Norden is Dead — Long Live the Eastwards Faced Euro-North

Norden may be forgotten, but northern spatial politics is `alive and kicking'. The human aspiration to define, represent and master space has not ended in the northern hemisphere. Claims made about `the end of the geography', given the decreasing importance of spatial distance or location, are misleading. Geography still matters, albeit the modes of geographical reasoning are radically changing. An analysis of spatial politics practised by multiple actors within the last seven years in the Nordic journal Nord Revy (later North) suggests an active geopolitical reconstruction of northern space. The new, reconstructed `northernness' points predominantly in two directions: east (Russia) and south (Europe). Northern space as a whole, however, covers a large variety of spatial constructions, or representations (states, interstate regions, trans-border regions, city districts, urban networks, etc.). The new eastwards-oriented and Europeanized `northernness' is more reminiscent of a complex and multilevel spatial network than a clearly delimited, homogeneous territory `between the two blocks'. Given such developments it can be argued that the `North' is beginning to exhibit a number of late-modern features. It is less territorial and has many layers and possible directions for future development. Nevertheless, the new `North' hasn't lost any of its geopolitical appeal, albeit the mode of politics has changed.