Zealand

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For other uses, see Zealand (disambiguation).
Zealand
Native name: Sjælland

The Cliffs of Stevns south of Copenhagen
Geography
Location Baltic Sea
Coordinates 55°30′N 11°45′E / 55.5°N 11.75°E / 55.5; 11.75Coordinates: 55°30′N 11°45′E / 55.5°N 11.75°E / 55.5; 11.75
Area 7,031 km2 (2,714.7 sq mi)
Country
Region Capital Region of Denmark, Region Zealand
Largest city Copenhagen (pop. 1,181,239)
Demographics
Population 819,427
Density 307.8 /km2 (797.2 /sq mi)
Not to be confused with Zeeland, the Dutch province after which New Zealand is named.

Zealand (also Sealand (not to be confused with Sealand); Danish: Sjælland; pronounced [ˈɕɛˌlænˀ]) is the largest island (7,031 km²) of Denmark (the 96th-largest island in the world and the 35th most populous). Zealand is connected to Funen by the Great Belt Bridge and to Sweden over Amager and the Øresund Bridge.

The capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, is partly located on the eastern shore of Zealand and partly on Amager. Other cities on the island include Roskilde and Elsinore.

Contents

[edit] Mythological origins

Gefion carving Zealand from Sweden.

In Norse mythology, the island was created by the goddess Gefjun after she tricked Gylfi, the king of Sweden, as told in the story of Gylfaginning. She removed a piece of land and transported it to Denmark, and it became the island of Zealand. The vacant area was filled with water and became Mälaren.[1] However, since modern maps show a similarity between Zealand and the Swedish lake Vänern, it is sometimes identified as the hole left by Gefjun.

[edit] Geography

Zealand is the largest (2,714.7 sq mi [7,031 sq km]) and most populous island of Denmark (pop. 2008 est. 819,427),[2] after Greenland, and the 96th largest island of the world. It is separated from Funen by the Great Belt bridge and from Scania, in Sweden, by the Oresund bridge. The island is irregularly shaped, and is situated north of the islands of Lolland, Falster, and Mon.

On June 5, 2007, the regional subsidiary of national broadcaster DR reported that a hill, Kobanke, situated in the southeast near the town Rønnede in Faxe municipality, with a natural point of terrain at 122.9 m (403.21 feet), was the highest natural point on Zealand. Gyldenløveshøj, south of the city Roskilde has a height of 126 m (413.4 feet), but that is due to a man-made hill from the 17th century and its highest natural point is only 121.3 m (397.96 feet).

[edit] Cities, towns and villages

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Den Store Danske Encyklopædi, article Gefion
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. "Zealand". Britannica.com. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/656125/Zealand. Retrieved 28 February 2012. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zealand&oldid=479296457"
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