Paula Breen, age 16, of Laconia, N.H., for her question:
WHERE IS DENMARK LOCATED?
Denmark is a small European country that is made up of a peninsula and a group of about 400 islands. The country is located between the Baltic and North seas. Denmark was the homeland from which many invaders spread to the British isles and other parts of Europe between the Fourth and 11th centuries.
Gorm the Old was the name of the first king to unite the islands and the mainland. His great grandson, Canute, also became England's king.
The Scandinavians tried to work out an arrangement for unity in 1397 when Denmark, Sweden and Norway were united under the Danish ruler, Margaret, in the Kalmar Union. But Sweden dropped out in 1523 and by 1814, as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, Norway also broke away from Denmark. Denmark, however, kept the Faeroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.
These islands, with the exception of Iceland, are still part of Denmark. In 1953, Greenland emerged from colonial status to full membership in the Danish Commonwealth.
The three Scandinavian states signed a common policy of neutrality and were able to keep out of World War I. In 1939 they met again to work out a similar arrangement for World War II, but this time peace couldn't be kept.
Germany occupied Denmark in 1940 as a way of gaining control of the Baltic Sea and the country's rich food producing lands.
During World War II, Denmark didn't have a legal government abroad and couldn't take part in the wartime United Nations. However, upon liberation in 1945, Denmark immediately became a member of the U.N.
Denmark has had a king since ancient times and up until the middle of the 19th Century, the king's power was absolute. But after the adoption of a constitution in 1849, the king's power has been limited. The government is, therefore, a constitutional monarchy.
In 1953 a new constitution was passed that guarantee; the succession of the crown to the female line.
Almost everyone in Denmark can read and write. Education is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 14. Public schools are free of cost.
Beyond the basic seven year elementary school program, there is a secondary system that can lead after three years to the university. The extended program, which is much like the American high school, is called Gymnasia. Three branches of study are included: science, modern languages and classical languages.
Students seeking a more practical advance training may attend one of the many commercial or technical schools throughout the country. These schools train students for clerical jobs, various crafts or technical positions.
Advanced scientific education is given at academies and universities.
The national church of Denmark is the Evangelical Lutheran church. About 97 percent of the people belong to this church.