The country is very small, covering only 39,768 square miles. Physical characteristics of Welsh people include black or ginger hair, blue or green eyes, and a slightly below average height. Swedish design techniques have left their impact on the planet. The Nordic people as a whole really like the Swedes and Norwegians. In 2010, when Crown Princess Victoria and her partner, Daniel, got married, it was one of the largest royal events ever held. If youre visiting the west coast of Norway, youll experience a slightly colder coastal climate depending on the time of year. They don't just drive everywhere, they walk, cycle, and hike. We wanted to share some of the most interesting and impactful things that Swedish people are known for. Iceland People from Sweden tend to be shy and take some time to warm up to new people. Everything you need to know about travelling in Scandinavia. People with Scandinavian . So, whens the best time to visit to get the most out of the Scandinavian weather? Often, we think of stereotypes as negative. To sum it up, the average Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, Finns, and Icelanders are all very tall compared to the rest of the world. Today, were going to take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the place on everyones bucket list. Once again, not everyone in Sweden will look like this. Although many of the dishes are basic, theyre also packed full of amazing fresh and natural ingredients making them highly healthy and nutritious. People with blue eyes have the same genetic mutation that causes eyes to produce less melanin. They are also known to be somewhat shy and to be humble and less than warm to the eye of people coming by for an unplanned visit. This is a common trait of people from Sweden as they are more shy than most other people from around the world. Throw in some of their dry, slightly dark humor and youve got a great, hilarious night out. Music The project . Research done into the DNA of the Irish has shown that our old understanding of where the population of Ireland originated may have been misguided. A Danish CEO has no problem cleaning out coffee cups after work, so a custodian doesnt have to. After all, they must be doing something right to continually appear in the lists of the happiest nations on earth. Though differences in size are generally bigger between men and women than between different ethnicities. There are two things happening here. Even the most adamant pessimist can find something to love about what they see throughout the country. There are plenty of places you can visit to get a closer look at the fjords, including Sognefjord, Geirangerfjord and more. Vikings vs. Last Kingdom vs. Game of Thrones, Curious how The Last Kingdom compares to Vikings, and how they both compare to Game of Thrones? Scientists are now able to create eerily realistic facial reconstructions, getting us closer than ever to find out who they were and what the Vikings looked like. Lets also look at how Nordic people as a whole compare to people from other regions of the world in height: After adding up the individual country data and calculating a weighted average for each region (i.e. Even the Vikings were known for bleaching their hair, although the main reason to do so may have been primarily to kill hair lice. Although it isnt exactly common with Epicanthic folds among the Swedish population, Swedes with Sami heritage (famous examples include Jens Byggmark, Anja Prson and Ingemar Stenmark), and from the northern parts in general, have higher rates of Epicanthic eye folds. Additionally, the same is true for the southern areas in Sweden. Scandinavian people take a moderate approach to all things in lifefrom food to work. He was told that the card would arrive in . One thing thats particularly interesting when you look at Scandinavian culture facts is the way that these people approach work. In this a man advises his brother to stick with the prevailing Anglo-Saxon style and not enter into the "Danish fashion", which is described as a reverse "mullet" hairstyle, with . As such, it was common that people wanted to hide their Sami heritage, with some even being ashamed of typically Sami features such as high cheekbones and wider eyes (SvD 2012). Danish shoe brands: Fall head over heels for these Danish shoes, The best Scandinavian Christmas tree decorations and ornaments, two regions share a very similar way of life, Norway covers around 125,020 square miles, Sweden covers around 173,860 square miles, concept in the Scandinavian culture called Jantelov, AWNL Stockholm: The meteoric rise of Swedish jewellery design, VEJRHJ Watches wood, steel & Nordic minimalism, Meet Larsen and Eriksen: The watch designers from Denmark, Urbanista audio: Scandi designs to suit your lifestyle, Triwa watches: Transforming the watch industry forever. Located near the Baltic Sea, Sweden is one of the largest countries in Europe based on land mass. There are also 9,000 Swedish citizens living in Finland. This atmosphere comes from a concept in the Scandinavian culture called Jantelov which basically means that everyone thinks of themselves as being no better or worse than the rest of the community. This means Scandinavian hair mostly fall into these categories: So Scandinavian hair color is mostly light in character, but what types of characteristics does Scandi hair have? Anyway, I just had my DNA tested and I'm 67% Scandinavian. Even more remotely is that it's the combination of both of these factors. This may be because Swedish personality traits lean towards open-mindedness and a desire for knowledge and exploration. There are no scientific studies suggesting Scandinavians, or any other people for that matter, are considered more attractive than others. 20+ Swedish Stereotypes (And Whether They're True!) Theyd pick someone up on the side of the road if they were lost, and they frequently donate a lot to charitable organisations. Facts That is, they are not meaning to cut you out from their life or make things challenging. This crossword clue was last seen on February 21 2023 LA Times Crossword puzzle. For instance, Scandinavian people could leave a baby stroller on the street outside of a store . The Nordic race was a racial concept which originated in 19th century anthropology. Try to keep this in mind in your dealings with anyone from Sweden. One of the Swedish personality traits that is often mistaken as coldness is their individualism. Many of the Scandinavian countries are becoming increasingly diverse but they remain to be some of the safest places on the planet. The average height of both males and females is high in Scandinavian countries when you look on a global scale, with the Nordic countries all ranking among the tallest 20 countries, and all with a male average height over 180 cm (5 ft 10 in). Second, early Scandinavian ancestors are thought to have been dark-skinned, but after mixing with other populations and adapting to the geographical area this trait eventually disappeared. However, Iceland has one of the most varied landscapes, with waterfalls, canyons, sulphur beds, lava fields, and hot springs. For example, between 24-27% of people who are native to Finland, parts of Western Europe, or Great Britain, show Scandinavian DNA. Nordic Traits The solution we have for Scandinavian people has a total of 4 letters. Swedish people features and stereotypes include that they tend to be tall, have blue eyes, fair skin, and blond hair. Between 1-10% of the population of Scandinavia have red hair according to studies that have mapped out the so-called red hair genes. Sweden is blessed to have some of the most beautiful landscapes and weather conditions of anywhere in the world. There are a few theories on why people from Scandinavia, and the Nordics in general, can be light-skinned under low UV conditions (i.e. The Scandinavian peninsula wont give you the sunny beaches and warm weather that you can expect from locations like Morocco or Spain. The amount of curly-haired people in the Nordics is furthermore a much lesser part of the population compared to the rest of Europe. Without getting into obvious stereotypes like assuming that all Scandinavian people have blond hair and blue eyes, there are some common traits to consider too. However, it offers a very different kind of appeal that makes it a must-see for anyone with a passion for beauty. Peter Frost also supports this in his study titled European hair and eye color; finding that at least 60% of Scandinavian people have a light head of hair, and at least 50% have light eyes. Scientifically speaking, there are a couple of factors that could play in the Scandinavians favor as far as sexual selection and attractiveness go: I want to point out that beauty is entirely objective, and what is considered attractive for some may not be for others. I consent to the privacy policy and terms and conditions. However, when you really get to know the Scandinavian peninsula, youll discover that theres more to the region than you thought. Life Hej, I'm Astrid and I'm here to show you everything that Scandinavia has to offer - based on my own experience living up here in the Nordics! of the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland). The average height in Sweden is 175.5cm, which is the same height as your average model. Among the Sami people (hailing from Northern Scandinavia), high cheekbones are very common. Stereotypical character traits that are associated with Welsh people include that they are good singers, obsessed with rugby, proud and nationalistic, friendly and jokey, and country bumpkins. Whether they got tested by Ancestry DNA, 23andMe, MyHeritage, or some other company, anyone with European ancestors is likely to show some degree of Scandinavian ancestry. A question of perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest Nordic resources, insights, tips, hidden gems, and much more. Norwegians are not religious. Most Norwegian People Can Speak English. When you ask whats the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Swedish people, blond, tall and blue eyed are often the first words you hear. Certain sources emphasise this, such as an anonymous letter written in Old English. Thats usually because they dont have the same sun, sea, and sand to offer. Around the world, there seems to be a growing love affair forming with the Scandinavian people and their unique way of life. But sometimes, stereotypes do have some basis of fact at their core. So the theory is that on top of any Vitamin D youd get from the sun, Scandinavians have also stocked up on it via their fish intake. Many people are surprised when they receive the results of their genealogical DNA test. Ive compared them thoroughly in different categories and analyzed what online critics on IMDb and other sites think, in order to answer which show is the best of the three. Scandinavians as a whole are part of a group of ethnicities (along with Finns, English, Irish, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Polish, Hungarians, and Russians) where the Epicanthic fold is occurring more than in other European populations, but still at a much lower frequency than for example Asian ethnicities. Popular Post It should be noted that human length, in general, is determined by a mixture of nature (genes) and nurture (diet), and there are also regions of the world that are believed to have a taller or shorter average height due to primarily genetic reasonssuch as the short Pygmee people of central Africa, and the tall Dinka people of South Sudan. This does not mean that all Scandinavians look like this, but it does mean that this is the common view that most people to this day hold on what it means to look Scandinavian, including in the Scandinavian countries. When the Battle Axe culture group fused with the groups already present in Scandinavia this eventually spawned the Nordic Bronze Age people, who are seen as the ancestors of all Germanic people. The average Scandinavian isnt necessarily stronger than any other given person in the world, but there has been a very high amount of Worlds Strongest Man contestants and winners from the Nordic and Scandinavian countries, with Nordic men landing in the top 3 a whopping 30 out of the 44 years the competition has taken place (thats a 68% chance of at least one Nordic in the top 3). Keep in mind that its quite chilly, but you can expect slightly warmer temperatures if you move closer towards the inland. These are Swedish genetic traits that have existed in the population for a long time and will likely continue to exist in the population of this geographic area for a long time. So other than the color of the eyes, lets look at which other eye characteristics are unique or interesting in the Scandinavian region. Science Research surrounding the EDAR gene indicates that Scandinavians (along with most Europeans) generally have thinner hair, than for example East Asians and Native Americans. One of the most notable aspects of Swedish culture is their respect for the environment and commitment to sustainability. Another wave of migrants came into Scandinavia around 4800 years ago from the Russian steppes, originating from the northern shores of the Black sea and commonly called the Western Steppe Herders. Its not in Scandinavian culture to hold grudges or seek out arguments. Frequently derided by right-wing politicians as an example of everything wrong with Big . Guests are given thermal sleeping bags to help keep themselves comfortable as they sleep in these iceboxes. Are Epicanthic folds common in Scandinavia? Fashion Did you know that the Nordic countries (including Sweden) consume the most coffee per capita of any country on Earth? published in The American Journal Of Human Genetics. The Scotland's DNA project, led by Edinburgh University's Dr Jim Wilson, has tested almost 1,000 Scots in the last four months to determine the genetic roots of people in the country. Only about 8 to 10 percent of the world is believed to have blue eyes. Again: love the site and the work behind with lots of information and I dont mean to complain. Sweden is a country of just over 10 million people, but they have produced more than their fair share of contributions to the world. He left Sweden at 19 to explore the world, and stayed abroad for almost 8 yearsduring which he backpacked, worked every job there was, earned a degree from UC Berkeley, and met the future mother of his children. Scandinavian Here is a look at some notable Swedish people who made significant contributions to their fields and made their country proud. Read more about that in my article about Viking Looks! There are other subtle Swedish design influences throughout the world. The Scandinavian peninsula is geographically the largest in Europe, extending from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Circle. How are Scandinavians (Swedes, Danes, Norwegians) so tall? Most Swedes have blue eyes. . Will heads up Scandifications tech-team, occasionally reviewing the best of Scandinavian tech and design. In Scandinavian regions, everyone expects everyone else to perform to the same standard. For instance, Scandinavian people could leave a baby stroller on the street outside of a store, and they wouldnt be worried that something would happen to it. How Nordics and Scandinavians see each other, an article where I go into detail about Viking traits and looks, which languages each Nordic nationality actually uses when communicating with fellow Nordics, how Vikings actually looked (how big they were, how they wore their hair, where they came from, their hair and eye color, etc. Language In the second hostel where I stayed, a Taiwanese guy told me about receiving a card from a Swedish bank. Comparisons Aside from countless television shows and reports giving us a peak behind the curtain into Scandi experiences, there are also various reports that seem to highlight the value of a Scandinavian lifestyle. They believe that taking care of their own problems means that they wont have to bother anyone else with them. DNA studies have also shown that around 40% of modern Swedish men have their roots in bronze age migrations from the Russian steppes, 40% from bronze age migrations via northern Germany, and 20% from before the bronze age migrations. Whats more, now that surveys around the world suggest that people are having difficulties balancing their work and personal life, the Scandinavian culture is becoming even more appealing. He was a Swedish engineer, chemist, and the inventor of dynamite. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close. Karl, Clothes (Complete Guide), Recent advancements in DNA analysis tech have led to extraordinary insight into how Vikings looked, from hair and eye color to size and ancestry. The physical traits of the Nordics were described as light eyes, light skin, tall stature, and dolichocephalic skull; the psychological traits as truthful, equitable, competitive, naive, reserved, and individualistic. About 125 inscriptions dated from ad 200 to . just as you were surprised to see Scandinavian and English DNA. Common Traits of Scandinavian Women. Lets take a more detailed look at how the Nordic peopleboth male and femalestack up against each other and the world when it comes to height: The Danish are the tallest people in the Nordics, with the average male Dane reaching 182 cm / 512, followed by the Icelandic men at 181 cm, and finally the Swedes, Norwegians, and Finns at 180 cm. So what do the rest of the Nordics look like? Although most Swedes look naturally sun-kissed, the reality is that they spend much of their time living in darkness (like beautiful Scandinavian moles). There is a lot of pomp to these types of events (safe to say that the Swedish flag has a lot of meaning to people on those days! Hello, slow tv. To advertise your brand to a global audience, contact our advertising team below. They know that youll do your best when youre on the job, and then leave work behind you when you return home. People would never abandon a fellow man in need, and the majority of citizens are extremely generous. All systems have positives and negatives and Scandinavian countries are no exception.. One thing's for sure though, Many commentators have clearly never set foot in the Nordic region and barely understand the Nordic way of doing things. When speaking with a Swede, you may notice that they avert their eyes or refuse to look directly at you. In fact, a lot of people have a much higher percentage than they expected. People dont expect you to put in overtime. High cheekbones werent always seen as a positive trait in the Nordic region though, as it was fairly common for the Germanic Scandinavians to look down upon the Finno-Ugric Samis as less civilized, at least up until the late 20th century. For another deep-dive into Scandinavian looks, Ive plowed through massive amounts of archaeological objects and DNA analysis to find out how Vikings actually looked (how big they were, how they wore their hair, where they came from, their hair and eye color, etc. During the following centuries, these two hunter-gatherer groups intermingled and produced one of the most . Probably one of the most impressive examples of Scandinavian nature, the archipelago is a diverse and beautiful landscape that youll spend days exploring. Speaking of beaches, dont forget to visit the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen if you decide to go to the countrys capital. The truth, as always, is a little more complicated than a simple good or bad. Required fields are marked *. The Nordic countries are a geographic region which consists of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Finland, and land.Though these regions have a shared cultural history, they contain culturally distinct historical populations, including the Smi people and the Norse . You should NOT take this with offense. There's a lot more to Scandinavian people traits than a Viking or model physique and a great sense of fashion. Even so, Swedish DNA lives on in those of us who are descended from people who lived in those places once ruled by Sweden, including . If you asked ten different Scandinavian people why theyre so happy, youd probably get ten different answers. It turns out that Swedes dont even like to discuss politics all that much. The study shows the genetic history of Scandinavia was influenced by foreign genes from Asia and Southern Europe . All of our knowledge about pre-Viking Scandinavians comes from DNA analysis and theories, but for an idea of how modern-day Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians look like we can turn to some cold hard data and settle some standard questions right off the bat. There is a word in the Swedish language that refers to the coffee break that many people take throughout their work day. Theres very little to worry about when living in Scandinavia. Therefore, many Swedish people are considered to be very beautiful, and the country has a reputation for being a place where many beautiful people live. According to Hofstede Insights, Sweden is a 'feminine society' in which balance, inclusivity and consideration for others are core components of the social structure. Over 70% of male Scandinavians have some form of body hair (androgenic hair), which is among the highest rates in the world (along with Mediterranean men). 1. Swedes are accustomed to the cold and dark. Or perhaps it is the fact that they have survived being prepared for the worse, and thus continue to think that way. This means that Scandinavians are the earliest Europeans. Because of this, descriptions of the Scandinavian region have started to include places like Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and even Iceland. For Denmark, youre looking at May to August, when the temperatures are mild, and the countryside is gorgeous. Of course, these archetypes do not represent all Swedish people in the 21st Century. To find out the origins of the light hair/light eye color combination we need to look at where people in Scandinavia came from originally, and how they looked (based on DNA samples and analysis). Not only does Scandinavia have some of the happiest people on the planet, but it also has some of the most appealing landscapes too. Either way, we are dealing with theories in the end so all we can do is to look at the data we have available and make the best and most logical assumptions we can. Within the central parts of Scandinavia, around Stockholm and Oslo, you can expect a slightly more continental and humid climate. Do Scandinavians have a lot of body hair? The IceHotel is literally made of ice and snow and kept at a cool -4 degrees Celsius. So there is at least something to the myth from a North American perspective (beauty standards differ around the world, after all). Enjoy your visit! Given the location of the country on the globe, the skin tones of people who have lived in the area for centuries have been paler than it is for people in other parts of the world. Alfred Nobel. Theres the option to stay in hotels with glass ceilings, or your own personal igloo. The word Scandinavia arose in the early eighteenth century as a result of Swedish and Danish universities, which championed the shared arts, mythology, and history of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. This makes them the second-rarest color (behind green), and that is what is so enticing about them. Medical research into why some people have a more natural risk of developing lung disease has discovered that the only inherited risk factor appears to be a deviant form of one of these inhibitors - alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT). If you hear loud-speaking people in the public, they are either non-Swedish or drunk. Your email address will not be published. On the other hand, Iceland is found just west of Ireland and southeast of Greenland, just below the Arctic Circle. The Swedes prefer to keep to themselves most of the time. People settle down later than ever and tend to always focus on career first. The most important we can think of right now are that girls from Scandinavia are: . Still, genealogists from Stockholm university believe modern Swedes are most closely related to the hunter-gatherers from the so-called Pitted Ware culture when it comes to physical appearance. The people are rude. Scandinavian people do not have a very high prevalence of the EDAR gene, thought to be connected with thicker hair (among other traits). Todays Scandinavians are about 65%-80% Scandinavian as far as DNA goes, with the rest of the DNA being primarily Finnish, Western European, British, Eastern European, and Irish (all are > 1%). Dont mistake this lack of warmth as being anti-social though. History They prefer to stay out of these situations and to avoid inserting themselves in the affairs of other countries if they can avoid it. One, Scandi societies are safe (r). In his last will of 1895, he devoted a large amount of his . Some researchers have suggested that some modern Icelanders share a genetic makeup with an ancient people group from Asia, called Denisovans.. He ultimately returned to his native Malm with his love, where they now have 3 Swedish-American boys eager to explore the world. Whats more, the Scandinavian countries are consistently rated among the happiest locations in the world. Furthermore, it has been observed that northern Europeans in general also have a much higher frequency of a specific genetic trait that is linked to straight hair. So the clich blue-eyed and blonde Nordic stereotype seems to hold true then, but where do these physical traits come from and why do they still seem to have a strong presence in the Nordics? Curious how Vikings actually looked like? Scientists are now able to create eerily realistic facial reconstructions, getting us closer than ever to finding out who they were and what the Vikings looked like. Finland This continues to cycle through the population as new generations come along, and pale skin remains a defining feature of Swedish people. In summary, it seems Scandinavians from before the Viking age looked a bit different from todays Scandis, with multiple migration waves that settled in the region up until the iron age being quite diverse in looks and origins. They have had more success doing this than you might imagine, and this has helped further solidify their reputation as a place that hates war and wants people to avoid conflict. When I came to Sweden for the first time I was really blown away by how good looking the people were in this country. It may be hard to name some of the top Swedish bands right now, but you have likely heard their music or their influence on music in your life. While the people of Scandinavia emerged from Northern Europe, the people of Finland emigrated from the east. I have dark hair and dark eyes. Top Articles Waterfalls cascade across mountainsides while the glaciers stand firm, offering an amazing insight into the sheer power of nature. They reside in Norway (pop 50-65,000), Sweden (pop. . How do the modern-day Scandinavians compare to their ancestors? Add this one to your bucket list. Do Scandinavians have natural white or platinum blonde hair? The region offers plenty of rare plants and places to discover, as well as one of the most incredible beaches youll ever see. Although many visitors prefer to seek out warmer Scandinavian weather when they can, theres a magic to the countries in winter too. The relationship between Norway and the Euro. Historically, . Bokml is more widely used by about 85 percent of Norwegians. The next time you notice something about a building that indicates that it has some sustainability features, you should note that you are likely looking at something that has Swedish influence imprinted on it. So What Do Scandinavian People Actually Look Like? The country still has four distinct seasons throughout the year, and the sights and sounds that accompany each season are truly spectacular to take in. Most of these traits of Swedish people are highly desirable and highly appreciated. Their citizens have one of the longest life . The people from the south had blue eyes and relatively dark skin. So, let's set a few things straight! (Swedish Fish Facts!). BiljaST / Pixabay. Some authorities argue for the inclusion of Finland on geologic and economic grounds and of Iceland and the Faroe Islands on the grounds that their inhabitants speak North Germanic (or Scandinavian) languages . The Scandinavian Personality Traits have been under investigation since the late 1800's. There have been multiple publications that have looked at how the Scandinavian Personality Traits are prevalent as much as the light hair and light eyes are prevalent in people with heritage in this region of Europe.