Story: Scandinavians

Scandinavian countries of origin

Scandinavian countries of origin

Around half of all Scandinavian migrants came from Denmark. Swedes and Norwegians made up roughly equal parts of the remainder. Finns were rare and Icelanders almost unheard of. Of the Swedes and Finns that came, many were from coastal towns. Norwegians typically came from rural counties such as Hedmark where farms could not support the growing population. Many Danes were from southern Denmark – the area known as Schleswig-Holstein – and were escaping Prussian occupation.

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How to cite this page:

Carl Walrond, 'Scandinavians - 20th-century migration', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/map/295/scandinavian-countries-of-origin (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Carl Walrond, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Mar 2015