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Northern Europe is the northern part of the European continent. At various times this region has been defined variously, but today it is generally seen to include: the Nordic countries, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as Åland, the Faroe Islands and occasionally Karelia, Kola Peninsula, Greenland and Svalbard usually the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (but see also Western Europe) usually the Baltic states, i.e. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (but see also Eastern Europe)) occasionally other areas bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, e.g. north-western Russia, northern Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, northern Germany. Before the 19th century, the term 'Nordic' or 'Northern' was commonly used to mean Northern Europe in a sense that included the Nordic countries, European Russia, the Baltic countries (at that time Livonia and Courland) and Greenland. In earlier eras, when Europe was dominated by the Mediterranean region (i.e. the Roman Empire), everything not near this sea was termed Northern Europe, including Germany, the Low Countries, and Austria. This meaning is still used today in some contexts, such as in discussions of the Northern Renaissance. In medieval times, the term (Ultima) Thule was used to mean a semi-mythical place in the extreme northern reaches of the continent. In a European Union context, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands are often seen as belonging to a Northern group. Danevirke and the English Channel are often considered dividing lines between the North and South of Europe, since at least in the west, much below them was once ruled by the Franks under Charlemagne and much above it was once ruled by the Kingdom of England under Canute the Great.

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The Baltic (Sea) countries, as a related term, also include Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland, Russia, and sometimes Denmark.

The contextual term the Baltic States came into common usage during the Cold War; within the context of speaking about the Soviet Union, or about the various Soviet Republics that made up the Soviet Union, the term "the Baltic States" referred to the Soviet Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The term could also be used to refer to these three states in the context of their Soviet annexation (or occupation). Before that, the term was used, also contextually, during the height of the Russian Empire. They are sometimes also considered to be part of Eastern Europe, although the peoples are not Slavs, and the Baltic States, especially Estonia, also share much history and many common traits with the Nordic countries.

Scandinavia is a somewhat ambiguous concept covering some or all of the Nordic countries.

Guides and travel tips about: Scandinavia For Visitors