The articulation of territory: landscape and the constitution of regional and national identity

Abstract

The argument of this article is that national and regional landscapes exist as symbolic or mental categories, and that they are the results of processes here subsumed under the concept 'articulation of territory.' Landscape features, be they mountains or rivers, man-made monuments or technological artefacts (roads, bridges, lighthouses, etc.), have been reproduced socially and culturally through text genres, art forms, media, museums and schools, and through scientific description, particularly in the field sciences and the historical and museum sciences. Articulation of territory has also been carried out through social practices such as tourism. The result of these processes are symbolic and mental landscapes that are deeply embedded in the image and self-understanding of nations and regions. Articulation of territory is in itself an important part of the historical emergence and growth of nationalism and regionalism. Examples are drawn mostly from the Nordic countries.