The Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark (help·info), IPA: [%u02C8d%u0325ænm%u0251%u0261%u030A], (archaic:) IPA: [%u02C8d%u0325anm%u0251%u02D0%u0261%u030 A]), commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries. The mainland is bordered to the south by Germany; Denmark is southwest of Sweden and south of Norway. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland (Jylland) and many islands, most notably Zealand (Sjælland), Funen (Fyn), Vendsyssel-Thy, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Denmark has long controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea, and these waters are also known as the Danish straits. The Faroe Islands and Greenland are autonomous provinces of Denmark with home rule.
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. Denmark has a state-level government and local governments in 98 municipalities. Denmark is a member of NATO and the European Union, having joined the European Economic Community in 1973. Denmark has not joined the Eurozone.
Originally a seafaring nation relying on fishing, farming and trade, Denmark experienced steady industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries. Denmark had the world's 3rd highest GDP per capita in 1970. Between 1970 and 1990 the level of taxation and regulation increased dramatically as Denmark adopted the Nordic model welfare state. After falling sharply behind in prosperity, unemployment and other indicators, Denmark took steps in economic liberalization in the 1980s and 1990s, including abolishing almost all job market regulation. Despite relatively high taxation, the economy is otherwise quite unregulated and Index of Economic Freedom ranks Denmark the world's 11th most economically free country (4th in Europe).
In 2006 and 2007, surveys[1] ranked Denmark as "the happiest place in the world," based on standards of health, welfare, and education. The national capital and the largest city, Copenhagen, was ranked the third most liveable city in the world by Monocle magazine in 2007.[2] The national language Danish is close to Swedish and Norwegian, which they share strong cultural and historical ties with. 82.0% of the inhabitants of Denmark and 90,3% of the ethnic Danes are members of the Lutheran state church. About 9% of residents are citizens of other countries.
The etymology of the word Denmark, and especially the relationship between Danes and Denmark and the unifying of Denmark as a single Kingdom is a subject that attracts some debate.[3][4] The debate is centered primarily around the prefix 'Dan' and whether it refer to the Dani or a historical person Dan and the exact meaning of the -mark ending. The issue is further complicated by a number of references to various Dani people in Scandinavian or other places in Europe in ancient Greek and Roman accounts (like Ptolemy, Jordanes and Gregory of Tours), as well as some medieval literature (like Adam of Bremen, Beowulf, Widsith and Poetic Edda).
Most handbooks derive[5] the first part of the word, and the name of the people, from a word meaning "flat land", related to German Tenne "threshing floor", English den "cave", Sanskrit dhánu%u1E63- "desert". The -mark is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see marches), with probable references to the border forests in south Schleswig,[6] maybe similar to Finnmark, Telemark or Dithmarschen.[7]
[edit]Mythological explanations
Some of the earliest descriptions of the origin of the word 'Denmark', describing a territory, are found in the Chronicon Lethrense (12th century), Svend Aagesen (late 12th century), Saxo Grammaticus (early 13th century) and the Ballad of Eric (mid 15th century). There are however many more Danish annals and yearbooks containing various other details, similar tales in other variations, other names or spelling variations, and so on.
The Chronicon Lethrense explains that when the Roman Emperor Augustus went against Denmark in the time of David, Denmark consisted of the territory Jutland, Funen, Zealand, Møn, Falster, Lolland and Skåne, but was not called Denmark (Dania) because they were governed by the Swedish king Ypper.[8] He had three sons, Nori, Østen and Dan. Dan was sent to govern Zealand, Møn, Falster and Lolland, which became known jointly as Videslev. When the Jutes were fighting Emperor Augustus they called upon Dan to help and upon victory made him king of Jutland, Fuen, Videslev and Skåne. After a council about what to call this new united land, they named it Denmark (Dania) after the new king, Dan. Saxo relates that the legendary Danish King Dan, son of Humbli, gave the name to the Danish people, though he does not expressly state that he also is the origin of the word "Denmark". Rather he tells that England ultimately derives its name from Dan's brother Angle. As a side note, however, Saxo also tells that the Norman historian Dudo of Saint-Quentin had already written that the Danish people and Denmark derived their name from the Dacian people of modern day Romania and northern Bulgaria. From Dudo we hear that Rollo was expelled from Dacia and went to Scania with six boats. In the Ballad of Eric we hear that the Gothic king Humli set his son Dan to rule the settlers of a territory called Vetala, and after Dan, Vetala was named Denmark.
[edit]Earliest occurrences
The Jelling Stones, commonly referred to as Denmark's "birth certificate", seen from the north with "Gorm's Mound" in the background.
The earliest mention of a territory called "Denmark" is found in King Alfred the Great's modified translation into Old English of Paulus Orosius' Seven Books of History Against The Pagans ["Historiarum adversum Paganos Libri Septem"], written by Alfred when king of Wessex in the years 871-899. In a passage introduced to the text by Alfred, we read about Ohthere from Hålogaland's travels in the Nordic region, during which 'Denmark [Denamearc] was on his [port side]... And then for two days he had on his [port side] the islands which belong to Denmark'.[9]
The earliest mention of the word "Denmark" within Denmark itself is found on the two rune stones at Jelling, believed to have been erected by Gorm the Old (c. 955) and Harald Bluetooth (c. 965). The larger stone of the two is often cited as Denmark's birth certificate, though both use the word "Denmark", in the form of (acc.) tanmaurk [danm%u0252rk] (large Jelling stone) and (gen.) tanmarkaR [danmarka%u027D] (small Jelling stone).[10] The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani [dan%u026A] ("Danes" in the acc.).
In the Song of Roland, estimated to have been written between 1040 and 1115, though the oldest manuscript dates to 1140-1170, the first mention of the legendary Danish hero Holger Danske appears, who is specifically mentioned, several times, as "Holger of Denmark" (Oger de Denemarche)
[edit]History
Main article: History of Denmark
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 BC in the Eem interglacial period.[11] People have inhabited Denmark since about 12,500 BC and agriculture has been in evidence since 3,900 BC.[12] The Nordic Bronze Age (1,800-600 BC) 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 BC - AD 1), native groups began migrating south, although[12] the first Danish people came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the Germanic Iron Age,[13]