Scandinavian Peninsula 26972 225978010 2008-07-16T08:31:34Z Bland sobriquet 7484512 /* Political development */ {{Wrapper}} | {{Scandinavia}} |} The '''Scandinavian Peninsula''' is a geographic region in northern [[Europe]], consisting principally of the [[mainland]] territories of [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], and the northern region of [[Finland]]. The name ''[[Scandinavia]]n'' is [[etymology|derived from]] ''[[Scania]]'',<ref>Haugen, Einar (1976). ''The Scandinavian Languages: An Introduction to Their History''. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1976.</ref><ref>Helle, Knut (2003). "Introduction". ''The Cambridge History of Scandinavia''. Ed. E. I. Kouri et al. Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 0-521-47299-7. p. XXII. "The name Scandinavia was used by classical authors in the first centuries of the Christian era to identify Skåne and the mainland further north which they believed to be an island."</ref><ref>Olwig, Kenneth R. "Introduction: The Nature of Cultural Heritage, and the Culture of Natural Heritage—Northern Perspectives on a Contested Patrimony". ''International Journal of Heritage Studies'', Vol. 11, No. 1, March 2005, p. 3: The very name 'Scandinavia' is of cultural origin, since it derives from the Scanians or Scandians (the Latinised spelling of Skåninger), a people who long ago lent their name to all of Scandinavia, perhaps because they lived centrally, at the southern tip of the peninsula."</ref><ref>Østergård, Uffe (1997). "The Geopolitics of Nordic Identity – From Composite States to Nation States". ''The Cultural Construction of Norden''. Øystein Sørensen and Bo Stråth (eds.), Oslo: Scandinavian University Press 1997, 25-71.</ref> a region at the southernmost extremity of the peninsula. The Scandinavian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in Europe. The peninsula is part of a larger geographical feature, [[Fennoscandia]], and extends from [[Russia]] and Finland in the northeast toward [[Denmark]] and [[Germany]] to the south and southwest. ==Geography== [[Image:Fennoscandia.png|thumb|200px|left|Scandinavian Peninsula in relation to the larger Fennoscandia]] The Scandinavian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in Europe. It is approximately 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles) long and between approximately 370–805 km (230-500 mi) wide. The [[Scandinavian mountain range]] generally defines the borders between the three countries, although it also continues into the central parts of southern Norway. The peninsula is bordered by several bodies of water including: *the [[Baltic Sea]] (including the [[Gulf of Bothnia]]) to the east, with the autonomous [[Åland|Åland islands]] between Sweden<ref name="swedishgeo">[http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq72.html Nordic FAQ] Geography of Sweden</ref> and Finland, and [[Gotland]]. *the [[North Sea]] (including the [[Kattegat]] and [[Skagerrak]]) to the west and southwest *the [[Norwegian Sea]] to the west *the [[Barents Sea]] to the north Its highest elevation was [[Glittertinden]] in Norway at 2,470 m (8,104 ft) above sea level, but since the glacier at its summit partially melted {{Fact|date=February 2007}}, the highest elevation is at 2,469 m (8,101 ft) at [[Galdhøpiggen]], also in Norway. These mountains also house the largest [[glacier]] on mainland Europe, [[Jostedalsbreen]]. About one quarter of the peninsula lies north of the Arctic Circle, with the northernmost point at Cape [[Nordkyn]]. The climate across the peninsula varies from tundra ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ET) and subarctic (Dfc) in the north, with cool marine west coast climate (Cfc) in northwestern coastal areas reaching just north of [[Lofoten]], to humid continental (Dfb) in the central portion, and to marine west coast (Cfb) in the south and southwest.<ref name="arclimate">[http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/kimmel/GRG301K/grg301kkoppen.html Glossary of American climate terminology in terms of Köppens classification]</ref> The region is rich in timber, iron and copper with the best farmland in southern Sweden. Large petroleum and natural-gas deposits have been found off Norway's coast in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the population is concentrated in the southern part of the peninsula; [[Stockholm]] and [[Gothenburg]], both in Sweden, and [[Oslo]] in Norway are the largest cities.<ref name="factmonster">{{cite web|title=Scandinavia|work=FactMonster.com|url=http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/world/A0843871.html|accessdate=2004-03-21}}</ref> ==Geology== [[Image:Scandinavia.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Scandinavian Peninsula]] The Scandinavian Peninsula occupies part of the [[Baltic Shield]], a stable and large crust segment formed of very old, crystalline [[metamorphic rock]]s. Most of the soil covering this substrate was scraped by glaciers during continental [[glaciation]], especially in the northern part, where the shield is nearest the surface. As a consequence of this scouring, the elevation and the climate, a very small percentage of land is [[Arable land|arable]] (3% in Norway).<ref name="Hobbs">Hobbs, Joseph J. and Salter, Christopher L.''Essentials Of World Regional Geography'',p. 108.Thomson Brooks/Cole.2005.ISBN 0-534-46600-1</ref> The glaciers also deepened river valleys, which were invaded by the sea when the ice melted, creating the famous [[fjords]]. In the south the glaciers deposited many sedimental deposits, configuring a very chaotic landscape.<ref name="Ostergren">Ostergren, Robert C., Rice, John G. ''The Europeans''. Guilford Press. 2004.ISBN 0-89862-272-7</ref> Although the Baltic Shield is largely stable and resistant to the influences of other neighboring tectonic formations, the weight of nearly four kilometers of ice sheet caused the terrain to sink down. When the ice sheet disappeared, the shield rose again, a tendency that continues to this day at a rate of about 1 meter per century.<ref name="Ostergren"/> Conversely, the south part has tended to sink down to compensate, causing the flooding of the [[Low Countries]] and [[Denmark]]. The crystalline substrate and absence of soil exposes mineral deposits of metals, like iron, copper, nickel, zinc, silver and gold. ==People== The first recorded human presence in the southern area of the peninsula and Denmark dates from 12,000 years ago.<ref name="Tilley">Tilley, Christopher Y. ''Ethnography of the Neolithic: Early Prehistoric Societies in Southern Scandinavia'', p. 9, Cambridge University Press. 2003. ISBN 0-521-56821-8</ref> As the ice sheets from the glaciation retreated, the climate allowed a [[tundra]] [[biome]] that attracted [[reindeer]] hunters. The climate warmed gradually up, favoring the growth of perennial trees first, and then [[deciduous]] forest which brought animals like [[aurochs]]. Groups of hunters-fishers-gatherers started to inhabit the area since the [[Mesolithic]] (8200 BC), up to the advent of agriculture in the [[Neolithic]] (3200 BC). The northern and central part of the peninsula is partially inhabited by the [[Sami people|Sami]], often referred to as "Lapps" or "Laplanders". In the earliest recorded periods they occupied the [[arctic]] and [[subarctic]] regions as well as the central part of the peninsula as far south as [[Dalarna]], Sweden. They speak the [[Sami languages|Sami language]], a non-[[Indo-European language]] of the [[Finno-Ugric languages|Finno-Ugric]] family, which is related to [[Finnish language|Finnish]] and [[Estonian language|Estonian]]. The other inhabitants of the peninsula, according to ninth century records, were the Norwegians on the west coast of Norway, the [[Denmark|Danes]] in what is now southern and western Sweden and southeastern Norway, the [[Swedes (Germanic tribe)|Svear]] in the region around [[Mälaren]] as well as a large portion of the present day eastern seacoast of Sweden and the [[Geat]]s in [[Västergötland]] and [[Östergötland]]. These peoples spoke closely related [[dialect]]s of an Indo-European language, [[Old Norse]]. Although political boundaries have shifted, these peoples still are the dominant populations in the peninsula in the early 21st century.<ref name=" Sawyer">{{cite book|author=Sawyer, Bridget and Peter|title=Medieval Scandinavia: from conversion to Reformation, circa 800-1500 |University of Minnesota Press|year=1993|id=ISBN 0816617384 }}</ref> ==Political development== [[Image:Schweden_und_Norwegen_um_1888.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The Scandinavian Peninsula political borders in 1888.]] Although the [[Nordic countries]] look back on more than 1000 years of history as distinct political entities, the international boundaries came late and emerged gradually. It was not until the middle of the middle of 17th century that Sweden secured an outlet on the [[Kattegat]] and control of the south Baltic coast. The Swedish and Norwegian boundaries were finally agreed to and marked out in 1751. The Finnish and Norwegian border on the peninsula was established after extensive negotiation in 1809, and the common Norwegian-Russian districts were not partitioned until 1826. Even then the borders were still fluid, with Finland gaining access to the [[Barents Sea]] in 1920, but ceding this territory to Russia in 1944.<ref name="Sømme">{{cite book|author=Sømme, Axel (Ed.) |title=The Geography of Norden|location=Oslo | publisher=Den Norske nasjonalkommittee for geographi|year=1961|id=ISBN none}}</ref> Denmark, Sweden and Russia dominated political relations within the Scandinavian Peninsula for centuries, with Iceland, Finland and Norway only gaining full independence in the 20th century. ==See also== *[[History of Scandinavia]] *[[Nordic countries]] *[[Scandinavia]] {{-}} <gallery> Image:Scandinavia.nasa.jpg|Scandinavia and the Baltic region Image:Scandinavian Peninsula in Winter (February 19, 2003).jpg|Scandinavian Peninsula in winter ([[February 19]], 2003) </gallery> ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Peninsulas of Europe]]. [[Category:Scandinavia]] [[ar:شبه الجزيرة الإسكندنافية]] [[zh-min-nan:Skandinavia Poàn-tó]] [[bg:Скандинавски полуостров]] [[ca:Península Escandinava]] [[cs:Skandinávský poloostrov]] [[da:Skandinaviske halvø]] [[de:Skandinavische Halbinsel]] [[et:Skandinaavia poolsaar]] [[el:Σκανδιναβική Χερσόνησος]] [[es:Península Escandinava]] [[fr:Péninsule Scandinave]] [[fy:Skandinavysk Skiereilân]] [[ko:스칸디나비아 반도]] [[is:Skandinavíuskaginn]] [[it:Penisola scandinava]] [[lb:Skandinavesch Hallefinsel]] [[lt:Skandinavijos pusiasalis]] [[nl:Scandinavisch schiereiland]] [[ja:スカンディナヴィア半島]] [[no:Den skandinaviske halvøy]] [[pl:Półwysep Skandynawski]] [[pt:Península escandinava]] [[ru:Скандинавский полуостров]] [[sk:Škandinávsky polostrov]] [[fi:Skandinavian niemimaa]] [[sv:Skandinaviska halvön]] [[th:คาบสมุทรสแกนดิเนเวีย]] [[tr:İskandinav Yarımadası]] [[zh:斯堪的纳维亚半岛]]