Scandinavia Immigration patterns to this region (IE: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Upper Michigan, and the Dakotas) in the 19th and 20th century interestingly mimics the geographic position on the Scandinavia Peninsula of the countries these immigrants emigrated from.
There is a high correlation between the settlement pattern of Nordic (or Scandinavians) people and the geographic position of their countries of origin.
The Scandinavian Peninsula is composed of three countries, Norway on the Western Extreme hugging the coast of the North Sea, Sweden in the Middle and Finland in the Eastern quarter of the peninsula. To the south Lies the Jutland peninsula which comprises Denmark.
The geographical pattern of Scandinavia is mimicked by the immigration and settlement patterns of Scandinavian to the Upper Midwest. The maps below show that Counties with the highest percentage of Norwegians in that region are in the extreme western region of Scandinavian settlement. While the Swedish are in the center and the finish settlement is in the east (Mainly Northern Michigan Peninsula North Eastern Minnesota).
The Danish settlement of this region also aligns with this pattern with counties comprising the highest percentage of Danish population in Northern Iowa, due South of the counties were Swedes, Norwegians and Finns settled
(1) Map of Scandinavia; https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFqTRr-BO_M3mjqIeoRyFBR49Ns8hNEJls2Ty6UomUwIFlCiYpL4caLB_-atYGIPnJ0G2lAY3qZ-0AGcUlYO_AgiRyK2EG0jBxDDR6n7MNi0NnnJ5sYM776plTE7k73PUbnqDZ5qnuAM/s1600/Map-of-Scandinavia%25284%2529.jpg
(2) Danish Immigration to the Upper Midwest: http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/pct_danish.pdf
(3) Swedish Immigration to the Upper Midwest: http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/pct_swedish.pdf
(4) Norwegian Immigration of the Upper Midwest: http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/pct_norwegian.pdf
(5) Finish Immigration to to the Upper Midwest: http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/pct_finnish.pdf
I have yet to understand the reasoning’s behind the settlement pattern of Scandinavian in this region and have not found any analysis of this pattern on the internet.
If and when I find such information I will be sure to post it.
No comments:
Post a Comment