DENMARK, a kingdom in northern Europe, consisting of a peninsular por tion called Jutland, and an extensive ar chipelago lying E. of it and comprising the islands of Seeland (or Sjalland), Funen (or Fyen), Laaland (or Lolland), Falster, Langeland, Moen, Samso, Laso, Arro, Bornholm, and many smaller ones. Besides these there are the outlying pos sessions of Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Denmark is bounded on the S. by Ger many and the Baltic; on the W. by the North Sea; on the N. it is separated from Norway by the Skagerrack; and on the E. it is separated from Sweden by the Kattegat and the Sound. Area, 15,289 square miles; pop. (1901) 2,464, 770; capital, Copenhagen.
Topography.—The surface of Den mark is very much alike in every part of the kingdom, uniformly low, reaching its highest point in Eirs-Bavnehoj, in S. E. Jutland, which is only 564 feet above sea-level. The country presents little variety, except in its low isolated hills, but does not leave an impression of monotony; in the islands and in the S. E. of Jutland the landscape is broken by forests, meadows, and fields; and even in the W. and N. of the mainland the stretches of moorland are clothed with heather, and have a solemn beauty. The coast seldom rises even to low cliffs; generally it is flat, skirted by sand ridges and shallow lagoons, especially along the W. side, where the dunes cover an area of nearly 225 square miles. The E. coast is much indented by bays, useful for navigation and valu able for their fisheries: here and in the islands are many good harbors. Both the continental portion and the islands are penetrated deeply by numerous fjords, the largest being Limfjord, which intersects Jutland and has insulated the N. extremity of the peninsula since 1825, when it broke through the narrow isth mus which had separated it from the North Sea. From its formation, the kingdom can have no rivers, properly so called; its streams, called Aa, are mostly large brooks. There are several impor tant canals, however, including in Jut land works for the canalization of the Guden-Aa, its largest stream, and of the Limfjord. Lakes abound in all parts
of the kingdom, the most considerable being found in Seeland.
Climate, Commerce, and Productions. —Owing to the lowness of the land and its proximity to the sea on all sides, the climate is remarkably temperate for so northerly a region, though the thermom eter in winter may sink to 22° below zero, and in summer rise to 89°. Vio lents winds are frequent, and rains and fogs prevalent, but the climate is favor able to vegetation. The soils of Jutland are generally light, but those in the S. E. part and in the islands are stronger; about 80 per cent, of the area of Den mark is productive, and of the remainder about one-sixth is in peat-bogs. Nearly half of the population is engaged in agriculture; the land for the most part is parceled out into small holdings, and this is encouraged by the laws, which since 1849 have prohibited the throwing of small farms into large estates. The center and W. of Jutland is nearly bare of wood, but in the other parts of the peninsula the forests cover about 215, 000 acres, and in the islands over 291, 000 acres. The beech, which flourishes more luxuriantly in Denmark than in any other land, is almost universally predominant, though three centuries ago the oak, now comparatively rare, was the characteristic Danish tree. Peat, which is obtained in abundance from the bogs, brown coal or lignite, and seaweed, generally take the place of wood as fuel. Porcelain clay and some coal are found hi Bornholm; fuller's earth, potter% clay, saltpeter, chalk, and a poor marble occur in several parts of the kingdom, while some amber is collected on the W. coast of Jutland.
In 1919 there were produced of the principal crops the following amounts in tons: wheat, 161,200; rye, 378,700; barley, 533,900; oats, 690,700; mixed grain, 397,000; and potatoes, 1,440,800. There were in 1919 558,471 horses; 2, 188,142 head of cattle; 509,466 sheep; 715,909 swine; and 12,134,521 poultry.