Editing Continental Europe (section)

===Scandinavia===

[[File:Cosmographia Claudii Ptolomaei ante 1467 (7456016) Scandinavia.jpg|thumb|Map of the Scandiae islands by [[Nicolaus Germanus]] for a 1467 publication of ''Cosmographia Claudii Ptolomaei Alexandrini'']]

Especially in [[Germanic philology|Germanic studies]], ''continental'' refers to the European continent excluding the [[Scandinavian Peninsula]], Britain, Ireland, and Iceland. The reason for this is that although the Scandinavian peninsula is attached to continental Europe, and accessible via a land route along the [[66th parallel north]], it is usually reached by sea.

{{lang|sw|Kontinenten}} ("the Continent") is a vernacular Swedish expression that refers to an area excluding [[Sweden]], [[Norway]], and [[Finland]] but including Denmark (even the [[list of islands of Denmark|Danish Archipelago]] which is technically not a part of continental Europe) and the rest of continental Europe. In Norway, similarly, one speaks about {{lang|no|Kontinentet}} as a separate entity. In Denmark, Jutland is referred to as the mainland and thereby a part of continental Europe.

The Scandinavian Peninsula is now connected to the Danish mainland (the [[Jutland|Jutland Peninsula]]) by several bridges and tunnels.