Northern Europe

Northern Europe consists of the Scandinavian peninsula, Finland, the Baltic countries, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Iceland. This region is mostly plain, with the exception of the Scandinavian mountains between Norway and Sweden and the mountains of Iceland. These mountains are one of the oldest still extant mountain ranges in the world and have been eroded to one-fifth of their original height. Despite the northern latitude the region enjoys a relatively mild climate due to the Gulf stream. Most countries in this region have achieved high development and prosperity levels.