Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. The term Scandinavia in local usage covers the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Scandinavian Union can be found in pen n paper RPG.

Nordic Countries
Lands of the midnight sun, forested hills, and a variety of wildlife. A loose confederation of countries linked by culture, people, race and location. These are lands with deep links between art, style, and culture. Connections with the past are not forgotten either; styles, designs, and lifestyle are often linked to our history.

These countries have been through many changes recently. Most have been brought on by the massive changes in the environment which have completely altered the face of Northern Europe. Many of the smaller Baltic islands have been disappearing as the sea level rises. The vegetation of the region has changed with the rising temperatures: what was once barren tundra and arctic waste is now bursting into life and becoming available as arable land. Simultaneously with this growth in available land, there's been a drop in the overall population. Quality of life is increasing in the area, just as fast as it's falling elsewhere.

Denmark
An isthmus to the north of Germany and its associated islands. Denmark has a massive agricultural industry and most of the mainland (Jylland or Jutland) is dedicated to it, as is Fyn (Funen), the islands. Over 94% of the population now lives in Copenhagen City which has expanded to cover the northern half of Sjaelland (Zealand), hiding behind huge sea walls. Many of the other islands shrank as the sea level rose, and some have been lost completely,

Finland
A land of vast natural beauty. Most of it is covered in forests, lakes, and marshes, though they have suffered from pollution from both the mainland of Europe and the USSR. The majority of the population lives on the southern coastal plains in domed towns and cities. Finland's industry is an unusual balance between forestry-related industries and high technologies like cybernetic augmentations. The country has lost a lot of ground to the rising Baltic Sea; so many of her lakes, forest, and marshes have now been subsumed by the sea entirely.

Norway
A long narrow highly mountainous nation that forms the Atlantic coast of Scandinavia. The mountains are most rugged to the South and West getting slightly smoother to the North and East. Most of Noway's landscape is scenic and dramatic. Valleys and fjords created by the retreat of the tremendous glaciers of the Ice Age nestled between mountains with slopes covered in forests which are increasing in density as the tundra disappears with rising global temperatures. Over 80% of Norway's population live in coastal towns and cities, many of which have been domed over.

Sweden
Sweden has long been the most developed of the Scandinavian countries. Blessed with a more than adequate supply of natural resources. Sweden had far fewer complications than most with adapting to the encroaching Industrial and Information Ages, most of the population is gathered in towns and cities on the Baltic coast.

Iceland
A stark outcropping in the North Atlantic is renowned for its volcanic activity. Volcanoes, hot springs, and earthquakes are all common phenomena on this island. It has long been a popular tourist site for those willing to pay for the unusual, and of course where else can you bathe in a natural hot spring after skiing down a glacier on the slopes of a live volcano? Farming is no longer an important industry in Iceland, most of the population lives and works in Reykjavik in real estate development, geothermal power, and mariculture services and industries.

Greenland
The largest island in the world and also one of the most unusual. An official colony of Denmark, while maintaining its domestic government. Denmark is also part of the EEC but Greenland isn't, Greenland has been virtually ignored by the world for centuries but recently it has become more interesting to developers and prospectors as the glaciers retreat. Nuuk the capital (formerly called Godthab), has seen more development in the last decade than in the previous century.

History
After the fall of Rome, Scandinavia was one of the major power blocs in Europe, and one of its few cultural high points. What was lacking in natural resources was made up for by resourcefulness. Vikings from Denmark and Norway North Sea and Atlantic, even going as far as the Mediterranean. They occupied most of Ireland, Britain, the Normandy region of France, and much of Northern Germany. Viking explorers traveled vast distances, discovering and colonizing Iceland, Greenland, and even North America.

During the Medieval period, the sheer numbers of the rest of Europe kept back the Scandinavians. They were hard-pressed to retain their lands, especially With the amount of infighting going on between them. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Sweden was a major force in Europe, fighting many wars to control the Baltic. During the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark sided with France, while Sweden spent the time consolidating its hold on Noway. Finland was captured by Russia, who kept control of it all century.

During the early twentieth century, Sweden remained impassively neutral while the rest of Scandinavia got trampled by Germany and Russia during the world wars. Finland broke from Russia during the Russian Revolution and fought many wars to stay independent-though continually losing territory.

After the wars, Denmark was one of the founder's countries of the European Economic Community. Although having more in common culturally with Noway and Sweden than the rest of Europe, Denmark saw a place in the future for a combined Europe. Sweden's neutrality and Finland and Norway's lack of interest led to an unusual situation where closely-related countries were separated by political alignment

For a few years, Finland, Norway, and Sweden countered the north of Europe's burgeoning economic power by forming the Scandinavian Bloc with the Baltic League (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). The Scandinavian Bloc was short-lived; Destroyed from within by infighting between the Baltic League states.

Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland's acceptance of Europe's offer to become associate members of the EC reduced the tension in the area. It kept Denmark in Europe and simultaneously reduced the chances of violent competition between Europe and the old Scandinavian Bloc. There is no sign of any of the four becoming full members of the EC in the near future, they still don't quite trust the rest of Europe. Greenland is still out on a limb regarding Europe. As part of Denmark, they have some protection from Europe. Interpol is permitted to work there and European citizens may visit without visa requirements. On the other hand, the EC directorates have no control over them, though they may make suggestions.

In March 2020, Greenland made a bold move to prevent corporations from getting too much control of the country. By unanimous vote, the government decided to restrict development to 5% of the country's surface. The rest is to be left untouched for future generations and scientific research. This is on top of existing legislation that prohibits any new developments that produce any dangerous emissions whatsoever. The biggest change in Greenland recently has been a sudden rise in its popularity as a rich person's playground. Highly luxurious, secluded residences are being built for millionaires willing to pay a fortune for Greenland citizenship and the right to live on the island.

By 2077, Europe was in the throes of a major coastal flood caused by rising sea levels. Large parts of London, the Netherlands, and Belgium were submerged. Refugees from the Netherlands and Belgium tried to travel to Scandinavia by boat to seek shelter, but the Scandinavian countries closed their borders. The Swedish Navy sank some refugee boats in a show of force to pressure the refugees to turn back.

Culture
The most prominent aspects of Scandinavian culture to outsiders are our bold use of color in everything from clothing to parking lots, and our use of space in interior design. There's a lot more to our culture than that. Scandinavians share a lot of the same cultural heritage. We are descended from peoples who battled against both the elements and foreign powers for survival. For centuries, Scandinavia's biggest exports were mercenary troops. After the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire and the decline of culture in Europe, these same troops went on to conquer much of the European coastline. After this the main aim was self-preservation as the Scandinavian nations realized the futility of aggression and followed a more peaceful track, a track we continue on today.

We consider ourselves to be more refined and independent than most other peoples. We certainly lead healthier lifestyles. Healthy eating is considered essential here, even our fast food is healthier than most countries' normal diets. Hygiene is a fundamental principle of life and health education is taken very seriously. During the "Dark Ages", the Vikings were the only peoples of Europe to believe in the values of bathing and cleanliness and Scandinavians have continued to be in the forefront of healthy living.

Our governments realize how much a healthy lifestyle means to us and ensure that they do as much as possible to enable us to keep it. Cheap (but good quality) housing is always available for families with children, as is food, clothing, medical treatment, and money to support them. People found abusing these rights are severely punished and get treated as a pariah by the majority.

After World War 2, Scandinavia embraced technology with a fervency unseen in the rest of Europe. Computers, communications, vehicles, weapons, all were taken by Scandinavians and modified. Demand rose as they mixed functionality with styling, treating the two as interlinked in ways no others could. By the end of the century, increasing demand for Scandinavia's innovative designs had led to them having far and away the highest level of technological development within the region.

This technological lead continues, although many of our industries have changed their specialties to keep up with the changing face of the world. At present much of our technological effort is going into alternative theories. Advanced robotics are becoming more viable as artificial intelligence becomes more common and more understood. Walking vehicles, a long time Scandinavian specialty, are now being equipped with virtually intelligent brains to function as stand-alone forest workers in areas it is too dangerous to send people.

Much of Scandinavia's technology has been redirected to survival, changing the way we live to suit the new face of the world. Scandinavia has seen many changes since the late twentieth century, mainly brought on by climatic alterations. Temperatures have risen, increasing the range of crops that can be grown and the amount of land that can be used, but causing the oceans to rise, eating away at the shorelines. Ozone layer depletion has made it dangerous to be outside for extended times, especially in the far north where the ozone layer fades away almost to nothing. The 60 degrees North latitude line has been defined as the danger line. Beyond this line, it is dangerous to be exposed to the sun for any time at all during summer though the short day and low level of the sun during winter make it safer then.

As more land has become available, so we have extended our cultivation. We have also developed new crops that flourish on the barren land that remains where snow, glaciers, and permafrost have retreated. New trees have been bred that can grow on the steepest mountains thus ensuring the continued availability of wood. All our crops have been modified so that they can not only survive the airborne pollution levels but even help to clear pollution. We are lucky that the climate changes that are making much of the world uninhabitable are making life somewhat easier for us by increasing our natural resources.

Sea walls have been built around the mainland areas and larger islands to keep the sea out The sea walls also protect us from the effects of seaborne pollution, the Baltic and North Seas being both highly polluted. Unfortunately, many smaller islands have been lost. Especially noticeable is the loss of the Skerries between Stockholm and Finland, a unique collection of small islands that are now almost all gone. Ultraviolet resistant domes have been built over many towns (and parts of cities) to reduce the effects of ultraviolet bombardment and protect the citizenry from skin cancer. The domes also help protect us from the acid rains that regularly come from the West and South. It is now compulsory for all vehicles and those buildings not protected by domes to have UV-resistant windows.

Robotic and remote equipment has been designed to perform much of the extended outdoor activity; prevent dangerous exposure. Their operators work either from nearby communities or from specially designed sealed work shacks. New working communities beyond the 60 degree danger line are now built with underground sections for use during the summer.

All this technological innovation is not being used purely for Scandinavia's benefit As these same problems beset other countries so we are able to help them out licensing or selling them the equipment they need. The climate changes are causing many problems with our traditional recreations. Outdoor sports have always been the most popular activities in the region. Boating is feasible at the moment on inland lakes, but the joys of sailing the seas in small sailboats have been lost to us for now, possibly forever. Fishing is also possible inland, though it is now carefully regulated, real sea fishing has gone. Hiking and hunting are just too dangerous to be fun, the amount of protective clothing necessary make it too uncomfortable to be the relaxing freedom it should be. Skiing is still possible in winter, though we have to travel to the far North and do our skiing at lit resorts. Ice skating is now rarely possible on lakes and rivers; they just don't freeze properly in winter.

The loss of our traditional recreations has had a massive effect on our culture. Sure, we have indoors sports, we still have ice hockey in winter, we have soccer and combat soccer in summer, but far too many of us are no longer able to relax the way we want to and used to. This is probably one of the main causes for many of the breakdowns in our traditional lifestyle and the recent increases in violent behavior, especially on the weekends.

Neutral Market
Scandinavia has long been known for its, liberal approach to life. The basic view is that as long as it doesn't hurt others without their consent you're free to do what you want The 'Neutral Market' is a natural offshoot of this.

Scandinavian countries permit an unusual amount of freedom to their citizens and visitors. This is in great contrast to the main European countries where restrictions are a way of life. This freedom has lead to two sources of income for Scandinavia: tourism and exports. Tourism is growing in popularity as time goes on. Europeans are thronging to Scandinavia to enjoy the luxuries available that are denied them at home.

Violent and erotic braindances beyond the limits permitted in Europe are available in public VRcades. Soft drugs are available in virtually all bars in every major town without the excessive duties the Europeans impose. Harder drugs are available at specially licensed salons, although combat drugs are totally illegal-possession is enough to get you a long holiday at the government's expense.

Clinics can provide you with any cyberware you desire. Scandinavian clinics have some of the best reputations in the world. Not only do they provide good quality cyber at reasonable prices, but they also have the most experience in easing the union between metal and meat Braindance sims are run on prospective clients so they can experience the change they're asking for in advance. Specialized psychologists use psychotherapy and drugs before and after operations to reduce the trauma to a client's psyche.

The long and short of it is: Europeans travel to Scandinavia to revel in forbidden fruit They want to try, and enjoy, all those things the EC tries to protect them from. They're rebelling against the Euro big brother-and Scandinavia makes it as safe and painless as possible for them.

Exporters are something else completely. They make their money by running illicit or highly-taxed goods across the border into the EC proper. By land, sea, and air they go to make their fortune, improve their lifestyle, or just for the rush.

Some are glory hunters hoping to pick up that elusive supercargo this time. They take big risks if they're caught they face stiff sentences which is why they are usually armed to the teeth or use fast stealth vehicles to avoid capture. The best of the glory hunters go on to become professional border runners, working to contract Others play it soft and slow, a few vials of drugs hidden in the Aquavit, a couple of pairs of wolves in with the computer parts. The risks are far lower, and they often make regular trips to keep up their lifestyle. yet others play it as a game, taking legal items across just to avoid some of Europe's ridiculous tax levies.

Stockholm
Stockholm is fairly typical of Scandinavia's cities, a homogeneous meeting of the old and new, Built on a series of islands, Stockholm was founded in the thirteenth century. It grew to importance as a trading port, something it excels at today. The best way to get the full impact of Stockholm is to arrive by sea. Hiding behind its brightly colored sea walls is a sprawling metropolis situated on twenty islands. Once through the huge lock gates one sail between the islands before getting to the spectacular vista of the old harbor. Meticulously kept, the harbor is a tribute to nineteenth-century architecture with spectacularly embellished four and five-story buildings along the harbor front.

Sweden's sea walls were started early in the century to protect many of the smaller islands. As the sea continued to rise, the priority changed to saving mainland communities. The sea walls, as they now exist, run along the coast of the mainland and the most populated islands. In many cases, the walls have blocked off bays and river estuaries. The water level inside the sea walls is now six feet below sea level and huge oneway pipes use the power of outgoing tides to keep the water level inside the walls from rising. The massive locks in the sea wall at Stockholm permit ships smaller than super freighters or tankers to go from the sea to the harbor. The larger ships and submarines aren't permitted inside the old harbor and have their own port built on the outside of the wall on the old islands of Namdo and Runmaro.

From the old harbor, the city center surrounds you: hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, shops and more, the city center has the visitor and tourist in mind. A variety pack of old and newer buildings dates from the last two centuries. It is built on ten islands joined by many bridges and canals; traveling by water is a popular choice. One big advantage of the sea walls is they keep out the Baltic pollution, permitting the water in the city to be kept clean. This clean water has provided Stockholm with a unique feature, a harbor that is safe to visit and even fish or swim in.

During the day, the streets are generally calm as residents and tourists alike stroll down the avenues and take in the sights. The scents of coffee, bread, and cakes fill the air. The police are visible and courteous but stamp hard on trouble.

At night, the pace hots up as bars and dubs open up for business. Garish neon lights the streets; hookers of all kinds emerge and the air becomes heavy with the smell of people and drugs. The police presence Seems to close in on itself. The same number of police form themselves into larger, heavier-armed groups, ready to deal with serious trouble. There aren't any problems every night, but they're guaranteed on weekends. The biggest problems tend to be Euro tourists either strung out on things they're not used to or people who've taken on more cybernetics than they can handle.

Stockholm's gangs tend to avoid the city center most of the time. The only gangs based in the center itself are upper-class poser gangs, due to the high costs of housing. Another consideration is that the bridges providing access to the city center are too easy for the police to block, preventing escape.

The city center is going through changes at the moment Government legislation has meant it is now essential to protect the citizens from ultraviolet rays. UV proof sheeting is being placed between buildings to protect the streets. Once it is completed the city center will be more comfortable as well as safer but for now, the work is causing chaos in the streets as they are regularly blocked by workmen and their equipment

Outside, the residential and industrial suburbs. They sprawl eastward as far as the old city of Orebro. These are generally far more modem than the center. Often the suburbs are built for a specific purpose, then replaced completely when that function is no longer required. The popularity of Sweden's clinics in recent years has led to there being entire suburbs dedicated to medicine.

Some residential suburbs have become derelict, mainly twentieth-century housing developments. These suburbs have turned into no-go slum zones where violence is fast becoming a way of life. These zones are also home to most of Stockholm's violent gangs who often rampage into other areas. Fortunately for the police and other residents, these areas aren't contiguous, so outbreaks of violence are easily contained.

This is not a city to go to in the hope of picking up some work If you've got a job lined up, then there's no problem. But if you haven't you will find it very difficult to be in the right place to meet the right people. The locals don't take too well to newcomers who think they can just walk in and be taken seriously. Grooming the right contacts is essential.

Helsinki
Helsinki is unusual for a Scandinavian city. Unfortunately, it is just a little bit north of the 60-degree line. In order to prevent having to close down the entire city during the summer, the city government decided to dome the entire City. The process hasn't been completed yet, but it's well underway. The coastal areas have all been domed in, and the rest should be completed by 2028.

The technique employed in Helsinki is the forerunner of many dome projects in Scandinavia. Instead of trying to build huge domes kilometers, wide smaller domes have been built that are only a few hundred meters wide. The domes are adjacent to cover large areas and joined together by tubes to link separate areas. All domes have emergency access points for both ground and air traffic, as well as standard accesses.

The coast nearby has the traditional walls to keep out the sea. Helsinki just has its domes; they are reinforced on the seafront to keep the sea out The harbor piers are attached to the side of the domes and are built up whenever the sea rises too close to the top.

The view from inside the domes at the harbors is unusual, there you are standing on what used to be the waterfront and the water is in front and almost above you. It's one of the most unusual things you'll ever experience, standing there knowing all that between you and the Baltic is a few millimeters of transparent plastic. The domes have provided certain advantages such as a climate-controlled environment allowing the internal temperature of the city to remain at a comfortable level. They have also brought on new problems such as permanently high moisture levels. As the first city in Scandinavia to use domes problems and malfunctions tend to arise in Helsinki but fortunately, they haven't caused any unsolvable emergencies yet.

If you do go to Helsinki, don't forget to visit the Museum of Automation. In the museum, you'll find not only early automatons and robots but also early cybernetic developments and demonstrations of some of the latest developments in cyberware and related fields. you can even drive one of the first functional walking vehicles and one of the latest experimental combat walkers.

Other than the climate-controlled geodesic domes Helsinki is just like any other Scandinavian city. A nice city center with an outstanding range of architectural styles surrounded by sprawling suburbs. It's great to visit, but expensive to live there.

Trivia

 * Although it shares history and cultural elements with Sweden, in reality Finland is not a Scandinavian country. It is often mistakenly defined as such due to its close proximity and shared aspects of life with Sweden. The Scandinavian tongues of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish - along with their cousins Faroese and Icelandic - are North Germanic languages. Finnish, an Uralic tongue, is neither and belongs to a different group entirely; linguistically it has much more in common with Estonian. However, Finland is a Nordic country and is often geographically grouped together with Scandinavia into the region known as Fennoscandia.