Scandinavia

[The Fishman]

In the future, can we expect Scandinavia to become a great power? They have very high standards of living, and they already export things to our countries. And not too long ago, Viking hordes and Swedish generals were feared all around Europe.

Is it possible that some kind of Scandinavian EU will rise to confront the world? Maybe a national Union between the states of Denmark, Norway and Sweden? Could they soon be interested in retaking Finland and the British isles?

[Norge]

Yes, this all sounds very likely.

[Dr. Croccer]

The Chinese give birth to more children annually than there are people in Scandinavia.

[uzi716]

Agreed Scandinavia doesn't have the human capacity to become a superpower, Scandinavian countries will always be strong but never be dominant

[Stavroforos]

Extremely unlikely.

[Senno]

No. Low population and they are unaggressive as well.

[Holger Danske]

No. Low population and they are unaggressive as well.

Norway and Sweden perhaps, but Denmark is living out the Viking heritage. Just ask any Taliban who has been stupid enough to confront them, and survived.

Indeed.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Notice how Dannebrog is pure while the two others... not so much!

[Salem1]

Notice how Dannebrog is pure while the two others... not so much!

And it's in the middle too? what's Denmark doing there? That's Sweden's place

Anyway that time was a flawed time for a united Scandinavia imo, as it could not involve Finland. Finland may not technically be Scandinavian, but ever since Sweden set out its first voyages there (a long time before the place was actually colonised and conquered) it has been tied with the other Nordic nations.

Anyway, on the topic I think our best bet to become great powers (economic and informal, cultural ones as that's the order of the day these days) is to have some cooperation, which I would personally want to be especially close between Sweden and Finland, and set out to dominate advanced technological fields as well as some form of cultural mass-phenomenon, like Japan and anime but something better, something more. Anyway, the North will never be a master - while continental ideas of ''great power'' involve dominating everything like Napoleon's France etc., for Scandinavians this was never possible because we never had the human resources to do that. Scandinavia is like a vulture, days of great fortune is when there are lots of fresh, fat corpses around while continental Europe is more like an aspiring lion male trying to rise to the top.

[Landsknecht_88]

Even combined, the GDP of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway isn't particularly impressive.

[Norge]

Even combined, the GDP of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway isn't particularly impressive.

lol? With a population of approximately 23 million, an united Scandinavia would be a G10 nation with an economy above Russia, India, and Spain.

The Scandinavian countries are really at the limit of possible economic efficiency.

[Enemy of the State]

What is with these retarded threads?

[HansDuet]

ummmmmm...... spains economy is terrible

Larger than Scandinavian countries combined.

[Norge]

Larger than Scandinavian countries combined.

By what measurement? In nominal GDP the Scandinavian economy would be larger than Spain.

[HansDuet]

By what measurement? In nominal GDP the Scandinavian economy would be larger than Spain.

Huh?

If IMF and World bank are to be trusted(wiki), no. If you include Finland then yea but of course you would not do such a thing when talking about Scandinavia.

[Pious Agnost]

ummmmmm...... spains economy is terrible

It's the 9th/10th largest in the world

[Haakon]

Even combined, the GDP of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway isn't particularly impressive.

Rubbish. The nordic echonomy is amongst the ten largest economies in the world. On top of that, Norway supplies the UK and Germany and France with natural gas. Right now Norway is conducting gas businiss, in stead of gas politics.

In any case, Scandinavia will not be a major power because we dont feel the urge to be one. We leave that for the chauvinists in central europe. We could however flex economical muscles that would be noticed if push came to shove.

When Europe is mentioned, people think France, Germany, Britain and Italy.

Because they are better at stroking their own ego's.

[HansDuet]

In any case, Scandinavia will not be a major power because we dont feel the urge to be one. We leave that for the chauvinists in central europe. We could however flex economical muscles that would be noticed if push came to shove.

Bull on major scale.

Edited.

[Haakon]

Bull on major scale.

Edited.

Great refutal on a major scale! Maybe we should just cut you off from our gas, oil, and forest since central Europe hardly has any forest of its own. We gloat while gas prices rise and you are hit with an economic resession, stagflation and high unemployment.

[HansDuet]

Great refutal on a major scale! Maybe we should just cut you off from our gas, oil, and forest since central Europe hardly has any forest of its own. We gloat while gas prices rise and you are hit with an economic resession, stagflation and high unemployment.

Finland's got that forest part covered better than Norway last I checked. And gas prices are already ed up so uuh, I'm really scared that great Norway cuts us off.

Combine Scandinavian countries population and GDP and compare it to other European countries. It comes 5th or 6th.

[Dr. Croccer]

Great refutal on a major scale! Maybe we should just cut you off from our gas, oil, and forest since central Europe hardly has any forest of its own. We gloat while gas prices rise and you are hit with an economic resession, stagflation and high unemployment.

Except the economy of most Nordic countries is largely based around those exports and stopping it would be economic suicide.