Northern Europe

Northern Europe is the northern part of  the  European continent. Most people see the following states as part of it:
 The Nordic countries, including , , ,  and . 
  and the  (but see also Western Europe)
 The Baltic states, i.e. , , and  
 Areas bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, e.g. north-western , northern  (most often referred to as Eastern Europe), , , , and northern .

Europe, the planet's 6th largest continent, includes 47 countries and assorted dependencies, islands and territories. 

Before the 19th century, the term 'Nordic' or 'Northern' was commonly used to mean Northern Europe in a sense that included the Nordic countries, European Russia, the Baltic countries (at that time Livonia and Courland) and .

In earlier eras, when Europe was dominated by the Mediterranean region (i.e. the Roman Empire), everything not near this sea was termed Northern Europe, including Germany, the Low Countries, and . In medieval times, the term (Ultima) Thule was used to mean a semi-mythical place in the extreme northern reaches of the continent.

In a European Union context, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are often seen as belonging to a Northern group.

 References 

Category:Regions of Europe