Kingdom of Denmark: Map & History
The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, often known as Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territory.
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Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Danish Realm, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, often known as Denmark, is a sovereign state consisting of a collection of constituent territories united by the Constitutional Act, which applies to the entire territory. It consists of metropolitan Denmark —the kingdom's territory in continental Europe and its proximate islands—and the realm's two autonomous regions: the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. The relationship between the three parts of the kingdom is known as Rigsfællesskabet.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Denmark
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Denmark covered territory in 7 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Denmark936–1401 CE · most
- Estonia1220–1351 CE · a large part
- United Kingdom1015–1017 CE · a large part
- Sweden960–1401 CE · a small part
- Norway970–989 CE · a small part
- Germany1169–1332 CE · a small part
- Poland1188–1235 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Denmark's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Denmark in Depth
Historical background
The Faroe Islands were settled by Norwegian Vikings in the 9th century, displacing Irish monks already there. Iceland was settled in the 9th century by Norsemen, and was a free state until 1262/1264, when it came under Norwegian taxation. Greenland, later populated by the Indigenous Greenlandic Inuit, was settled by Norse (Norwegians and Icelanders) in the 10th century, among those being Erik the Red. The connection to Greenland was lost in the 15th century, but Denmark–Norway again established connections in 1721 through the missionary Hans Egede.
In 1814, Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden under the Treaty of Kiel, but kept control of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Danish Realm (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Denmark: Key Facts
| Capital | Copenhagen |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic |
| Form of government | unitary state, constitutional monarchy |
| Currencies | Danish krone, Faroese króna |
| Founded | 965 CE |
Succeeded by
- Governorate of Iceland
Facts from Wikidata Q756617 (CC0).
Kingdom of Denmark Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Denmark appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Denmark Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 164,307 km² in 1223 CE.
Kingdom of Denmark: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Denmark exist?
The Kingdom of Denmark is dated to 936 CE – 1406 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark?
The capital of the Kingdom of Denmark was Copenhagen.
How large was the Kingdom of Denmark at its peak?
At its peak in 1223 AD the Kingdom of Denmark covered about 164,307 km².
How did the map of the Kingdom of Denmark change over time?
The Kingdom of Denmark appears on 5 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1000 CE to 1400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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