# Is it wrong to call Finland a Scandinavian country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327 "2014-02-26T16:31:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327/81 "2014-03-11T20:57:25Z")
In Scandinavia, we consider “Scandinavia” to be the three countries that share muturally intelligible languages and the same form of government, constitutional monarchy. Historically, these have been important points. A few generations back, not a lot of people spoke a foreign language. To the non-wealthy people, the fact that you could trade, vacation and work in a couple of other countries without learning a new language was important. You could talk to the police and the innkeeper, read the papers and the streetsigns. And the fact that the heads of state were related monarchs was important too, a hundred years ago. Iceland and Finland, countries that share neither of these traits, are considered “Nordic” countries, but not Scandinavian. Except occasionally by Finns. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327/82 "2014-03-12T04:37:23Z")
What’s YOUR nationality? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327/83 "2014-03-12T14:37:35Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > This far in the conversation and nobody’s linked to the very appropriate (and funny) webcomic [Scandinavia and the World](http://satwcomic.com/no-invitation)? She also made one that’s[like a diagram](http://satwcomic.com/how-the-north-works). ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327/84 "2014-03-12T18:37:33Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > She also made one that’s[like a diagram](http://satwcomic.com/how-the-north-works). Why does the Finnish guy look so miserable? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327/85 "2014-03-12T18:54:24Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > Why does the Finnish guy look so miserable? From the comment in the link in post #38: “The Finnish stereotype is a masculine drunk mute with a knife.” Can’t comment on the veracity. I do know that Finns (and Norwegians) have a more introverted stereotype than when compared to Danes et al. And her two Sweden characters are either: an uptight nerdy guy, or an outgoing Swedish Bikini Team type. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327/86 "2014-03-13T22:15:10Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > Why does the Finnish guy look so miserable? > [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > From the comment in the link in post #38: > > “The Finnish stereotype is a masculine drunk mute with a knife.” Can’t comment on the veracity. I do know that Finns (and Norwegians) have a more introverted stereotype than when compared to Danes et al. And her two Sweden characters are either: an uptight nerdy guy, or an outgoing Swedish Bikini Team type. Yeah. From the very first comic, the creator stated that she was deliberately working with stereotypes. > [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Humon** > [Hooray for stereotypes!](http://satwcomic.com/sweden-denmark-and-norway) > Sweden, Denmark and Norway as we see each other and ourselves. BTW, the only thing that Finland ever says is “perkele”, a common swear. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-wrong-to-call-finland-a-scandinavian-country/682327.md?page=4)