We want to take this opportunity to celebrate the Nordic countries – this geographical and cultural region that includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.
The Nordic countries have a longstanding tradition of cooperating closely with each other. Here are 5 things you might not know about the region:
🤝 As a rule, Nordic citizens don't need a passport to travel between the Nordic countries, due to an 'open border' agreement with origins in 1957.
🌍 The Nordic countries have a joint labour market, which means that citizens can work and live anywhere in the region.
💬 The Nordic Language Convention says that Nordic nationals should be able to use their mother language to the greatest extent possible when dealing with the authorities of another Nordic country.
👩👨 Gender equality has contributed to the economic progress of the region. The proportion of women in work is high – almost 75% – and Nordic men are among the world leaders in paternity leave. But the percentage of parental leave days taken by fathers varies, with Iceland, Sweden and Norway above 30% and Åland, Denmark and Finland below 15%.
💚 The Nordic countries are leading the way in renewable energy, basing a growing share of their energy consumption on renewable energy such as hydropower, wind and biomass. Progress varies a lot between the countries.
Illustration: Sweden.se
Photos: 1, 3. Per Pixel Petersson/imagebank.sweden.se, 2. Asaf Kliger/imagebank.sweden.se
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