Dänemark

The name "Danmark" goes back to the 9th century. The Danes have been a strong nation, at times ruling over England and most of Scandinavia, and over large parts of Germany and the Baltic coast line. In the 19th century Denmark lost most of the territories outside its present borders. The Faeroe Islands and Greenland, which have been part of Denmark since the 14th century, became self-gov- erning units within the nation in the 20th century. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Since 1955 it has had an Ombudsman, who oversees the conduct of the government and the decisions of the administration. All citizens have the right to appeal government actions to the ombudsman. Denmark has a highly developed welfare system and has been a member of the European Union since 1973. Culturally the country belongs to the Nordic region. It shares with the other Nordic countries a tradition of tolerance, peace and international solidarity. In the 16th century Denmark adopted the Lutheran Reformation. The Lutheran Church is the national church and the "folk church". It participates actively in ecumenical dialogues and is signatory to the Leuenberg Agreement, but not to the Porvoo Agreement. Immigration has strengthened the minority Catholic and Orthodox communities. There is a Baptist Union, and several Charismatic groups. Denmark has an Evangelical Alliance affiliated with the WEA.