Scandinavian Facts

Geographic location

Denmark (Danmark)

Area total:43,094 sq. km
Climate: temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers
Population: 5,333,617
Ethnic groups: Scandinavian, Eskimo, Faroese, German
Languages: Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic (an Eskimo dialect), German (small minority)
Government type: constitutional monarchy
National capital: Copenhagen
National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr)

Finland (Suomi)

Area total:337,030 sq. km
Climate: cold temperate; potentially subarctic, but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
Population: 5,149,242
Ethnic groups: Finn 93%, Swede 6%, Lapp 0.11%, Gypsy 0.12%, Tatar 0.02%
Languages: Finnish 93.5%, Swedish 6.3%, small Lapp- and Russian-speaking minorities
Government type: Republic
National capital: Helsinki
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 December (1917)
Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark

Iceland (Ísland)

Area total: 103,000 sq. km
Climate: temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Population: 271,033
Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of the descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Languages: Icelandic
National capital: Reykjavik
National holiday: Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
Currency: 1 Icelandic krona (IKr)

Norway (Norge)

Area total:324,220 sq. km
Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast
Population: 4,419,955
Ethnic groups: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic), Lapps (Sami) 20,000
Languages: Norwegian
National capital: Oslo
National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
Currency: 1 Norwegian krone (NKr)

Sweden (Sverige)

Area total: 449,964 sq. km
Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north
Population: 8,886,738
Languages: Swedish
Government type: constitutional monarchy
National capital: Stockholm
National holiday: Day of the Swedish Flag, 6 June
Currency: 1 Swedish krona (SKr)

Scandinavian Trivia

Did you know?

Although all 5 countries are thought of as Scandinavia, they are more correctly known as the Nordic countries (Norden) and Scandinavia actually refers to the countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Denmark is famous for its LEGO and the LEGO land.


Finland, Norway and Sweden have a lot of moose!

Santa comes from and lives in Finland although many Swedes claim that he comes from Mora, Sweden :)

Finland is famous for its Sauna and NOKIA.

Iceland is known all over the world for its horses, Hot Springs and volcanoes.

Norway invented the modern ski binding with iron lugs (1894), the gas turbine (1884), the cheese slicer and the paper clip! Norway is also famous for its beautiful fjords and Lusekofter.



Pippi Longstocking - Pippi Langstrump is from Sweden!

Celcius who invented the thermometer came from Sweden! Sweden is also famous for Ericsson, IKEA, SAAB and VOLVO.

Scandinavian song groups:

  • Denmark: Aqua
  • Finland: Salinius, The Leningrad Cowboys, Värttinä
  • Iceland: Bjork
  • Norway: a-ha
  • Sweden: ABBA, Ace of Base, Cardigans, Eagle Eye Cherry, Europe, Robyn, Roxette and many more!

    • This page was written by Cecilia Burman and Christina Johansson at Dalhousie University.
    Slight modifications were made by A. McKenzie on April 27, 1999.

    Back to the Homepage of the Scandinavian Society of N.S.