Geography

Denmark has an area of 16,639 square miles (43,094 square kilometers). This figure does not include Greenland, the world's largest island, or the Faroe (or Faeroe) Islands, located in the North Atlantic between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. Both are self-governing parts of Denmark.

A long peninsula known as Jutland makes up about two thirds of the country's area. In the south Jutland has a 42-mile (68-kilometer) border with Germany. The rest of Denmark is surrounded by water. To the west is the North Sea. A strait called the Skagerrak separates Denmark from Norway on the north. Straits known as the Kattegat and the Øresund (The Sound) lie between Denmark and Sweden on the east. Denmark includes more than 400 islands to the east of the peninsula that dot the entrance to the Baltic Sea. The two largest islands, Funen and Zealand, together make up more than one fourth of the country's area.

The Jutland Peninsula is a lowland region that was leveled by glaciers during the Ice Age. The western part of the peninsula consists of sands and gravels, but the east has lush farmland. The longest river in Denmark, the Gudenå, is 98 miles (158 kilometers) long. The islands are fertile with low hills, small lakes, and sandy beaches. Fewer than one quarter of the islands are populated. With its numerous islands, Denmark's coastline measures 4,500 miles (7,300 kilometers). The climate is generally moist and temperate.

Plants and animals

Much of Denmark was once covered by forests of oak, elm, lime (linden), and beech trees. These original forests were cleared to create farmland, but some areas have since been replanted. The elk, brown bears, and wild boars that once inhabited Denmark also died out when people settled on the land. Deer and smaller animals such as hares and hedgehogs have survived, however. Birds are abundant, though the once-common stork is now rare. Fish are plentiful in Danish waters.

People and culture

Most of the people of Denmark are ethnic Danes. They have the Nordic characteristics of blond hair and blue eyes. A small German community exists in southern Jutland. Among other minorities are people from Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and the former Yugoslavia. Danish, the official language, is closely related to Norwegian. English is also widely spoken. Most of the people belong to the Lutheran church.

About 85 percent of Denmark's population lives in cities and towns. Copenhagen, the capital, has about one quarter of the country's whole population. Located on the island of Zealand, Copenhagen is a major port and industrial center. The city of Odense on Funen Island is famous as the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, the famous writer of fairy tales. Århus and Ålborg are growing cities on Jutland.

Economy

Denmark's economy is based largely on service industries, manufacturing, and trade. The leading manufactured products are processed foods, machinery, chemicals and chemical products, electronics, metals, and textiles and clothing. Denmark's long coastline has natural harbors that support a large fishing industry. Tourism is important as well, with many visitors attracted to Copenhagen and its neighboring coastal resorts.

Denmark has few natural resources. The soil is the country's most important raw material, as more than 60 percent of the land is suitable for farming. Wheat and barley are the main crops, and pigs are the main livestock.

History

People have lived in Denmark since prehistoric times. The Danish kingdom dates back to the early years of what is known as the Viking Age, which lasted from the 9th to the 11th century AD. The Vikings were Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish warriors who invaded much of Europe during this period. By the 11th century the Danish kingdom included parts of what are now Germany, Sweden, Norway, and England.

During the medieval era, Danish nobility and would-be kings often clashed with one another. In 1397 all of Scandinavia was united under Danish rule. After a series of wars between Denmark and Sweden, Sweden left the union in 1523. The union between Denmark and Norway lasted until 1814, when Denmark was forced to turn over Norway to Sweden.

Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II. In 1945 Denmark recognized the independence of Iceland. The Faroe Islands, which had been part of Denmark since 1380, were granted self-government in 1948. Greenland, officially made part of Denmark in 1953, was given home rule in 1979. Denmark became a member of the European Community (now the European Union) in 1973. In 2000, however, the nation voted against adopting the euro—the monetary unit of the European Union—as its currency. Population (2001 estimate), 5,358,000.