Northern Europe

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The definition of continental subregions in use by the United Nations.

Image:Northern-Europe-region-map-extended.png

Northern Europe is the northern part of the European continent. At various times this region has been defined variously, but today it is generally seen to include:

The Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as Åland, the Faroe Islands and occasionally Karelia, Kola Peninsula, Greenland and Svalbard
The Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (but see also Western Europe)
The Baltic states, i.e. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (but see also Eastern Europe)
Areas bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, e.g. north-western Russia, northern Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and northern Germany.

Before the 19th century, the term 'Nordic' or 'Northern' was commonly used to mean Northern Europe in a sense that included the Nordic countries, European Russia, the Baltic countries (at that time Livonia and Courland) and Greenland.

In earlier eras, 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 semi-mythical place in the extreme northern reaches of the continent.

In a European Union context, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands are often seen as belonging to a Northern group.

Danevirke and the English Channel are often considered dividing lines between the North and South of Europe, since at least in the west, much below them was once ruled by the Franks under Charlemagne and much above it was once ruled by the Kingdom of England under Canute the Great.

Today the term is of subjective nature with its meaning usually determined by the geo-political outlook of the speaker. This also means that the definition of the term is largely socio-political as there is no rationale to include England as being part of Northern Europe while excluding Poland or the Netherlands.

[edit] Remarks

The Baltic (Sea) countries, as a related term, also include Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland, Russia, and sometimes Denmark.
The contextual term the Baltic States came into common usage during the Cold War; within the context of speaking about the Soviet Union, or about the various Soviet Republics that made up the Soviet Union, the term "the Baltic States" referred to the Soviet Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The term could also be used to refer to these three states in the context of their Soviet annexation (or occupation). Before that, the term was used, also contextually, during the height of the Russian Empire. They are sometimes also considered to be part of Eastern Europe, although the peoples are not Slavs, and the Baltic States, especially Estonia, also share much history and many common traits with the Nordic countries.
Scandinavia is a somewhat ambiguous concept covering some or all of the Nordic countries.

Regions of the world

Image:LocationAfrica.png	Africa	Central • Eastern • Northern • Southern • Western
Image:LocationAmericas.png	Americas	Caribbean • Central • Latin • North • Northern • South
	Asia	Central • Eastern • Northern • Southern • Southeastern • Western
Image:LocationEurope.png	Europe	Central • Eastern • Northern • Southern • Western
	Oceania	Australasia • Melanesia • Micronesia • Polynesia

Image:LocationPolarRegions.png	Polar	Arctic • Antarctic
Image:LocationOceans.png	Oceans	Pacific • Atlantic • Indian • Southern • Arctic