Denmark
![denmark](Denmark_files/image002.gif)
The Kingdom of Denmark,
commonly known as Denmark, is a nation situated in Scandinavia
in northern Europe. It is the southernmost of
the Nordic countries. The mainland is bordered to the south by Germany; Denmark
is located to the southwest of Sweden
and the south of Norway.
Denmark borders both the
Baltic and the North Sea. The country consists
of a large peninsula, Jutland and a large number
of islands. Denmark has long
controlled the approach to the Baltic Sea, and
these waters are also known as the Danish straits. The Faroe Islands and
Greenland are autonomous provinces of Denmark with home rule.
Denmark remained its neutrality in World War I
and was invaded by Germany
in 1940. Economic co-operation between Germany
and Denmark continued until
1943, when the Danish government refused further co-operation and the Navy sank
most of the Danish fleet and sent as many of their officers as they could to Sweden. During
the war, the government was extremely helpful towards Jews living in the
country, and the resistance managed to get most of the Jews to Sweden and
safety. After the war, Denmark
became one of the founding members of the United Nations and NATO and in 1973,
along with Britain and Ireland, joined the European
Economic Community (now the European Union) after a public
referendum.