 | |
Northern Europe consists of the Scandinavian peninsula, the peninsula of Jutland, the Baltic plain that lies to the east and the many islands that lie offshore from mainland northern Europe, Greenland and the main European continent. The area is defined by the volcanic islands of the far northwest, notably Iceland and Jan Mayen, the mountainous western seaboard, extending from the mountainous sections of Great Britain & Ireland to the Scandinavian mountains, the central north mountains and hills of Sweden (which are the foothills of the Scandinavian mountains) and the large eastern plain, which contains, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland.
The region has a south west extreme of just under 50 degrees north and a northern extreme of 81 degrees north. The entire region's climate is affected by the Gulf Stream which has a mild influence on the climate. From the west climates vary from maritime and maritime subarctic climates. In the north and central climates are generally subarctic or Arctic and to the east climates are mostly subarctic and temperate/continental. As the climate and relief varies vegetation is also extremely variable, with sparse tundra in the north and high mountains, boreal forest on the north-eastern and central regions temperate coniferous forests (formerly of which a majority was in the Scottish highlands and south west Norway) and temperate broadleaf forests growing in the south, west and temperate east.
With the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland, Northern European countries are known for harsh winters. For example, the Winter of 2010-2011 in Europe began already in November. Temperatures can reach as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius in some parts of Northern Europe.[3]
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