The most important Scandinavian mountains belong to the Scandinavian peninsula located in northeastern Europe. This area is made up of 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 referred to the Nordic countries. About 25% of the peninsula is in the north of the Arctic Circle. With an area of 1,850 km from north to south, 1,320 m from east to west and an area of more than 750,000 square km, this is the largest peninsula on the European continent.
The peninsula is surrounded by various bodies of water. To the north, by the Barents Sea; 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 bordered by the island of Gotland and the Autonomous Islands of Alland (which lie between Sweden and Finland).
The region is rich in iron, titanium, and copper. Similarly, deposits of oil and natural gas have been found off the coast of Norway. The presence of these deposits is closely related to the ancient 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 mountainous terrain that belonged to the ancient Baltic Shield, a rock formation that originated about 400 million years ago, made up of crystalline metamorphic rocks.
Most of these mountainous areas are in Norway, while in Sweden, mountainous areas are concentrated in the west of the country. For their part, the Finnish peaks are the lowest.
As a curiosity, the peninsula has a great variety of geographical formations, which include coasts, lakes, glaciers and fjords. The latter are valleys in the shape of a "V" created by glacial erosion and occupied by the waters of the sea; Norway's fjords are the most iconic.
To the northwest of the region, are the Scandinavian mountains, also called "the mountains of more than 2000 m". Due to their great height, the Scandinavian mountains function 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 in Norway. The ten highest mountains in the country are distributed between Oppland and Song og Fjordane counties.
Among them, Mount Galdhøpiggen stands out, at 2469 m, it 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. It was previously considered the highest mountain, since the measurements 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 next highest peaks in 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
For its part, in Sweden there are twelve Swedish peaks that exceed 2000 m. Eight of these are found in the Sarek National Park and in the northern region of Kebnekaise the Kebnekaise peak stands out at 2103 m (Lapland).
This is the highest Swedish peak taking into account the glaciers that cover it. If melted, the highest peak would be the Kebnekaise Nordtoppen.
In turn, behind this great peak other large ones can be located, 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 they are below 1500 m and the most prominent are located in Finnish Lapland.
Mount Halti stands out with 1,324 m. This is the highest point of the Halti and it is located in Norway, a country with which Finland shares the mountain range.
In recent years, a group of Norwegians, led by Bjorn Geirr Harsson, launched a campaign that seeks to move the country's border 200 m to the east and 150 m to the north to make the highest peak of the Halti belong to Finnish territory.
This campaign is carried out on the occasion of the centenary of the anniversary of the independence of Finland, which will be celebrated in 2017. The proposal could face some legal problems since it would mean the transaction of a 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 wonder 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 Mayor Mountains of Sweden. Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from ii.uib.no.
- The Telegraph. Norway Launches Campaign to Give Finland a Mountain. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from telegraph.co.uk.
- Highest Mountains in Finland. Retrieved on February 16, 2017, from geonames.org/FI.