List of Nordic countries is longer than some think

Today’s question:

I contend that the Nordic countries are Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. A friend wants to add Finland. And a lot of people don’t include Iceland. What are the Nordic countries? A lot of people don’t include Iceland? A lot? Really?

Believe it or not I try to keep up with things. I read the papers. I talk to people. I follow the news. I try to keep up with social media.

And I have to say I have not heard a lot of people discussing whether Iceland is a Nordic country.

Sweden, Norway and Denmark are the Scandinavian countries.

The Nordic Council, an alliance formed in 1952 to promote political and cultural interests, consists of Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and the Aaland Islands in the Baltic Sea.

I had never heard of the Aaland Islands before, but there you have it. There are 6,500 of them.

Some geographers also include Estonia and Lithuania as Nordic countries. I’ll leave that issue up to you.

I just read in The Republic that there were over 11,000 confirmed cases of the flu so far in Arizona this year. This is compared to 1,100 cases last year. Fortunately I got a flu shot this year. Who are these people that are getting the flu and immediately calling the government to inform them about it?

I got a flu shot, too, but apparently the vaccine isn’t quite as effective this year, and from what I hear this year’s version of the flu is especially nasty.

As far as I can tell, the number of flu cases is a based on fairly well-researched rates. Heath officials gather reports from hospitals and doctors’ office and do their statistical reckonings and report there are a lot of people knocked on their butts this year.

Have a question for Clay? Reach him at 602-444-8612 or clay.thompson@arizonarepublic.com