Scandinavian Mountains

These are big mountains.

They run through a long land. This land is a peninsula. The mountains go through Norway and Sweden. They also touch Finland.

Some parts are very steep. On one side, the land drops into the sea. This makes deep water called fjords.

It can be very cold here. Ice and snow stay on the peaks. You can see green grass and trees too.

Do you like big mountains?

The Scandinavian Mountains are a big mountain range.

They run through the Scandinavian Peninsula. This land includes Norway and Sweden. The mountains also touch Finland.

In the west, the mountains are very steep. They drop down into the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea. This makes deep, narrow water called fjords.

In the north, the mountains form the border between Norway and Sweden. At the very top, they are just small hills.

The mountains have many high peaks. Galdhøpiggen is the highest peak in mainland Northern Europe. It is in South Norway. Kebnekaise is the highest peak in Sweden. Halti is the highest point in Finland, but it sits in Norway.

It is often very cold here. Many areas have permafrost. This is ground that stays frozen for a long time.

You can also find ice fields and glaciers. These are large areas of ice and snow. The mountains are home to birch forests and green grasslands too.

The Scandinavian Mountains are a huge mountain range. They run along the Scandinavian Peninsula. This range stretches through Norway and Sweden. It also touches the edge of Finland. In the west, the mountains are very steep. They drop quickly into the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea. This creates deep, narrow water called fjords.

To the north, the mountains form a border between Norway and Sweden. At the very top, they become small hills near the North Cape.

Many high peaks make up this landscape. Galdhøpiggen is the highest peak in mainland Northern Europe. It sits in South Norway. Kebnekaise is the highest peak on the Swedish side. The highest point in Finland is called Halti. Even though it is the highest point for Finland, the peak actually sits in Norway.

In South Norway, the mountains are broad. They have large, flat areas called plateaux. These flat surfaces look like steps in the land. Some areas have many peaks over 2,000 meters.

These mountains have a very long history. Most of the rocks are Caledonian. These rocks were moved by a huge event called the Caledonian orogeny. This happened when three ancient continents crashed together. This crash made a mountain range as big as the Himalayas. This old range is not the same as the modern mountains. The modern mountains grew much later through different ways.

Geologists study how the land rose and fell over millions of years. They look at how much rock was lost to erosion.

Weather and ice play a big part here. The mountains affect the climate of the whole region. The coast of Norway is maritime, which means it is influenced by the sea. Sweden is more continental, which means the weather is different.

It is often very cold in the mountains. Many places have permafrost. This is ground that stays frozen for a long time. You can also find large ice fields and glaciers. These glaciers are shaped by how much snow falls each year.

Nature is very special in this mountain range. A specific type of forest lives here. It is called the Scandinavian montane birch forest. You will also find many green grasslands.

These living things are part of a special area called an ecoregion. This means the plants and animals all work together in this environment. The mountains are a vital part of the land in Northern Europe. They shape the water, the weather, and the life around them.

The Scandinavian Mountains, often called the Scandes, are a massive mountain range. They run along the Scandinavian Peninsula. This range stretches through Norway and Sweden. It also touches the edge of Finland. In the west, the mountains are very steep. They drop quickly into the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea. This creates deep, narrow water called fjords.

In Sweden, the mountains have many names. People call them "fjällen" or "the Fells." They also use the term "urberget," which means "the Keel." In Norway, the names are similar. They use "skandinavene" or "the North Ridge." In South Norway, the mountains are not one single chain. Instead, there are many broad mountain regions. These include Dovrefjell, Hardangervidda, Jotunheimen, and Rondane.

The mountains have several distinct physical parts. In South Norway, the range is very broad. It contains many plateaux and gently undulating surfaces. Geomorphologist Karna Lidmar-Bergström identified five widespread stepped surfaces here. These surfaces look like giant stairs in the landscape. In South-western Norway, these plateaux are broken up by fjords and valleys. To the east, the mountains meet the "fjäll" in Sweden. These are lower mountains that do not rise above sea level.

Geologists study the complex history of these rocks. Most of the rocks are Caledonian. They were formed during the Caledonian orogeny. This happened about 390 million years ago. During this time, three paleocontinents collided. This crash created a range as large as the Himalayas. This old range is not the same as the modern mountains. The Caledonian rocks form large "nappes." These are thick sheets of rock pushed over older rocks.

The modern mountains grew through different processes. Geologists believe they are an elevated, passive continental margin. This means they are similar to mountains in Greenland. The uplift happened in stages during the Cenozoic era. In South Norway, the main uplift happened in the Neogene period. For example, the Hardangervidda plateau rose to 1,200 meters during the Early Pliocene. This uplift was likely caused by tectonic processes. Some scientists think it relates to stresses in the Earth's lithosphere.

Climate and ice shape the mountains today. The weather in Norway is maritime because of the sea. The weather in Sweden is more continental. This is because the mountains create a rain shadow. The mountains also host many glaciers and ice fields. High altitudes often have permafrost. This is ground that stays frozen. In some areas, continuous permafrost exists at high altitudes. A deep borehole near the Tarfala research station proved this. The ground temperature at a depth of 30 meters was -1.17 degrees Celsius.

The peaks of the Scandes are quite impressive. Galdhøpiggen is the highest peak in mainland Northern Europe. It sits in South Norway and reaches almost 2,469 meters. Kebnekaise is the highest peak on the Swedish side. The highest point in Finland is the slope of Halti. Even though Halti is the highest point for Finland, the peak is in Norway. The mountains also support a special ecoregion. This includes the Scandinavian montane birch forest and various grasslands. These features make the Scandes a vital part of Northern Europe.