Denmark: Difference between revisions

{{about|the constituent country|the sovereign state and constitutional monarchy|Kingdom of Denmark|other uses}}

{{pp-move-indef}}

{{Infobox country

|latd = 55

|longm = 34

|longEW = E

|conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Denmark

|native_name = {{native name|da|Danmark}}

|image_coat = National Coat of arms of Denmark.svg

|alt_flag = Red with a white cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side

|national_anthem = ''[[Der er et yndigt land]]''<br/>{{small|There is a lovely country}}<br /><center>[[File:United States Navy Band - Der er et yndigt land.ogg]]

----<!-- Royal and national anthem -->''[[Kong Christian stod ved højen mast]]''{{refn|''Kong Christian'' has equal status as a [[national anthem]] but is generally used only on [[royal anthem|royal]] and military occasions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Not one but two national anthems|url=http://denmark.dk/en/quick-facts/national-anthems/|work=Denmark.dk|publisher=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark]]|accessdate=18 May 2014}}</ref>|group="N"}}<br/>{{small|King Christian stood by the lofty mast}}<br />[[File:United States Navy Band - Kong Kristian stod ved højen mast.ogg]]

|map_width = 250px

|map_caption = Location of '''Denmark'''<ref name="proper" group="N" /> (dark green), in [[Europe]] (dark grey) and in the [[European Union]] (light green)

|government_type = {{nowrap|[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]]<br>[[constitutional monarchy]]}}

|leader_title1 = [[Monarchy of Denmark|Monarch]]

|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Denmark|Prime Minister]]

|leader_title3 = [[List of Speakers of the Folketing|Speaker]]

|membership_type = Sovereign state

|membership = {{flag|Kingdom of Denmark}}

===Prehistory===

 

The earliest [[Archaeology of Denmark|archaeological findings in Denmark]] date back to the [[Eemian|Eem interglacial period]] from 130,000–110,000 [[Anno Domini|BC]].<ref>Michaelsen (2002), p. 19.</ref> Denmark has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC.<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=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark]]|accessdate=1 May 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051122020555/http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap6/6-1.asp |archivedate=22 November 2005}}</ref> The [[Nordic Bronze Age]] (1800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by [[Tumulus|burial mounds]], which left an abundance of findings including [[lur]]s and the [[Trundholm sun chariot|Sun Chariot]].

 

===Viking and Middle Ages===

{{Main article|Viking Age|Kalmar Union}}

From the 8th to the 10th century the wider [[History of Scandinavia|Scandinavia]]n region was the source of [[Vikings]]. They colonised, raided, and traded in all parts of Europe. The Danish Vikings were most active in the eastern and southern [[British Isles]] and [[Western Europe]]. They conquered and settled parts of [[England]] (known as the [[Danelaw]]) under King [[Sweyn Forkbeard]] in 1013, and [[France]] where Danes and Norwegians founded [[Normandy]] with [[Rollo]] as head of state. More [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] [[pence]] of this period have been found in Denmark than in England.<ref name="Lund">*{{cite web|last=Lund |first=Niels |date=May 2003 |url=http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap6/6-2.asp |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060510174200/http://www.um.dk/Publikationer/UM/English/Denmark/kap6/6-2.asp |archivedate=10 May 2006 |title=Denmark – History – The Viking Age |work=Denmark |publisher=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark]] |accessdate=24 June 2012 |deadurl=yes |df=dmy }}</ref>

 

Denmark was largely consolidated by the late 8th century and its rulers are consistently referred to in [[Frankish language|Frankish]] sources as kings (''reges''). Under the reign of [[Gudfred]] in 804 the Danish kingdom may have included all the [[Lands of Denmark|lands]] of Jutland, [[Scania]] and the Danish islands, excluding Bornholm.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.dk/books?id=UmFrVUb5DSwC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=danish%20kingdom%20king%20godfred&source=bl&ots=V3wbLXqGvB&sig=WBFJDgsTKn2B1F02EHGMASTgNBU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxucH70OfOAhVhP5oKHbVVAbwQ6AEIRzAI#v=onepage&q=danish%20kingdom%20king%20godfred&f=false|title=Christianization and the Rise of Christian Monarchy: Scandinavia, Central Europe and Rus' c.900–1200|first=Nora|last=Berend|date=22 November 2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|via=Google Books}}</ref>

The extant Danish monarchy traces its roots back to [[Gorm the Old]], who established his reign in the early 10th century.{{sfn|Stone|Bain|Booth|Parnell|2008|p=31}} As attested by the [[Jelling stones]], the Danes were [[Christianised]] around 965 by [[Harald Bluetooth]], the son of [[Gorm the Old|Gorm]]. It is believed that Denmark became Christian for political reasons so as not to get invaded by the rising [[Holy Roman Empire|Christian power]] in Europe, the [[Holy Roman Empire]], which was an important trading area for the Danes. In that case, Harald built six [[fortresses]] around Denmark called [[Viking ring fortress|Trelleborg]] and built a further [[Danevirke]]. In the early 11th century, [[Canute the Great]] won and united Denmark, England, and [[Norway]] for almost 30 years with a Scandinavian army.<ref name="Lund"/>

{{main article|Denmark–Norway|Danish colonial empire}}

 

After Sweden permanently [[Foundation of modern Sweden|broke away]] from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour. King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV]] attacked Sweden in the 1611–1613 [[Kalmar War]] but failed to accomplish his main objective of forcing it to return to the union. The war led to no territorial changes, but Sweden was forced to pay a [[war reparations|war indemnity]] of 1 million [[silver]] [[riksdaler]] to Denmark, an amount known as the ''[[Treaty of Stettin (1570)|Älvsborg ransom]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smb.nu/svenskakrig/1611.asp |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011111014/http://smb.nu/svenskakrig/1611.asp |archivedate=11 October 2007 |title=Kalmarkriget 1611–1613 |accessdate=4 May 2007 |publisher=Svenskt Militärhistoriskt Bibliotek |deadurl=no |df=dmy }}</ref> King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably [[Glückstadt]] (founded as a rival to [[Hamburg]]) and [[Oslo|Christiania]]. Inspired by the [[Dutch East India Company]], he founded a similar [[Danish East India Company|Danish company]] and planned to claim [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]] as a colony, but the company only managed to acquire [[Tharangambadi|Tranquebar]] on India's [[Coromandel Coast]]. Denmark's large colonial aspirations were limited to a few key [[trading posts]] in [[Africa]] and [[India]]. The empire was sustained by trade with other major powers, and [[plantation]]s – ultimately a lack of resources led to its stagnation.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-first=James Stuart |editor1-last=Olson |editor2-first=Robert |editor2-last=Shadle |year=1991 |title=Historical Dictionary of European Imperialism |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uyqepNdgUWkC&pg=PA167&lpg=PA167|accessdate=15 May 2014}}</ref>