Scandinavia

SCANDINAVIA IS A region of northern Europe consisting of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, with Iceland also included occasionally for reasons of cultural proximity. In recent decades, these countries generally have established a reputation for a high-class welfare state, funded by comparatively high levels of taxation and with neutralist international tendencies that have not hampered efforts to contribute to international peace and reconciliation efforts but does translate into a certain skepticism about international political organizations such as the European Union. Welfare state provision has meant a comparatively low level of underground economic activities and low misuse of migrant workers.

The Scandinavian countries consistently rate amongst the nations with the lowest levels of corruption and other forms of white-collar crime. They have frequently taken a leadership role ...