Warm ups 11.29.2016
*What is NATO, and what does “Article 5” of the
NATO agreement state?
*What are two ways that the United States works
with the European Union?
Lesson Objective:
*describe physical and cultural characteristics of the
Nordic Nations
*explain how they’ve used a variety of natural
resources to develop their economies
Norden
*norden comes from an ancient word meaning
“northern”
*the Nordic nations include: Denmark, Finland,
Sweden, Norway, and Iceland
Nordic Nations
*What would you
guess it’s like in these
places, based on this
map?
*What challenges or
opportunities might
their location bring?
Physical
Characteristics
*some of this area
extends north into
the Arctic Circle
Diverse Landscape
*Denmark is so flat that its highest point is below 600 feet
*Norway is one of the most mountainous countries in
Europe
*Iceland has around 130 volcanoes!
Diverse Landscape
Norden
*norden comes from an ancient word meaning
“northern”
*the Nordic nations include: Denmark, Finland,
Sweden, Norway, and Iceland
Norden
*norden comes from an ancient word meaning
“northern”
*the Nordic nations include: Denmark, Finland,
Sweden, Norway, and Iceland
Environmental Change
*much of the landscape of this region was influenced
by the last ice age
*glaciers carved out valleys and fjords, gouged out
lakes, and carried topsoil with it to Western Europe
and Denmark
Natural Resources
*Iceland has taken advantage of its volcanic activity
*Any ideas of how they’ve done that?
Geothermal energy: energy produced from the
heat of earth’s interior (Iceland produces nearly
30% of its electricity from geothermal sources, and
nearly all of the rest comes from hydroelectricity)
Long Winters, Short Summers
*in the middle of winter, the sun may only shine for
2-3 hours a day
*in the middle of summer, it shines for more than 20
hours
Ocean and the Climate
*despite its far north location, the climate is
surprisingly mild
*this is largely due to the ocean bringing warm
currents to their coastline
Ocean and the Climate
Shared Cultural Bonds
*Nordic nations have similar histories
*from around AD 800-1050, Vikings raided Western
Europe
*at some points, these lands were united under one
ruler
Economic and Government Systems
*all five of these countries are democracies and have mixed
economies
*Nordic governments offer more services to their citizens that
that of the U.S.
*in Denmark, there are state-run child care facilities as well as
state-supported health care
Strong, Diverse Economies
*Denmark uses 60% of its land for farming
*Fishing is also a large part of all economies
*vast forests are used for the lumber industry
*off-shore oil and gas production is large
*now, they are also setting up wind turbines in the ocean to
generate electricity