Difference between revisions of "Denmark" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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== History ==
 
== History ==
  
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The origins of the Danish people are generally lost in [[prehistory]], but there are some indications that their forebears moved into the area from what is present-day Sweden. In the fourth and fifth centuries <small>C.E.</small>, peoples from the southeastern shores of the [[North Sea]] made a large migration to [[Great Britain]]'s southeast coast. These were tribes such as the Jutes, who occupied parts of Jutland; the Angles, who lived in an area of Schleswig-Holstein named Angeln; and the Saxons, who inhabited an area further south along the German coast. Some believe they left their homeland because of pressure from the [[Huns]], who were moving across Europe. Others make the case that groups moving west from Sweden forced them out. In any case, the Jutes, Angles, Saxons, and others landed in waves on Britain's shores, pushed the occupying Celts westwards, began what has become known as Anglo-Saxon culture, and were the linguistic precursors of all English-speaking peoples. The words "England" and "English" come directly from the Danish place-name of Angeln.
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[[Image:Johan Thomas Lundbye 001.jpg|thumb|left|''Hankehøj'', by [[Johan Lundbye]]. A Danish down. Note the glacial character of the terrain and the burial mound of an early chief in the centre.]]
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[[Image:Gundestrupkarret1.jpg|thumb|right|A photo of the [[Gundestrup cauldron]].]]
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The earliest [[Archaeology of Denmark|archaeological findings in Denmark]] date back to 130,000 – 110,000 [[Before Christ|BC]] in the [[Eem|Eem interglacial period]].<ref>Michaelsen (2002), p. 19.</ref> People have inhabited Denmark since about 12,500 B.C.E. and [[agriculture]] has been in evidence since 3,900 B.C.E.<ref name="foreign ministry">{{cite web| last =Nielsen| first =Poul Otto|date=May 2003| url = http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap6/6-1.asp| title =Denmark: History, Prehistory| publisher =Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs| accessdate =2006-05-01 }}</ref> The [[Nordic Bronze Age]] (1,800–600 B.C.E.) in Denmark was marked by [[burial mound]]s, which left an abundance of findings including [[lur]]s and the [[Trundholm sun chariot|Sun Chariot]]. During the [[Pre-Roman Iron Age]] (500 B.C.E. – [[Anno Domini|AD]] 1), native groups began migrating south, although<ref name="foreign ministry" /> the first Danish people came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the [[Germanic Iron Age]],<ref>Busck and Poulsen (ed.) (2002), p. 20.</ref> in the [[Roman Iron Age]] (AD 1–400). The [[Roman province]]s maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of northwest Europe and is among other things reflected in the finding of the [[Gundestrup cauldron]]. Historians believe that before the arrival of the precursors to the Danes, who came from the east Danish islands ([[Zealand]]) and [[Skåne]] and spoke an early form of [[north Germanic]], most of [[Jutland]] and some islands were settled by [[Jutes]]. They later migrated to the [[British isles]], together with [[Angles]] and [[Saxons]] to form the [[Anglo-Saxons]].
  
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The Danish tribes occupying Jutland concerned themselves with defense against [[Franks|Frankish]] peoples to the south as early as the eighth century by building the ''Danevirke'' (meaning "Danes' works"), a tall earthen barrier. It took more than two centuries to finish the structure of more than 30 km in length that stretched from marshes near the North Sea to an estuary on the east side of the peninsula. The ''Danevirke'' was also used as a rallying site by Danish kings for military excursions and was an effective buttress against foreign incursions through the [[Middle Ages]]. But by 1864 when the last battle was fought and lost over Schleswig-Holstein, the defense system proved to be no longer effective. Indeed, the wall is completely within German territory today.
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The exact origins of the Danish nation have been lost in history. However, a short note<ref>{{cite web| last =| first =| author = Jordanes| coauthors = translated by Charles C. Mierow|date=April 22, 1997| url = http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~vandersp/Courses/texts/jordgeti.html#III | title =The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, chapter III| publisher =| accessdate = 2006-05-01}}</ref> about the ''Dani'' in "[[The Origin and Deeds of the Goths]]" from 551 by historian [[Jordanes]] is believed by some to be an early mention of the ''[[Danes (ancient people)|Danes]]'',<ref>Busck and Poulsen (ed.) (2002), p. 19.</ref> one of the ethnic groups from whom the modern [[Danish people]] are descended. The [[Danevirke]] defense structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward,<ref name= "danevirke">Michaelsen (2002), pp. 122–23.</ref> and the sheer size of the construction efforts in 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king.<ref name= "danevirke"/> The [[Younger Futhark|new runic alphabet]] was first used at the same time and [[Ribe]], the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about 700 C.E..
  
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The pagan groups occupying Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia became known as [[Vikings]] when they banded together and went colonizing, raiding, and trading in all parts of Europe from the ninth through eleventh centuries. They especially hit the British Isles hard, sailing quickly across the North Sea in superbly made boats and making off with all available treasure, particularly from monasteries. It was mainly Danish armies and later colonists who made multiple incursions into southern Britain. From 1019 to 1035, King Canute the Great was the monarch of both England and Denmark (and for the last six years, of Norway as well). Gradually as the Vikings became [[Christianity|Christianized]], they became a part of the fabric of the lands they settled after having marauded them.
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===Viking age===
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[[Image:Da-map.png|thumb|right|150px|Map of Denmark]]
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[[Image:Ladbyskibet.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Ladby ship]], the only ship burial found in Denmark]]
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Over the centuries, Danes have managed to take over and rule momentarily several small parts of the world. They invaded and settled Britain and [[Ireland]] in various waves but were eventually subsumed in the larger population. [[France]] ceded [[Normandy]]* to Danish Vikings in the tenth century; the Normans who invaded England in 1066 were people with mixed Danish blood. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the country's interests turned east for a while as it invaded and controlled [[Estonia]]. At times Denmark also held much of northern Germany's coastline. An exception was a large part of southernmost [[Sweden]], which was considered Denmark proper for hundreds of years.
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{{main|Viking age}}
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During the 8th-11th centuries, the [[Danish people|Danes]] were known as [[Vikings]], together with [[Norwegians]] and Swedish [[Geats]]. Viking explorers first discovered and settled [[Iceland]] in the 9th century, on their way toward the [[Faroe Islands]]. From there, [[Greenland]] and [[Vinland]] ([[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]]) were also settled. Utilizing their great skills in shipbuilding they raided and conquered parts of France and the British Isles. But they also excelled in trading along the coasts and rivers of [[Europe]], running trade routes from Greenland in the north to [[Constantinople]] in the south via Russian rivers. The Danish Vikings were most active in the [[British Isles]] and Western Europe, and they raided, conquered and settled parts of [[England]] (their earliest settlements included [[Danelaw]], [[Ireland]], [[France]], [[Normandy]]).  
  
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Denmark was able to dominate its union with [[Norway]] that began in 1380 and effectively took over the Norwegian claim to the [[Faeroe Islands]], [[Iceland]], and [[Greenland]] at that time. From 1389 until 1523, all of [[Scandinavia]] was united under one monarch, a Danish one with power centralized in Copenhagen, when Sweden joined the Danish-Norwegian kingdom. After the union fell apart, a series of wars was fought between Denmark and Sweden that didn't draw to a close until 1658. Two years later, the current boundaries among all the Scandinavian countries were settled upon by treaty.
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In the early 8th century, [[Charlemagne]]'s Christian empire had expanded to the southern border of the Danes, and Frankish sources (F.ex. [[Notker of St Gall]]) provide the earliest historical evidence of the Danes. These report a King [[Gudfred]], who appeared in present day [[Holstein]] with a navy in 804 C.E. where diplomacy took place with the Franks; In 808, the same King [[Gudfred]] attacked the [[Obotrite]], a [[Wend]] people and conquered the city of [[Reric]] whose population was displaced or abducted, to [[Hedeby]]; In 809, King Godfred and emissaries of Charlemagne failed to negotiate peace and the next year, 810, King Godfred attacked the [[Frisians]] with 200 ships. The oldest parts of the defensive works of [[Dannevirke]] near [[Hedeby]] at least date from the summer of 755 and were expanded with large works in the 10th century. The size and amount of troops needed to man it indicates a quite powerful ruler in the area, which might be consistent with the kings the Frankish sources. In 815 C.E., Emperor [[Louis the Pious]] attacked [[Jutland]] apparently in support of a contender to the throne, perhaps [[Harald Klak]], but was turned back by the sons of Godfred, who likely were the sons of the above mentioned Godfred. At the same time [[Saint Ansgar]] traveled to [[Hedeby]] and started the Catholic [[Christianization]] of Scandinavia.    
  
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Meanwhile, Danish merchants entered the rush to trade in [[Asia]] by sending boats to [[India]] in 1620, where a base was established at a small port on the southeast coast. Other outposts were made near [[Calcutta]] and on small islands. Never a power in India, compared to [[Portugal]], Britain, the [[Netherlands]], and France, Denmark ceded its interests there by selling them all to the British by 1869.
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The Danes were united and officially Christianized in 965 C.E. by [[Harald Bluetooth|Harald Blåtand]], the story of which is recorded on the [[Jelling stones]]. The exact extent of Harald's Danish Kingdom is unknown, although it's reasonable to believe that it stretched from the defensive line of Dannevirke, including the Viking city of [[Hedeby]], across Jutland, the Danish isles and into southern present day Sweden; [[Skåne]] and perhaps [[Halland]] and [[Blekinge]]. Further more the Jelling stones attests that Harald had also "won" Norway. The son of Harald, [[Sweyn I]] mounted a series of wars of conquest against England, which was completed by Svend's son [[Canute the Great]] by the middle of the 11th century. The reign of Knud represented the peak of the Danish Viking age. King Knud's ''North Sea Empire'' included Denmark (1018), Norway (1028), England (1035) and held strong influence over the north-eastern coast of Germany.
  
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Denmark also got involved with trade in the [[Caribbean Sea]] as early as 1672 when it made its first settlements in what later took the name of the [[U.S. Virgin Islands|Virgin Islands]]. By 1754, the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John all belonged to the Danish crown. In 1917 the islands were sold to the [[United States]], which wanted them as a strategic site for a naval base on the approach to the [[Panama Canal]] and to prevent Germany from seizing them during [[World War I]].
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=== Medieval Denmark ===
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From the Viking age towards the end of the 13th century, the kingdom of Denmark consisted of [[Jutland]], north from the [[Elder River]] and the islands of [[Zealand]], [[Funen]], [[Bornholm]], [[Skåne]], [[Halland]] and [[Blekinge]]. From the end of the 13th century the lands between  [[Eider River]] and the river [[Kongeåen]] were separated from the kingdom as two vassal [[duchy|duchies]] of [[Schleswig]] and [[Holstein]]. In 1658 [[Skåne]], [[Halland]] and [[Blekinge]] were ceded to Sweden.
  
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The union with Norway was dissolved in 1814 after Denmark made an alliance and found itself on the losing side in the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. The Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and after the European revolutions of 1848, the country became a constitutional monarchy the following year.
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Following the end of the 11th century, Denmark underwent a transition from a decentralized realm with a weak and semi-elected royal institution and little to no nobility, into a realm which more reflected European [[feudalism]], with a powerful king ruling through an influential nobility. The period is marked by internal strife and the generally weak geopolitical position of the realm, which for long stretches fell under German influence. The period also featured the first of large stone buildings (mostly churches), a deep penetration by the Christian faith, the appearance of monastic orders in Denmark and the first written historical works such as the ''[[Gesta Danorum]]'' ("Deeds of the Danes"). German political as well as religious influence firmly ended in the last decades of the 12th century under the rule of King [[Valdemar the Great]] and his foster brother [[Absalon]] Hvide, Archbishop of [[Lund]]; through successful wars against [[Wend]] peoples of northeast Germany and the [[German Empire]].  
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[[Image:Roskilde Margrethe1 grave.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The tomb of Margrethe I in [[Roskilde Cathedral]].]]
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A high point was reached during the reign of [[Valdemar II]], who led the formation of a Danish "Baltic Sea Empire", which by 1221 extended control from [[Estonia]] in the east to [[Norway]] in the north. In this period several of the "regional" law codes were given; notably the [[Code of Jutland]] from 1241, which asserted several modern concepts like [[right of property]]; "that the king cannot rule without and beyond the law"; "and that all men are equal to the law". Following the death of [[Valdemar II]] in 1241 and to the ascension of [[Valdemar IV]] in 1340, the kingdom was in general decline due to internal strife and the rise of the [[Hanseatic League]]. The competition between the sons of [[Valdemar II]], had the longterm result that the southern parts of Jutland were separated from the kingdom of Denmark and became semi-independent vassal duchies/counties.
  
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After the war over Schleswig-Holstein in 1864, Denmark was forced to cede the province to [[Prussia]] in a defeat that left deep marks on the Danish national identity. At this point, Denmark adopted a policy of neutrality, which kept it out of [[World War I]]. However, the largest naval battle of that war, the [[Battle of Jutland]], was fought in the North Sea off the Danish peninsula in 1916. The huge British and German fleets slugged it out in the war's only full-scale clash of battleships and fought to a draw, with 25 vessels—a tenth of the total on both sides—sunk among great loss of life.
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During the reign of [[Valdemar IV]] and his daughter [[Margrethe I]], the realm was re-invigorated and following the [[Battle of Falköping]], Margrethe I had her sister's son, [[Eric of Pomerania]] crowned King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden after the signing of the union charter of Kalmar (The [[Kalmar Union]]), Trinity Sunday 1397. Much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on the [[June 17]], [[1523]] as Swedish King [[Gustav Vasa]] conquered the city of Stockholm. Denmark and Norway remained in a personal union until the [[Congress of Vienna]], 1814. The [[Protestant Reformation]] came to Scandinavia in the 1530's, and following the [[Count's Feud]] civil war, Denmark converted to [[Lutheranism]] in 1536.
  
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In 1918, following the war, Iceland was granted independence, though Denmark remained in charge of its foreign affairs. The [[Treaty of Versailles]] offered Denmark the return of Schleswig-Holstein, but fearing future German claims on the southern Holstein section, Denmark refused to consider the return of Holstein. Instead, it insisted on a plebiscite on the return of the northern Schleswig section. The vote in 1920 showed that only the population of the northern half of Schleswig wished to return to Danish sovereignty. This was the only German border alteration after World War I that [[Adolf Hitler]] never objected to, and it remains Denmark's southern border today.
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=== Modern history ===
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[[Image:Da-map.png|right|thumb|Map of Denmark]]{{redirectstohere|hide=yes|1632 institutions|explanation=This fictional universe article uses the title #Recent history as a link target. Please do not change or update without changing 1632 series references (there will be a few) to this section}}
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King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]] attacked Sweden in the 1611&ndash;13 [[Kalmar War]] but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing Sweden to return to the union with Denmark. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a [[war indemnity]] of 1 million [[silver]] [[Swedish riksdaler|riksdaler]] to Denmark, an amount known as the ''[[Älvsborg ransom]]''.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.smb.nu/svenskakrig/1611.asp |title=Kalmarkriget 1611-1613 |accessdate=2007-05-04 |publisher=[[Svenskt Militärhistoriskt Bibliotek]]}}{{sv icon}}</ref> <!--"Älvsborgs lösen" (Swedish), "Elvsborgs løsen" (Danish)—> King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably [[Glückstadt]] (founded as a rival to [[Hamburg]]), [[Oslo|Christiania]] (following a fire destroying the original city), [[Christianshavn]], [[Kristianstad|Christianstad]], and [[Kristiansand|Christiansand]]. Christian also constructed a number of buildings, most notably [[Børsen]], [[Rundetårn]], [[Nyboder]], [[Rosenborg Castle|Rosenborg]], a [[Kongsberg|silver mine]] and a [[Kupfermühle|copper mill]].<!--less important were e.g. Christianspris (near Kiel) and Christianopel (near Brømsebro in Blekinge) —> Inspired by the [[Dutch East India Company]], he founded a similar [[Danish East India Company|Danish company]] and planned to claim [[Sri Lanka]] as a colony but the company only managed to acquire [[Tranquebar]] on [[India]]'s [[Coromandel Coast]]. In the [[Thirty Year's War]], Christian tried to become the leader of the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] states in Germany, but suffered a crushing defeat at the [[Battle of Lutter]] resulting in a Catholic army under [[Albrecht von Wallenstein]] occupying and pillaging Jutland. Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but [[Gustavus Adolphus]]' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. In 1643, Swedish armies [[Torstenson War|invaded Jutland]] and in 1644 [[Horn's War|Skåne]]. In the 1645 [[Treaty of Brömsebro|Treaty of Brømsebro]], Denmark surrendered Halland, [[Gotland]], the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. In 1657, King [[Frederick III of Denmark|Frederick III]] declared war on Sweden and marched on [[Bremen-Verden]]. This led to a massive Danish defeat and the armies of King [[Charles X Gustav]] of Sweden conquered both [[Jutland]], [[Funen]] and much of [[Zealand]] before signing the [[Treaty of Roskilde|Peace of Roskilde]] in February 1658 which gave Sweden control of [[Skåne]], [[Blekinge]], [[Trøndelag]] and the island of [[Bornholm]]. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having destroyed Denmark completely and in August 1658 he began a two-year long siege of [[Copenhagen]] but failed to take the capital. In the following peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm.  
  
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Despite its continued neutrality, Denmark was invaded by Germany in 1940. Though at first accorded self-rule (which ended in 1943 due to a mounting resistance movement), the Danes remained militarily occupied throughout [[World War II]]. The Danish sympathy for the Allied cause was strong; 1,900 Danish police officers were arrested by the [[Gestapo]] and sent, under guard, to be interned in [[Buchenwald]]. In 1944, disturbed by Denmark's inability to defend it, Iceland proclaimed complete independence.
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Denmark tried to regain control of Skåne in the [[Scanian War]] (1675-79) but it ended in failure. Following the [[Great Northern War]] (1700&ndash;21), Denmark managed to restore control of the parts of [[Schleswig]] and [[Holstein]] ruled by the house of [[Holstein-Gottorp]] in 1721 and 1773, respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the [[Napoleonic Wars]], Denmark originally tried to pursue a policy of neutrality to continue the lucrative trade with both [[French Empire|France]] and the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] and joined the [[League of Armed Neutrality]] with [[Russian Empire|Russia]], Sweden and [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]. The [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in both [[Battle of Copenhagen (1801)|1801]] and [[Battle of Copenhagen (1807)|1807]], in one case carrying off the [[Royal Danish Navy|Danish fleet]], in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. These events mark the end of the prosperous ''Florissant Age''<!--Danish: den "florissante periode". If anybody has a better translation, I'm all ears. Valentinian—> and resulted in the Dano-British [[Gunboat War]]. British control over the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813, Denmark-Norway went [[bankruptcy|bankrupt]]. The post-Napoleonic [[Congress of Vienna]] demanded the dissolution of the Dano-Norwegian union, and this was confirmed by the [[Treaty of Kiel]] in 1814. Denmark-Norway had briefly hoped to restore the Scandinavian union in 1809, but these hopes were dashed when the [[Estates of the realm|estates]] of Sweden rejected a proposal to let [[Frederick VI of Denmark]] succeed the deposed [[Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden|Gustav IV Adolf]] and instead gave the crown to [[Charles XIII  of Sweden|Charles XIII]]. Norway entered a new union with Sweden which lasted until 1905. Denmark kept the colonies of [[Iceland]], [[Faroe Islands]] and [[Greenland]]. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark ruled over [[Danish India]] ([[Tranquebar]] in [[India]]) from 1620 to 1869, the [[Danish Gold Coast]] ([[Ghana]]) from 1658 to 1850, and the [[Danish West Indies]] (the [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]]) from 1671 to 1917.
  
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After the war, Denmark became fairly quickly an integral part of the family of Western European countries attempting to build a strong political and economic union. It was a founding member of [[NATO]] (1949). In 1960, it also helped found the European Free Trade Association, an economic coalition of countries largely on Western Europe's outer ring, but in 1973, it joined the inner-ring nations of the European Community, which 20 years later changed its name to the [[European Union]]. The governments of Denmark since World War II have, with a few exceptions, been left of center as the Danish people seem to prefer policies of social liberalism.
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[[Image:Grundlovgivende rigsforsamling - Constantin Hansen.jpg|thumb|''Den Grundlovsgivende Rigsforsamling'' (The Constitutional Assembly. The Assembly created The [[Constitution of Denmark|Danish constitution]]), 1860&ndash;1864 painting by [[Constantin Hansen]].]]
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The Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and after the European [[Revolutions of 1848]] Denmark peacefully became a [[constitutional monarchy]] on [[5 June]] [[1849]]. After the [[Second War of Schleswig]] (Danish: ''Slesvig'') in 1864, Denmark was forced to cede [[Province of Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig and Holstein]] to [[Prussia]], in a defeat that left deep marks on the Danish national identity. After these events, Denmark returned to its traditional policy of neutrality, also keeping Denmark neutral in [[World War I]]. Following the defeat of Germany, the [[Treaty of Versailles|Versailles powers]] offered to return the then-German region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German [[irredentism]], Denmark refused to consider the return of the area and insisted on a [[plebiscite]] concerning the return of Schleswig. The two [[Schleswig Plebiscites]] took place on [[10 February]] and [[14 March]], respectively. On [[5 July]] [[1920]] after the plebiscite and the King's signature ([[6 July]]) on the reunion document, Northern Schleswig (Sønderjylland) was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984&nbsp;km². The reunion day (Genforeningsdag) is celebrated every year [[15 June]] on Valdemarsdag.
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[[Germany]]'s [[invasion]] of Denmark on [[9 April]] [[1940]] &ndash; codenamed [[Operation Weserübung]] &ndash; met only two hours of military resistance before the Danish government surrendered. Economic co-operation between Germany and Denmark continued until 1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and the Navy sank most of the Danish fleet and sent as many of their officers as they could to Sweden. During the war, the government was extremely helpful towards Jews living in the country, and the resistance managed to get most of the Jews to Sweden and safety. Denmark led many "inside operations" or sabotage against the German facilities. Iceland severed ties to Denmark and became an independent republic, and in 1948 the [[Faroe Islands]] gained [[home rule]]. After the war, Denmark became one of the founding members of the [[United Nations]] and [[NATO]] and in 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, joined the [[European Economic Community]] (now the [[European Union]]) after a [[Danish European Communities membership referendum, 1972|public referendum]]. [[Greenland]] gained home rule in 1979.
  
 
== Politics ==
 
== Politics ==
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[[Søren Kierkegaard]], a philosopher and theologian of the nineteenth century, is generally recognized as the first existentialist writer. Much of his work was done in reaction to the Danish Church and the emptiness he felt there. He had a profound impact on later philosophers, particularly of the twentieth century.
 
[[Søren Kierkegaard]], a philosopher and theologian of the nineteenth century, is generally recognized as the first existentialist writer. Much of his work was done in reaction to the Danish Church and the emptiness he felt there. He had a profound impact on later philosophers, particularly of the twentieth century.
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The most famous Danish scientist was [[Niels Bohr]] who was awarded the [[Nobel Prize]] for [[physics]] for his work on [[atomic structure]] and [[quantum mechanics]].
  
 
== Culture ==
 
== Culture ==

Revision as of 22:58, 22 February 2008

Kongeriget Danmark
Kingdom of Denmark
Flag of Denmark Coat of arms of Denmark
Motto: none
(Royal motto: Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke
"The Help of God, the Love of the People, the Strength of Denmark")
Anthem: Der er et yndigt land (national) (There Is a Lovely Country)

Royal anthem: Kong Christian (royal)
Location of Denmark
Location of  Denmark (orange)
– on the European continent (camel  white)
– in the European Union (camel)   [Legend]
Capital
(and largest city) 		Copenhagen
55°43′N 12°34′E
Official languages Danish1
Demonym Danish
Government Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
 -  Monarch Margrethe II
 -  Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Consolidation (prehistoric) 
EU accession 1 January 1973
Area
 -  Total 43,094 km² (134th²)
16,639² sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 1.6²
Population
 -  2008 estimate 5,475,791 (108th)
 -  Density 129.16/km² (78th²)
334.53/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate
 -  Total $198.5 billion (45th)
 -  Per capita $37,000 (6th)
GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate
 -  Total $256.3 billion (27th)
 -  Per capita $46,600 (6th)
Gini (1997) 24.7 (low) (1st)
Currency Danish krone (DKK)
Time zone CET² (UTC+1)
 -  Summer (DST) CEST² (UTC+2)
Internet TLD .dk2,3
Calling code +454
1 Co-official with Greenlandic in Greenland, and Faroese in the Faroe Islands. German is recognised as a protected minority language in the South Jutland (Sønderjylland) area of Denmark. Danish is recognized as a protected minority language in the Schleswig-Holstein region of Germany.
² For Denmark excluding the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
³ The TLD .eu is shared with other European Union countries.
4 The Faroe Islands use +298 and Greenland uses +299.

The Kingdom of Denmark is geographically the smallest and southernmost Nordic country. It is located in Scandinavia, a region of northern Europe. Although it does not lie on the Scandinavian Peninsula, culturally and linguistically it is very strongly connected to Norway and Sweden.

Denmark borders the Baltic Sea on the southeast and the North Sea on the west, and a majority of its land mass lies on a peninsula named Jutland that protrudes northward from northern Germany between the two seas. The rest of the territory is made of many islands, including a few relatively large ones, such as Zealand, Fyn, and Bornholm. Zealand, which is well to the east of Jutland, has the largest and densest concentration of the Danish population, centering on the national capital, Copenhagen. Germany is Denmark's only land neighbor, but Norway lies about 140 km to the north across a branch of the North Sea called the Skagerrak and Sweden lies both to the east, across a narrow strait off Zealand called The Sound, and northeast, across a 70 km-wide body of water named the Kattegat. Sweden is visible from Copenhagen on a clear day.

Denmark's area, slightly above 43,000 km², is about the same as Massachusetts and Connecticut combined. Its population, at nearly 5.5 million, is about the size of Wisconsin's.

Until 1848, Denmark's southern border lay approximately 40 km farther south than it does today. This area, known as Schleswig-Holstein, was lost in an armed clash with Prussia.

There are two Crown territories of Denmark, both well to the west of the mainland and each allowed political home rule: Greenland, the world's largest island, and the Faeroe Islands, located about midway between Norway and Iceland.

Geography

Along with the Jutland peninsula, Denmark consists of 405 named islands. Of these, 323 are inhabited, with the two largest being, in order, Zealand and Fyn or Funen in English.

Map showing location of Zealand within Denmark.

The island of Bornholm is offset somewhat to the east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea between southern Sweden and northwestern Poland. (During the years of Soviet expansion, Poles would occasionally manage to escape the Communist rule of their homeland by fleeing at night by boat to Bornholm.) Many of the larger islands are connected by long bridges. One, actually a bridge/tunnel system, connects Copenhagen with Sweden's third-largest city, Malmö, at The Sound's widest expanse. Another spans the gap between Zealand and Fyn, carrying rail as well as highway traffic. The construction on both was finished in the late 1990s. The smaller distance between Jutland and Fyn was bridged in two places in the 1930s and 1970s. A plan for a bridge exists to connect the southern island of Lolland, south of Zealand, to Germany. Surface connection to the smaller islands, including Bornholm, is by ferry.

File:Oresund.ASTER.20040410.jpg
Satellite image of the Oresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö, Sweden.

Denmark is one of the world's flattest countries. There is little elevation to the Danish landscape at all; the highest point is a nondescript hill in the middle of Jutland, at 171 meters. The climate is generally temperate, with mild winters and cool summers. The seas that nearly surround the country are a great moderating influence. Because of the proximity to the water, no one in Denmark lives more than 52 km from the sea.

History

Hankehøj, by Johan Lundbye. A Danish down. Note the glacial character of the terrain and the burial mound of an early chief in the centre.
A photo of the Gundestrup cauldron.

The earliest archaeological findings in Denmark date back to 130,000 – 110,000 B.C.E. in the Eem interglacial period.[1] People have inhabited Denmark since about 12,500 B.C.E. and agriculture has been in evidence since 3,900 B.C.E.[2] The Nordic Bronze Age (1,800–600 B.C.E.) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds, which left an abundance of findings including lurs and the Sun Chariot. During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 B.C.E. – AD 1), native groups began migrating south, although[2] the first Danish people came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the Germanic Iron Age,[3] in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1–400). The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of northwest Europe and is among other things reflected in the finding of the Gundestrup cauldron. Historians believe that before the arrival of the precursors to the Danes, who came from the east Danish islands (Zealand) and Skåne and spoke an early form of north Germanic, most of Jutland and some islands were settled by Jutes. They later migrated to the British isles, together with Angles and Saxons to form the Anglo-Saxons.

The exact origins of the Danish nation have been lost in history. However, a short note[4] about the Dani in "The Origin and Deeds of the Goths" from 551 by historian Jordanes is believed by some to be an early mention of the Danes,[5] one of the ethnic groups from whom the modern Danish people are descended. The Danevirke defense structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward,[6] and the sheer size of the construction efforts in 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king.[6] The new runic alphabet was first used at the same time and Ribe, the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about 700 C.E.

Viking age

The Ladby ship, the only ship burial found in Denmark

During the 8th-11th centuries, the Danes were known as Vikings, together with Norwegians and Swedish Geats. Viking explorers first discovered and settled Iceland in the 9th century, on their way toward the Faroe Islands. From there, Greenland and Vinland (Newfoundland) were also settled. Utilizing their great skills in shipbuilding they raided and conquered parts of France and the British Isles. But they also excelled in trading along the coasts and rivers of Europe, running trade routes from Greenland in the north to Constantinople in the south via Russian rivers. The Danish Vikings were most active in the British Isles and Western Europe, and they raided, conquered and settled parts of England (their earliest settlements included Danelaw, Ireland, France, Normandy).

In the early 8th century, Charlemagne's Christian empire had expanded to the southern border of the Danes, and Frankish sources (F.ex. Notker of St Gall) provide the earliest historical evidence of the Danes. These report a King Gudfred, who appeared in present day Holstein with a navy in 804 C.E. where diplomacy took place with the Franks; In 808, the same King Gudfred attacked the Obotrite, a Wend people and conquered the city of Reric whose population was displaced or abducted, to Hedeby; In 809, King Godfred and emissaries of Charlemagne failed to negotiate peace and the next year, 810, King Godfred attacked the Frisians with 200 ships. The oldest parts of the defensive works of Dannevirke near Hedeby at least date from the summer of 755 and were expanded with large works in the 10th century. The size and amount of troops needed to man it indicates a quite powerful ruler in the area, which might be consistent with the kings the Frankish sources. In 815 C.E., Emperor Louis the Pious attacked Jutland apparently in support of a contender to the throne, perhaps Harald Klak, but was turned back by the sons of Godfred, who likely were the sons of the above mentioned Godfred. At the same time Saint Ansgar traveled to Hedeby and started the Catholic Christianization of Scandinavia.

The Danes were united and officially Christianized in 965 C.E. by Harald Blåtand, the story of which is recorded on the Jelling stones. The exact extent of Harald's Danish Kingdom is unknown, although it's reasonable to believe that it stretched from the defensive line of Dannevirke, including the Viking city of Hedeby, across Jutland, the Danish isles and into southern present day Sweden; Skåne and perhaps Halland and Blekinge. Further more the Jelling stones attests that Harald had also "won" Norway. The son of Harald, Sweyn I mounted a series of wars of conquest against England, which was completed by Svend's son Canute the Great by the middle of the 11th century. The reign of Knud represented the peak of the Danish Viking age. King Knud's North Sea Empire included Denmark (1018), Norway (1028), England (1035) and held strong influence over the north-eastern coast of Germany.

Medieval Denmark

From the Viking age towards the end of the 13th century, the kingdom of Denmark consisted of Jutland, north from the Elder River and the islands of Zealand, Funen, Bornholm, Skåne, Halland and Blekinge. From the end of the 13th century the lands between Eider River and the river Kongeåen were separated from the kingdom as two vassal duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. In 1658 Skåne, Halland and Blekinge were ceded to Sweden.

Following the end of the 11th century, Denmark underwent a transition from a decentralized realm with a weak and semi-elected royal institution and little to no nobility, into a realm which more reflected European feudalism, with a powerful king ruling through an influential nobility. The period is marked by internal strife and the generally weak geopolitical position of the realm, which for long stretches fell under German influence. The period also featured the first of large stone buildings (mostly churches), a deep penetration by the Christian faith, the appearance of monastic orders in Denmark and the first written historical works such as the Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes"). German political as well as religious influence firmly ended in the last decades of the 12th century under the rule of King Valdemar the Great and his foster brother Absalon Hvide, Archbishop of Lund; through successful wars against Wend peoples of northeast Germany and the German Empire.

The tomb of Margrethe I in Roskilde Cathedral.

A high point was reached during the reign of Valdemar II, who led the formation of a Danish "Baltic Sea Empire", which by 1221 extended control from Estonia in the east to Norway in the north. In this period several of the "regional" law codes were given; notably the Code of Jutland from 1241, which asserted several modern concepts like right of property; "that the king cannot rule without and beyond the law"; "and that all men are equal to the law". Following the death of Valdemar II in 1241 and to the ascension of Valdemar IV in 1340, the kingdom was in general decline due to internal strife and the rise of the Hanseatic League. The competition between the sons of Valdemar II, had the longterm result that the southern parts of Jutland were separated from the kingdom of Denmark and became semi-independent vassal duchies/counties.

During the reign of Valdemar IV and his daughter Margrethe I, the realm was re-invigorated and following the Battle of Falköping, Margrethe I had her sister's son, Eric of Pomerania crowned King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden after the signing of the union charter of Kalmar (The Kalmar Union), Trinity Sunday 1397. Much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on the June 17, 1523 as Swedish King Gustav Vasa conquered the city of Stockholm. Denmark and Norway remained in a personal union until the Congress of Vienna, 1814. The Protestant Reformation came to Scandinavia in the 1530's, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536.

Modern history

File:Da-map.png
Map of Denmark

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King Christian IV attacked Sweden in the 1611–13 Kalmar War but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing Sweden to return to the union with Denmark. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a war indemnity of 1 million silver riksdaler to Denmark, an amount known as the Älvsborg ransom.[7] King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably Glückstadt (founded as a rival to Hamburg), Christiania (following a fire destroying the original city), Christianshavn, Christianstad, and Christiansand. Christian also constructed a number of buildings, most notably Børsen, Rundetårn, Nyboder, Rosenborg, a silver mine and a copper mill. Inspired by the Dutch East India Company, he founded a similar Danish company and planned to claim Sri Lanka as a colony but the company only managed to acquire Tranquebar on India's Coromandel Coast. In the Thirty Year's War, Christian tried to become the leader of the Lutheran states in Germany, but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Lutter resulting in a Catholic army under Albrecht von Wallenstein occupying and pillaging Jutland. Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. In 1643, Swedish armies invaded Jutland and in 1644 Skåne. In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro, Denmark surrendered Halland, Gotland, the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. In 1657, King Frederick III declared war on Sweden and marched on Bremen-Verden. This led to a massive Danish defeat and the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered both Jutland, Funen and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658 which gave Sweden control of Skåne, Blekinge, Trøndelag and the island of Bornholm. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having destroyed Denmark completely and in August 1658 he began a two-year long siege of Copenhagen but failed to take the capital. In the following peace settlement, Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm.

Denmark tried to regain control of Skåne in the Scanian War (1675-79) but it ended in failure. Following the Great Northern War (1700–21), Denmark managed to restore control of the parts of Schleswig and Holstein ruled by the house of Holstein-Gottorp in 1721 and 1773, respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark originally tried to pursue a policy of neutrality to continue the lucrative trade with both France and the United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Sweden and Prussia. The British considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in both 1801 and 1807, in one case carrying off the Danish fleet, in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. These events mark the end of the prosperous Florissant Age and resulted in the Dano-British Gunboat War. British control over the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813, Denmark-Norway went bankrupt. The post-Napoleonic Congress of Vienna demanded the dissolution of the Dano-Norwegian union, and this was confirmed by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814. Denmark-Norway had briefly hoped to restore the Scandinavian union in 1809, but these hopes were dashed when the estates of Sweden rejected a proposal to let Frederick VI of Denmark succeed the deposed Gustav IV Adolf and instead gave the crown to Charles XIII. Norway entered a new union with Sweden which lasted until 1905. Denmark kept the colonies of Iceland, Faroe Islands and Greenland. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Denmark ruled over Danish India (Tranquebar in India) from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies (the U.S. Virgin Islands) from 1671 to 1917.

File:Grundlovgivende rigsforsamling - Constantin Hansen.jpg
Den Grundlovsgivende Rigsforsamling (The Constitutional Assembly. The Assembly created The Danish constitution), 1860–1864 painting by Constantin Hansen.

The Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and after the European Revolutions of 1848 Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. After the Second War of Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig) in 1864, Denmark was forced to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia, in a defeat that left deep marks on the Danish national identity. After these events, Denmark returned to its traditional policy of neutrality, also keeping Denmark neutral in World War I. Following the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the then-German region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism, Denmark refused to consider the return of the area and insisted on a plebiscite concerning the return of Schleswig. The two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March, respectively. On 5 July 1920 after the plebiscite and the King's signature (6 July) on the reunion document, Northern Schleswig (Sønderjylland) was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 km². The reunion day (Genforeningsdag) is celebrated every year 15 June on Valdemarsdag.

Germany's invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940 – codenamed Operation Weserübung – met only two hours of military resistance before the Danish government surrendered. Economic co-operation between Germany and Denmark continued until 1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and the Navy sank most of the Danish fleet and sent as many of their officers as they could to Sweden. During the war, the government was extremely helpful towards Jews living in the country, and the resistance managed to get most of the Jews to Sweden and safety. Denmark led many "inside operations" or sabotage against the German facilities. Iceland severed ties to Denmark and became an independent republic, and in 1948 the Faroe Islands gained home rule. After the war, Denmark became one of the founding members of the United Nations and NATO and in 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) after a public referendum. Greenland gained home rule in 1979.

Politics

The Kingdom of Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. As stipulated in the Danish Constitution, the monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and his or her person is sacrosanct. The monarch appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister and other ministers. Before being validated through royal assent, all bills and important government measures must be discussed in Statsrådet, a privy council headed by the monarch. The Danish privy council's protocols are secret.

File:Dronning Margerethe 5 sep 2004 .jpg
Queen Margrethe II

While executive authority belongs to the monarch (as head of state), legislative authority is vested in the executive (Prime Minister) and the Danish parliament conjointly. Judicial authority lies with the courts of justice.

Executive authority is exercised on behalf of the monarch by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers who head departments. The cabinet, including the Prime Minister, and other ministers collectively make up the government. These ministers are responsible to Folketinget (the Danish Parliament), the legislative body, which is traditionally considered to be supreme (that is, able to legislate on any matter and not bound by decisions of its predecessors).

The Folketing is the national legislature. It has the ultimate legislative authority according to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, however questions over sovereignty have been brought forward because of Denmark’s entry into the European Union. In theory however, the doctrine prevails. Parliament consists of 179 members elected by proportional majority. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within the powers of the Prime Minister to call one at his discretion before this period has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence the parliament may force a single minister or the entire government to resign.

The Danish political system has traditionally generated coalitions. Most Danish post-war governments have been minority coalitions ruling with parliamentary support.[8]

Since November 2001, the Danish Prime Minister has been Anders Fogh Rasmussen from the Venstre party, a center-right liberal party. The government is a coalition consisting of Venstre and the Conservative People's Party, with parliamentary support from the Danish People's Party (Dansk Folkeparti). The three parties obtained a parliamentary major in the 2001 elections and maintained it virtually unchanged in the 2005 election. On 24 October 2007 an early election was called by the Prime Minister for 13 November. Following the election the Danish People's party was strengthened while Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen's Venstre lost 6 mandates and the Conservative Party retained the same amount of seats in Parliament as prior to the election. The result ensured that Anders Fogh Rasmussen could continue as Prime Minister for a third term.

Religion

Burial mound from the 900s in Jelling churchyard

According to official statistics from January 2006, 83.0% [9] of Danes are members of the Lutheran state church, the Danish People's Church (Den Danske Folkekirke), also known as the Church of Denmark. According to article 6 of the Constitution, the Royal family must belong to this Church. 4% of the Danish population adhere to Islam, and other religions in Denmark include non-Lutheran Christian denominations. The oldest state recognised religious societies and churches are:

  • The Catholic Church in Denmark] recognized by the state since 1682
  • The Reformed Church recognized by the state since 1682.
  • Det Mosaiske Troessamfund, the main Jewish organisation in Denmark, recognised by the state since 1682.

Religion, religious societies and churches do not need to be state-recognised in Denmark and can be granted the right to perform weddings etc. without this recognition.

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[10] 31% of Danish citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 49% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 19% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Economy

Denmark's market economy features very efficient agriculture, up-to-date small-scale and corporate industry, extensive government welfare measures, very high living standards, a stable currency, and high dependence on foreign trade. Denmark is a net exporter of food and energy and has a comfortable balance of payments surplus and zero net foreign debt. Also of importance is the sea territory of more than 105,000 km² (40,000+ sq mi).

The Danish economy is highly unionised; 75% of its labour force are members of a trade union. Most trade unions take part in the organized system of trade unions, the organization at the highest level being the so-called LO, the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions. However, increasing numbers in the labour force choose not to become members of a trade union or to become members of one of the trade unions outside the organized system (often referred to as the yellow, in Danish gule, trade unions).

Relationships between unions and employers are generally cooperative: unions often have a day-to-day role in managing the workplace, and their representatives sit on most companies' board of directors. Rules on work schedules and pay are negotiated between unions and employers, with minimal government involvement. The unemployment rate for December 2007 was 2.7%, for a total of 74,900 persons, a reduction by 112,800 persons - 2,400 per month - or 60% since December 2003.[11]

In the area of sickness and unemployment, the right to benefit is always dependent on former employment and at times also on membership of an unemployment fund, which is almost always -but need not be- administered by a trade union, and the previous payment of contributions. However, the largest share of the financing is still carried by the central government and is financed from general taxation, and only to a minor degree from earmarked contributions.

The Danish welfare model is accompanied by a taxation system that is both broad based (25% VAT and excise) and with high income tax rates (minimum tax rate for adults is 39.6%).

Denmark is home to many multi-national companies, among them: A. P. Moller-Maersk Group (Maersk - international shipping), Lego (children's toys), Bang & Olufsen (hi-fi equipment), Carlsberg (beer), Vestas (wind turbines), and the pharmaceutical companies Lundbeck and Novo Nordisk.

Main exports include: Animal Foodstuffs, Chemicals, Dairy Products, Electronic Equipment, Fish, Furniture, Leather, Machinery, Meat, Oil and Gas, and Sugar.[12]

Demographics

The majority of the population is of Scandinavian descent, with small groups of Inuit (from Greenland), Faroese, and immigrants. Immigrants make up 6 percent of the total population, mostly coming from neighboring northern European countries, but a growing and increasingly disparaged number originate from southern Europe and the Middle East.

Denmark’s population (as at 1 January 2008) was 5,475,791, giving Denmark a population density of 129.16 inhabitants per km2 (334.53 inh/sq mi).[13]. As in most countries, the population is not distributed evenly. Although the land area east of the Great Belt only makes up 9,622 km² (3,715 sq mi), 22.7% of Denmark's land area, as of 1 January 2008 it has 45% (2,465,348) of the population. The average population density of this area is 256.2 inhabitants per km² (663.6 per sq mi). The average density in the west of the country (32,772 km²/12,653 sq mi) is 91.86/km² (237.91 per sq mi) (3,010,443 people) (2008).

Danish is spoken in the entire country, although a small group near the German border also speaks German. Many Danes are fluent in English as well, particularly those in larger cities and young people, who are taught it in school.

Nearly seven out of eight Danes are members of the state church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, also known as the Church of Denmark. In fact, at birth all Danes are considered to belong to the national church. The rest are primarily of other Christian denominations, and about 2 percent are Muslims. For the last decade, the Church of Denmark has seen a decline in its membership. In recent years, religious groups celebrating old Viking gods have appeared.

Great Danes

The most well-known Dane around the world is probably Hans Christian Andersen, a nineteenth-century writer famous for such children's stories as The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, and The Ugly Duckling.

Many Danes explored the North Atlantic and may have discovered America before Columbus. The most famous of these explorers was Vitus Bering. He traveled east between 1728 and 1741 in the service of the Russian navy and discovered Alaska at the northwest end of the Americas in 1741, the last year of his life. He died on what was later named Bering Island, near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. His name also lives on in the Bering Sea and the Bering Strait.

Before that, Tycho Brahe, who lived and worked in the part of southern Sweden, then part of Denmark, made important advances in the field of astronomy in the late seventeenth century. His achievements were based on the pioneering technique of making many repeated observations of the heavens and cataloguing what he saw and measured. In his last years, his assistant was Johannes Kepler, a German who developed several astronomical theories from Tycho's data.

Søren Kierkegaard, a philosopher and theologian of the nineteenth century, is generally recognized as the first existentialist writer. Much of his work was done in reaction to the Danish Church and the emptiness he felt there. He had a profound impact on later philosophers, particularly of the twentieth century.

The most famous Danish scientist was Niels Bohr who was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics for his work on atomic structure and quantum mechanics.

Culture

Though Denmark is known, like its Swedish neighbor, for a certain sexual permissiveness among its populace, the Danish government has gone a step farther to allow pornography, even of the basest variety, to be sold and distributed for many years before the same became widely available over the Internet.

Danes often disagree about the content and value of their culture and customs. In fact, one strong characteristic is their tendency to borrow easily from foreign cultures. If some cultural trait from overseas is seen and enjoyed firsthand by just a few people, it can spread and be adopted by the general population in a relatively short time.

A high regard for the national flag and its colors is common, especially on festive, celebratory occasions. Visitors have also noted an enjoyment by Danes of sitting, and even standing, in close and cozy arrangements.

Because the winter darkness lasts so long in Denmark, there is a strong tradition in Danish homes not only to have a fire blazing in the fireplace but to light up rooms with candles—even scores of candles—are said to bring as much light back into their lives and abodes as possible.

Most Danes feel, however, that the main cohesive factor in their national identity is their language. Danish gives them something that shows they are a community of common experience.

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  1. ↑ Michaelsen (2002), p. 19.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nielsen, Poul Otto (May 2003). Denmark: History, Prehistory. Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2006-05-01.
  3. ↑ Busck and Poulsen (ed.) (2002), p. 20.
  4. ↑ Jordanes; translated by Charles C. Mierow (April 22, 1997). The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, chapter III. Retrieved 2006-05-01.
  5. ↑ Busck and Poulsen (ed.) (2002), p. 19.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Michaelsen (2002), pp. 122–23.
  7. ↑ Kalmarkriget 1611-1613. Svenskt Militärhistoriskt Bibliotek. Retrieved 2007-05-04.(Swedish)
  8. ↑ Radikale ved historisk skillevej. Berlingske Tidende (2007-06-17). Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  9. ↑ (Danish) Membership Lutheran state church
  10. ↑ Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
  11. ↑ Ledigheden faldt til 2,7 pct.. Statistics Denmark.
  12. ↑ http://www.atlapedia.com/online/countries/denmark.htm
  13. ↑ (Danish)Nyt fra Danmarks Statistik
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