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 PICTURES OF HEAVEN |
Denmark is the smallest of the Scandinavian nations other than Iceland. Located between the North Sea on the west and the Baltic Sea on the southeast, Denmark is separated from Norway by the Skagerrak and from Sweden by the Kattegat and the Oresund. In the south, it shares a 68 km (43 mi) 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. Today, with much of its agricultural and industrial output is exported, the country has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Through high taxes, Denmark enjoys one of the most advanced systems of government - provided welfare and social services in the world. ...... Population: 5,249,632 Jutland accounts for about 70% of Denmark's area. 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. The highest point in the country, Yding Skovhoj, rises to 173 m (568 ft) in east-central Jutland. Denmark has a population consisting of Nordic Scandinavians. A significant German minority lives primarily in south Jutland. Danish is the official language. Faeroese, spoken in the Faeroe Islands, is a related language. Greenlander, an Eskimo tongue, is spoken in Greenland. The Evangelical Lutheran church (established in 1536) is supported by the state, and about 95% of the population are members. There is complete religious tolerance. The Roman Catholic church, the largest minority, has about 28,000 members.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. Christianity, first introduced in 826, became widespread during Canute's reign. In 1448 the house of Oldenburg was established on the throne in the person of Christian I. During the reign (1534-59) of Christian III, the reformation brought the establishment of a national Lutheran church. In the following century Christian IV intervened in the Thirty Years' War (1618-48) as a champion of Protestantism. 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. During World War I, Denmark maintained neutrality. At the beginning of World War II, despite a declaration of neutrality, Denmark was occupied by Germany (Apr. 9, 1940). On May 5, 1945, the Germans capitulated, and the country was liberated. Iceland had become fully independent in 1944. The Faeroe Islands received home rule in 1948, and Greenland became an integral part of Denmark under the new constitution of 1953 and received home rule in 1979. Denmark joined the European Community in 1973.
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Johannes 1: 1-14
