About Norden Division

The participants of the NORDEN DIVISION are the Nordic countries, i.e. Denmark – with the Faroe Islands and Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden.

The grouping of divisions under UNGEGN is based on geographical-linguistic conditions, which means that the Norden Division deals with the official national languages, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish as well as the official Regional languages Faroese and Greenlandic/Inuit and the minority languages German (in Southern Denmark), Swedish and Saami in Finland, Kven and Saami in Norway and Finnish, Meänkieli and Saami in Sweden. Of the minority languages in the NORDEN DIVISION area, Saami additionally consists of several distinct variants, i.e. Inari, Lule, Pite, Skolt as well as North Saami and South Saami.

Each UNGEGN division must elect an expert and a deputy as division leaders and chairpersons.  The chairmanship alternates between the member countries for a five year period. Currently Denmark holds the chair of the NORDEN DIVISION.