The five Nordic countries, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have become known from their unique political and cultural co-operation. Since the second world war they have developed a tight regional co-operation between the five countries, co-operation that reaches allmost all levels of political and societal life. However, the recent developments in the world haven´t left this co-operation untouched. The end of the cold war and the growing globalization have called for a change of perspective, not to see Norden as a separate entity but as a part of a bigger picture, part of Europe and rest of the world. The change of perspective has resulted to a break with the old limited scope of co-operation. The Nordic co-operation has turned its face more outwards instead of inwards. The biggest impression of this transition has become to be the Nordic Adjacent Area Policy. During the last ten years these areas have acquired an important role in the Nordic Co-operation, a trend that seems to be the route of the future.
In these pages I´m going to handle the Nordic Co-operation and the transition that has taken place in its form. The focus is on the Nordic Adjacent Area policy that has developed as a result of the recent changes in the international relations.
Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission.
Created by Heidi Haggrén, University of Helsinki
E-mail: heidi.haggren@helsinki.fi
Last updated on May 21, 2001