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62-528: The five Danish Gold Coast Territorial Settlements and forts of the Kingdom of Denmark were sold to the United Kingdom in 1850. Denmark had wanted to sell these colonies for some time as the expenses required to run the colonies had increased following the abolition of slavery. Although Britain was also struggling with rising costs, it sought to purchase them to reduce French and Belgian influence in

124-462: A sachem of Native Americans . Despite the superlative etymology, it can be applied to several chiefs in a single native community. The derived Danish word høvding also carries this same meaning. However, this article is devoted to its more former, historical use as a gubernatorial title, comparable to the English chief factor , for the chief executive officer of a Dutch factorij in

186-574: A Danish county ( amt ); the Home Rule Act abolished the post of Amtmand (County Governor) and replaced it with the role of Rigsombudsmand ( High Commissioner of the Danish government ). These powers were expanded in a 2005 Act, which named the Faroese home government as an "equal partner" with the Danish government. The 1978 "Greenland Home Rule Act" devolves powers in much the same way as

248-595: A Supreme Court judge, said that due to the special circumstances, the scope of delegation need not be strictly defined. Proponents of the second interpretation include Edward Mitens, Max Sørensen and Frederik Harhoff . Mitens, a Faeroese jurist and politician, argued that the Faeroese home rule had been approved by both the Løgting and the Rigsdag , so it was an agreement between two parties, in particular because

310-482: A separate people under international law. Greenland is now described as having " self rule ", with its home government exercising a wider range of powers. There are a number of matters that can not be acquired by the territories; Constitutional affairs, foreign policy, defence , the Supreme Court , citizenship , and monetary policy . Additionally, the Faroese and Greenlandic parliaments are subordinate to

372-632: A referendum in Greenland. It also needs consent from the Folketing, in accordance with section 19 of the Danish constitution. That section states that any changes to the Kingdom's territory needs to be approved by the Folketing. Greenlandic independence does not require a constitutional change; instead, should Greenland become independent, the rules in the constitution regarding Greenland becomes void. With regards to international law , Denmark signed

434-835: A whole is a member of the United Nations , NATO , the OECD and the World Trade Organization . The Faroe Islands and Greenland are associated members of the Nordic Council in their own right as part of Denmark's membership. Although the Kingdom of Denmark is a member of the European Union , both areas have special dispensation and remain outside the EU. Greenland joined the EU as part of Denmark in 1973, but opted to leave in 1985 after Greenlandic home rule

496-461: Is a Dutch word (plural opperhoofden ) that literally translates to "upper-head", meaning "supreme headman ". The Danish cognate overhoved , which is a calque derived from a Danish pronunciation of the Dutch or Low German word, is also treated here. The standard German cognate is Oberhaupt . In modern Dutch, opperhoofd remains in use for a native tribal chief , such as

558-474: Is by far the largest, and makes up 98% of the realm. The entire kingdom has an area of 2.2 million square kilometres (0.85 million square miles), and is according to The World Factbook the twelfth largest country in the world, the same rank held by Greenland alone. Denmark alone has an area of about 43,000 km , and is no. 133 on that list. Denmark is situated in Northern Europe and

620-662: Is flat and arable, the Faroe Islands in the Northern Atlantic and are rugged with cliffs along the coast, while Greenland is in the North Atlantic and Arctic , and is 79% covered in ice . Greenland is the most sparsely populated territory in the world, according to the World Bank . The Kingdom has submitted five claims to the United Nations that its exclusive economic zone extends beyond

682-637: The Akuapem Hills emerged as frontrunners, with the Council on the Guinea Coast even resisting orders to close outlying forts, fearing negative consequences for trade and security. The Slave Trade Commission ultimately favoured the Volta region for plantations, while rescinding the closure order in 1799. This back-and-forth illustrates the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of the forts and

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744-713: The Alpha - Mendeleev Ridge complex). Constitutionally, the Kingdom of Denmark encompasses the realm or the country, but the Faroe Islands and Greenland have an extended degree of autonomy to govern their relations. The Faroe Islands and Greenland have been under the Crown of Denmark since 1397 ( de facto ) when the Kalmar Union was ratified, and part of the Danish Realm since 1814 ( de jure ). However, due to their separate historical and cultural identities, these parts of

806-503: The Caribbean at Saint Thomas , Saint John in 1718, and Saint Croix in 1733. While these possessions were rather small, at only 350 square kilometers collectively, they became of utmost importance in the transatlantic slave trade under the Danish flag because of their intensive and highly profitable sugar production which depended on slave labor. As a result, and because mortality rates were higher than fertility rates among slaves in

868-582: The Danish parliament , where the two territories are represented by two seats each (from a total of 179 seats). The Faroe Islands have gradually taken control of more and more areas of responsibility according to their Home Rule Act from 1948. The Faroese/Danish act of 2005 states: "This law is based on an agreement between the Governments of the Faroe Islands and Denmark as equal partners." Previously, most foreign relations were undertaken exclusively by

930-645: The Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention in 1996 and acknowledged the Greenlandic Inuit as an Indigenous people . In the 2009 self rule act, Denmark recognised the Greenlandic people as a "people" within the context of international law, and their inherent right to self-determination . The Kingdom of Denmark constitutes a unified sovereign state, with equal status between its constituent parts. Devolution differs from federalism in that

992-539: The Kingdom of Denmark were sold to Britain and incorporated into the British Gold Coast . This period reveals the internal struggles within the Danish administration and the unfulfilled ambitions that marked Denmark's brief venture into African colonialism. The title of its chief colonial administrator was opperhoved (singular; sometimes rendered in English as station chief ) since 1658, only in 1766 upgraded to Governor. The Danes were involved in

1054-628: The Kingdom of Denmark , or simply Denmark , is a sovereign state and refers to the area over which the Constitution of Denmark applies. It consists of metropolitan Denmark —the kingdom's territory in continental Europe and sometimes called "Denmark proper" (Danish: egentlige Danmark )—and the realm's two autonomous regions: the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America . The relationship between

1116-602: The Parliament of the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Folketing ), the Government of Denmark and the Supreme Court of Denmark . The Faroe Islands were granted home rule via an independence referendum in 1946, and Greenland did so in a 1979 referendum . In 2005, the Faroes received a self-government arrangement, and in 2009 Greenland received " self rule ", thus leaving the government of Denmark with little influence over

1178-670: The Portuguese occupied Fort Christiansborg. In 1750 it was made a Danish crown colony . From 1782 to 1785 it was under British occupation. Following the 1792 decree abolishing Denmark's participation in the Atlantic slave trade (implemented in 1803), the purpose of their forts on the Guinea coast became uncertain. Previously, these outposts had served solely for the slave trade, with no real impact beyond isolated trading activities. Colonial planners, recognising their limited knowledge of

1240-635: The Treaty of Kiel , but kept control of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland. The colonies on Greenland were situated on the west coast, and as a condition for the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States in 1917, the U.S. recognised Danish sovereignty over the whole island, and most countries followed suit. One exception was Norway who in 1931 occupied parts of East Greenland , but abandoned their claim in 1933, when it lost

1302-420: The 1915 constitution gave Risdagen the legislative power, any laws by the Løgting necessarily derived its authority from powers delegated to it from Rigsdagen. With regards to the extent Rigsdagen was allowed to delegate its legislative power under section 2, Meyers argued that more powers could be delegated to the Faroe Islands than other parts of the country, due to its special history. Similarly, Christensen,

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1364-412: The 1979 Greenlandic home rule use the term rigsenheden instead. Jurist Frederik Harhoff argued in 1993 that rigsenheden should be replaced with rigsfællesskabet , as the former implies a common identity, while the latter implied a community of different identities. The use of the expression Rigsfællesskabet though can be traced back to at least 1908. Denmark's population is by far the largest of

1426-580: The Coast were abandoned, with the exception of Fort Christiansborg, which was, along with the other posts, sold to the British in 1850. Throughout the transatlantic slave trade, it is estimated that about 12.5 million Africans were taken captive and 10.7 million of them were transported to the Americas. The Danish slave trade constituted about 1 percent of this trade, with about 100,000 Africans embarked. Denmark

1488-473: The Danish West Indies, it became necessary to import slaves every year. Most of these enslaved human beings came directly from Africa while others came from foreign Caribbean islands. After the slave trade was abolished in 1803, Danish colonizers attempted to establish cotton, coffee, and sugar plantations on the Gold Coast; however, these were largely unsuccessful. By 1817, almost all of the Danish posts on

1550-485: The Faeroese voted for independence, but the result was rejected by the Danish government. Instead, after negotiations between the Faroe Islands and Denmark, the Faroe Islands were granted "home rule" in 1948. Greenland was originally administered as two separate colonies, viz. North and South Greenland . In 1950, these two were merged as the Colony of Greenland . Following the constitutional reform in 1953 , Greenland

1612-524: The Faroe Islands and Greenland to be somewhere in between the constitution and a usual act by the Folketing, as it had been treated as such . The Greenlandic self rule act of 2009 gives Greenland a way to achieve independence. First, the Greenlandic people must make the decision, after which there should be negotiations between the Greenlandic government ( Naalakkersuisut ) and the Danish government about how to practically implement it. The agreement reached needs to be ratified by Inatsisartut, and approved in

1674-558: The Faroe Islands must be prepared for that court, like any Danish matter. Danish currency is also legal tender in Greenland, but not in the Faroes. Denmark is responsible for the military defence of both nations. The Kingdom of Denmark is a member state of the European Communities , the predecessor of the European Union , since 1973. In 1982, Greenland voted to leave the Communities after gaining home rule from

1736-411: The Faroe Islands were given "home rule" in 1948, and Greenland in 1979. Greenland's home rule was replaced in 2009 by "self rule". There is an ongoing legal debate about what constitutional weight these arrangements have. In general, there are two conflicting views: (a) the laws delegate power from the Folketing and can be revoked unilaterally by it, and (b) the laws have special status so changes require

1798-605: The Faroese Home Rule Act. It sets out a home rule government and Greenlandic parliament . Specific areas of governance specified in the act include: Organization of local government; Fishing and agriculture; Welfare system; protection of the environment ; other areas affecting Greenlanders directly, etc. On 21 June 2009, Greenland assumed self-determination with responsibility for self-government of judicial affairs, policing, natural resources, immigration and border controls. Also, Greenlanders were recognised as

1860-643: The Government of Denmark on behalf of the entire realm, but more recently the Faroe Islands and Greenland have increased their role in foreign policy. Representatives for both have joined Danish delegations in discussions on some international matters, such as fishing rights. Greenlandic representatives were included in the process of a new treaty between Denmark and the US regarding the Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark as

1922-528: The Kingdom of Denmark". The sovereignty of the Faroe Islands and Greenland is held by the Danish state. The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state , with the Folketing being its unicameral legislature. The Faroe Islands and Greenland each elect two members to the parliament; the remaining 175 members are elected in Denmark. The Folketing have by law given the Faroe Islands and Greenland extensive autonomy;

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1984-460: The Realm now have an extensive degree of self-government and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields. Legal matters in the country or realm are subject to the Constitution of the Realm of Denmark . It stipulates that it applies for all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark and that legislative, executive and judicial powers are the responsibility of

2046-520: The Realm of Denmark. The Faroe Islands was never part of the EU, as explicitly asserted by both Rome treaties. The relations of the Faroe Islands with the EU are governed by a Fisheries Agreement (1977) and a Free Trade Agreement (1991, revised 1998). The main reason for remaining outside the EU is disagreements about the Common Fisheries Policy . Denmark: Faroe Islands: Greenland: Opperhoved Opperhoofd

2108-409: The Realm", the "commonwealth of the Realm", or the "Danish Commonwealth" refers to the constitutional status of the relationship between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland. The name was used by Danish and Greenlandic authorities in the negotiations for home rule introduced in 1979, and has become popular since the beginning of the 1990s. The acts establishing the 1948 Faroese home rule and

2170-467: The United States . The Faroe Islands were made a Danish county in 1816, and with the constitution of 1849 , it gained representation in the Rigsdag . During World War II, the Faroe Islands were occupied by the United Kingdom and they largely administered themselves. After the war, it was clear that the old system could not be reinstated. In an independence referendum in 1946, 50.7% of

2232-418: The approval by the Løgting happened according to special rules put in place in 1940 with the consent of the Danish representative there, during the occupation by the United Kingdom. Sørensen said the intention with the Faeroese home rule was that it should not be unilaterally changed, as stated in the preamble, so it had that effect. Harhoff, in his 1993 Doctorate dissertation, considered the home rule acts of

2294-423: The area north of the Faroe Islands. The Kingdom was in a dispute with Canada on who has sovereignty over Hans Island between 1978 and 2022. The two governments eventually settled on a border running approximately halfway through the island, establishing a land border between the two states. The Faroe Islands were settled by Norwegian Vikings in the 9th century, displacing Irish monks already there. Iceland

2356-551: The case at the Permanent Court of International Justice . In Iceland there was a growing nationalism in the 19th century, and Iceland was in 1874 given its own constitution and increased autonomy, but still with the executive power in Danish hands. Iceland was granted home rule in 1904, and, by the Danish–Icelandic Act of Union , full independence in 1918. The act established a personal union between Denmark and

2418-428: The challenges Denmark faced in adapting its colonial strategy in the wake of the abolition of the slave trade. Internal disagreements within the Danish administration further complicated the future of the forts. Evaluations by Peter Thonning and Governor Wrisberg revealed opposing views on inland and coastal plantation projects. The Coastal Council even suggested a temporary continuation of the slave trade to facilitate

2480-552: The consent of the Faeroese Løgting or the Greenlandic Inatsisartut , respectively. Proponents of the first interpretation include Alf Ross , Poul Meyer and Jens Peter Christensen . Ross, the chief architect of the Faeroese home rule, argued that it was "a municipal self-government of extraordinary extensive scope". Meyer wrote in 1947, prior to the Faeroese home rule, that since section 2 of

2542-453: The devolved powers of the subnational authority ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains de jure unitary. The Self-Government Arrangements devolves political competence and responsibility from the Danish political authorities to the Faroese and the Greenlandic political authorities. The Faroese and Greenlandic authorities administer the tasks taken over from the state, enact legislation in these specific fields and have

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2604-466: The economic responsibility for solving these tasks. The Danish government provides an annual grant to the Faroese and the Greenlandic authorities to cover the costs of these devolved areas. The 1948 "Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands" sets out the terms of Faroese home rule . The Act states, "...the Faroe Islands shall constitute a self-governing community within the State of Denmark." It establishes

2666-512: The establishment of these ventures. This reflects the challenges Denmark faced - limited geographical knowledge, internal disagreements over strategy and the impact of the Napoleonic Wars , which further hampered colonial efforts. In the post-Napolenic-war period, Peter Thonning, now focused on cost reduction, proposed new inland fortifications. This shift reflects Denmark's continuing difficulties in adapting its colonial strategy without

2728-551: The forts altogether [66]. The arrival of Governor Carstensen in 1842 briefly revived interest in a more active colonial approach, with plantations at Akuapem and annual visits by warships to project power. However, Denmark's waning enthusiasm for colonialism and financial constraints ultimately led to the sale of the forts to Great Britain in 1850, marking the end of its colonial ambitions in Africa. On 30 March 1850 all of Denmark 's Danish Gold Coast Territorial Settlements and forts of

2790-659: The home government of the Faroe Islands ( Landsstýrið ) and the Faroese parliament, the Løgting . More significantly, the Act specifies the powers devolved from the Government of Denmark, including: local government and municipal affairs; taxation , at a local and territorial level; public services , including police and town planning; welfare services , such as housing; primary and secondary education; Archives, libraries, museums; agriculture and fishing; entertainment; among other areas. The Faroe Islands were previously administered as

2852-530: The large slave ships were often instructed to convert their cabin into a kind of moveable showroom upon arrival on the African coast. While throughout the 18th century, Danish exports of enslaved Africans accounted for about 5 percent of the total exports from the Gold Coast, by the 1780s, this was up to 10 percent. In 1672, the Danish West India and Guinea Company also began establishing colonies in

2914-679: The matters of internal affairs that are devolved to the local governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The country or realm has land borders with Germany (the Danish-German border ) and Canada ( Hans Island ), and a road and rail bridge-tunnel that connects to Malmö , Sweden (the Danish-Swedish border ). The Constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark refers to the state's territory as Danmarks Rige (Danish Realm), which means "The Realm of Denmark". The Danish term rigsfællesskabet , translated as "The unity of

2976-401: The newly created Kingdom of Iceland , with Denmark handling coastal protection and foreign affairs. In 1944, Iceland abolished the personal union and adopted a new constitution that established the current republic , after a referendum on the subject. This happened during World War II, where Denmark and Iceland were cut off from each other, as Denmark was occupied by Germany , and Iceland by

3038-611: The region, as well as to further curtail the slave trade that still operated there. The purchased settlements and forts were later incorporated into the British Gold Coast . On April 20, 1663, the Danish seizure of Fort Christiansborg and Carlsborg completed the annexation of the Swedish Gold Coast settlements. From 1674 to 1755 the settlements were administered by the Danish West India-Guinea Company . From December 1680 to 29 August 1682,

3100-547: The sense of trading post, as led by a factor, i.e. agent. The etymologically cognate title of Danish overhoved (singular) had a similar gubernatorial use (sometimes rendered in English as station chief ), notably on the Danish Gold Coast . The factory established on 20 September 1609 at Hirado by the Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie , VOC), next in 1641, as

3162-464: The slave trade from the mid-17th century until the early 19th century. The Danish navy and its mercantile marine were recorded as the fourth largest in Europe in this period. With the establishment of the Gold Coast colony in the 1660s, commodities such as gold and ivory dominated at first, but by the turn of the 18th century, slaves were the most important commodity in the Danish trade. Those who commanded

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3224-422: The slave trade. Figures such as Thonning envisioned inland plantation ventures that required good relations with powerful African states such as Asante. Others, however, advocated a more limited role for the forts, focusing on trade and defence. The Guinea Commission, led by Thonning, explored inland colonies, but ultimately failed to convince a cost-conscious Danish government. King Christian VIII even sought to sell

3286-405: The surrounding territories (as evidenced by requests for detailed information), sought for other options. This shift coincided with growing abolitionist sentiment and the desire to establish plantation colonies in Africa to produce tropical commodities such as sugar and coffee. Debate arose over the most suitable locations for these new agricultural endeavours. The fertile Volta River region and

3348-561: The three parts of the Kingdom is known as The unity of the Realm . The Kingdom of Denmark is not a federation ; it is a concept encompassing the three autonomous legal systems of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, united under its monarch . The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary sovereign state. It has Arctic territorial claims in the Arctic Ocean : various sites near the North Pole ( Lomonosov Ridge , Gakkel Ridge , and

3410-728: The three; 5.8 million people live in Denmark, and about 52,000 and 56,000 in the Faroe Island and Greenland, respectively. In comparison, there are ten cities in Denmark with a population above 50,000 people. Denmark is populated by the Danes , the Faroe Island by the Faroese , and Greenland by the Greenlandic Inuit . In both the Faroe Islands and Greenland, Danes make up 7.6% of the population, as of 2018 . As of 2020 , there are about 11,000 Faeroese-born and 17,000 Greenlandic-born people living in Denmark. With respect to area, Greenland

3472-537: The usual 200 nautical miles limit: one north and one south of the Faroe Islands, and three around Greenland. One Greenlandic claim includes the North Pole and the Lomonosov Ridge , and extend all the way to the Russian exclusive economic zone. Claims overlapping with other nations' claims have to be resolved through negotiation; in 2019, Iceland , Norway and the Kingdom of Denmark settled their claims to

3534-522: The words Dansk (Danish) and Danmark (Denmark). The provisions for home rule are limited to internal matters only. Neither Greenland nor the Faroe Islands can write laws that concern the relationship with other states, nor laws that apply to the entire Realm; furthermore, the Supreme Court (Danish: Højesteret ) in Copenhagen is the final legal instance, and legal matters from Greenland and

3596-480: Was incorporated into Denmark as a county and given representation in the Folketing . When Denmark joined the European Communities (EC) in 1972, Greenland followed, despite 70% of the Greenlandic voters voting against it in the referendum . As a home rule agreement would allow them to leave again (the Faroe Islands did not join the EC ), this was an important factor in the increasing support for home rule. Another factor

3658-451: Was a desire to make Greenland more Greenlandic and less Danish . They were given home rule in 1979 and left the EC in 1985. Under the home rule agreement, Greenland gradually took over more responsibility from the Danish state. In 2009, the home rule was replaced with "self rule", granting greater autonomy. The Danish constitution also applies in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, as section one states that it "shall apply to all parts of

3720-515: Was introduced in 1979. The "Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands" specifies that a 'Faroese' shall be understood to mean a person who is a " national of Denmark and a resident of the Faroe Islands". The Government of Denmark issues special passports for its citizens living in the Faroe Islands and Greenland with the right to choose a regular Danish passport as well. The Faroese Home Rule Act states that, in Faroese passports , Føroyingur (Faroese) and Føroyar (Faroe Islands) shall be inserted after

3782-528: Was reportedly the first European colonial empire to ban its slave trade in 1792, although this law did not come into effect until 1803, and illegal trading continued into the nineteenth century. The following forts were in the possession of Denmark until all forts were sold to the United Kingdom in 1850. Apart from these main forts, several forts and trading posts were temporarily held by the Danes. Kingdom of Denmark The Danish Realm , officially

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3844-604: Was settled in the 9th century by Norsemen , and was a free state until 1262/1264, when it came under Norwegian taxation. Greenland, already populated by the Indigenous Greenlandic Inuit , was settled by Norwegians in the 10th century, among those Erik the Red . The connection to Greenland was lost in the 15th century, but Denmark–Norway again established connections in 1721 through the missionary Hans Egede . In 1814, Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden under

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