OUR EUROPE - NORTHERN EUROPE
Europe is a small continent. People live very close to each other. More than
seven hundred million people live here. Europe consists of almost fifty
countries. More than half are in the European Union or EU. We have divided
Europe into areas to make it easier to understand what the countries have in
common and also what makes them different. In this film we will take a closer
look at northern Europe.
In northern Europe we have included the countries; Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Finland, the three Baltic States; Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and far out in the
Atlantic Ocean, Iceland. Three of these countries are included in Scandinavia;
Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
The countryside in northern Europe is varied. Here there are large forests, high
mountains, many lakes, large plains, soft sandy beaches and large areas of
wild country. Here you can travel for miles without seeing any houses or people.
But you may come across some large wild animals like elk, wolves or bears.
The Scandinavian Mountains or Fells in Norway and Sweden are a very old
mountain range. Over millions of years, the weather and wind have worn away
the pointed peaks. Up in the Fells there are no trees. In the winter it snows a lot.
In some places the snow is packed together in thick ice sheets, called glaciers.
During the last Ice Age, many thousands of years ago, northern Europe was
covered by ice several kilometres thick. Everywhere you can see traces of the
Ice Age in the form of large boulders and moraine. Moraine is soil containing
sharp stones. Conifer trees thrive in moraine soil and Sweden and Finland are
among the most forested countries in the world. A lot of paper and wooden
products are produced from the forests and exported to other countries.
Further south in northern Europe, it is warmer and the earth is more fertile.
Large parts of the countryside are cultivated and the harvests here are good.
Here beech and oak trees grow, and other deciduous trees.
Finland and Sweden are also countries where there are most lakes in the world.
Many lakes have formed from cracks in the bedrock made by the glaciers.
The ice sheet also formed the fjords along Norway’s Atlantic coast. When the
ice smelted, the sea ran into the deep bays, the fjords, that stretch a long way
inland.
In actual fact, it should be much colder in northern Europe because it lies so
close to the North Pole. The mild climate is due to the Gulf Stream in the
Atlantic. The Gulf Stream brings warm water from the south all the way to the
North Atlantic. The sea is warmed up and warm winds from the sea blow in over
the land. But they also bring with them a lot of clouds and rain.
Along the Atlantic coast the climate is coastal or maritime. Further inland, far
from the coast, the climate is continental. Here it can be very cold in the winter.
In northern Europe there are big differences in climate and temperatures
between the seasons. Farthest north, above the Arctic Circle, the winter is long
and dark, and for a few weeks the sun doesn’t even rise. In the summer,
however, it is light in the evenings and for some weeks, the sun doesn’t set. This
is called “the midnight sun”.
They begin as small streams in the mountains but become wide rivers further
down in the valleys. Hydroelectric power stations have been built on the really
big rivers to produce electricity. And because it’s so windy, wind turbines have
also been built here.
There are many countries situated around the Baltic Sea. The rivers and
streams in these countries carry a lot of fresh water into the Baltic Sea, but also
pollution too from all the factories and farming. Therefore the countries are
working together to try and reduce the pollution into the sea. This has helped,
because the Baltic Sea has become cleaner and better in recent years. And the
fish have also returned.
In the coastal countries such as Norway, Denmark and Iceland, fishing is very
important. In the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean a lot of cod, herring and shrimp
are caught.
Many people work in the fishing industry taking care of all the fish that are
caught. They have to be cleaned, filleted and packaged before being sent out to
the shops in Europe.
But the sea gives more than just fishing. From large platforms out at sea, drilling
takes place deep down in the bedrock beneath the sea floor and oil and natural
gas are pumped out. Oil and gas are raw products that most countries in Europe
want to buy. They have made Norway one of the richest countries in the world.
In northern Europe, there are a little more than thirty million people living here.
Most people live in cities near the sea. But when compared to other cities in
Europe, these cities are quite small.
Even though the countryside is very different, the people of northern Europe
have a lot in common. Daily life is very similar for most people and the traditions
are almost the same.
The fact that the countries of northern Europe are so similar is because they
have had a long history, which they have shared. During various periods, the
countries once belonged to each other in different ways. However, they have
also had wars against each other too.
The first people who came to northern Europe from the south spoke the same
language, Old Norse. It is quite easy for people who speak Swedish, Danish or
Norwegian to understand each other. Icelandic is a little more different but it is
the language most similar to Old Norse.
People also came from the east and settled in what are now Finland and the
Baltic States. Their language was completely different.
The Sami people live in Lapland, a large area in the very far north which
extends into Russia. Sami is related to the Finnish language...
There are still a lot of Sami people in Lapland living on hunting, fishing and
looking after reindeer. But today, most Sami people live in other places,
especially in the larger cities.
Sweden is the largest country in northern Europe and also home to most
people. Nine million people live here. Most live in the south of the country. In
Sweden, Swedish is spoken...
This long country offers many types of outdoor experiences. In the mountain
fells of Kebnekaise stands Sweden’s highest mountain. "That was good!"
In the Baltic Sea are the islands of Öland and Gotland. Gotland is famous for its
sea stacks and the medieval town of Visby.
Sweden’s largest city is the capital, Stockholm. The Royal Palace, Parliament
and government buildings are all located in Stockholm. In Stockholm, the water
is always close at hand. It is situated where Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea
meet. In the vast archipelago, there are many thousands of islands.
For a long time, Sweden has been an important industrial country. This is partly
because Sweden has had many talented inventors. For example, L M Ericsson
with telephones and Alfred Nobel who invented dynamite. Because it was such
a long time ago that Sweden was involved in a war, Swedish industry has been
able to develop and grow peacefully and steadily.
But, of course, Sweden is affected by what is happening to people in other
countries. Refugees have come here from all over the world. Many people have
also come to Sweden to look for work.
Even though Sweden has such a small population, a large number of world
famous people come from here. And what could be more typically Swedish than
the midsummer celebrations.
In Norway, people speak Norwegian… The children of Norway have to learn
two Norwegian languages; Bokmål and Nynorsk. Bokmål is spoken in almost all
towns and cities and most books are printed in Bokmål.
Norway is a very mountainous country. It takes time to go by car along the
winding roads. It is more convenient and faster to fly or go by boat along the
coast.
The old boat line of Hurtigruten sails along the entire coast with both
passengers and goods all the way to northern Norway. During the voyage,
which many think is the most beautiful in the world, the boats sail in and out of
the many fjords. Others go out on a whale safari.
Norway is home to a little more than four and a half million people. Most live in
and around the capital city, Oslo. Like many other cities in Norway, Oslo is
situated in a fjord. The Oslo Fjord.
Karl Johan is the name of a famous street in Oslo. It leads up to the castle where
the royal family lives. Norway is not a member of the EU, but it is the country that
celebrates its “national day” more than all other northern European countries.
On 17th May, all Norwegians celebrate the day when Norway became an
independent country.
In Denmark, people speak Danish...
Denmark consists of the peninsula Jutland and several large and small islands.
Today, bridges have been built between several of the islands. These allow
people and goods to easily travel between the islands.
In Denmark, it’s never far from the sea. Along the coasts of Denmark there are
many long sandy beaches. On the west coast of Jutland, there are sand dunes
that can be over fifty metres high.
All of Denmark is lowland but the landscape is not totally flat. The farmers grow
a lot of sugar beet and beet for the animals. This beet is food, or fodder, for all of
Denmark’s pigs and cows. A lot of food produce is also exported to other
countries around the world.
Denmark is home to nearly five and a half million people. The capital city,
Copenhagen, is a large commercial city. Here there are many industries that
produce goods. The country is known for its designer products.
Tourists stroll along the shopping street Ströget, visit the Tivoli Gardens and the
Royal Palace. The Danish royal family is one of the oldest in the world.
Copenhagen is a transport centre for the whole of northern Europe. Here you
find Kastrup. It is northern Europe’s largest airport.
The Öresund Bridge connects Copenhagen and Malmö. Many hundreds of
ships and boats pass through the sound, the Öresund, everyday too, making it
one of the busiest stretches of water in the world.
Finland is known as the land of “a thousand lakes”. In fact, there are almost two
hundred thousand of them. Many of the lakes are so close together that they
flow into each other. It is possible to travel by boat deep into the forests for mile
after mile on the lakes.
The Finnish mobile phone company, Nokia, is known throughout the world, but
it is the forest that provides most work and most money for the country.
It’s always very special when Sweden meets Finland in ice hockey. For
centuries, Finland was part of Sweden. Today, a little more than five million
people live in the country. And there are three hundred thousand who speak
Swedish as their first language. They’re also Finns but they’re called
“Finlandssvensk” in English too.
Many streets and places have both a Finnish name and a Swedish name. And
in schools, the children still learn both Swedish and Finnish...
For a person from Finland, taking a sauna is just as natural as eating and
sleeping. Almost every home has a sauna as it’s called in Finnish and English.
In Finland, people have been taking saunas for hundreds of years.
Helsinki is the name of the capital city in Finish and English. Helsinki is situated
in the Gulf of Finland. Anyone arriving by boat will see the cathedral and the
Palace, where the President of Finland lives. In Helsinki you shouldn’t miss
walking on the Esplanaden. Many think that the market place near the city port
is the heart of the city.
In the harbour there are some very big ships. These ships, that are really
floating hotels, sail everyday between Finland and Sweden. Ships also go to
Estonia from Helsinki, which is much closer.
For many years the three Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were
part of the Soviet Union. During that time the people of the Baltic States
dreamed of governing their countries themselves. With the help of their culture
including music and folk dance, and keeping their own language, they kept their
dreams of a free country alive.
When the Soviet Union finally broke up in 1991, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
were free at last. Many of the Russians who moved here during the time of the
Soviet Union still live here. That is why a large part of the population speaks
Russian.
In the three Baltic States most people live in rural areas. The three countries are
republics and now also members of the EU.
Otherwise the countries have very few natural resources. Many of their
industries are old and in poor condition and sometimes dangerous to the
environment. However, they are trying to modernize their industries and attract
foreign companies here and many companies from other European countries
have moved their factories here. A big reason for this is that the workers’ wages
here are quite low.
After millions of years and many volcanic eruptions, an island has formed here.
Iceland.
And Iceland continues to grow. Sometimes the hot glowing lava flows slowly
down the slopes. Other times, ash and gases shoot up more than ten kilometers
into the air…
The countryside on Iceland is very special. Inland it is almost like being on the
moon. A desolate landscape of rocks and stones. Mile after mile of solidified
lava. What can you do outdoors here? You could try motocross…
Among the first people to live on Iceland were Vikings from Scandinavia. The
island belonged to Denmark before it became independent in 1944. Today,
Iceland is a republic and has a president. Iceland is not a member of the EU but
has applied for membership.
Almost three hundred thousand people live in Iceland. Many of them live in and
around the capital, Reykjavik. And the number is growing. People are moving
here from the rural areas and small communities on the island, to study and find
work.
As the summer is short and the climate damp, it is difficult to grow corn and
vegetables here. But the grass grows well and the sheep here are very happy
about that.
When the farmers bring their sheep home from the mountains after the summer,
they often use their Icelandic ponies to help them. In the past, these ponies
were the only means of transport on the island. Today they are ridden mostly for
pleasure.
Sometimes the volcanoes have made life miserable for the Icelanders. But,
having so much heat under the ground can also be very good useful. The water
can be used to heat the homes and in many hot springs on Iceland, you can
also bathe at any time during the year.