The Northern Europe consists of the countries like Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. Denmark, Sweden and Norway are together known as Scandinavia. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are known as “Baltic States”. The Scandinavia is extremely rugged and mountainous with landscape eroded by ice. In the South of Scandinavia, the land is flatter, with fertile soil deposited by glaciers. Much of Finland, Norway and Sweden is covered by dense forest.
Landscape
The Baltic States are much lower with rounded hills and many lakes and marshes. Iceland is one of world’s most active volcanic areas. There are about 200 volcanoes on the islands, along with bubbling hot springs, mud-holes and geysers which spurt boiling water and steam high into the air. Norway has many Fjords, deep, wide valley drowned by seawater when the ice melted at the end of the last Ice Age. Ships from Finland, Sweden and Baltic states use the Baltic Sea as their route to the North Atlantic Ocean. In winter, much of the sea is frozen. The Finland and Sweden have many thousands of lakes. During the last Ice-Age, glacier scoured hollows which filled with water when the ice melted. The wide Courland Spit runs for 100 km. along the Baltic coast at Lithuania and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. It encloses a huge lagoon.
Climate
The warm ocean currents flowing north along the coast of Norway and Iceland make the climate mild and wet. Away from the sea, the climate is generally colder and drier.
Industry
In Scandinavia, many natural resources are used in industry; timber for paper and furniture, iron for steel and cars. Fish and natural gas are sourced from the seas. Hydro-electric power is generated by waters flowing down steep mountain slopes. The Baltic States still rely on Russia to supply their raw material and energy.
Population
The population is distributed mainly along the warmer and flatter southern and coastal areas. The total population and its densities are low for all the countries, and Iceland has the lowest population density in the Europe, with just three people per 59 sq (square) km. Many Scandinavian have holiday homes in the islands, along the lake shores.
Farming and Land-Use
The southern Denmark and Sweden are most productive areas, with pig farming, dairy farming and crops such as wheat, barley and potatoes. Sheep farming is important in Southern Norway and Iceland. In the Baltic States cereal, potatoes and sugar beet are main crops and cattle graze on dump pasture.
