Denmark
Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Kongeriget Danmark) is the southernmost and territorially the smallest of the five Nordic countries if its offshore territories are excluded, and the largest if they are included.
History
Denmark is one of the Scandinavian, therefore Northern Germanic countries of Europe. The mainland is located north of its only land neighbour, Germany, southwest of Sweden, and south of Norway. Denmark also encompasses two off-shore territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, granted home rule in 1979 and 1948 respectively. The national capital is Copenhagen.
Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists of a large peninsula, Jutland, which borders northern Germany, plus a large number of islands, most notably Zealand, Funen, Vendsyssel-Thy, Lolland, Falster and Bornholm as well as hundreds of minor islands often referred to as the Danish Archipelago. Denmark has historically controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea, and these waters are also known as the Danish straits.
Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and has been a member of the European Union (EU) since joining the European Economic Community in 1973. The Faroe Islands and Greenland remain outside the EU, including the EU customs zone.
Originally relying on farming, fishing and seafaring and without major natural resources, Denmark experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 19th and early 20th century. These trends enabled the establishment of a Scandinavian Model "welfare state" of public services, starting with the 1933 social reforms known as the Kanslergade Agreement.
Denmark was occupied by Germany during World War II (Operation Weserübung) and many Danes served as volunteers in Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. Ending a tradition of political neutrality in 1949, it became one of the founding members of NATO. It also rated the third most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 survey by Global Peace Index.
See also
- Danish People's Party
- National Socialist Movement of Denmark
- National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark
