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Well, you choose Hamburg..the northernmost big German city, a port city with many historic trade connections to all over Northern Europe. Hamburg does indeed feel quite Northern..but there's not much of a Northern European vibe once you head into the towns and villages of the Mittelgebirge. Munich has a very different vibe, so does a place like Bamberg and so does the wine country in the Southwest.
Germany - like France - extends through much of the European continent from up North to the South and as a result the influences vary. In Germany itself people speak of being part of Mitteleuropa - Central Europe. I think this is the best description, even though many people tend to mean the smaller countries between the Russian sphere and Germany when they use the term Central European.
BeNeLux also has different aspects. Vibe changes a lot on the way from Holland to Luxembourg. Doesn't feel very Northern European once you get down into Belgium.
I would call the Nordic countries the Nordic countries and then if Britain wants to be "northern Europe" or whatever that's fine too. But they're not similar. I mean the brits are more similar to Swedes than maybe Mexicans might be but, we're not really similar.
Like people from Kansas and Cubans are both kinda north american, but they're not really the same thing or particularly similar.
Well, you choose Hamburg..the northernmost big German city, a port city with many historic trade connections to all over Northern Europe. Hamburg does indeed feel quite Northern..but there's not much of a Northern European vibe once you head into the towns and villages of the Mittelgebirge. Munich has a very different vibe, so does a place like Bamberg and so does the wine country in the Southwest.
Germany - like France - extends through much of the European continent from up North to the South and as a result the influences vary. In Germany itself people speak of being part of Mitteleuropa - Central Europe. I think this is the best description, even though many people tend to mean the smaller countries between the Russian sphere and Germany when they use the term Central European.
BeNeLux also has different aspects. Vibe changes a lot on the way from Holland to Luxembourg. Doesn't feel very Northern European once you get down into Belgium.
Germany doesnt extend from North to South, but from North to Central Europe in a geographical contect, Flensburg and Hamburg are just as Northern European as Denmark/Jutland or Southern Sweden, meanwhile Down south in areas of Bavaria, Baden Wuttemburg tend to be closer culturally to Austria, German-Speaking Switzerland, and the south-east also has elements in common with the Czech republic (largely due to the German influence in this later one).
Central Europe always was by definition the austro-hungarian empire. Germany is a country on itself, although unified lately, it is a crossroad between Central Europe(austria/german-switzerland/czech) and Northern Europe/Southern Scandinavia (Denmark, Southern Sweden, central- Northern Netherlands)
Germany in term of culture does not have much in common with archeotypical Western European nations such as the UK, France or Ireland. You need to visit and live in those countries to understand the big difference.
Anyways I dont think A Danes would have a big culture shock in a country like Austria, both people are very germanic in mentality, culture and social-dynamics. France (more so the south of the country)on the other hand would be a bigger culture shock for Northern europeans, because it is a latin based culture, where time runs slower and productivity is understood in a different manneer.
I would call the Nordic countries the Nordic countries and then if Britain wants to be "northern Europe" or whatever that's fine too. But they're not similar. I mean the brits are more similar to Swedes than maybe Mexicans might be but, we're not really similar.
Like people from Kansas and Cubans are both kinda north american, but they're not really the same thing or particularly similar.
If the definition is based on geography, then Yes.
I think outside of Scandinavia, only Northern Germany, The netherlands and Somehow Estonia and (on lesser degree) Latvia would have a more comparable mentality and culture with Scandinavia, although in the case of the Former (Northern germany/Netherlands) it would be more with SOuthern/WEstern Scandinavian countries and areas such as Denmark and Southern Sweden, meanwhile Estonia and Latvia would have more similarities with Finland and North-eastern Sweden
Britain is nothing alike those countries. Britain is a typical western European nation just like France is, of course the UK being more insular in his ways.
If the definition is based on geography, then Yes.
I think outside of Scandinavia, only Northern Germany, The netherlands and Somehow Estonia and (on lesser degree) Latvia would have a more comparable mentality and culture with Scandinavia, although in the case of the Former (Northern germany/Netherlands) it would be more with SOuthern/WEstern Scandinavian countries and areas such as Denmark and Southern Sweden, meanwhile Estonia and Latvia would have more similarities with Finland and North-eastern Sweden
Britain is nothing alike those countries. Britain is a typical western European nation just like France is, of course the UK being more insular in his ways.
People love to lump all Nordic countries into Scandinavia but I thought there was a great deal of difference between Norway/Finland and Sweden.
People love to lump all Nordic countries into Scandinavia but I thought there was a great deal of difference between Norway/Finland and Sweden.
Yes, for me they are all very differnt, Finns are very different than the rest and only have some connection with eastern/Northern Sweden through obvious historical interchange but also with the Baltic countries (Specially Estonia but also to some extent Latvia).
Western Norway and Iceland are also quite different, more provincial/Small town mentality.
Southern Sweden and Denmark are more metropolitan/big city mentality and share a lot in common with the Netherlands and Northern germany, they are definitely closer to the continent in terms of mentality, culture and even physical appearance. For example Denmark is Far more similar to Northern germany and the Netherlands than it is to a country like Finland.
Why southern England would not be considered north western Europe ? it is north western Europe by its geography (bordered at east by the NORTH Sea and located at the same latitude as the NORTH european plain...) and by its cultural characteristics (germanic languages, protestantism, etc.)
The whole of the british isles are part of north western Europe. If one country is quintessentially north western European it is Clearly Britain.
You are taking definition too literal. For example under your definition Greece is Southern Europe because it border with South-East/Slavic countries, however it is usually grouped with Italy and Spain because they all share similar/comparable mentality, culture and lifestyle.
Anyways I dont think A Danes would have a big culture shock in a country like Austria, both people are very germanic in mentality, culture and social-dynamics. France (more so the south of the country)on the other hand would be a bigger culture shock for Northern europeans, because it is a latin based culture, where time runs slower and productivity is understood in a different manneer.
It's nice that you avoid clichés and broad generalizations
Anyways I dont think A Danes would have a big culture shock in a country like Austria, both people are very germanic in mentality, culture and social-dynamics. France (more so the south of the country)on the other hand would be a bigger culture shock for Northern europeans, because it is a latin based culture, where time runs slower and productivity is understood in a different manneer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by forgotten username
It's nice that you avoid clichés and broad generalizations
He likely has not ventured through Aquitaine in the SW corner, that area is teeming with British and Dutch ex-pats, nearby Dordogne area is nicknamed Dordogneshire and the town of Eymet has a british mayor.
I guess once they learn french they turn latin and lazy
Yeah, I have some Limousin ancestry so I know the area west of Limoges quite well. Many english immigrants there.
That said I was just saying that "latin culture" is kinda broad and meaningless when it comes to France, considering the differences between regional areas, although
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