Scandinavia

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Scandinavia In physicial geography, the n European peninsular countries of Sweden and Norway. In a broader, cultural sense it also includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. The climate ranges from subarctic in the n, to humid continental in the centre, and marine in the w and sw. The terrain is mountainous in the w with swift-flowing streams. In the e the land slopes more gently and there are thousands of lakes, notably in Finland. Part of the region lies within the Arctic Circle, where tundra predominates. Denmark and s Sweden have the best farmland. A large proportion of the land is forested, there are rich mineral deposits, particularly of iron ore and copper, and fishing is still important. The largest cities are Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden; Oslo in Norway; Copenhagen in Denmark, and Helsinki in Finland. Area: c.1.258 million sq km (485,250sq mi).

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