Amager

Amager

Dragør street scene
Geography
Location	Øresund
Coordinates	55°37′N 12°37′E
Area	96.29 km2 (37.178 sq mi)
Length	16.1 km (10 mi)
Width	11.1 km (6.9 mi)
Country
Denmark
Region	Capital Region
Municipality	Copenhagen, Tårnby, Dragør
Demographics
Population	171,210 (as of 2010)
Density	1,796.6 /km2 (4,653.2 /sq mi)

Aerial view of Amager.

Amager ([ˈɑmɑːˀ] or, especially among older speakers, [ˈɑmæːɪ̯ˀɐ]) is a Danish island in the Øresund. The Danish capital, Copenhagen, is partly situated on Amager, which is connected to the much larger island of Zealand by five bridges.

History

Amager has long been populated, and well used, thanks to its rich soil and proximity to Copenhagen. In 1521, Christian II invited some Dutch farmers to move to Amager and grow vegetables to supply the Danish Court and Copenhagen. It was only in the late 19th century that Copenhagen began to expand onto the island (Sundbyerne), and in 1902 these built-up areas were incorporated into Copenhagen.

During the Second World War, high unemployment in Copenhagen led authorities to drain a large part of the sea, west of the island, and build a dam to hold out the water, effectively adding one half of Amager's previous area to the island.

The reclaimed area is currently known as Kalvebod Fælled, and was originally a military area, but today it is part of a major construction area called the Ørestad, being thought of as an extension to central Copenhagen. The area houses such major facilities as the Bella Center, a convention and exposition center, and Field's, the second-largest shopping center in Scandinavia. This project was initiated by the Danish government.

The beach area to the east of the island, known as Amager Strandpark (Amager Beach Park), which had fallen into disrepair since its inception in the 1930s, was extensively redeveloped between May 2004 and August 2005. A 2-km-long artificial island was constructed just off the mainland, which narrows to the southeast, creating a small lagoon.

During the 1970s, Amager was used as a place to dump litter; this led to a slang term for the island 'Lorteøen' (Shit Island). See Renholdningsselskabet af 1898.

Amenities

Large parts of Kalvebod Fælled are rich in nature and have many grazing cows and horses. This area allows the citizens of Copenhagen to experience nature, without travelling far from the city.

The seaward-facing side of the island has a wide sandy bathing beach, while the lagoon-facing side is mainly made up of low dunes. There is another beach on the mainland side of the lagoon, which runs alongside the beach road. Ice-cream kiosks, coffee shops, a marina and two small recreational parks can also be found in the Strandpark area. The lagoon is popular, and regularly used, for water sports – such as kayaking or wind-surfing.

Amager is also home to the Amager Bio, a cinema, concert and cultural venue. Top bands from the last 40 years have played there, both those of international origin (Prince, Aimee Mann, Uriah Heep, King Crimson, Cradle of Filth, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Jethro Tull, The Moody Blues, MGMT, Nas, Andrew Bird) and from Denmark (D.A.D, Dodo and the Dodos, Johnny Deluxe, Big Fat Snake).

Communities

Various communities are located on Amager, including Islands Brygge, and the towns of Dragør, Kastrup, and Tårnby.

Transport

The Øresund Bridge connects Sweden to Denmark at Amager. The construction of the bridge has had a significant impact on the physical geography of the island, largely due to the construction of new highways.

The Copenhagen Metro connects Amager to central Copenhagen. The metro line from Vanløse to Amager divides into M1 and M2 lines at Christianshavn and then continue to Vestamager and Lufthavnen (Copenhagen Airport).

Copenhagen Airport is in the eastern part of Amager. It is linked by train, metro and bus services.

Notable people

• Frank Arnesen
• Martin Bernburg
• Brian Holm
• Sonny Fredie Pedersen
• Mikkel Kessler
• Linse Kessler
• Stephanie Kessler
• Klaus Rifbjerg
• Joey Moe
• Christopher (singer)
• Nicklas Bendtner

See also

• List of islands of Denmark

External links

• Amager Beach Park
• Amager Bio