Denmark is a country situated on the Jutland Peninsula, extending northward from the center of continental western Europe, and encompassing an archipelago of over 400 islands to the east of the peninsula. Jutland constitutes more than two-thirds of the country’s total land area, with the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at its northern tip, separated from the mainland by the Lim Fjord. The largest islands in Denmark include Zealand, Vendsyssel-Thy, and Funen. Zealand, with the capital Copenhagen, is the most significant, covering 2,715 square miles (7,031 square km).
As part of the northern European region known as Scandinavia, Denmark shares this designation with Norway and Sweden. Despite its small size in terms of territory and population, Denmark has played a notable role in European history. In prehistoric times, the Vikings from Denmark and other Scandinavian regions significantly influenced European society through marauding, trading, and colonizing expeditions. During the Middle Ages, the Danish crown exerted dominance over northwestern Europe through the Kalmar Union.
In later centuries, Denmark, leveraging geographic conditions conducive to maritime industries, formed trading alliances across northern and western Europe and beyond, especially with Great Britain and the United States. Denmark has also made significant contributions to world culture and developed humane governmental institutions, along with cooperative and nonviolent approaches to problem-solving.
