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Nordic nations hit by cold front of recession

AFP, Stockholm
Denmark and Finland officially joined the ranks of recession-hit countries on Friday with the release of figures showing their economies contracting, while Sweden saw its economy sink further.
The Nordic countries' traditionally robust, export-driven economies were believed to have escaped the worst effects of the global economic crisis.
But they are now struggling to overcome dramatic drops in demand from abroad, and in consumer confidence and industrial production at home.
Denmark, which became the first European country to enter recession last year after its economy contracted for two quarters running, briefly returned to growth in the second quarter of 2008 before falling back in the hole.
The Scandinavian country officially dived back into recession after its gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 2.0 percent in the fourth quarter, according to numbers released by the national statistics agency Friday.
Its economy shrank by 0.8 percent in the third quarter of 2008.
"Investments and private consumption fell clearly in the fourth quarter, while there was little increase in public spending. The fourth quarter was also impacted by large declines in both imports and exports," Statistics Denmark said in a statement
"Denmark is perhaps experiencing its worst crisis since World War 11," Anders Matzen, chief analyst at Nordea bank, told AFP.
"But it is only natural that a small economy that is heavily dependant on exports findsitself in this position." he added.
Finland meanwhile saw its fourth quar
ter GDP shrink 1.3 percent after slipping 0.3 percent in the previous three month period, according to revised figures pre sented Friday.
"Finland's economy can be considered as being in recession," said the national statistics office, which had previously said Finland’s economy had growA 0.1 percent in the third quarter.
"Demand in the national economy diminished in the last quarter private con sumption decreased by 1.2 percent and investments by 2.1 percent from 12 months back." Statistics Finland said.
"Exports and imports contracted exceptionally strongly, by over 14 percent." it added.
Home to the world’s largest mobile
phone maker, Nokia, Finland for years enjoyed sky-high economic growth, with its GDP expanding 4.5 percent in 2007.
Last year however, the Nordic country’s economy grew just 0.9 percent, according to the latest statistics.
Neighbouring Sweden's predicament is even more dire, with its economy plunging 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the previous three-month period, according to data released by the national statistics bureau Friday.
And compared to the fourth quarter of 2007 the figures are even worse, showing that Sweden's GDP plummeted 4.9 percent in the last quarter last year.
Statistics Sweden spokeswoman Sofia Runestav also told AFP that revised figures showed the country had in fact entered recession in the second quarter of 2008 and not in the third as previously stated.
Sweden, which has been especially hard-hit by the troubles plaguing car makers worldwide, saw its exports fall 7.2 percent, imports decrease 5.4 percent, and industrial production shrink 6.1 percent in the fourth quarter.
These are very dramatic numbers," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told the IT news agency.
We usually boast about our export-driven economy. Now we're seeing the negative side: a global downturn that is affecting Swedish exports," he added.
Norway meanwhile said last week that its economy as a whole grew 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter, largely due to its position a'' one of the world s leading oil and gas exporters
Excluding its oil, gas and shipping industries however, the country's mainland GPP tumbled 0.2 percent during the period.
Recession has been predicted across (he region for 2009.