The Nordic countries which have population 25,382,411 (as of 2009) and consist of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. Scandinavia is sometimes used as a synonym for the Nordic countries.[1] The term of Scandinavia is sometimes used—though not consistently—as a synonym for the Nordic countries, although within the Nordic countries the terms are considered distinct.[2] The Faroe Islands and Iceland are "Scandinavian" in the sense that they were settled by Scandinavians and speak Scandinavian languages, but geographically they are not part of Scandinavia. Having once been a part of Sweden, Finland has been significantly influenced by Swedish culture and part of it is geographically within Scandinavia, whereas the Finnish language is not related to the Scandinavian languages. Greenland was settled by the Norse, and is currently part of the Danish realm, with the Danish language spoken by nearly all inhabitants, while geographically it is part of North America. In geology, the term for the land area which lies above sea level on the Baltic shield is Fennoscandia.
Politically, Nordic countries do not form a separate entity, but they cooperate in the Nordic Council. As a sub-regional form of the Europe, the Nordic countries has the most interesting and distinctive achievement as the most democratic country in the world. The research that has been done by The Economist shows that they hold the five highest rank position in the most democratic country.[3] Their political culture has many influence of Christianity and the culture of strong and democratic monarchy (except the Nordics, Finland and Iceland that gained their independence from Russia and Denmark then become republic) take a deep role in constructing the stable government in the Nordic countries which is identical to the Confucianism in the East Asian social system.[4] Obedience to the higher class like royal and noble families stabilize the system in almost all circumstances, but this kind of obedience are balanced through good governance in almost near perfect democracy system in parliamentary system. This perfect check and balances system between the obedience of the people to the monarch and good and democratic governance provided by the monarch construct good and stable government system in Scandinavia countries.
This area is heterogeneous, with three unrelated language groups, the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages and the Baltic-Finnic and Sami branches of Uralic languages as well as the Eskimo-Aleut language Greenlandic spoken in Greenland. The Nordic countries are characterized by similar structures of their societies and cultural traits. This results not only from similar environmental realities and thus traditional livelihoods but also from a shared history. When the Nordic society will go to some where which is located intra region, they will not get difficulty about passport because they have passport union.[5]
The Nordic countries share similar traits in the policies implemented under the postwar period, especially in the socioeconomic area. All Nordic countries have large tax-funded public welfare sectors and extensive socialist legislation.[6] In most cases, this is due to the political ambitions of the many Social Democrat governments that came to power during the interwar period in each of the Nordic countries. The Economist also said that their effectiveness of democracy implementation cause some economic success.[7] From this adjustment shows that there are good relation between functions of governments, and the political participations by the citizens to get prosperity and progressiveness in political and economic aspect.
In Internal politic of Nordic circumstances, the government type can be divided into two systems, the constitutional monarchy and the republic system. But despite the differences in government type, they all are adopting the democratic-parliamentary system except Finland that mix the presidential and parliamentary system, but they all are having parliamentary system in their governments.[8] The Norse constitution that constructed in 1814 was much affected by the United States constitution in 1776 and French Revolution in 1789.[9] That was the turning point of an absolute monarchy into democratic constitutional monarchy. The sovereignty of the parliament in Denmark occurred in 1901 that more or less affected by the government reformation in Denmark in 1814. Different with the Norwegian and Danish political system whose changes were much affected by the Americans and French revolution, the political power changes in Sweden was more affected by the internal constellation of politics that made the parliamentary system into two chambers (bicameral) but later in 1971 the parliamentary system became unilateral. The Finland and Iceland are also adopted parliamentary system although Finland’s mixed presidential system (in minor aspect) into the parliamentary system.
The Nordic region has a political dimension in the joint official bodies called the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers.[10] In this context, several aspects of the common market as in the European Union have been implemented decades before the EU implemented them. Intra-Nordic trade is not covered by the CISG, but by local law. In the European Union, the Northern dimension refers to external and cross-border policies covering the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries, and Russia. The obstacle which is often faced by The Nordic countries that undergoing some overlapping cooperation member between European Union, Euro zone, and NATO, so the policy sometimes can not done maximally.[11]
From explanation above, the conclusion is that there are many progressiveness which Nordic countries get in politic and economic aspect which can be good sample for the other countries but their membership in international institution is better if it is not overlapping. Besides that there are many countries which have different culture and political background, their intention to access in EU get some obstacle in order that is not easy to realize European integration.
References
CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2009-04-23 accessed from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gl.html#People
J Svennung,. (1963). Scandinavia und Scandia. “Lateinisch-nordische Namenstudien”. Almqvist & Wiksell/Harrassowitz
The King’s Constitutional Role. http://www.kongehuset.no/c27300/seksjonstekst/vis.html?tid=29977 accessed on October 12th 2009
[1] CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2009-04-23 accessed from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gl.html#People
[2] Ibid CIA
[3] J Svennung,. (1963). Scandinavia und Scandia. “Lateinisch-nordische Namenstudien”. Almqvist & Wiksell/Harrassowitz
[4] Ibid
[5] Opcit CIA
[6] Opcit CIA
[7] The King’s Constitutional Role. http://www.kongehuset.no/c27300/seksjonstekst/vis.html?tid=29977 accessed on October 12th 2009
[8] Ibid The King
[9] Opcit The King
[10] Opcit The King
[11] Opcit The King
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