North Germanic languagesThe North Germanic languages are one of the three branches of the Germanic languages—a sub-family of the Indo-European languages—along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages. The language group is also referred to as the Nordic languages, a direct translation of the most common term used among Danish, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish scholars and people.
Nordic CouncilThe Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, as well as from the autonomous areas of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. The representatives are members of parliament in their respective countries or areas and are elected by those parliaments.
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a subregion of northern Europe that most commonly comprises Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which share strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. It may also refer to the Scandinavian Peninsula (which excludes Denmark but includes part of northern Finland). In English usage, the term is also used as a synonym for the Nordic countries. Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes included, due to their ethnolinguistic ties to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
Nordic countriesGeographical and cultural regionThe Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or Norden; lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and North America, as well as the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. It includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and the autonomous region of Åland.
Nordic modelThe Nordic model comprises the economic and social policies, as well as typical cultural practices, common in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). Historically, this included a comprehensive welfare state and multi-level collective bargaining based on social corporatism, and a commitment to private ownership within a market-based mixed economy.
GreenlandAutonomous territory of DenmarkAutonomous territory in the Kingdom of DenmarkGreenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and is the largest of the kingdom's three constituent parts by land area, the others being Denmark proper and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenland are citizens of Denmark. They are thus citizens of the European Union (EU), although Greenland is not part of the EU.
Finnic languagesThe Finnic languages, also known as Baltic Finnic languages, constitute a branch of the Uralic language family spoken around the Baltic Sea by the Baltic Finnic peoples. There are around seven million speakers, who live mainly in Finland and Estonia. Traditionally, eight Finnic languages have been recognized. The major modern representatives of the family are Finnish and Estonian, the official languages of their respective nation states.
Indo-European languagesLanguage family native to EurasiaThe Indo-European languages are a language family native to the north of the Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and Greater Iran, with additional native branches found in regions such as Armenia, parts of the southern Indian subcontinent (Sri Lanka and the Maldives), and even stretching as far as to mainland Southeast Asia (Rohingya language in Myanmar).
Faroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands ( FAIR-oh), also known as the Faroes, are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and a rigsdel ('autonomous territory') of the Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the Hebrides and Shetland isles of Scotland, the islands have a population of 54,870 as of November 2025 and a land area of 1,393 km2 (538 sq mi). The official language is Faroese, which is partially mutually intelligible with Icelandic.
ÅlandÅland ( , Swedish:; Finnish: Ahvenanmaa) is an autonomous and demilitarised region of Finland. Receiving its autonomy in 1920, it is the smallest region of Finland by both area (1,580 km or 610 sq mi) and population (30,654), constituting 0.51% of Finland's land area and 0.54% of its population. Its official language is Swedish and the capital city is Mariehamn.
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about 85,133,000 square kilometers (32,870,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for separating the New World of the Americas (North America and South America) from the Old World of Afro-Eurasia (Africa, Asia, and Europe).
Northern EuropeThe northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54°N, or may be based on other geographical factors such as climate and ecology.
Sovereign stateA sovereign state is a state that has sovereignty, that is, the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may also refer to a constituent country, or a dependent territory. A sovereign state is required to have a permanent population, defined territory, a government not under the control of another, and the capacity to interact with other sovereign states.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.