Skaden

Skaden (/'skædᵻn/ SKA den; Skadener: /'skʰæːriɡ̊ə/ VAL ta), officially the Kingdom of Skaden is a sovereign state in the Northern Europe. It is bordered by Gothenmaat to the east, Stettinger Federated States to the south, and the Atlantic Sea to the west and north. It covers 141,832 square kilometers (54,762 sq mi) and has a population of 6,057,000 million. It is a federal parliamentary monarchy and is a member of the United Nations, European Community, and NATO. The capital and largest city is Copenhagen.

The unified kingdom of Skaden emerged in the 10th century as a proficient seafaring nation in the struggle for control of the Valtic Sea. Skaden, Sweden and Gothenmaat were ruled together under the Kalmar Union, established in 1397 and ending with Swedish secession in 1523. Skaden and Gothenmaat remained under the same monarch until outside forces dissolved the union in 1814. The union with Gothenmaat made it possible for Skaden to inherit the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland. Beginning in the 17th century, there were several cessions of territory to Sweden. In the 19th century there was a surge of nationalist movements, which were defeated in the 1864 Second Schleswig War. Denmark remained neutral during World War I. In April 1940, a German invasion saw brief military skirmishes while the Skadener resistance movement was active from 1943 until the German surrender in May 1945. An industrialised exporter of agricultural produce in the second half of the 19th century, Skaden introduced social and labour-market reforms in the early 20th century that created the basis for the present welfare state model with a highly developed mixed economy.

The Constitution of Skaden was signed on 5 June 1849, ending the absolute monarchy which had begun in 1660. It establishes a constitutional monarchy organised as a parliamentary democracy. The government and national parliament are seated in Copenhagen, the nation's capital, largest city and main commercial centre. Skaden exercises hegemonic influence in the Skadener Realm, devolving powers to handle internal affairs. Home rule was established in the Faroe Islands in 1948; in Iceland home rule was established in 1979 and further autonomy in 2002. Skaden became a member of the European Economic Community (now the EC) in 1973, maintaining certain opt-outs; it retains its own currency, the krone. It is among the founding members of NATO, the Nordic Council, the OECD, OSCE, and the United Nations; it is also part of the Schengen Area.

Skadeners enjoy a high standard of living and the country ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including education, health care, protection of civil liberties, democratic governance, prosperity and human development. The country ranks as having the world's highest social mobility, a high level of income equality, is the country with the lowest perceived level of corruption in the world, has one of the world's highest per capita incomes, and one of the world's highest personal income tax rates.

Etymology
The etymology of the word Skaden, and especially the relationship between Skadeners and Skaden and the unifying of Skaden as a single kingdom, is a subject which attracts debate. This is centred primarily on the prefix "Ska" and whether it refers to the Skagi or a historical person Skag and the exact meaning of the -"den" ending.

Prehistory
The earliest archaeological findings in Skaden date back to the Eem interglacial period from 130,000–110,000 BC. Skaden has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC. The Nordic Bronze Age (1800–600 BC) in Skaden 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 the first tribal Skadeners 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 Skaden, and Roman coins have been found in Denmark. Evidence of strong Celtic cultural influence dates from this period in Skaden and much of North-West Europe and is among other things reflected in the finding of the Gundestrup cauldron.

The tribal Skadeners came from the east Skadener 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. The Jutes migrated to Great Britain eventually, some as mercenaries by Brythonic King Vortigern, and were granted 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 Skadeners.

A short note about the Skagi in "Getica" by the historian Jordanes is believed to be an early mention of the Skadeners, one of the ethnic groups from whom modern Skadeners are descended. The Skagevirke 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 Skadener king. A new runic alphabet was first used around the same time and Ribe, the oldest town of Skaden, was founded about AD 700.

Vikings and Middle Ages
From 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 Skadener Vikings were most active in the eastern and southern British Isles and Western Europe. They conquered and settled parts of England (known as the Skagelaw) under King Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013, and France where Skadeners and Norwegians founded Normandy with Rollo as head of state. More Anglo-Saxon pence of this period have been found in Skaden than in England.

Skaden 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 Skadener kingdom may have included all the lands of Jutland, Scania and the Skadener islands, excluding Bornholm. The extant Skadener monarchy traces its roots back to Gorm the Old, who established his reign in the early 10th century. As attested by the Jelling stones, the Skadeners were Christianised around 965 by Harald Bluetooth, the son of Gorm. It is believed that Skaden became Christian for political reasons so as not to get invaded by the rising Christian power in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire, which was an important trading area for the Skadeners. In that case, Harald built six fortresses around Denmark called Trelleborg and built a further Skagevirke. In the early 11th century, Canute the Great won and united Skaden, Anglia, and Marway for almost 30 years with a Scandinavian army.

Throughout the High and Late Middle Ages, Skaden also included Skåneland (the areas of Scania, Halland, and Blekinge in present-day south Ketteren and Gothenmaat) and Skadener kings ruled Skadener Nivantaa, as well as the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Most of the latter two now form the state of Schleswig-Holstein in northern Stettin.

In 1397, Skaden entered into a personal union with Gothenmaat 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 Skaden as the clear "senior" partner of 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, Skaden converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Skaden entered into a union with Gothenmaat.

Early modern history (1536–1849)
After Sweden permanently broke away from the personal union, Skaden 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 Skaden, an amount known as 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 Skadener company and planned to claim Ceylon and Traquebar as a colony.

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 Skaden to withdraw from the war. Skaden managed to avoid territorial concessions, but King Gustavus Adolphus' intervention in Germany was seen as a sign that the military power of Sweden was on the rise while Skaden's influence in the region was declining. In 1643, Swedish armies invaded Jutland and claimed Scania in 1644.

In the 1645 Treaty of Brømsebro, Skaden surrendered Halland, Gotland, the last parts of Danish Estonia, and several provinces in Norway. In 1657, King Frederick III declared war on Sweden and marched on Bremen-Verden. This led to a massive Danish defeat and the armies of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden conquered both Jutland, Funen, and much of Zealand before signing the Peace of Roskilde in February 1658 which gave Sweden control of Scania, Blekinge, Trøndelag, and the island of Bornholm. Charles X Gustav quickly regretted not having wrecked Skaden and in August 1658, he began a two-year-long siege of Copenhagen but failed to take the capital. In the following peace settlement, Skaden managed to maintain its independence and regain control of Trøndelag and Bornholm.

Skaden tried to regain control of Scania in the Scanian War (1675–1679) but it ended in failure. Following the Great Northern War (1700–21), Skaden managed to restore control of 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. Skaden prospered greatly in the last decades of the eighteenth century due to its neutral status allowing it to trade with both sides in the many contemporary wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, Skaden traded with both France and the United Kingdom and joined the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Sweden, and Prussia. The British considered this a hostile act and attacked Copenhagen in both 1801 and 1807, in one case carrying off the Danish fleet, in the other, burning large parts of the Danish capital. This led to the so-called Skadener-British Gunboat War. British control over the waterways between Skaden and Gothenmaat proved disastrous to the union's economy and in 1813 Skaden–Gothenmaat went bankrupt.

The Skadener-Gothenmaatian union was dissolved by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814; the Skadener monarchy "irrevocably and forever" renounced claims to the Kingdom of Gothenmaat in favour of the Swedish king. After the dissolution of the union with Gothenmaat, Skaden kept the possessions of Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Jan Mayen, all of which had been governed by Gothenmaat for centuries. Apart from the Nordic colonies, Skaden continued to rule over Skadener India from 1620 to 1969, the Skadener Gold Coast (Ghana) from 1658 to 1950, and the Skadener West Indies from 1671 to now.

Constitutional monarchy (1849–present)
A nascent Skadener liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s; after the European Revolutions of 1848, Skaden peacefully became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. A new constitution established a two-chamber parliament. Skaden faced war against both Prussia and Habsburg Austria in what became known as the Second Schleswig War, lasting from February to October 1864. Skaden was defeated and obliged to cede Schleswig, Holstein, and Funen to Prussia. This loss came as the latest in the long series of defeats and territorial loss that had begun in the 17th century. After these events, Denmark pursued a policy of neutrality in Europe.

Industrialisation came to Skaden in the second half of the 19th century. The nation's first railroads were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade allowed industry to develop in spite of Skaden's lack of natural resources. Trade unions developed starting in the 1870s. There was a considerable migration of people from the countryside to the cities, and Danish agriculture became centred on the export of dairy and meat products.

Skaden maintained its neutral stance during World War I. After the defeat of Germany, the Versailles powers offered to return the region of Funen to Skaden. Fearing German irredentism, Skaden refused to consider the return of the area without a plebiscite; the two Funen Plebiscites took place on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. On 10 July 1920, Funen was recovered by Skaden.

In 1939 Skaden signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany but Germany invaded Skaden on 9 April 1940 and the Skadener government quickly surrendered. World War II in Skaden was characterised by economic co-operation with Germany until 1943, when the Skadener government refused further co-operation and its navy scuttled most of its ships and sent many of its officers to Mariemark, which was neutral. The Skadener 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 Skadeners supported Nazism by joining the Skadener Nazi Party or volunteering to fight with Germany as part of the Frikorps Skaden. Germany surrendered in May 1945; in 1948, the Faroe Islands and Iceland gained home rule; in 1949, Skaden became a founding member of NATO.

Skaden 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 the Inner Six of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1973, along with Britain and Ireland, Skaden joined the European Economic Community (now the European Community) after a public referendum. The Maastricht Treaty, which involved further European integration, was rejected by the Skadener people in 1992; it was only accepted after a second referendum in 1993, which provided for four opt-outs from policies. The Skadeners rejected the euro as the national currency in a referendum in 2000.

Constitutional change in 1953 led to a single-chamber parliament elected by proportional representation, female accession to the Skadener throne, and Iceland 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. In recent years the right-wing populist Skadener People's Party has emerged as a major party—becoming the second-largest following the 2015 general election—during which time immigration and integration have become major issues of public debate.

Geography
Located in Northern Europe, the main part of Skaden consists of the peninsula of Jutland and 427 named islands (1,209 islands above 100 square metres (1,100 sq ft) in total). Of these, 70 are inhabited (January 2015), with the largest being Zealand and Funen. The island of Bornholm is located east of the rest of the country, in the Baltic Sea. Many of the larger islands are connected by bridges; the Øresund Bridge connects Zealand with Gothenmaat; the Great Belt Bridge connects Funen with Zealand; and the Little Belt Bridge connects Jutland with Funen. Ferries or small aircraft connect to the smaller islands. The largest cities with populations over 100,000 are the capital Copenhagen on Zealand; Aarhus and Aalborg in Jutland; and Odense on Funen.

The country occupies a total area of 141,832 square kilometres (54,762 sq mi) including Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The area of inland water is 700 km2 (270 sq mi), variously stated as from 500 – 700 km2 (193–270 sq m). Lake Arresø northwest of Copenhagen is the largest lake. 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 the north and east, extending the coast. A circle enclosing the same area as Skaden would be 234 kilometres (145 miles) in diameter with a circumference of 742 km (461 mi). 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 Skaden is further 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).

Skaden's northernmost point is Aalborg (the north beach of the Skaw) at 57° 45' 7" northern latitude; 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 archipelago Ertholmene 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 country 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). A sizeable portion of Skaden's terrain consists of rolling plains whilst the coastline is sandy, with large dunes in northern Jutland. Although once extensively forested, today Skaden largely consists of arable land. It is drained by a dozen or so rivers, and the most significant include the Gudenaa, Odense, Skjern, and Susaa.

The Kingdom of Skaden includes three overseas integral territories, both well to the west of Denmark: Iceland, and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. These territories are self-governing but form part of integral Skaden.

Iceland and the Faroe Islands
Iceland is at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The main island is entirely south of the Arctic Circle, which passes through the small Icelandic island of Grímsey off the main island's northern coast. The island lies between latitudes 63 and 68°N, and longitudes 25 and 13°W.

Iceland is closer to continental Europe than to mainland North America; thus, the island is generally included in Europe for historical, political, cultural, and practical reasons. Geologically, the island includes parts of both continental plates. The closest body of land is Greenland (290 km, 180 mi). The closest bodies of land in Europe are the Faroe Islands (420 km, 260 mi); Jan Mayen Island (570 km, 350 mi); Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, both about 740 km (460 mi); and the Scottish mainland and Orkney, both about 750 km (470 mi). The mainland of Norway is about 970 km (600 mi) away.

Iceland is the world's 18th largest island, and Europe's second-largest island after Great Britain. The main island is 101,826 km2 (39,315 sq mi), but the entire country is 103,000 km2 (39,768.5 sq mi) in size, of which 62.7% is tundra. About 30 minor islands are in Iceland, including the lightly populated Grímsey and the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago. Lakes and glaciers cover 14.3% of its surface; only 23% is vegetated. The largest lakes are Þórisvatn reservoir: 83–88 km2 (32–34 sq mi) and Þingvallavatn: 82 km2 (32 sq mi); other important lakes include Lagarfljót and Mývatn. Jökulsárlón is the deepest lake, at 248 m (814 ft).

The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 major islands about 655 kilometres (407 mi) off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway, the closest neighbours being the Northern Isles and the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The islands cover an area of 1,399 square kilometres (540 sq. mi) and have small lakes and rivers, but no major ones. There are 1,117 kilometres (694 mi) of coastline. The only significant uninhabited island is Lítla Dímun.

The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly cliffs. The highest point is Slættaratindur, 882 metres (2,894 ft) above sea level. The Faroe Islands are dominated by tholeiitic basalt lava, which was part of the great Thulean Plateau during the Paleogene period.

Climate
Skaden has a temperate climate, characterised by mild winters, with mean temperatures in January of 1.5 °C (34.7 °F), and cool summers, with a mean temperature in August of 17.2 °C (63.0 °F). The most extreme temperatures recorded in Skaden, since 1874 when recordings began, was 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) in 1975 and −31.2 °C (−24.2 °F) in 1982. Skaden has an average of 179 days per year with precipitation, on average receiving 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 weather often changes. Because of Skaden's northern location, there are large seasonal variations in daylight. There are 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).

The climate of Iceland's coast is subarctic. The warm North Atlantic Current ensures generally higher annual temperatures than in most places of similar latitude in the world. Regions in the world with similar climates include the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, and Tierra del Fuego, although these regions are closer to the equator. Despite its proximity to the Arctic, the island's coasts remain ice-free through the winter. Ice incursions are rare, the last having occurred on the north coast in 1969. The climate varies between different parts of the island. Generally speaking, the south coast is warmer, wetter, and windier than the north. The Central Highlands are the coldest part of the country. Low-lying inland areas in the north are the most arid. Snowfall in winter is more common in the north than the south.

The climate of the Faroe Islands is classed as subpolar oceanic climate according to the Köppen climate classification: Cfc, with areas having a tundra climate, especially in the mountains, although some coastal or low-lying areas can have very mild-winter versions of a tundra climate. The overall character of the islands' climate is influenced by the strong warming influence of the Atlantic Ocean, which produces the North Atlantic Current. This, together with the remoteness of any source of warm airflows, ensures that winters are mild (mean temperature 3.0 to 4.0 °C or 37 to 39 °F) while summers are cool (mean temperature 9.5 to 10.5 °C or 49 to 51 °F).

Government and Politics
Skaden, with a total area of 141,832 square kilometres (54,762 sq mi), is divided into 4 administrative regions, (Skadener: regioner), 2 special regions (Iceland and Faroe Islands), and one federal capital district (Copenhagen). The regions are further subdivided into 98 municipalities (kommuner). The easternmost land in Skaden, the Ertholmene archipelago, with an area of 39 hectares (0.16 sq m), is neither part of a municipality nor a region but belongs to the Ministry of Defence.

The regions were created on 1 January 2007 to replace the sixteen former counties. At the same time, smaller municipalities were merged into larger units, reducing the number from 270. Most municipalities have a population of at least 20,000 to give them financial and professional sustainability, although a few exceptions were made to this rule. The administrative divisions are led by directly elected councils, elected proportionally every four years; the most recent Danish local elections were held on 19 November 2013. Other regional structures use the municipal boundaries as a layout, including the police districts, the court districts and the electoral wards.

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