As the ice receded, reindeer grazed on the plains of Denmark and southernmost Sweden, while along the coast of western Sweden, marine resources were exploited.
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| The Heimskringla presents the German mythical god, Odin, as an actual historical figure and the first Norse king. Sturluson traced the history of sixteen famous Nordic kings from this ancient figure through Halvdan the Black (ca. 839-ca. 860) and Magnus V Erlingsson (r. 1162-1184). |
This was the land of the Ahrensburg culture and preceding Hamburg culture, tribes who hunted over territories 100,000 km² vast and lived in teepees on the tundra. On this land there was little forest.
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| Composite image of petroglyphs (rock carvings) from Scandinavia (Häljesta, Västmanland in Sweden). Nordic Bronze Age (1700–500 BC). The glyphs have been painted to make them more visible. |
In addition to the mainland Scandinavian countries (each with a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system) of:
Denmark
Norway
Sweden .The Nordic countries also include:
Åland (an autonomous province of Finland since 1920)
Faroe Islands (an autonomous country within the Danish Realm, self-governed since 1948)
Finland (a parliamentary republic, independent since 1917)
Greenland (an autonomous country within the Danish Realm, self-governed since 1979)
Iceland (a parliamentary republic; sovereign since 1918, independent since 1944)allies
