The 'Scandinavian Mountains', in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen ("the Fells") or Kölen, and in Norwegian Kjølen, with the two latter meaning the Keel, are a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the famous fjords of Norway, while to the northeast they gradually curve towards Finland. To the north they form the borders between Norway, Sweden and Finland, but are scarcely more than hills in the vicinity of the North Cape.
The mountains are not very tall, but are at places very steep; Galdhøpiggen in southern Norway is the highest peak, at 2,469 metres (8,100 ft), Kebnekaise has the highest peak on the Swedish side, at 2,104 m (6,903 ft), while Halti is the tallest in Finland, at 1,328 m (4,357 ft). The combination of a northerly location and moisture from the North Atlantic ocean has caused the formation of many icefields and glaciers, which coupled with the steep mountains, creates spectacular and dramatic scenery.
The Scandinavian mountain system is geologically connected with the mountains of Scotland, Ireland and, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the Appalachian Mountains of North America. Geologists hold that all these formed a single range prior to the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea. The current mountains are remnants of the Caledonian mountains, which many geologists believe is the biggest mountain range in history.
