The Nordic countries
The Nordic countries are among the most affluent in the world, and represent a stabil and well-functioning part of a changing Europe.
"The Nordic countries" is the historical and geographical name of the area consisting og Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The area has over 26 million inhabitants in total and an area of around 3,5 million square kilometres. Combined, the Nordic economy equals those of Russia and Spain. The Nordic countries have a long history as a cultural community, for example expressed through the establishment of the Nordic Council in 1959 and the Nordic Council of Ministers in 1971. The countries operate as a coordinated political block in many international contexts, and they are affiliated with the Nordic Passport Union, the Council of Europe, the EEA, the UN, and the Schengen Treaty. However, while Norway, Denmark and Iceland are members of NATO, Finland and Sweden are not. And similarly, while Denmark, Sweden and Finland are members of the European Union, Iceland and Norway are not.
Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy is the core in NUPI's research on Nordic issues. Important questions are how the Nordic countries' different alliance policies affect their ability to cooperate in practice, and what possibilities the Nordic countries have as a block in international politics.
News about The Nordic countries
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POLICY BRIEF: Nordic Airpower Cooperation and Finland’s F-35 decision: Towards a New Era?
15 Dec 2021- Per Erik Solli
Finland’s F-35 decision enhances the airpower collaboration between the Nordic states.
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More alignment in Nordic states’ security and defence policies
8 Dec 2021- Katja Creutz
- Mikkel Runge Olesen
- Anna Lundborg Regnér
- Jakob Linnet Schmidt
The Nordic states’ assessments of the international security environment are becoming more similar, according to a new NUPI policy brief.
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Reduced influence in the Arctic?
4 Nov 2021In the Arctic Council, eight states work on, among several other pressing issues, the alarming impacts of global climate change. But who gets a say? Research Professor Elana Wilson Rowe investigates this in a new article.
Publications about The Nordic countries
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Publication
: Report
Finland og Sverige inn i NATO? Veien dit og konsekvenser.
2022In mid-May, a number of clarifications will take place in both of our neighboring countries that could lead to a joint announcement of the desired NATO membership. If Finland and Sweden submit a formal NATO application, it will trigger a two-part process. The security guarantee in Article V of the... -
Publication
: Research paper
More bark than bite? Assessing China’s coercive measures in Scandinavia
2022Amid growing concern about Chinese coercion, this article examines the extent to which Beijing has resorted to such measures in Scandinavia based on case studies of Denmark and Sweden. Distinguishing between the actual use of and threats of using coercive measures, the article finds few instances of...- Andreas Bøje Forsby
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Publication
: Feature article
Responsen på Ukraina-krigen viser en ny fellesnordisk linje i sikkerhetspolitikken
Op. Ed. about responses to the war in Ukraine, and changes in longstanding Nordic security and defence policies.
Research projects about The Nordic countries
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Research project
Norway and Great Power Politics – Geopolitics, Technology and Climate (NISP)
2022 - 2024 (Ongoing)Our times are shaped by developments in geopolitical power dynamics, fast-paced technological development and climate change. In this research program NUPI analyses how these developments change the security...
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Foto: Shutterstock
Research project
Norway and the EU towards 2030
2022 - 2023 (Ongoing)This project takes a closer look at developments on key areas in the relationship between Norway and the EU towards 2030.
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Research project
Scandinavia as an arena for Chinese economic statecraft
2021 - 2022 (Ongoing)China's utilisation of economic statecraft as a foreign policy tool challenges the accustomed distinction between Norwegian business policies, and Norwegian security policy. This opens for a novel...