The Scandinavian hills Most important belong to the Scandinavian peninsula situated in northeastern Europe.
This area comprises Norway (40% of the total area of the country), Sweden (55% of the total area of the country) and the part of Finland that separates the Norwegian and Swedish lands (5% of the Finnish territory).
The name of this peninsula comes from"Scania", an ancient term used by the Romans in their travel letters, which made reference to the Nordic countries.
About 25% of the peninsula is in the north of the Arctic Circle. With an extension of 1850 km from north to south, 1320 m from east to west and an area of more than 750000 square kilometers, this is the largest peninsula on the European continent.
The peninsula is surrounded by various bodies of water. To the north, by the sea Barents; To the southwest, by the North Sea (including the Straits of Kattegat and Skagerrak); To the east, by the Baltic Sea (including the Gulf of Bothnia) and to the west, by the Norwegian Sea.
The region is also surrounded by the island of Gotland and the Autonomous Islands of Alland (between Sweden and Finland).
The region is rich in iron, titanium and copper. Likewise, oil and natural gas deposits have been found on the coasts of Norway. The presence of these deposits is closely related to the old structure of the tectonic plates and the magma that penetrated the plates.
The territory of the Scandinavian peninsula is mountainous par excellence; In fact, half of the area is covered by hilly terrain that belonged to the old Baltic Shield, a rock formation that originated about 400 million years ago, formed by crystalline metamorphic rocks.
Most of these mountainous areas are in Norway, while in Sweden the mountainous areas are concentrated in the west of the country. For their part, the Finnish peaks are those of lower height.
As a curiosity, the peninsula has a great variety of geographic formations, which include coasts, lakes, glaciers and fjords. The latter are valleys in the form of"V"created by glacial erosion and occupied by the waters of the sea; The fjords of Norway are the most emblematic.
To the northwest of the region are the Scandinavian mountains, also called"mountains over 2000 m". Due to its high altitude, the Scandinavian mountains serve as landmarks that mark the northern border between Norway, Sweden and Finland.
In the Scandinavian peninsula, there are more than 130 mountains that exceed 2000 m. These mountains are distributed in seven zones known as: Jotunheimen, Breheimen, Reinheimen, Dovrefjell, Rondane, Sarek and Kebnekaise. Most of the mountains are concentrated in Jotunheimen, in Southern Norway.
The main Scandinavian mountains
Norway
The highest peaks of the Scandinavian peninsula are found in Norway. The ten highest mountains in the country are spread between Oppland and Song og Fjordane counties.
Among them stands Mount Galdhøpiggen, with 2469 m, is the highest peak in Norway and the Scandinavian Peninsula.
The second place is occupied by Mount Glittertind with 2465 m at its highest point. Previously it was considered the highest mountain, since the measures included a glacier that was at the top of the formation.
However, over the years, the glacier has melted, making Galdhøpiggen the highest peak. The following highest peaks of Norway are:
- Store Styggedalstinden, 2387 m
- Skardstind, 2373 m
- Vesle Galdhøpiggen, 2369
- Surtningssue, 2368 m
- Stor Memurutinden, 2366 m
- Jervvasstind, 2351 m
- Sentraltind, 2348 m
- Store Hellstugutinden
- Storjuvtinden
- Store Knutsholstinden
- Vetle Skagastølstind
- Midtre Hellstugutinden
- Leirhøi
- Tjørnholstind
- Bukkehøe
- Store Tverråtinden
- Tverråtinden
Sweden
Sweden has twelve Swedish peaks that exceed 2000 m. Eight of these are in the Sarek National Park and in the northern region of Kebnekaise stand the peak Kebnekaise with 2103 m (Lapland).
This is the highest Swedish peak taking into account the glaciers that cover it. Of melting, the highest peak would be the Kebnekaise Nordtoppen.
In turn, behind this large peak can be located other large ones such as the following:
- Kebnekaise Nordtoppen 2097 m
- Sarektjåkkå Stortoppen 2089 m
- Kaskasatjåkka 2076 m
- Sarektjåkkå Nordtoppen 2056 m
- Kaskasapakte 2,043 m
- Sarektjåkkå Sydtoppen 2023 m
- Akka Stortoppen 2016 m
- Akka Nordvästtoppen 2010 m
- Sarektjåkkå Buchttoppen 2010 m
- Pårtetjåkka 2005 m
- Palkatjåkka 2002 m
- Sulitelma 1860 m
- Helagsfjället 1796 m
- Norra Storfjället 1767 m
- Templet 1728 m
- Lillsylen 1704 m
- Åreskutan 1420 m
- Storvätteshågna 1204 m
- Molnet 1191 m
Finland
As for the Finnish peaks are below 1500 m and the most prominent are located in Finnish Lapland.
It stands out the mount Halti with 1324 m. This is the highest point of the Halti and is in Norway, a country with which Finland shares the mountainous formation.
In recent years, a group of Norwegians, led by Bjorn Geirr Harsson, launched a campaign seeking to move the country's border 200 m to the east and 150 m to the north to make Halti's highest peak belong to the Finnish territory.
This campaign will be held on the occasion of the centenary of the anniversary of the independence of Finland, to be held in 2017. The proposal could face some legal problems as it would mean the transaction of part of the Norwegian territory.
Within Finland it is important to name other peaks that make up this beautiful European landscape such as:
- Ridnitsohkka (Finnish Lapland) 1317 m
- Kiedditsohkka (Finnish Lapland) 1280 m
- Kovddoskaisi (Finnish Lapland) 1240 m
- Ruvdnaoaivi (Finnish Lapland) 1239 m
- Loassonibba (Finnish Lapland) 1180 m
- Urtasvaara (Finnish Lapland) 1150 m
- Kahperusvaarat (Finnish Lapland) 1144 m
- Aldorassa (Finnish Lapland) 1130 m
- Kieddoaivi (Finnish Lapland) 1100 m
- Sanna (Finnish Lapland) 1029 m
- Meekonvaara 1019 m
- Yllästunturi (Finnish Lapland) 718 m
- Sorsatunturi (Finnish Lapland) 628 m
- Sauoiva (Finnish Lapland) 615 m
- Pallilaki (Finnish Lapland) 560 m
- Aakenustunturi (Finnish Lapland) 560 m
- Pyhätunturi (Finnish Lapland) 540 m
- Moloslaki (Finnish Lapland) 530 m
- Kuskoiva (Finnish Lapland) 529 m
References
- Scandinavian Peninsula - Map & Description . Retrieved on February 14, 2017, from wordatlas.com.
- The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica and Golberg M. (2009). Scandinavian Peninsula . Retrieved on February 15, 2017, from britannica.com.
- New World Encyclopedia. Scandinavian Peninsula. Retrieved on February 15, 2017, from encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com.
- Have you ever wondered where the Scandinavians are? Retrieved on February 14, 2017, from www.wonderopolis.org.
- Scandinavian Mountains . Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from www.scandinavianmountains.com.
- Areas of the Scandinavian Mountains . Retrieved on February 14, 2017, from scandinavianmountains.com.
- Scandinavian Mountains. (2004). Retrieved on February 14, 2015, from peakbagger.com.
- Bjorstad, P. (20003-2011). The Greater Mountains of Sweden . Recovered on February 12, 2017, from ii.uib.no.
- The Telegraph. Norway Launches Campaign to Give Finland to Mountain . Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from telegraph.co.uk.
- Highest Mountains in Finland . Retrieved on February 16, 2017, from geonames.org/FI.