Scandinavia myself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scandinavia myself - Essay Example to around 1700 B.C.E. As history advanced, this area gave birth to the more modern Viking era, 600-700 C.E. that we tend to associate with much of the civilization advances from that region of the world. They were a basically pagan people who began to experience Christianity in 829, but were not released from pagan practices until around the 12th century. There were many internal struggles as well as territorial conquests that kept the Nordic region unstable until around 1300C.E. with the emergence of three distinct kingdoms; Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. ((New World Encyclopedia 2008) Scandinavians today are a peaceful people who generally hold to their traditions and values, while being accepting of new ideas and people. They have a high regard for privacy, tolerance and discretion, while at the same time hold their individual natures with respect. They often occupy peace-keeping roles in NATO and the UN. ((New World Encyclopedia 2008) The official name of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark. It is a Constitutional Monarchy with the current Constitution established on June 5, 1953. It has Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government which oversees 5 regions and 98 municipalities. The Capitol of Denmark is Copenhagen. It has a temperate climate with slightly rolling hills and is situated between Sweden and Norway, above Germany in the Baltic Sea. (U.S. Department of State 2011) The people of Denmark are known as Danes and Danish; population 5,557,709. There are several languages spoken there; Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic, and German, although English is the second most widely spoken language. There are multiple ethnic groups including Inuit, Faroese, Scandinavian, Turkish, Polish, German, Lebanese, Iraqi, Bosnian, Yugoslav, Pakistani, Iranian, Somali, Vietnamese, British and Afghan. Various religions are acknowledged by the regions including† Danish National Evangelical Lutheran, which comprises approximately 81% of the population, Muslims, 4 %, and others such as Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu communities make up the remaining 15 % of religious faiths in Denmark. (U.S. Department of State 2011) Danes have compulsory education through 9 years, with 100% attendance and a literacy rate of 99%. They have contributed greatly to the arts, literature, music and ballet. Denmark established a Ministry of Cultural Affairs in 1961 to oversee the development of the arts and leisure activities including museums, libraries, theatres and drama groups. (U.S. Department of State 2011) The official name of Sweden is the Kingdom of Sweden. It is a Constitutional Monarchy with the current Constitution coming into effect on January 1, 1975. It has Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches that oversee 21 counties, 18 county councils, 290 municipalities, and 2 regions. The Capitol of Sweden is Stockholm. It has a wide variety of climates from temperate in the south, maritime along the coast, and subarctic in th e north; with mountains, lakes, and lowland areas near the coast. It is located between Norway and Finland. (U.S. Department of State 11/8, 2010) The people of Sweden are Swedes or Swedish; population 9,373,379. Swedish is the official language, although English is widely spoken. There are three main ethnic groups: the Swedes, ethnic Finns, and ethnic Sami. There is also about 14% of the