Wonderful Denmark [antikvár]

Ice formed the lane Denmark was formed by ice over a period of a million years. Large areas of Nordi Europe were covered by an ice cap - just as most of Greenland is today. The last time the ice cap receded was about 15-20,000 years ago which caused the land masses to buckle when freed from the pressure of the ice. After they had more or less setded again - in geological terms the land is not yet entirely stable - the land bridge which linked Central Europe with the Scandinavian peninsular had become an island realm. Subsequentiy, this island realm has changed in appearance several rimes. The sea level has risen and fallen and reformed the land. Wind and sea have smoothed out the contours of the landscape; but the land and landscape have retained the main features creatcd by the melting icc. It is supposed that Denmark's land mass became ice free just under 12,000 years ago, which coincided with the first influx of permanent settlers. Actually, there are traces of human acrivit)^ (hunring of larger animals) which can be accurately dated to be about 50,000 years old, but these hunters were forced back by the ice cap, which following an almost ice free period, again moved from north to south. Today the Danish landscape is marked everywhere by people and their activities. Over most of Denmark, the landscape is dotted with buildings as far as the eye can see: Hamlets, village settlements, churches, larger towns - and a cit}'^ mea- surable by modern European standards. This is Copenhagen, which is the administrarive centre even though the city is by no means the presentgeographical centre of the country. Copenhagen also accommodates the royal residence. The first attempt to establish a national unitary state is difficult to place historically. "Historical times" start in Denmark about 1,000 years ago - with the kings at the time of the Vikings. Since then, Denmark has had monarchs in an unbroken line, which is unique in the world. There have been 50 kings and two reigning queens.