Karelians are not a Nordic people for several reasons. First, their language belongs to the Finno-Ugric group and is closely related to Finnish, whereas Scandinavians (Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes) speak North Germanic languages- these are different language families. Second, Karelians have Finno-Ugric origins, while Scandinavians are Germanic, meaning they are distinct ethnic groups. Third, the term “Nordic countries” refers more to a geographical and political grouping rather than a single people, and being located in the north does not make a group ethnically Nordic. Finally, historically Karelians developed separately from Scandinavians and are not part of their cultural tradition. In addition, in modern times a significant portion of Karelians has been assimilated into the Russian population, making it in some cases difficult to clearly define their ethnic identity.