Introduction

The Nordic region is commonly seen to consist of five stable, affluent welfare states, with small and homogeneous populations. Free of war for fifty years, with some of its states neutral, it may seem outside the mainstream of world politics. Yet Finland, by its own efforts and with the tacit collaboration of its Scandinavian neighbors, has maximized its freedom from the influence of its Soviet neighbor, and the three states that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have similarly managed to “do it their way.†Norway adjoins the Soviet Union's heavily armed Kola Peninsula; it is managing several difficult relationships with that country; and, like Finland and Sweden, it pays considerable attention to military security. The region's seas are vital for Soviet and American interests. The area is also a nexus for major environmental and resource regimes, and it has offshore oil and gas resources. The uncertainties confronting the region and its states in foreign policy and security, international economic relations, and the workings of ongoing and potential ventures in international cooperation hold many challenges and opportunities.