Denmark


Doug-About
Denmark (Danmark:  "border district of the Danes")
Denmark, located between the North Sea (west), the Baltic Sea (southeast) is the smallest of the Scandinavian nations other than Iceland.  
Denmark is separated from Norway by the SKAGERRAK and from Sweden by the KATTEGAT and the ORESUND., and shares a southern border with Germany.  
The FAEROE ISLANDS and GREENLAND have been part of Denmark since the 14th century and are now self-governing units within the nation.
The name Denmark was first used during the 9th century, subsequently ruling over much of Scandinavia, which developed a common Nordic culture., while being influenced by German culture due to their close proximity.  
Most of Denmark consists of JUTLAND, a peninsula jutting into the North and Baltic Seas.  
The rest of the land consists of nearby islands, including Bornholm, Zealand, Falster, Fyn, and Lolland, and approximately 500 smaller islands, about 100 of which are inhabited.  
More than 75% of Denmark lies below 100 m and is flat or gently undulating.

HISTORY
Remains from the Stone, Bronze, and Iron ages have been found in Denmark, and rich grave finds from the VIKING period (c.800-1050) reveal active Danish participation in Viking explorations.  
By 878 the Danes had conquered northern and eastern England.  
In the 11th century King CANUTE (r.1014-35) ruled over a vast kingdom that included present-day Denmark, England, Norway, southern Sweden, and parts of Finland.  
After his death, Canute's empire disintegrated.

During the 13th century, Waldemar II (r.1202-41) conquered present-day Schleswig-Holstein, Pomerania, Mecklenburg, and Estonia and reestablished the nation as a great power in northern Europe.  
Soon, however, a civil war between the nobles and the king vying for control of the country erupted.  
Christopher II (r.1320-32) was forced to make major concessions to the nobles and clergy at the expense of royal power, which was also eroded by the influence of the German merchants. 
Waldemar IV (r.1340-75) restored royal authority, and his daughter Margaret I (r.1387-1412) created the Kalmar Union, which included Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Faeroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and part of Finland.  
In 1520 Sweden and Finland revolted, seceding in 1523, but the union continued until 1814.

CHRISTIAN I established the throne of the house of Oldenburg in 1448.  
CHRISTIAN IV intervened in the THIRTY YEARS' WAR (1618-48) as a champion of Protestantism.  
A series of wars with Sweden resulted in territorial losses, but the Great NORTHERN WAR (1700-21) brought some restoration of Danish power in the Baltic.

In 1814, Denmark, which had sided with Napoleonic France after British attacks on Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807, was forced to cede Norway to Sweden and Helgoland to England.  
In 1864, Schleswig-Holstein and Lauenburg were lost in a war with Prussia.  
In 1849, King Frederick VII (1848-63) authorized a new constitution instituting a representative form of government.  
During World War I, Denmark maintained neutrality, after which, North Schleswig returned to Denmark following a plebiscite, and the present southern border with Germany was established.
At the beginning of World War II, despite a declaration of neutrality, Denmark was occupied by Germany (1940) and was liberated in 1945.  
Iceland recieved independence in 1944.  
The Faeroe Islands (1948), Greenland (1979) both attained home rule.  
Denmark remains a constitutional monarchy, with a unicameral legislature 'the Folketing' which includes members from Greenland and the Faeroes. 

Border territories

Tactics

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