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Vinland's a very popular topic around here, but what I find more plausible is a return to Vinland by a later Scandinavian country around the time of Columbus or slightly after--Denmark-Norway being the most plausible obviously, and in turn, the Kalmar Union.

So, how do you get the Scandinavians to colonise Canada with a POD no later than the final abandoment of Greenland in the late 15th century? The land is very rich, in fishing (cod) and furs, and Scandinavians can play a huge role in the fur trade. And even if Britain or France takes it over, the Scandinavians will have people on the ground to ensure the region can never forget its heritage. Yes, demographically, the Scandinavians are pretty small in number, but so was the amount of French people who settled Quebec. They could probably even send more people than France ever did, if they send as proportionally many as Portugal did to Brazil.

Any Scandinavian state is acceptable, although I lean toward a state which includes Finland because as New Sweden showed us, the Finns could be a very useful tool for settlement of the New World. Icelanders too--give Icelanders a place to escape to when events like the Mist Hardships and other major volcanic eruptions occur. So Kalmar Union is best, followed by Denmark-Norway IMO.
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