ABSTRACT
The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden occupy a region that has been regarded widely as the northern periphery of Europe and, thus, their more or less ‘distant’ geographical location is a background factor as regards their perspectives towards European integration (see Figure 5.1). Equally, with their comparatively modest population1 and power capabilities the Nordic countries have not, in modern history, been known as ‘hard core’ power projectors-although the Baltic Sea area offered opportunities as a softer ‘sphere of influence’ for some of them after the Cold War.2 So with this latter nuance, the Nordic countries are justifiably seen as nonpole powers.
