Picture Page on Northern Europe

Outline

  1. Physical and Natural Environment
    • Kebnekaise of Sweden
    • The Danish Countryside
    • Fjords of Norway
  2. Human Environment
    • The Unique Layout of Helsinki
    • Architecture of Reykjavík
    • Whales outside Nuuk
  3. Human-induced Changes to the Physical Environment
    • TRAINS!!!
    •  Danish Agriculture
    •  Not the Animals!

Physical and Natural Environment

 The beautiful Kebnekaise Mountain’s of Sweden. This is home to Sweden’s highest peak.

The Kebnekaise are apart of the Scandinavian Mountain Range. It has two peaks, the second highest peak is 2097 meters high, and the first highest is 2,104 meters. This mountain range lies in Lapland, which is about 150 km from the Arctic Circle. In Europe, there are no higher mountains further north. It is said that an area (of both Sweden and Norway) corresponding to 9% of Sweden's surface area can be seen from the summit, which approximates to more than 40,000 km² – almost the size of The Netherlands.

 

View of the Danish countryside from the highest peak named Himmelbjerget (Sky Mountain)

A stream caught between the scenic Fjords of Norway.

Fjords are jagged cliff sides that have been eroded by glaciers. These can be found throughout Norway, Sweden, Finland and even Denmark. The world's longest fjord won’t be found in Norway, it is actually located on the east coast of Greenland. The Scoresby Sund is 350 kilometers or 217 miles long and reaches depths over 1500 meters.

 

 

Human Environment

The unique canal system that runs around and through Helsinki, Finland is a marvel on its own.

Much like Venice, Helsinki, Finland has its very own canal system as well. Although it isn’t quit up to par with Venice, it still makes for an eye opener to see business districts and homes so close to the water.

 

The old style architecture running through Reykjavík, Iceland may leave some breathless.

This is a photo of Hallgrims church. Some say it’s the crown on Iceland’s capital, because of its unique shape. It is the largest church of the country with a seating capacity for 1200 people in the nave. It was under construction longer than any other building in Iceland and has at times generated considerable controversy. Ideally situated on the hill Skolavorduholt, overlooking the centre of old Reykjavik, the site for Hallgrims church was in fact set aside early this century for the purpose of building just such a large church to serve the eastern part of the rapidly growing town.

A Humpback Whale emerges from the cold waters outside of Nuuk, Greenland.

 

This is the baleen whale most frequently seen swimming or feeding close to shore along the southern coast of Greenland. When beginning to dive, animals often lift their flukes (tail) out of the water thereby exposing the pattern of black and white which characterizes the ventral side.

Human-induced Changes to the Physical Environment

A train caught in movement right before it whizzed by the camera in Norway.

Whipping around mountain chains and through countryside’s are Norway’s train systems. Cheap and affordable, these giants make routine visits to different regions of Norway for travelers and natives. The official name of the company that manages them is called NSB (Norwegian State Railways). These railways will take you for a ride some averaging 25 knots along Fjords, which is something that might make your hairs, stand up. In fact on January 2000, two trains collided with one another outside of Lillehammer due to faulty tracks. 19 fatalities were confirmed, making it the worst death toll since 1975. Train drivers boycotted the crash line in aftermath of the crash.

 

A farm sitting next to a beautiful body of water in Denmark.

Throughout the countryside of Denmark there are farmlands. Much like our Midwest, many people here farm to make a living. Although the soil isn’t as fertile as many other countries and their holdings are usually kept in small portions Denmark farm owners use intensive mechanization, top of the line fertilizers, and concentrated feeds to result in good quality. The Danish government emphasizes that agriculture be a top priority by maintaining volume, price, diversity, and quality of their products. With such average to poor soil Denmark is surprisingly the only country in the Baltic region with a net export of agricultural products, producing 3 times the amount of food that it needs for itself.

A photo taken by the famous biologist Thomas Mangelsen. “Bad Boys of the Arctic”

Norway’s habitat control hasn’t been the most effective in the recent years. Nowadays there isn’t much untouched land that hasn’t been explored yet, especially in the south where habitat loss is at one of its most crucial moments. In southern Norway many animals and plants are becoming endangered from overexploitation. More than 3000 species have been placed on the Norwegian Red List of threatened species. Almost half of this list includes the woodland animals and also many species found in wetlands and agricultural regions. Twenty-nine birds, mammals, and plants are also on the Global Red List of Endangerment. With all this happening to the southern environment of Norway, the northern region of the country still glistens with life and tranquility.

 

Submitted by Reid Olson on 3/02/09.