Scandinavia << `skan` duh NAY vee uh >> is the name often given to the peninsula of Norway and Sweden. But the term Scandinavia really refers to the countries where Scandinavian people live. This includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. These countries and Finland and Iceland form Norden. The countries of Norden are often mistakenly referred to as Scandinavia.
Fennoscandia is a term that is often used to describe Finland and the Scandinavian Peninsula. Many regions near the Baltic Sea are known as Baltoscandia, because their climate and customs are much like those of the Scandinavian countries. Southern Sweden is called Skåne, or Scania, an ancient Roman word for a legendary island north of the Baltic Sea.
