Fennoscandia


Fennoscandia, Fenno-Scandinavia, or the Fennoscandian Peninsula, is a peninsula in Europe which includes the Scandinavian and Kola peninsulas, mainland Finland, and Karelia. Administratively, this roughly encompasses the mainlands of Finland, Norway and Sweden, as well as Murmansk Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, and parts of northern Leningrad Oblast in Russia.

Usage history

Its name comes from the Latin words Fennia and Scandia. The term was first used by the Finnish geologist Wilhelm Ramsay in 1898. Geologically, the area is distinct because its bedrock is Archean granite and gneiss with very little limestone, in contrast to adjacent areas in Europe.

Biology

In biology, the term is often limited to Norway, Sweden and Finland. Fennoscandia is not a distinct biogeographical region.

Politics and culture

The term is sometimes used to refer to a cultural or political grouping of Finland with the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The broader term Nordic region also encompasses Iceland, as well as the autonomous territories of Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.