148-596: Sorensen , or Sorenson , is a surname of Danish origin. The basic derivation is "son of Søren", the Danish variety of the name Severin . The name almost exclusively comes from Danish or Norwegian emigrants named Sørensen who altered the spelling of their names when they moved to countries outside Scandinavia whose orthographies do not use the letter ø . Notable people with this surname include: Denmark – in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in
296-605: A Ministry of Environment and was the first country in the world to implement an environmental law in 1973. To mitigate environmental degradation and global warming the Danish Government has signed the Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol . However, the national ecological footprint is 8.26 global hectares per person, which is very high compared to a world average of 1.7 in 2010. Contributing factors to this value are an exceptional high value for cropland but also
444-614: A temperate climate, characterised by cool to cold winters, with mean temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and mild summers, with a mean temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The most extreme temperatures recorded in Denmark, since 1874 when recordings began, was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in 1975 and −31.2 °C (−24.2 °F) in 1982. Denmark has an average of 179 days per year with precipitation, on average receiving
592-581: A temperate climate . Denmark exercises hegemonic influence in the Danish Realm , devolving powers to handle internal affairs. Home rule was established in the Faroe Islands in 1948. Greenland obtained home rule in 1979 and further autonomy in 2009. The unified Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century AD as a maritime power amid the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea . In 1397, it formed
740-542: A two-chamber parliament . Denmark faced war against both Prussia and the Austrian Empire in what became known as the Second Schleswig War , lasting from February to October 1864. Denmark was defeated and obliged to cede Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia . This loss came as the latest in the long series of defeats and territorial losses that had begun in the 17th century. After these events, Denmark pursued
888-419: A "Scandinavian model" economy, with high taxes and a robust welfare state. Socialist economists Pranab Bardhan and John Roemer criticize Nordic-style social democracy for its questionable effectiveness in promoting relative egalitarianism as well as its sustainability . They posit that Nordic social democracy requires a strong labour movement to sustain the heavy redistribution required, arguing that it
1036-597: A 2017 study, economists James Heckman and Rasmus Landersøn compared American and Danish social mobility, and found that social mobility is not as high as figures might suggest in the Nordic countries, although they did find that Denmark ranks higher in income mobility. When looking exclusively at wages (before taxes and transfers), Danish and American social mobility are very similar; it is only after taxes and transfers are taken into account that Danish social mobility improves, indicating that Danish economic redistribution policies are
1184-439: A broader perspective on well-being incorporating, such as social issues associated with bodily integrity or bodily citizenship, then some major forms of men's domination still stubbornly persist in the Nordic countries, e.g. business, violence to women, sexual violence to children, the military, academia, and religion. While praising the Nordic model as a "clear and compelling contrast to the neoliberal ideology that has strafed
1332-680: A capitalist economy. To a large extent, that consists of using public insurance programs – government transfers and services." Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz says that there is higher social mobility in the Scandinavian countries than in the United States and posits that Scandinavia is now the land of opportunity that the United States once was. American author Ann Jones , who lived in Norway for four years, posits that "the Nordic countries give their populations freedom from
1480-459: A commitment to private ownership within a market-based mixed economy – with Norway being a partial exception due to a large number of state-owned enterprises and state ownership in publicly listed firms . Although there are significant differences among the Nordic countries, they all have some common traits. The three Scandinavian countries are constitutional monarchies , while Finland and Iceland have been republics since
1628-668: A few key trading posts in Africa and India . While Denmark's trading posts in India were of little note, it played an important role in the highly lucrative Atlantic slave trade , through its trading outposts in Fort Christiansborg in Osu , Ghana through which 1.5 million slaves were traded. While the Danish colonial empire was sustained by trade with other major powers, and plantations – ultimately
SECTION 10
#17328511308901776-525: A framework laid out in the Constitution of Denmark . First written in 1849, it establishes a sovereign state in the form of a constitutional monarchy , with a representative unicameral parliamentary system . The monarch officially retains executive power and presides over the Council of State ( privy council ). In practice, the duties of the monarch are strictly representative and ceremonial , such as
1924-519: 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. Throughout the High and Late Middle Ages , Denmark also included Skåneland (the areas of Scania, Halland , and Blekinge in present-day south Sweden) and Danish kings ruled Danish Estonia , as well as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein . Most of
2072-727: A lack of resources led to its stagnation. In the Thirty Years' War , Christian tried to become the leader of the Lutheran states in Germany but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Lutter . The result was that the Catholic army under Albrecht von Wallenstein was able to invade, occupy, and pillage Jutland, forcing Denmark to withdraw from the war . Denmark managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus ' intervention in Germany
2220-499: A normal workday, protective legislation, minimum wages." Arguing against those to their left, the party favored moderatism and wanted to help workers in the here and now, and followed the Fabian argument that the policies were steps on the road to socialism, which would not come about through violent revolution but through the social corporative model of welfare capitalism , to be seen as progressive in providing institutional legitimacy to
2368-464: A policy of neutrality in Europe. Industrialisation came to Denmark in the second half of the 19th century. The nation's first railways were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources. Trade unions developed, starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to
2516-471: A quarter of the country's gross domestic product . In Sweden, the grand compromise was pushed forward by the Saltsjöbaden Agreement signed by employer and trade union associations at the seaside retreat of Saltsjöbaden in 1938. This agreement provided the foundation for Scandinavian industrial relations throughout Europe's Golden Age of Capitalism . The Swedish model of capitalism developed under
2664-708: A reduction of 10.9 p.p., the effects of tax and transfers on poverty in all the Nordic countries are substantially bigger. In comparison to France (27 p.p. reduction) and Germany (24.2 p.p. reduction), the taxes and transfers in the Nordic countries are smaller on average. The term 'peasant republic' is sometimes applied to certain communities in Scandinavia during the Viking Age and High Middle Ages , especially in Sweden , where royal power seems to have been initially somewhat weak, and in areas of modern day Sweden that were not under
2812-475: A relatively high value for grazing land, which may be explained by the substantially high meat production in Denmark (115.8 kilograms (255 lb) meat annually per capita) and the large economic role of the meat and dairy industries. In December 2014, the Climate Change Performance Index for 2015 placed Denmark at the top of the table, explaining that although emissions are still quite high,
2960-549: A review by Emanuele Ferragina and Martin Seeleib-Kaiser of works about the different models of welfare states, apart from Belgium and the Netherlands, categorized as "medium-high socialism", the Scandinavian countries analyzed (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) were the only ones to be categorized by sociologist Gøsta Esping-Andersen as "high socialism", which is defined as socialist attributes and values (equality and universalism) and
3108-461: A robust work ethic and considerable social cohesion". According to Luciano Pellicani , the social and political measures adopted in countries like Sweden and Denmark are the same that some other European left-wing politicians theorised to combine justice and freedom , referring to liberal socialism and movements like Giustizia e Libertà and Fabian Society . According to Naomi Klein , former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev sought to move
SECTION 20
#17328511308903256-652: A single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and the Faroe Islands a third. However, decisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state that comprises, in addition to metropolitan Denmark, two autonomous territories in
3404-560: A total area of 42,943 km (16,580 sq mi), metropolitan Denmark consists of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands. Zealand is Denmark's most populated island, followed by Funen , then the North Jutlandic Island and Amager . Copenhagen, Denmark's capital and most populous city, is located on Zealand and Amager. Denmark has flat, arable land , sandy coasts, low elevations, and
3552-420: A total area of 42,943.9 square kilometres (16,581 sq mi). The area of inland water is 43 km (17 sq mi). The size of the land area cannot be stated exactly since the ocean constantly erodes and adds material to the coastline, and because of human land reclamation projects (to counter erosion). Post-glacial rebound raises the land by a bit less than 1 cm (0.4 in) per year in
3700-522: A total of 765 millimetres (30 in) per year; autumn is the wettest season and spring the driest. The position between a continent and an ocean means that the weather is often unstable. Because of Denmark's northern location, there are large seasonal variations in daylight: short days during the winter with sunrise coming around 8:45 am and sunset 3:45 pm (standard time), as well as long summer days with sunrise at 4:30 am and sunset at 10 pm ( daylight saving time ). Denmark belongs to
3848-457: A union with Norway. After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Denmark tried on several occasions to reassert control over its neighbour. King 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 indemnity of 1 million silver riksdaler to Denmark, an amount known as
3996-448: A variant of capitalism based on the predominance of private property and market allocation mechanisms alongside a set of policies for promoting economic security and opportunity within the framework of a capitalist economy as opposed to a political ideology that aims to replace capitalism. While many countries have been categorized as social democratic , the Nordic countries have been the only ones to be constantly categorized as such. In
4144-452: A weakening of the influence of organized labor." In the 1950s, Olof Palme and the prime minister Tage Erlander formulated the basis of Swedish social democracy and what would become known as the "Swedish model", drawing inspiration from the reformist socialism of party founder Hjalmar Branting , who stated that socialism "would not be created by brutalized...slaves [but by] the best positioned workers, those who have gradually obtained
4292-457: Is a representative democracy with universal suffrage . Membership of the Folketing is based on proportional representation of political parties, with a 2% electoral threshold. Denmark elects 175 members to the Folketing, with Greenland and the Faroe Islands electing an additional two members each—179 members in total. Parliamentary elections are held at least every four years, but it is within
4440-520: Is based on a "welfare-to-work" (see workfare ) model while part of Finland's welfare state includes the voluntary sector playing a significant role in providing care for the elderly. Norway relies most extensively on public provision of welfare. When it comes to gender equality, the Nordic countries hold one of the smallest gaps in gender employment inequality of all OECD countries, with less than 8 points in all Nordic countries according to International Labour Organization standards. They have been at
4588-446: Is characterized by flexibility and openness to innovation in the provision of welfare. The Nordic welfare systems are mainly funded through taxation . Despite the common values, the Nordic countries take different approaches to the practical administration of the welfare state. Denmark features a high degree of private sector provision of public services and welfare, alongside an assimilation immigration policy. Iceland's welfare model
Sorensen - Misplaced Pages Continue
4736-489: Is divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public administration. Articles sixty-two and sixty-four of the Constitution ensure judicial independence from government and Parliament by providing that judges shall only be guided by the law, including acts, statutes and practice. The Kingdom of Denmark does not have
4884-478: Is farther from the coast than 52 km (32 mi). On the south-west coast of Jutland, the tide is between 1 and 2 m (3.28 and 6.56 ft), and the tideline moves outward and inward on a 10 km (6.2 mi) stretch. Denmark's territorial waters total 105,000 square kilometres (40,541 square miles). Denmark's northernmost point is Skagen point (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude;
5032-549: Is flat with little elevation, having an average height above sea level of 31 metres (102 ft). The highest natural point is Møllehøj , at 170.86 metres (560.56 ft). Although this is by far the lowest high point in the Nordic countries and also less than half of the highest point in Southern Sweden , Denmark's general elevation in its interior is generally at a safe level from rising sea levels . A sizeable portion of Denmark's terrain consists of rolling plains whilst
5180-706: Is idealistic to think similar levels of redistribution can be accomplished in countries with weaker labour movements. They say that even in the Scandinavian countries social democracy has been in decline since the weakening of the labour movement in the early 1990s, arguing that the sustainability of social democracy is limited. Roemer and Bardham posit that establishing a market-based socialist economy by changing enterprise ownership would be more effective than social democratic redistribution at promoting egalitarian outcomes, particularly in countries with weak labour movements. Historian Guðmundur Jónsson said that it would be historically inaccurate to include Iceland in one aspect of
5328-421: Is most extensive in Norway and Sweden, where employer federations and labour representatives bargain at the national level mediated by the government. Labour market interventions are aimed at providing job retraining and relocation. The Nordic labour market is flexible, with laws making it easy for employers to hire and shed workers or introduce labour-saving technology. To mitigate the negative effect on workers,
5476-517: Is the largest lake. The Kingdom of Denmark includes two overseas territories, both well to the west of Denmark: Greenland, the world's largest island , and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. These territories are self-governing under their own parliaments (the Løgting and Inatsisartut ) and form, together with continental Denmark, part of the Danish Realm , a country. Denmark has
5624-399: Is used in political science as a reference point for near-perfect governance and the term "getting to Denmark" is used to describe how other countries can improve their governments. The etymology of the name "Denmark", the relationship between "Danes" and "Denmark", and the emergence of Denmark as a unified kingdom are topics of continuous scholarly debate. This is centred primarily on
5772-639: Is wrong, saying that "the success of Nordic countries like Sweden – as measured by relatively high living standards accompanied by low poverty, with government-funded education through university, universal health coverage, generous parental-leave policies and long life spans – precedes the contemporary welfare state.", adding that "Research has suggested that the Northern European success story has its roots in cultural rather than economic factors. The Scandinavian countries ... historically developed remarkably high levels of social trust,
5920-495: The Älvsborg ransom . King Christian used this money to found several towns and fortresses, most notably Glückstadt (founded as a rival to Hamburg ) and Christiania . Inspired by the Dutch East India Company , he founded a similar Danish company and planned to claim Ceylon as a colony, but the company only managed to acquire Tranquebar on India's Coromandel Coast . Denmark's large colonial aspirations included
6068-542: The Boreal Kingdom and can be subdivided into two ecoregions : the Atlantic mixed forests and Baltic mixed forests . Almost all of Denmark's primeval temperate forests have been destroyed or fragmented, chiefly for agricultural purposes during the last millennia. The deforestation has created large swaths of heathland and devastating sand drifts . In spite of this, there are several larger second growth woodlands in
Sorensen - Misplaced Pages Continue
6216-649: The Chinese way of doing things before the Chinese', says Torger Reve of the Norwegian Business School." The government also operates a sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund of Norway , whose partial objective is to prepare Norway for a post-oil future but "unusually among oil-producing nations, it is also a big advocate of human rights – and a powerful one, thanks to its control of
6364-570: The Eem interglacial period from 130,000 to 110,000 BC . Denmark has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1800–600 BC) in Denmark was marked by burial mounds , which left an abundance of findings including lurs and the Sun Chariot . During the Pre-Roman Iron Age (500 BC – AD 1), native groups began migrating south, and
6512-671: The European Union in the 1970s, reflecting the different political approaches to it among the Nordic countries. The early 1990s recession affected the Nordic countries and caused a deep crisis in Finland, and came amid the context of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and collapse of trade from the Eastern Bloc . Like in Sweden, Finland's universalistic welfare state based on the Nordic model
6660-511: The European Union (light green) Denmark is a Nordic country in the south-central portion of Northern Europe with a population of nearly 6 million; 770,000 live in Copenhagen (1.9 million in the capital region). It is the metropolitan part, and most populous constituent part of, the Kingdom of Denmark , a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of
6808-671: The Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean . Metropolitan Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying south-west and south of Sweden , south of Norway , and north of Germany , with which it shares a short border . As of 2013, the Kingdom of Denmark , including the Faroe Islands and Greenland , had a total of 1,419 islands greater than 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft) in area; 443 have been named and 78 are inhabited. Spanning
6956-616: The Frikorps Danmark . Iceland severed ties with Denmark and became an independent republic in 1944; Germany surrendered in May 1945. In 1948, the Faroe Islands gained home rule . In 1949, Denmark became a founding member of NATO . Denmark was a founding member of European Free Trade Association (EFTA). During the 1960s, the EFTA countries were often referred to as the Outer Seven , as opposed to
7104-558: The Global Peace Index as well as being ranked in the top 10 on the World Happiness Report . The Nordic model was originally developed in the 1930s under the leadership of social democrats , although centrist and right-wing political parties, as well as labour unions, also contributed to the Nordic model's development. The Nordic model began to gain attention after World War II and has transformed in some ways over
7252-650: The Inner Six of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, Denmark joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union ) after a public referendum . The Maastricht Treaty , which involved further European integration, was rejected by the Danish people in 1992; it was only accepted after a second referendum in 1993, which provided for four opt-outs from policies. The Danes rejected
7400-670: The Jelling stones , the Danes were Christianised around 965 by Harald Bluetooth , the son of Gorm and Thyra . It is believed that Denmark became Christian for political reasons so as not to get invaded by the Holy Roman Empire . A rising Christian power in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was an important trading partner for the Danes. As a deterrent against this threat, Harald built six fortresses around Denmark called Trelleborg and built
7548-457: The Jutland peninsula and an archipelago of 406 islands . Of these, the largest island is Zealand , on which the capital Copenhagen is situated, followed by the North Jutlandic Island , Funen , and Lolland . The island of Bornholm is located some 150 km east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea . Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; a bridge-tunnel across
SECTION 50
#17328511308907696-526: The Kalmar Union with Norway and Sweden. This union persisted until Sweden's secession in 1523. The remaining Kingdom of Denmark–Norway endured a series of wars in the 17th century that resulted in further territorial cessions . A surge of nationalist movements in the 19th century were defeated in the First Schleswig War of 1848. The adoption of the Constitution of Denmark on 5 June 1849 ended
7844-636: The North Atlantic Ocean : the Faroe Islands and Greenland . They have been integrated parts of the Danish Realm since the 18th century; however, due to their separate historical and cultural identities, these parts of the Realm have extensive political powers and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields. Home rule was granted to the Faroe Islands in 1948 and to Greenland in 1979, each having previously had
7992-540: The Soviet Union in a similar direction to the Nordic system, combining free markets with a social safety net, but still retaining public ownership of key sectors of the economy – ingredients that he believed would transform the Soviet Union into "a socialist beacon for all mankind." The Nordic model has also been positively received by various social scientists and economists. American professor of sociology and political science Lane Kenworthy advocates for
8140-461: The Thing or Moot . The Nordic model traces its foundation to the "grand compromise" between workers and employers spearheaded by farmer and worker parties in the 1930s. Following a long period of economic crisis and class struggle, the "grand compromise" served as the foundation for the post-World War II Nordic model of welfare and labour market organization. The key characteristics of the Nordic model were
8288-762: The United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia , Sweden, and Prussia . British fears that Denmark-Norway would ally with France led to two attacks against Danish targets in Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807 . These attacks resulted in the British capturing most of the Dano-Norwegian navy and led to the outbreak of the Gunboat War . British control of the waterways between Denmark and Norway proved disastrous to
8436-401: The absolute monarchy and introduced the current parliamentary system. An industrialised exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of the 19th century, Denmark introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early 20th century, forming the basis for the present welfare state model and advanced mixed economy . Denmark remained neutral during World War I ; Danish neutrality
8584-535: The arms industry . In 2013, The Economist described its countries as "stout free-traders who resist the temptation to intervene even to protect iconic companies", while also looking for ways to temper capitalism's harsher effects and declared that the Nordic countries "are probably the best-governed in the world." Some economists have referred to the Nordic economic model as a form of "cuddly capitalism", with low levels of inequality, generous welfare states, and reduced concentration of top incomes, contrasting it with
8732-682: The krone . Denmark is a developed country with a high standard of living , and was the first country to legally recognise same-sex partnerships . It is a founding member of NATO , the Nordic Council , the OECD , the OSCE and the United Nations , and is part of the Schengen Area . Denmark maintains close political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its Scandinavian neighbours. The Danish political system
8880-534: The labour movement by recognizing the existence of the class conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat as a class compromise within the context of existing class conflict. This Swedish model was characterized by a strong labour movement as well as inclusive publicly funded and often publicly administered welfare institutions. By the early 1980s, the Swedish model began to suffer from international imbalances, declining competitiveness and capital flight. Two polar opposite solutions emerged to restructure
9028-434: The social cohesion in the Nordic countries. Among political scientists and sociologists, the term social democracy has become widespread to describe the Nordic model due to the influence of social democratic party governance in Sweden and Norway, in contrast to other classifications such as liberal or Christian democratic. According to sociologist Lane Kenworthy , the meaning of social democracy in this context refers to
SECTION 60
#17328511308909176-421: The social liberal paradigm, which was followed by the neoliberal paradigm by the 1980s and 1990s. According to Phillip O'Hara, "Sweden eventually became part of the Great Capitalist Restoration of the 1980s and 1990s. In all the industrial democracies and beyond, this recent era has seen the retrenchment of the welfare state by reduced social spending in real terms, tax cuts, deregulation and privatization, and
9324-400: The Øresund connects Zealand with Sweden; the Great Belt Fixed Link connects Funen with Zealand; and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. The four cities with populations over 100,000 are the capital Copenhagen on Zealand; Aarhus and Aalborg in Jutland; and Odense on Funen. The metropolitan part occupies
9472-427: The 1980s and the financial crises of the 1990s which led to more restrictive budgetary policies that were most pronounced in Sweden and Iceland. Nonetheless, welfare expenditure remained high in these countries, compared to the European average. Social welfare reforms emerged from the Kanslergade Agreement of 1933 as part of a compromise package to save the Danish economy. Denmark was the first Nordic country to join
9620-411: The 1990s reforms was the substantial growth of mutual fund savings, which largely began with the government subsidizing mutual fund savings through the so-called Allemansfonder program in the 1980s; today 4 out of 5 people aged 18–74 have fund savings. The state of Norway has ownership stakes in many of the country's largest publicly listed companies, owning 37% of the Oslo stock market and operating
9768-424: The 20th century. All the Nordic countries are however described as being highly democratic and all have a unicameral legislature and use proportional representation in their electoral systems . They all support a universalist welfare state aimed specifically at enhancing individual autonomy and promoting social mobility , with a sizable percentage of the population employed by the public sector (roughly 30% of
9916-605: The 8th to the 10th century the wider Scandinavian 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 settled in parts of England (known as the Danelaw ) under King Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013, and in France where Danes and Norwegians were allowed to settle in what would become Normandy in exchange of allegiance to Robert I of France with Rollo as first ruler. Some Anglo-Saxon pence of this period have been found in Denmark. Denmark
10064-404: The Danes, one of the ethnic groups from whom modern Danes are descended. The Danevirke defence structures were built in phases from the 3rd century forward and the sheer size of the construction efforts in AD 737 are attributed to the emergence of a Danish king. A new runic alphabet was first used around the same time and Ribe , the oldest town of Denmark, was founded about AD 700. From
10212-462: The Danish government refused further co-operation and its navy scuttled most of its ships and sent many of its officers to Sweden, which was neutral. The Danish resistance performed a rescue operation that managed to evacuate several thousand Jews and their families to safety in Sweden before the Germans could send them to death camps. Some Danes supported Nazism by joining the Danish Nazi Party or volunteering to fight with Germany as part of
10360-408: The Danish throne, and Greenland becoming an integral part of Denmark. The centre-left Social Democrats led a string of coalition governments for most of the second half of the 20th century, introducing the Nordic welfare model . The Liberal Party and the Conservative People's Party have also led centre-right governments. Located in Northern Europe , Denmark consists of the northern part of
10508-437: The Faroe Islands. The Folketing is also responsible for adopting the state's budgets , approving the state's accounts, appointing and exercising control of the Government, and taking part in international co-operation. Bills may be initiated by the Government or by members of parliament . All bills passed must be presented before the Council of State to receive Royal Assent within thirty days in order to become law. Denmark
10656-512: The Nobel peace prize." Norway is the only major economy in the north of Europe where younger generations are getting richer, with a 13% increase in disposable income income for 2018, bucking the trend seen in other european-northern nations of Millennials becoming poorer than the generations which came before. Social democrats have played a pivotal role in shaping the Nordic model, with policies enacted by social democrats being pivotal in fostering
10804-588: The Nordic colonies, Denmark continued to rule over Danish India from 1620 to 1869, the Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1850, and the Danish West Indies from 1671 to 1917. A nascent Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European Revolutions of 1848 , Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. A new constitution established
10952-502: The Nordic countries, it retains national-level sectoral bargaining unlike Denmark and Iceland , with over 650 national-level bargaining agreements, it retains the Ghent system unlike Norway and Iceland and consequently has the second-highest rate of unionization in the world. Despite being one of the most equal OECD nations, from 1985 to the 2010s Sweden saw the largest growth in income inequality among OECD economies. Other effects of
11100-449: The Nordic model in Sweden and Norway, whereas in Iceland and Finland, right-wing political parties played a much more significant role in shaping their countries' social models. However, even in Iceland and Finland, strong labour unions contributed to the development of universal welfare. Social security and collective wage bargaining policies were rolled back following economic imbalances in
11248-467: The Nordic model is "the proof that modern capitalism can be combined with decency, fairness, trust, honesty, and environmental sustainability." The Nordic combination of extensive public provision of welfare and a culture of individualism has been described by Lars Trägårdh of Ersta Sköndal University College as " statist individualism ." A 2016 survey by the think tank Israel Democracy Institute found that nearly 60 percent of Israeli Jews preferred
11396-520: The Nordic model to a kind of "hybrid" system which features a blend of capitalist economics with socialist values, representing an alternative to American-style capitalism . Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has pointed to Scandinavia and the Nordic model as something the United States can learn from, in particular with respect to the benefits and social protections the Nordic model affords workers and its provision of universal healthcare. Scandinavian political scientist Daniel Schatz argued that Sanders
11544-402: The Nordic model's parentage also stems from a mixture of mainly social democratic, centrist , and right-wing political parties, especially in Finland and Iceland, along with the social trust that emerged from the "great compromise" between capital and labour. The influence of each of these factors on each Nordic country varied as social democratic parties played a larger role in the formation of
11692-533: The Nordic model, that of consensus democracy . Addressing the time period from 1950 to 2000, Jónsson writes that "Icelandic democracy is better described as more adversarial than consensual in style and practice. The labour market was rife with conflict and strikes more frequent than in Europe, resulting in strained government–trade union relationship. Secondly, Iceland did not share the Nordic tradition of power-sharing or corporatism as regards labour market policies or macro-economic policy management, primarily because of
11840-708: The Swedish economy, the first being a transition to socialism by socializing the ownership of industry and the second providing favorable conditions for the formation of private capital by embracing neoliberalism. The Swedish model was first challenged in 1976 by the Meidner Plan promoted by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and trade unions which aimed at the gradual socialization of Swedish companies through wage earner funds. The Meidner Plan aimed to collectivize capital formation in two generations by having
11988-430: The United States to make a gradual transition toward a social democracy similar to those of the Nordic countries, defining social democracy as such: "The idea behind social democracy was to make capitalism better. There is disagreement about how exactly to do that, and others might think the proposals in my book aren't true social democracy. But I think of it as a commitment to use government to make life better for people in
12136-423: The United States, in order to "stand as a beacon for the rest of the world in the 21st century." Swedish economist John Gustavsson, writing for American conservative magazine The Dispatch , criticized the Nordic model for its high taxation rates, including on the middle class and poor people. Political scientist Michael Cottakis has noted the rise of right-wing populist and anti-immigration sentiment in
12284-620: The advice of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), having quota decision-making powers. Denmark is ranked 10th in Environmental Performance Index for year 2024. This Index combines various indicators around known issues around the world and measures how good they fit in among each countries on a scale. Denmark scores good in parameters like Agriculture, Climate Change Mitigation, Forests' Net Change In Tree Cover etc. Politics in Denmark operate under
12432-541: The auspices of the Swedish Social Democratic Party which assumed power in 1932 and retained uninterrupted power until 1976. Initially differing very little from other industrialized capitalist countries, the state's role in providing comprehensive welfare and infrastructure expanded after the Second World War until reaching a broadly social democratic consensus in the 1950s which would become known as
12580-501: The basis for a large fishing industry . Denmark stopped issuing new licences for oil and gas extraction in December 2020. Land and water pollution are two of Denmark's most significant environmental issues , although much of the country's household and industrial waste is now increasingly filtered and sometimes recycled. The country has historically taken a progressive stance on environmental preservation ; in 1971 Denmark established
12728-457: The border forests in south Schleswig . The first recorded use of the word Danmark within Denmark itself is found on the two Jelling stones , which are runestones believed to have been erected by Gorm the Old ( c. 955 ) and Harald Bluetooth ( c. 965 ). The larger of the two stones is popularly cited as the "baptismal certificate" ( dåbsattest ) of Denmark, though both use
12876-552: The bottom of the Sustainable Development Index. He argues that the model needs to be updated for the Anthropocene , and reduce overconsumption while retaining the positive elements of progressive social democracy including universal healthcare and education, paid vacations and reasonable working hours, which have resulted in much better health outcomes and poverty reduction compared to overtly neoliberal countries like
13024-548: The centralized coordination of wage negotiation between employers and labour organizations , termed a social partnership, as well as providing a peaceful means to address class conflict between capital and labour. Magnus Bergli Rasmussen has challenged that farmers played an important role in ushering Nordic welfare states. A 2022 study by him found that farmers had strong incentives to resist welfare state expansion and farmer MPs consistently opposed generous welfare policies. Although often linked to social democratic governance,
13172-555: The cities, and Danish agriculture became centred on the export of dairy and meat products. Denmark maintained its neutral stance during World War I . After the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the region of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark. Fearing German irredentism , Denmark refused to consider the return of the area without a plebiscite ; the two Schleswig Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Northern Schleswig
13320-513: The coastline is sandy, with large dunes in northern Jutland. Although once extensively forested, today Denmark largely consists of arable land . It is drained by a dozen or so rivers , and the most significant include the Gudenå , Odense , Skjern , Suså and Vidå —a river that flows along its southern border with Germany. The country has 1008 lakes, 16 have an area of more than 500 hectares (1,200 acres). Lake Arresø , located northwest of Copenhagen,
13468-469: The country and, in total, 12.9% of the land is now forested. Norway spruce is the most widespread tree (2017); an important tree in the Christmas tree production . Denmark holds a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 0.5/10, ranking it 171st globally out of 172 countries—behind only San Marino . Roe deer occupy the countryside in growing numbers, and large-antlered red deer can be found in
13616-411: The country was able to implement effective climate protection policies. In 2020, Denmark was placed first in the index again. In 2021 Denmark, with Costa Rica, launched the "Beyond Oil and Gas alliance" for stopping use fossil fuels. Denmark's territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands , catch approximately 650 whales per year. Greenland's quotas for the catch of whales are determined according to
13764-427: The country's largest non-listed companies, including Equinor and Statkraft . In January 2013, The Economist reported that "after the second world war the government nationalised all German business interests in Norway and ended up owning 44% of Norsk Hydro's shares. The formula of controlling business through shares rather than regulation seemed to work well, so the government used it wherever possible. 'We invented
13912-413: The dominant traditional religion of the Nordic countries, had an effect on the development of social democracy there. Schröder posits that Lutheranism promoted the idea of a nationwide community of believers and led to increased state involvement in economic and social life, allowing for nationwide welfare solidarity and economic co-ordination. Esa Mangeloja says that the revival movements helped to pave
14060-403: The effects of taxes and transfers stood at 24.7% in Denmark, 31.9% in Finland, 21.6% in Iceland, 25.6% in Norway, and 26.5% in Sweden. After accounting for taxes and transfers, the poverty rates for the same year became 6%, 7.5%, 5.7%, 7.7% and 9.7% respectively, for an average reduction of 18.7 p.p. Compared to the United States, which has a poverty level pre-tax of 28.3% and post-tax of 17.4% for
14208-502: The end of the post-war boom. The Social Democrats adopted monetarist and neoliberal policies, deregulating the banking industry, and liberalizing currency in the 1980s. The economic crisis of the 1990s saw greater austerity measures, deregulation, and the privatization of public services. Into the 21st century, it greatly affected Sweden and its universalistic welfare state, although not as hard as Finland. Sweden remained more Eurosceptic than Finland, and its struggles affected all
14356-580: The ensuing peace settlement , Denmark managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm. Attaining great popularity following the war, Frederick III used this to disband the elective monarchy in favour of absolute monarchy , which lasted until 1848 in Denmark. Denmark tried but failed to regain control of Scania in the Scanian War (1675–1679). After the Great Northern War (1700–21), Denmark managed to regain control of
14504-628: The euro as the national currency in a referendum in 2000 . Greenland gained home rule in 1979 and was awarded self-determination in 2009. Neither the Faroe Islands nor Greenland are members of the European Union, the Faroese having declined membership of the EEC in 1973 and Greenland in 1986, in both cases because of fisheries policies. Constitutional change in 1953 led to a single-chamber parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to
14652-711: The exception of Norway which includes a large number of state-owned enterprises and state ownership in publicly listed firms. The Nordic model is described as a system of competitive capitalism combined with a large percentage of the population employed by the public sector , which amounts to roughly 30% of the work force, in areas such as healthcare and higher education . In Norway, Finland, and Sweden, many companies and/or industries are state-run or state-owned like utilities , mail , rail transport , airlines , electrical power industry , fossil fuels , chemical industry , steel mill , electronics industry , machine industry , aerospace manufacturer , shipbuilding , and
14800-535: The executive branch, the Cabinet is responsible for proposing bills and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies of Denmark. The position of prime minister belongs to the person most likely to command the confidence of a majority in the Folketing; this is often the current leader of the largest political party or, more effectively, through a coalition of parties . A single party generally does not have sufficient political power in terms of
14948-462: The finding of the Gundestrup cauldron . The tribal Danes came from the east Danish islands ( Zealand ) and Scania and spoke an early form of North Germanic . Historians believe that before their arrival, most of Jutland and the nearest islands were settled by tribal Jutes . Many Jutes migrated to Great Britain , according to legend some as mercenaries of Brythonic King Vortigern , and formed
15096-589: The first tribal Danes came to the country between the Pre-Roman and the Germanic Iron Age , in the Roman Iron Age (AD 1–400). The Roman provinces maintained trade routes and relations with native tribes in Denmark, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Denmark and much of North-West Europe and is among other things reflected in
15244-401: The forefront of championing gender equality and this has been historically shown by substantial increases in women's employment. Between 1965 and 1990, Sweden's employment rate for women in working-age (15–64) went from 52.8% to 81.0%. In 2016, nearly three out of every four women in working-age in the Nordic countries were taking part in paid work. Nevertheless, women are still the main users of
15392-536: The formal appointment and dismissal of the Prime Minister and other Government ministers. The Monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and their person is sacrosanct . Hereditary monarch King Frederik X has been head of state since 14 January 2024. The Danish parliament is unicameral and called the Folketing ( Danish : Folketinget ). It is the legislature of the Kingdom of Denmark, passing acts that apply in Denmark and, variably, Greenland and
15540-481: The front of the implementation of policies that promote gender equality; the Scandinavian governments were some of the first to make it unlawful for companies to dismiss women on grounds of marriage or motherhood. Mothers in Nordic countries are more likely to be working mothers than in any other region and families enjoy pioneering legislation on parental leave policies that compensate parents for moving from work to home to care for their child, including fathers. Although
15688-561: The government labour market policies are designed to provide generous social welfare, job retraining and relocation services to limit any conflicts between capital and labour that might arise from this process. The Nordic welfare model refers to the welfare policies of the Nordic countries, which also tie into their labour market policies. The Nordic model of welfare is distinguished from other types of welfare states by its emphasis on maximising labour force participation, promoting gender equality , egalitarian , and extensive benefit levels,
15836-438: The island of Bornholm . Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having ruined Denmark and in August 1658, he launched a second attack on Denmark , conquered most of the Danish islands, and began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen . King Frederick III actively led the defence of the city, rallying its citizens to take up arms, and repelled the Swedish attacks . The siege ended following the death of Charles X Gustav in 1660. In
15984-451: The key drivers of greater mobility. Additionally, Denmark's greater investment in public education did not improve educational mobility significantly, meaning children of non-college educated parents are still unlikely to receive college education, although this public investment did result in improved cognitive skills amongst poor Danish children compared to their American peers. There was evidence that generous welfare policies could discourage
16132-422: The large magnitude of income redistribution and liberal use of expansionary fiscal policy. While there are differences among the Nordic countries, they all share a broad commitment to social cohesion , a universal nature of welfare provision in order to safeguard individualism by providing protection for vulnerable individuals and groups in society, and maximising public participation in social decision-making. It
16280-419: The last few decades, including increased deregulation and expanding privatization of public services . However, it is still distinguished from other models by the strong emphasis on public services and social investment. The Nordic model has been characterized as follows: The Nordic model is underpinned by a mixed-market capitalist economic system that features high degrees of private ownership, with
16428-672: The latter being deeply involved in the Second Northern War (1655–1660), and marched on Bremen-Verden . This led to a massive Danish defeat as the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered Jutland and, following the Swedish March across the frozen Danish straits , occupied Funen and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658, which gave Sweden control of Scania, Blekinge , Bohuslän , Trøndelag , and
16576-403: The latter two now form the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. In 1397, Denmark entered into a personal union known as the Kalmar Union with Norway and Sweden , united under Queen Margaret I . The three countries were to be treated as equals in the union. However, even from the start, Margaret may not have been so idealistic—treating Denmark as the clear "senior" partner of
16724-485: The lowest poverty rate in the OECD of only 4.9%. Norway's "grand compromise" emerged as a response to the crisis of the early 1930s between the trade union confederation and Norwegian Employers' Association , agreeing on national standards in labour–capital relations and creating the foundation for social harmony throughout the period of compromises. For a period between the 1980s and the 1990s, Norway underwent more neoliberal reforms and marketization than Sweden during
16872-409: The market by using capitalism as a tool to benefit everyone" whereas in the United States " neoliberal politics puts the foxes in charge of the henhouse, and capitalists have used the wealth generated by their enterprises (as well as financial and political manipulations) to capture the state and pluck the chickens." Economist Jeffrey Sachs is a proponent of the Nordic model, having pointed out that
17020-440: The more "cut-throat capitalism" of the United States, which has high levels of inequality and a larger concentration of top incomes, among other social inequalities. As a result of the Sweden financial crisis of 1990–1994 , Sweden implemented economic reforms that were focused on deregulation and the strengthening of competition laws . Despite this however, Sweden still has the highest government spending-to-GDP ratio of all
17168-454: The morpheme "Dan" and whether it refers to the Dani or a historical person Dan and the exact meaning of the - "mark" ending. Most etymological dictionaries and handbooks derive "Dan" from a word meaning "flat land", related to German Tenne "threshing floor", English den "cave". The element mark is believed to mean woodland or borderland (see marches ), with probable references to
17316-502: The north and east, extending the coast. A circle enclosing the same area as Denmark would be 234 kilometres (145 miles) in diameter with a circumference of 736 km (457 mi) (land area only: 232.33 km (144.36 mi) and 730 km (454 mi) respectively). It shares a border of 68 kilometres (42 mi) with Germany to the south and is otherwise surrounded by 8,750 km (5,437 mi) of tidal shoreline (including small bays and inlets ). No location in Denmark
17464-469: The number of seats to form a cabinet on its own; Denmark has often been ruled by coalition governments , themselves usually minority governments dependent on non-government parties. Following the 2022 Danish general election in November 2022, incumbent prime minister and Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen in December 2022 formed the current Frederiksen II Cabinet , a coalition government with
17612-558: The only Nordic country to become a Eurozone member state after fully adopting the euro as its official currency in 2002. According to analyst Harpa Njálsdóttir, Iceland in the late 2010s moved away from the Nordic model towards the economic liberal model of workfare . She also noted that with the large changes having been made to the social security system, "70% of elderly people now live well below national subsistence criteria, while about 70% of those who live alone and in bad conditions are women." Despite this, as of 2021, Iceland has
17760-463: The other Nordic countries, as it was seen as "the guiding star of the north", and with Sweden fading away, other Nordic countries also felt like they were losing their political identities. When the Nordic model was then gradually rediscovered, cultural explanations were sought for the special features of the Nordic countries. The Nordic model has been positively received by some American politicians and political commentators. Jerry Mander has likened
17908-456: The parts of Schleswig and Holstein ruled by the house of Holstein-Gottorp in the 1720 Treaty of Frederiksborg and the 1773 Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo , respectively. Denmark prospered greatly in the last decades of the 18th century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars , Denmark traded with both France and
18056-429: The powers of the prime minister to ask the monarch to call for an election before the term has elapsed. On a vote of no confidence , the Folketing may force a single minister or an entire government to resign. The Government of Denmark operates as a cabinet government , where executive authority is exercised—formally, on behalf of the monarch—by the prime minister and other cabinet ministers , who head ministries . As
18204-615: The pursuit of higher-level education due to decreasing the economic benefits that college education level jobs offer and increasing welfare for workers of a lower education level. Some welfare and gender researchers based in the Nordic countries suggest that these states have often been over-privileged when different European societies are being assessed in terms of how far they have achieved gender equality. They posit that such assessments often utilise international comparisons adopting conventional economic, political, educational, and well-being measures. By contrast, they suggest that if one takes
18352-450: The reliance on family and market." According to Johan Strang, since the 1990s, politicians, researchers and the media have shifted to explaining the Nordic model with cultural rather than political factors. These cultural explanations benefit neoliberalism , whose rise this cultural phenomenon coincided with. By the 2010s, politics has been re-entering the conversation on the Nordic model. Some academics have theorized that Lutheranism ,
18500-400: The rest of the world with inequality, ill-health and needless poverty," economic anthropologist Jason Hickel sharply criticizes the "ecological disaster" that accompanies it, noting that data shows the Nordic countries "have some of the highest levels of resource use and CO2 emissions in the world, in consumption based terms, drastically overshooting safe planetary boundaries," and rank towards
18648-472: The rule of the Swedish king yet, as well as in Iceland where the Icelandic Commonwealth serves as an example of an unusually large and sophisticated peasant republic building on the same democratic traditions. Some historians have also argued that Gotland was a peasant republic before the attack by the Danes in 1361 . Central for the old Scandinavian democratic traditions was the assemblies called
18796-635: The same time frame, while still holding to the traditional foundations of the "social democratic compromise" that was specific to Western capitalism from 1945 to 1973. Norway was the Nordic country least willing to join the European Union . While Finland and Sweden suffered greatly from the 1990s recession, Norway began to earn enough revenue from their oil. As of 2007, the Norwegian state maintained large ownership positions in key industrial sectors, among them petroleum, natural gas, minerals, lumber, seafood and fresh water. The petroleum industry accounts for around
18944-441: The shareable parental leave (fathers use less than 30% of their paid parental-leave-days), foreign women are being subjected to under-representation, and Finland still holds a notable gender pay-gap; the average woman's salary is 83% of that of a man, not accounting for confounding factors such as career choice. The Nordic model has been successful at significantly reducing poverty. In 2011, poverty rates before taking into account
19092-434: The social democratic model, which is characterized by "a high level of decommodification and a low degree of stratification. Social policies are perceived as 'politics against the market.'" They summarized the social democratic model as being based on "the principle of universalism, granting access to benefits and services based on citizenship. Such a welfare state is said to provide a relatively high degree of autonomy, limiting
19240-613: The south-eastern territories of Kent , the Isle of Wight and other areas, where they settled. They were later absorbed or ethnically cleansed by the invading Angles and Saxons , who formed the Anglo-Saxons . The remaining Jutish population in Jutland assimilated in with the settling Danes . A short note about the Dani in Getica by the historian Jordanes is believed to be an early mention of
19388-481: The southernmost is Gedser point (the southern tip of Falster ) at 54° 33' 35" northern latitude; the westernmost point is Blåvandshuk at 8° 4' 22" eastern longitude; and the easternmost point is Østerskær at 15° 11' 55" eastern longitude. This is in the small Ertholmene archipelago 18 kilometres (11 mi) north-east of Bornholm. The distance from east to west is 452 kilometres (281 mi), from north to south 368 kilometres (229 mi). The metropolitan part
19536-476: The sparse woodlands of Jutland. Denmark is also home to smaller mammals, such as polecats , hares and hedgehogs . Approximately 400 bird species inhabit Denmark and about 160 of those breed in the country. Large marine mammals include healthy populations of Harbour porpoise , growing numbers of pinnipeds and occasional visits of large whales, including blue whales and orcas . Cod , herring and plaice are abundant culinary fish in Danish waters and form
19684-617: The specifics of gender equality policies in regards to the work place vary from country to country, there is a widespread focus in Nordic countries to highlight "continuous full-time employment" for both men and women as well as single parents as they fully recognize that some of the most salient gender gaps arise from parenthood. Aside from receiving incentives to take shareable parental leave, Nordic families benefit from subsidized early childhood education and care and activities for out-of-school hours for those children that have enrolled in full-time education. The Nordic countries have been at
19832-475: The status of counties . Nordic model Chronological history The Nordic model comprises the economic and social policies as well as typical cultural practices common in the Nordic countries ( Denmark , Finland , Iceland , Norway , and Sweden ). This includes a comprehensive welfare state and multi-level collective bargaining based on the economic foundations of social corporatism , and
19980-491: The subject focuses on "historical specificity", with the centralized structure of the Lutheran church being but one aspect of the cultural values and state structures that led to the development of the welfare state in Scandinavia. The Nordic countries share active labour market policies as part of a social corporatist economic model intended to reduce conflict between labour and the interests of capital. This corporatist system
20128-485: The union's economy and in 1813 Denmark–Norway went bankrupt. The union was dissolved by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814; the Danish monarchy "irrevocably and forever" renounced claims to the Kingdom of Norway in favour of the Swedish king. Denmark kept the possessions of Iceland (which retained the Danish monarchy until 1944), the Faroe Islands and Greenland , all of which had been governed by Norway for centuries. Apart from
20276-528: The union. Thus, much of the next 125 years of Scandinavian history revolves around this union, with Sweden breaking off and being re-conquered repeatedly. The issue was for practical purposes resolved on 17 June 1523, as Swedish King Gustav Vasa conquered the city of Stockholm . The Protestant Reformation spread to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Denmark entered into
20424-471: The until then leading opposition party Venstre and the recently founded Moderate party . Denmark has a civil law system with some references to Germanic law . Denmark resembles Norway and Sweden in never having developed a case-law like that of England and the United States nor comprehensive codes like those of France and Germany. Much of its law is customary . The judicial system of Denmark
20572-480: The wage earner funds own predominant stakes in Swedish corporations on behalf of workers. This proposal was supported by Palme and the Social Democratic party leadership, but it did not garner enough support upon Palme's assassination and was defeated by the conservatives in the 1991 Swedish general election . Upon returning to power in 1982, the Social Democratic party inherited a slowing economy resulting from
20720-472: The way for the modern Finnish welfare state. During that process, the church lost some of its most important social responsibilities (health care, education, and social work) as these tasks were assumed by the secular Finnish state. Pauli Kettunen presents the Nordic model as the outcome of a sort of mythical "Lutheran peasant enlightenment", portraying the Nordic model as the result of a sort of "secularized Lutheranism"; however, mainstream academic discourse on
20868-459: The weakness of Social Democrats and the Left in general. Thirdly, the legislative process did not show a strong tendency towards consensus-building between government and opposition with regard to government seeking consultation or support for key legislation. Fourthly, the political style in legislative procedures and public debate in general tended to be adversarial rather than consensual in nature." In
21016-457: The word "Denmark", in the accusative ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚢᚱᚴ tanmaurk ( [danmɒrk] ) on the large stone, and the genitive ᛏᛅᚾᛘᛅᚱᚴᛅᚱ "tanmarkar" (pronounced [danmarkaɽ] ) on the small stone, while the dative form tąnmarku (pronounced [danmarkʊ] ) is found on the contemporaneous Skivum stone. The inhabitants of Denmark are there called tani ( [danɪ] ), or "Danes", in the accusative. The earliest archaeological finds in Denmark date back to
21164-401: The work force in areas such as healthcare , education, and government), and a corporatist system with a high percentage of the workforce unionized and involving a tripartite arrangement , where representatives of labour and employers negotiate wages and labour market policy is mediated by the government. As of 2020, all of the Nordic countries rank highly on the inequality-adjusted HDI and
21312-478: Was largely consolidated by the late 8th century and its rulers are consistently referred to in Frankish sources as kings ( reges ). Under the reign of Gudfred in 804 the Danish kingdom may have included all the lands of Jutland, Scania and the Danish islands, excluding Bornholm. The extant Danish monarchy traces its roots back to Gorm the Old , who established his reign in the early 10th century. As attested by
21460-456: Was recovered by Denmark, thereby adding some 163,600 inhabitants and 3,984 square kilometres (1,538 sq mi). The country's first social democratic government took office in 1924. In 1939 Denmark signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany but Germany invaded Denmark on 9 April 1940 and the Danish government quickly surrendered. World War II in Denmark was characterised by economic co-operation with Germany until 1943, when
21608-509: Was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Denmark's influence in the region was declining. Swedish armies invaded Jutland in 1643 and claimed Scania in 1644. In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro , Denmark surrendered Halland, Gotland , the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. Seeing an opportunity to tear up the Treaty of Brømsebro, King Frederick III of Denmark , in 1657, declared war on Sweden,
21756-540: Was violated in World War II by a rapid German invasion in April 1940. During occupation, a resistance movement emerged in 1943, while Iceland declared independence in 1944; Denmark was liberated after the end of the war in May 1945. In 1973, Denmark, together with Greenland but not the Faroe Islands , became a member of what is now the European Union , but negotiated certain opt-outs , such as retaining its own currency,
21904-457: Was weakened and no longer based on the social-democratic middle ground, as several social welfare policies were often permanently dismantled; however, Finland was hit even harder than Sweden. During the crisis, Finland looked to the European Union , which they were more committed and open to joining than Sweden and especially Norway, while Denmark had already joined the EU by the 1970s. Finland is, to date,
#889110