North Jutlandic Island
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Skagerrak |
| Coordinates | 57°6′N 9°30′E / 57.100°N 9.500°E |
| Administration | |
Denmark | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 306373 |
The North Jutlandic Island (Danish: Nørrejyske Ø), Vendsyssel-Thy, or simply Jutland north of the Limfjord (Jylland nord for Limfjorden) is the northernmost part of Denmark and of Jutland. It consists of the traditional districts Vendsyssel, Hanherred and Thy. Although the area is separated from mainland Jutland by the Limfjord, it is traditionally regarded a part of Jutland rather than an island.
Geographically, it is the second largest island of Denmark after Zealand (excluding Greenland). The North Jutlandic Island was connected to the Jutland Peninsula by the isthmus of Agger Tange between ca. 1200 and 1825 when it was cut by a flood.
Danes rarely refer to the area as a whole, but more often to the three constituent districts or to North Jutland (which also includes an area south of the Limfjord). The adjectives nordenfjords and søndenfjords are commonly used, meaning north and south of the Fjord, respectively. The names can all be considered ad hoc creations, in lack of an ancient name for the island as a geographical unity.
History
The North Jutlandic Island became an island again on February 3, 1825, when the North Sea broke through the narrow sand isthmus Agger Tange in its far southwest, cutting off the area from mainland Jutland and creating Agger Channel. The current separator is Thyborøn Channel which was created slightly further south by a flood in 1862. The original Agger Channel filled up with sand in 1877.
Geography
The North Jutlandic Island consists of three traditional landscapes:
- Vendsyssel, the largest part to east and north,
- Thy, the lesser part to the west,
- Hanherrederne or Hanherred, the central isthmus connecting Vendsyssel and Thy.
From 1 January 2007, when the Danish municipal reform took force, these areas along with Himmerland and the islands of Mors and Læsø constitute the North Jutland Region, being the smallest of Denmark's five regions by population. Ecclesiastically, the North Jutlandic Island is the core of Diocese of Aalborg.
In traditional terms, the westernmost part of the island, Thy, is considered part of Northern and Western Jutland simultaneously. The term North West Jutland refers to Thy, Mors, and parts of mainland Jutland bordering the western Limfjord, such as the peninsula of Salling and around the towns of Struer and Lemvig.
Key facts
- Area: 4,685 km²
- Population: 306,373 (January 1, 2003)
- Major towns:
- Vendsyssel: Hjørring, Frederikshavn, Skagen, Brønderslev, Sæby, Hirtshals, Løkken, Nørresundby (northern part of Aalborg, which is mainly south of the Limfjord)
- Hanherred: Fjerritslev, Brovst
- Thy: Thisted, Hanstholm, Hurup