The Nordic countries are home to the oldest regional political cooperation in the world. Stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Sea, it is a geographic and cultural area with a deep history of working together in everything from art to economics.
Nordic Day is celebrated annually on March 23.
The Nordic region consists of Finland, the Åland Islands (an autonomous archipelago that is part of Finland), Denmark, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. They are tied together by shared histories, languages, ideals and even flag designs. Most of their flags include a similar cross shape that has become known as the Nordic cross.
Sápmi, the far-northern homeland of the Sámi, the only recognised Indigenous People in the EU area, is mainly located in the Nordic region. Sápmi is divided into four parts by the borders of the nation-states Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia.
Many Nordic identities
The flags of many of the Nordic nations are similar in design. From left: Åland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Norway.Photo: Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva
“The Nordic area is not a homogenous region; we have many identities, such as Greenlandic, Finnish or Sámi,” says Gitte Grønfeld Wille, director of Nordic Culture Point in Helsinki. “Still, I would say that we share many Nordic values, like democracy, freedom of speech, equality, openness and respect for the environment.”
Nordic Culture Point works to support and promote Nordic culture. They have two locations in Helsinki, including an artist residence on the island fortress of Suomenlinna and a 12,000-volume library and meeting place downtown.
“One of our most popular activities is the Nordic Language Café,” Wille says. People show up to practice Danish, Icelandic, Sámi or any other language of the Nordic region.
A larger Nordic library is located at Nordic House, a cultural centre in Reykjavík, Iceland, in a building designed by the renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.
Faroese poetry and more
The Nordic countries’ dramatic landscapes, such as this view of Vágar and Mykines in the Faroe Islands, may form a source of poetic inspiration.Photo: Olaf Kruger/Image Broker
If you stop by Nordic Culture Point, you might find a children’s group practicing Norwegian, a Faroese poet reading aloud from her newest book, a collection of Sámi paintings, a presentation on Åland’s architecture or a speech by the newest winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize. They work closely with other organisations, such as Oodi Central Library in Helsinki and institutions in the Baltic states.
“One of our most important tasks is providing funding for Nordic artists,” Wille says. “We have different programmes to establish networks, to stay and work in an artist residence or to travel in the Nordics and Baltics, for example. We put a lot of emphasis on children and youth programmes.”
Nordic Culture Point works under the Nordic Council of Ministers, an intergovernmental forum with roots dating back to the end of the Second World War. One early success of this cooperation was the Nordic Passport Union, which established freedom of movement in the area. In 1962 the Helsinki Treaty was signed, setting the framework for governmental and parliamentary cooperation in the Nordic region.
Productivity and sustainability
When the University of Helsinki built its main library, it received a loan from the Nordic Investment Bank.Photo: Mika Huisman/University of Helsinki
Right next door to Nordic Culture Point is the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), an international financial institution founded in 1975. In 2005, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined. The Nordic Council of Ministers championed the creation of the NIB, but today it is governed by its own bodies including all eight member countries.
“We are a child of Nordic cooperation,” says Jukka Ahonen, head of communications at NIB. “Our vision is a prosperous and sustainable Nordic-Baltic region. Nordic values are strongly reflected in the organisation, and we try to make the world a better place.”
The NIB finances projects in the Nordics and Baltics that improve productivity and benefit the environment. The bank has about 250 employees, mostly based at their headquarters in Helsinki or in their regional hub in Riga, Latvia. In 2024, the AAA-rated institution loaned about €4.4 billion.
Wide-ranging investments
The Nordic Investment Bank helped finance the western line of the Finnish capital’s metro system (shown here is Kivenlahti Station).Photo: Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva
“We have investments in every member country, and typically do 50 to 60 every year,” Ahonen says. “For example, if you fly into Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and come to our headquarters, you will pass many things we helped fund on the way: the airport, the ring rail, the metro, the tram and even the university library.”
Other recent examples include a wind farm in Lithuania, district heating in Iceland and a low-carbon steel plant in Sweden.
“We turn 50 years old in 2025, and I believe our member countries are closer than ever,” Ahonen concludes. “Cooperation has clearly intensified in the region, not least due to recent geopolitical developments.”
By David J. Cord, March 2025
