Misplaced Pages

#477522

127-503: Its main port is Aalborg , where a railway bridge ( Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden ) and road bridge ( Limfjordsbroen ) have been built across the Limfjord to Nørresundby , while motorway E45 crosses it through a tunnel to the east. Commercial ports also exist at Thisted , Nykøbing Mors , Skive , Løgstør , Struer , Lemvig and Thyborøn . There are also bridges at Oddesund , Sallingsund , Vilsund , Aggersund and Sebbersund , and

254-547: A caisson of water in which boats float while being moved between two levels; and inclined planes where a caisson is hauled up a steep railway. To cross a stream, road or valley (where the delay caused by a flight of locks at either side would be unacceptable) the valley can be spanned by a navigable aqueduct – a famous example in Wales is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site ) across

381-510: A drainage divide atop a ridge , generally requiring an external water source above the highest elevation . The best-known example of such a canal is the Panama Canal . Many canals have been built at elevations, above valleys and other waterways. Canals with sources of water at a higher level can deliver water to a destination such as a city where water is needed. The Roman Empire 's aqueducts were such water supply canals. The term

508-415: A "cistern", or depressed area just downstream from the fall, to "cushion" the water by providing a deep pool for its kinetic energy to be diffused in. Vertical falls work for drops of up to 1.5 m in height, and for discharge of up to 15 cubic meters per second. The transport capacity of pack animals and carts is limited. A mule can carry an eighth-ton [250 pounds (113 kg)] maximum load over

635-705: A 2.5 kilometre (1.6 mi) jogging trail (within the trail lies the Lysløjpen , a 45-metre [148 ft] gradient), Sohngårdsholmpark, a wooded area containing trails for both walking/jogging and biking and a six-hole golf course (free to the public), the Aalborg Open Air Swimming Pool, also free to the public, Bundgårdsparken, and Lindholm Strandpark. The Aalborg Zoo was opened in 1935 and typically houses 1,300 animals from 138 different species, including tigers , chimpanzees , zebra , elephants , giraffes , penguins and polar bears . It

762-496: A canal has a series of dams and locks that create reservoirs of low speed current flow. These reservoirs are referred to as slack water levels , often just called levels . A canal can be called a navigation canal when it parallels a natural river and shares part of the latter's discharges and drainage basin , and leverages its resources by building dams and locks to increase and lengthen its stretches of slack water levels while staying in its valley . A canal can cut across

889-624: A cathedral, dates from the end of the 14th century and Aalborghus Castle , a royal residence, was built in 1550. Today, Aalborg is a city in transition from a working-class industrial area to a knowledge-based community. A major exporter of grain , cement , and liquors , its thriving business interests include Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy , Alfa Laval , and Aalborg Portland . These companies have become global producers of wind turbine rotors, marine boilers, and cement. With its theatres, symphony orchestra , opera company, performance venues , and museums such as Aalborg Historical Museum and

1016-413: A combination of the three, depending on available water and available path: Smaller transportation canals can carry barges or narrowboats , while ship canals allow seagoing ships to travel to an inland port (e.g., Manchester Ship Canal ), or from one sea or ocean to another (e.g., Caledonian Canal , Panama Canal ). At their simplest, canals consist of a trench filled with water. Depending on

1143-581: A copy of the Ministry of Education's notice of 22 March 1948 about changes to orthography, according to which Aalborg's name henceforth shall be spelled Ålborg, the executive committee relays, that the city council – regardless of the notice – enacts that the city's name – as up until now – is spelled Aalborg, since the city's name with this way of spelling is known world-over. This was agreed upon unanimously." In 1984, then Minister of Education Bertel Haarder and Minister of Culture Mimi Jakobsen , decided that

1270-434: A definition for the metropolitan area of Aalborg (referred to as a " functional urban area "), which includes all municipalities in the province (Danish: landsdel ) of North Jutland (Danish: Nordjylland ), with a total population of 594,323 as of 1 July 2022. By road Aalborg is 64 kilometres (40 mi) southwest of Frederikshavn , and 118 kilometres (73 mi) north of Aarhus . The distance to Copenhagen

1397-456: A few untilled areas of salt marshes and woodland. Dikes have been built along the coastline to protect the island from flooding. The Kronborg Forest on the island, covering an area of 17 hectares (42 acres), was acquired by the municipal government in 1945. A restaurant in the vicinity was established in 1918 but rebuilt in 1946 following a fire. To the west of Egholm is the smaller uninhabited Fruensholm, and there are also three small islands to

SECTION 10

#1732766131478

1524-482: A flood pierced a permanent opening, the so-called Agger Channel , in the north of the 13 km long and less than 1 km wide isthmus , the Agger Tange , which had until then linked Thy with the rest of Jutland . The western part of North Jutland lost its road connection with mainland Jutland, but the towns and harbours in the western part of the Limfjord could benefit from becoming directly accessible from

1651-549: A journey measured in days and weeks, though much more for shorter distances and periods with appropriate rest. Besides, carts need roads. Transport over water is much more efficient and cost-effective for large cargoes. The oldest known canals were irrigation canals, built in Mesopotamia c.  4000 BC , in what is now Iraq . The Indus Valley civilization of ancient India ( c.  3000 BC ) had sophisticated irrigation and storage systems developed, including

1778-683: A mayor. As of September 2013, 11 of the council seats are held by the Social Democratic Party , nine by Venstre , three by the Socialist People's Party , two by the Danish People's Party , and two by the Conservative People's Party , while three members are professed independents . The council is mandated to hold a minimum of two meetings per month, with meetings of a public forum format. Aalborg

1905-590: A number of ferry crossings. From the early Middle Ages until 1825, the Limfjord was only open to the sea at its east end. In that year, the North Sea broke through from the west and created a second opening, turning the northern part of Jutland Vendsyssel-Thy into an island. An isthmus of shifting sand had separated the Limfjord from the North Sea during historic times. The present inlet, Thyborøn Channel, has existed only since 1862. A passage also existed during

2032-602: A part of Danish society little known to the establishment in Copenhagen. The western breakthrough of 1825 changed the waters of the Limfjord from brackish to salty , with a considerable current from west to east. Hypoxia sometimes occurs due to warm windless periods in summer or ice in winter. The fjord today has oceanic salinity, approximately 30 PSU (or per mille by weight) at all depths. Many animals and maritime plants that can be found in Skagerrak , Kattegat and

2159-405: A pig, Limgrim , which soon grew so big that its bristles could be seen over the treetops. It strolled around and dug channels in the ground. One day it reached the sea and water broke in. This would have been at the eastern inlet of the Limfjord, at Hals . The legend is also handed down in a medieval ballad with a Christian tint. In the ballad, the pig is summoned to a Thing by peasants to pay for

2286-581: A rather low gradient for its time. The canal is still in use after renovation. In the Middle Ages , water transport was several times cheaper and faster than transport overland. Overland transport by animal drawn conveyances was used around settled areas, but unimproved roads required pack animal trains, usually of mules to carry any degree of mass, and while a mule could carry an eighth ton, it also needed teamsters to tend it and one man could only tend perhaps five mules, meaning overland bulk transport

2413-458: A recreational area in the 1930s and 1940s. It contains lawns, flowers, tall trees, bushes, and a lake, overlooked by St. Mark's Church on the eastern side. The lake is on the site of a former clay pit. Fifty-one species of bird have been recorded in the park. Lindholm Fjordpark, to the south of the Lindholm's industrial park, forms part of the green sector of the city known as 'Ryåkilen' along

2540-505: A result of the traffic between Himmerland to the south and Vendsyssel to the north. The first mention of Aalborg under its original name Alabu or Alabur is found on coins from c. 1040, the period when King Harthacnut (Hardeknud) settled in the area. In c. 1075, Adam of Bremen reported that Alaburg , as he called it in German, was an important harbour for ships sailing to Norway. In Valdemar's Danish Census Book from 1231 it

2667-519: A thousand years. It was originally settled as a trading post because of its position on the Limfjord . The sites of what were two settlements and a burial ground can be seen on Lindholm Høje , a hill overlooking the city. These large settlements, one from the sixth-century Germanic Iron Age , the other from the Viking Age in the 9th to 11th centuries, evolved at the narrowest point on Limfjord as

SECTION 20

#1732766131478

2794-459: A uniform altitude. Other, generally later, canals took more direct routes requiring the use of various methods to deal with the change in level. Canals have various features to tackle the problem of water supply. In cases, like the Suez Canal, the canal is open to the sea. Where the canal is not at sea level, a number of approaches have been adopted. Taking water from existing rivers or springs

2921-495: Is Denmark 's fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen , Aarhus , and Odense ) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalborg had a population of 221,082, making it the third most populous in the country after the municipalities of Copenhagen (capital) and Aarhus . Eurostat and OECD have used

3048-406: Is 412 kilometres (256 mi) if travelling by road and not using ferries. The earliest settlements date to around AD 700. Aalborg's position at the narrowest point on the Limfjord made it an important harbour during the Middle Ages , and later a large industrial centre. Architecturally, the city is known for its half-timbered mansions built by its prosperous merchants. Budolfi Church , now

3175-422: Is a channel that cuts across a drainage divide , making a navigable channel connecting two different drainage basins . Both navigations and canals use engineered structures to improve navigation: Since they cut across drainage divides, canals are more difficult to construct and often need additional improvements, like viaducts and aqueducts to bridge waters over streams and roads, and ways to keep water in

3302-512: Is also a habitat for many species of migratory birds such as pale-bellied brent geese , curlews , and songbirds. The park is also used by the Nordjysk Windsurfing Club and has a six-hole golf course. Aalborg has a number of additional civic parks and recreational facilities. Among them are Kildeparken , which hosts the annual Aalborg Carnival , Mølleparken, which contains a pond, statues, an outdoor exercise facility, and

3429-430: Is an important sanctuary for thousands of migratory birds. To the north of the city, villages include Vadum , Aabybro , Vestbjerg , Sulsted , Tylstrup , Vodskov , and Hjallerup . There is an extensive plantation, Branths Plantage - Møgelbjerg, immediately north of Vodskov. The Himmerland region to the south still has a number of moors which once formed a vast area of heathland extending 35 km (22 mi) to

3556-490: Is best known for the song Blæsten går frisk over Limfjordens vande ('The Wind Goes Fresh over the Limfjord's Waters'), a much-used "local anthem". The later ones of these Limfjord writers, along with a few others, formed the Jutland Movement , which revolted against the symbolism of the early 20th century. Instead, they wrote social realistic prose, often about poor and exploited people in the countryside, who were

3683-628: Is just 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwest of the city centre, and the E45 , a European route from Alta , Norway, to Gela , Italy, passes through Aalborg. A 2014 survey by the European Commission found that the citizens of Aalborg are the most satisfied people in Europe with their city. The name of Aalborg can be traced back to coins from the 11th century in the form of Alabu or Alabur . Like Aabenraa , there has been dissent regarding

3810-626: Is one of seven new regional organisations while the Royal School of Library and Information Science (RSLIS) provides higher education in library and information science. Trænregimentet , the Danish regiment for army supply and emergency medical personnel, is also in Aalborg. Aalborg University Hospital , the largest in the north of Jutland, was founded in 1881. The football club Aalborg BK , established in 1885 and based at Nordjyske Arena , won

3937-435: Is one of the area's major tourist attractions with over 300,000 visitors a year. Within the zoo an African savannah has been created where exotic animals are housed. Aalborg was home to an amusement park, Karolinelund , founded in 1946. In 2005, still owned by the founding family, it was sold to an entrepreneur who resold it to the city the following year. When the park closed in 2010, it was home to 17 attractions. Recently,

Limfjord - Misplaced Pages Continue

4064-648: Is presumed, introduced in Italy by Bertola da Novate in the 16th century. This allowed wider gates and also removed the height restriction of guillotine locks . To break out of the limitations caused by river valleys, the first summit level canals were developed with the Grand Canal of China in 581–617 AD whilst in Europe the first, also using single locks, was the Stecknitz Canal in Germany in 1398. In

4191-599: Is rarely less than 30 metres (98 ft) wide. In the 5th century BC, Achaemenid king Xerxes I of Persia ordered the construction of the Xerxes Canal through the base of Mount Athos peninsula, Chalkidiki , northern Greece. It was constructed as part of his preparations for the Second Persian invasion of Greece , a part of the Greco-Persian Wars . It is one of the few monuments left by

4318-418: Is steeper than the desired canal gradient. They are constructed so the falling water's kinetic energy is dissipated in order to prevent it from scouring the bed and sides of the canal. A canal fall is constructed by cut and fill . It may be combined with a regulator, bridge, or other structure to save costs. There are various types of canal falls, based on their shape. One type is the ogee fall, where

4445-452: Is the pound lock , which consists of a chamber within which the water level can be raised or lowered connecting either two pieces of canal at a different level or the canal with a river or the sea. When there is a hill to be climbed, flights of many locks in short succession may be used. Prior to the development of the pound lock in 984 AD in China by Chhaio Wei-Yo and later in Europe in

4572-614: The Aalborg Museum of Modern Art , Aalborg is an important cultural hub. The Aalborg Carnival , held at the end of May, is one of the largest festivals in Scandinavia, attracting some 100,000+ people annually. The town's major university is Aalborg University (often abbreviated to AAU), founded in 1974, which has more than 20,000 students (as of 2018). AAU is also North Jutland's largest university and overall academic institution. The University College of Northern Denmark (UCN)

4699-496: The East Asiatic Company (trading), Dansk Eternit (building materials) and C.W. Obel 's tobacco factory (established in 1787). Aalborg Portland , run by F.L. Smidth , was one of several cement factories operating in 1913, together employing some 800 workers. By the 1930s, Aalborg was being promoted as "Denmark's new centre for industry and workers". Replanning continued with additional thoroughfares cutting through

4826-658: The Elbe , Oder and Weser being linked by canals. In post-Roman Britain, the first early modern period canal built appears to have been the Exeter Canal , which was surveyed in 1563, and open in 1566. The oldest canal in the European settlements of North America, technically a mill race built for industrial purposes, is Mother Brook between the Boston, Massachusetts neighbourhoods of Dedham and Hyde Park connecting

4953-580: The Fujita scale . A 2014 survey by the European Commission found that the citizens of Aalborg are the most satisfied people in Europe with their city. Aalborg is in North Jutland (northwestern Denmark), at the narrowest point of the Limfjord , a shallow sound that separates North Jutlandic Island (Vendsyssel-Thy) from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula and connects Aalborg to

5080-599: The Kattegat about 35 kilometres (22 mi) to the east. Aalborg is 118 km (73 mi) north of Aarhus , 82 km (51 mi) north of Randers , and 64 km (40 mi) southwest of Frederikshavn . It is 414 km (257 mi) by Great Belt Fixed Link to Copenhagen , 150 km (93 mi) by the Frederikshavn-Göteborg ferry to Gothenburg in Sweden, and 363 km (226 mi) by

5207-486: The Middle Ages , royal trading privileges, a natural harbour and a thriving herring fishing industry contributed to the town's growth. Despite the difficulties it experienced over the centuries, the city began to prosper once again towards the end of the 19th century when a bridge was built over Limfjord and the railway arrived. Aalborg's initial growth relied on heavy industry but its current development focuses on culture and education. Aalborg traces its history back over

Limfjord - Misplaced Pages Continue

5334-543: The Naviglio Grande built between 1127 and 1257 to connect Milan with the river Ticino . The Naviglio Grande is the most important of the lombard " navigli " and the oldest functioning canal in Europe. Later, canals were built in the Netherlands and Flanders to drain the polders and assist transportation of goods and people. Canal building was revived in this age because of commercial expansion from

5461-574: The North Sea can thus be found in the fjord. Due to its shallow waters, the temperature rises rather quickly during warm and sunny days from mid-April to early September. While in winter, ice can form faster during the cold periods, especially in bays with little current. Problematic ice conditions do not occur every winter. The Limfjord is notable for its tasty mussels ( Mytilus edulis ). Gourmets appreciate its oysters , which are considered to be of extraordinary size and quality. Had it not been for

5588-545: The Phoenix metropolitan area was the most complex in ancient North America. A portion of the ancient canals has been renovated for the Salt River Project and now helps to supply the city's water. The Sinhalese constructed the 87 km (54 mi) Yodha Ela in 459 A.D. as a part of their extensive irrigation network which functioned in a way of a moving reservoir due to its single banking aspect to manage

5715-514: The Port of Aalborg handles over 60% of all goods shipped to Greenland. Four harbours dot the waterfront, Marina Fjordparken, Skudehavnen, Vestre Badehavn, and Østre Havn. Tourism is also growing, with a considerable rise in the number of passengers at Aalborg Airport. Aalborg Municipality has Denmark's second highest revenue from tourism and is the only municipality in the north of Denmark where overnight stays are increasing. Telenor Denmark , part of

5842-528: The River Brue at Northover with Glastonbury Abbey , a distance of about 1.75 kilometres (1,900 yd). Its initial purpose is believed to be the transport of building stone for the abbey, but later it was used for delivering produce, including grain, wine and fish, from the abbey's outlying properties. It remained in use until at least the 14th century, but possibly as late as the mid-16th century. More lasting and of more economic impact were canals like

5969-613: The Rold Forest near Arden . Rebild Hills in the Rold Forest stretch over 425 acres (172 ha) of rolling heath country about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Aalborg. Lille Vildmose , to the southeast, is reported to be the largest raised bog in north-western Europe. The city centre, dating from the Middle Ages, lies on a series of clay banks between the former streams of Vesterå and Lilleå, which used to run into

6096-614: The Songhai Empire of West Africa, several canals were constructed under Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad I between Kabara and Timbuktu in the 15th century. These were used primarily for irrigation and transport. Sunni Ali also attempted to construct a canal from the Niger River to Walata to facilitate conquest of the city but his progress was halted when he went to war with the Mossi Kingdoms . Around 1500–1800

6223-550: The Viking Age . Based on place names and the geography, it is thought to have been to the south of the present one, between Ferring Sø (locally still called 'the Fjord') and Hygum Nor. Canute the Great sailed into it in 1027 on his way back from England. According to Saxo Grammaticus it closed at some time around 1200. There are records of several floods piercing the isthmus during the 16th to early 19th century. On 3 February 1825

6350-552: The municipalities of Denmark could decide for themselves which way of spelling they preferred. This went against the Danish Language Council and the Toponomy Committee's advice. Both spellings are included in the official list of placenames. It is never orthographically wrong to write Ålborg though it might upset local residents, many of whom identify strongly with the traditional spelling of

6477-556: The reservoirs built at Girnar in 3000 BC. This is the first time that such planned civil project had taken place in the ancient world. In Egypt , canals date back at least to the time of Pepi I Meryre (reigned 2332–2283 BC), who ordered a canal built to bypass the cataract on the Nile near Aswan . In ancient China , large canals for river transport were established as far back as the Spring and Autumn period (8th–5th centuries BC),

SECTION 50

#1732766131478

6604-404: The stratum the canal passes through, it may be necessary to line the cut with some form of watertight material such as clay or concrete. When this is done with clay, it is known as puddling . Canals need to be level, and while small irregularities in the lie of the land can be dealt with through cuttings and embankments, for larger deviations other approaches have been adopted. The most common

6731-471: The 12th century. River navigations were improved progressively by the use of single, or flash locks . Taking boats through these used large amounts of water leading to conflicts with watermill owners and to correct this, the pound or chamber lock first appeared, in the 10th century in China and in Europe in 1373 in Vreeswijk , Netherlands. Another important development was the mitre gate , which was, it

6858-472: The 15th century, either flash locks consisting of a single gate were used or ramps, sometimes equipped with rollers, were used to change the level. Flash locks were only practical where there was plenty of water available. Locks use a lot of water, so builders have adopted other approaches for situations where little water is available. These include boat lifts , such as the Falkirk Wheel , which use

6985-402: The 1970s, precipitating a fall in the city's population until about 1990, when it began to increase again. By the year 2000, the service and education sectors accounted for about 60 percent of the workforce, partly as a result of the founding of Aalborg University (AAU) in 1974. Since 1970, Aalborg and the northern suburb of Nørresundby have become a major administrative centre, thanks in part to

7112-586: The 1990s, as has rotor production for wind turbines. In January 2011, there were some 9,200 enterprises in Aalborg, employing around 109,000 people or approximately 35% of the workforce of the Northern Region. In the 2010s, the city is set on increasing its participation in the global economy through both existing companies and new entrants. Its efforts are focused on four areas: energy and environment, information technology, health support systems and "Arctic business". The latter covers trade with Greenland as

7239-817: The City Council in 1998. The current mayor is Lasse Frimand Jensen from the Social Democratic Party who was elected on the 19th of June 2023. The civic government in Aalborg consists of seven departments: the Mayor's Department (responsible for the titular position, the four Citizen Service Centres in Aalborg, the Financial Services division, the Commercial Services division, the General Services division, and

7366-488: The Danish Superliga in the 1994–95 season , the 1998–99 season , the 2007–08 season , and the 2013–14 season . Other sports associations include the ice hockey club Aalborg Pirates , the men's handball team Aalborg Håndbold , the rugby club Aalborg RK , and Aalborg Cricket Club. Aalborg Railway Station , on John F. Kennedys Plads has connected the city to Randers and the south since 1869. Aalborg Airport

7493-1001: The Department of Education and Cultural Affairs (responsible for the municipal schools, the public libraries, the Cultural Affairs division, and the city archives); the Health and Sustainable Development Department (responsible for public health, the Occupational Health and Safety Division, the Public Transportation division, and the Sustainable Development division); and the Utilities Department (responsible for gas, heating, water, sewage, and refuse collection). Aalborg City Council consists of 31 members, including

7620-757: The Fire and Rescue Centre); the Technical and Environmental Department (responsible for urban planning , transportation oversight, the Parks and Nature division, and the Environmental Division); the Department of Family and Employment (responsible for Children and Family services, social services, and the city's "Job Centre"); the Department of Care of the Elderly and Disabled (responsible for social benefits, senior citizen care, and disabled citizen care);

7747-574: The Frederikshavn-Oslo ferry to Oslo in Norway. The area close to the waterfront is low-lying, with an elevation averaging about 5 metres (16 ft), but there are many hills in and around city, some reaching over 60 m (200 ft). Nørresundby, on the northern side of the sound, is also a hilly area. Villages to the south of Aalborg from west to east include Frejlev , Svenstrup , and Gistrup (which contains extensive woodland to

SECTION 60

#1732766131478

7874-455: The Kilden park and the modern art museum, Kunsten, are in the modern commercial and administrative area around the railway station to the west. Beyond this, Hasseris has become a residential district with a number of large villas and detached houses. The city's main development area is now to the east of the centre although in addition to the university and new areas of housing, it still contains

8001-664: The Middle Ages a number of important institutions were established in Aalborg, including Budolfi Cathedral in the late 14th century and the Hospital of the Holy Ghost , a monastery and nunnery founded in 1451 to help those in need. It was converted into a hospital during the Reformation and is still in use today as a nursing home for the elderly. In 1530 a large part of the town was destroyed by fire, and in December 1534 it

8128-411: The Municipality of Aalborg. Aalborg is North Jutland 's major industrial and commercial centre, exporting grain , cement , and spirits. Heavy industry was behind the city's prosperity until fairly recently. Many of the factories have now closed, to be replaced by developments in the knowledge-based and green-energy sectors. Mobile and wireless communications industries have grown substantially since

8255-415: The North Jutland knowledge park NOVI. The First European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns took place in Aalborg in 1994. It adopted the Aalborg Charter , which provides a framework for the delivery of local sustainable development and calls on local authorities to engage in Local Agenda 21 processes. The Fourth European Sustainable Cities and Towns Conference, held in Aalborg in 2004, adopted

8382-441: The North Sea, to the dismay of Aalborg . From the 1840s the western route became increasingly important, as Britain had opened for import of grain, and ships could return with British coal. However, the instability of Agger Channel made the towns of the western Limfjord look for a second option. In 1862, a flood pierced another opening, the Thyborøn Channel , through the remainder of Agger Tange (see satellite image). Agger Channel

8509-406: The Norwegian Telenor telecommunications and mobile phone company, has a workforce of about 1,100 in Aalborg, making it one of the city's largest new employers. Siemens Wind Power has rotor-blade production and testing facilities in Aalborg. In 2012 and 2013, there were additions in both areas. The new testing plant is the world's largest research test centre for wind turbine technology. In 2012,

8636-406: The Persian Empire in Europe . Greek engineers were also among the first to use canal locks , by which they regulated the water flow in the Ancient Suez Canal as early as the 3rd century BC. There was little experience moving bulk loads by carts, while a pack-horse would [i.e. 'could'] carry only an eighth of a ton. On a soft road a horse might be able to draw 5/8ths of a ton. But if

8763-476: The Southwest by 1300 CE. Archaeologists working at a major archaeological dig in the 1990s in the Tucson Basin, along the Santa Cruz River, identified a culture and people that may have been the ancestors of the Hohokam. This prehistoric group occupied southern Arizona as early as 2000 BCE, and in the Early Agricultural period grew corn, lived year-round in sedentary villages, and developed sophisticated irrigation canals. The large-scale Hohokam irrigation network in

8890-469: The airport was captured by German paratroopers on the night of 21 April as a base for German aircraft flying to Norway. On 13 August 1940, a dozen Bristol Blenheim bombers of No. 82 Squadron RAF were launched against the Luftwaffe airfield during one of the most disastrous Royal Air Force raids of the war. One turned back because of fuel problems, but all of the remaining 11 were shot down by enemy fighters and/or flak batteries within 20 minutes. After

9017-408: The best and most prosperous market town in Denmark". The population grew from 4,160 in 1769 to 5,579 in 1801. In 1767, the second newspaper ever published in Denmark appeared in the city. After Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden in 1814, Aalborg lost its important role as the country's centre for Norwegian trade. Its former prosperity also suffered as a result of difficulties with the herring industry as

9144-536: The canal obsolete. The canal is now a well-preserved heritage site. A 1946 act provided for re-closing the Channel with dams and sluices at Thyborøn, but this was never carried out. This idea re-emerged in 2005 and is now officially being investigated. It is thought that the isthmuses would be easier to preserve, and that the water level of the Limfjord would be more controllable. In periods of persistent western winds, flooding occurs on low-lying land and harbour areas in

9271-436: The canal pressure with the influx of water. It was also designed as an elongated reservoir passing through traps creating 66 mini catchments as it flows from Kala Wewa to Thissa Wawa . The canal was not designed for the quick conveying of water from Kala Wewa to Thissa Wawa but to create a mass of water between the two reservoirs, which would in turn provided for agriculture and the use of humans and animals. They also achieved

9398-418: The canal to form a dam. They are generally placed in pre-existing grooves in the canal bank. On more modern canals, "guard locks" or gates were sometimes placed to allow a section of the canal to be quickly closed off, either for maintenance, or to prevent a major loss of water due to a canal breach. A canal fall , or canal drop, is a vertical drop in the canal bed. These are built when the natural ground slope

9525-462: The canal. Where large amounts of goods are loaded or unloaded such as at the end of a canal, a canal basin may be built. This would normally be a section of water wider than the general canal. In some cases, the canal basins contain wharfs and cranes to assist with movement of goods. When a section of the canal needs to be sealed off so it can be drained for maintenance stop planks are frequently used. These consist of planks of wood placed across

9652-540: The census of 1 January 2009, Aalborg had a total of 122,461 inhabitants, 101,497 of them living in the town and 20,964 in the independent suburb of Nørresundby. As of 2021 , the town had a total population of 142,561 (118,871 in the city proper and 23,690 in Nørresundby) making it the fourth most populous in Denmark after Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense. Statistics for 2016 showed there were 210,316 people living in

9779-469: The channel. There are two broad types of canal: Historically, canals were of immense importance to commerce and the development, growth and vitality of a civilization. In 1855 the Lehigh Canal carried over 1.2 million tons of anthracite coal; by the 1930s the company which built and operated it for over a century ceased operation. The few canals still in operation in our modern age are a fraction of

9906-478: The city has reopened the park to volunteers who wish to return it to operating status. The park is once again open to the public as a leisure facility but without rides and attractions. The association, Platform4, a non-profit user-driven project-oriented venue that experiments with technology (electronics) in combination with artistic genres is now located in the park. Volunteers frequently arrange seminars, exhibitions, films, music concerts, and more which are open to

10033-458: The city. The port facilities were also improved with the help of a dredger and the opening of new docks. In 1933, Christian X inaugurated a new bridge over Limfjord to replace the fragile pontoon crossing. Aalborg Airport, officially opened in 1938 because of the success of the cement industry, had in fact operated flights to Copenhagen since 1936. During the German invasion of Denmark in 1940,

10160-405: The coast of the sound, covering roughly 50 hectares (120 acres). Like Østre Anlæg, it once served as a waste site with landfill, and a housing estate was built on its northeastern side. Its use as a landfill site was gradually discontinued in the 1990s, and in 1996, extensive restoration work began. Today it has woodlands and open areas with grass and herbaceous vegetation, notably buckthorn . It

10287-491: The coldest months of January and February, rarely dropping below −15 °C (5 °F). The warmest months are typically July and August, with an average temperature of 16 °C (61 °F), but by October the temperature averages 9 °C (48 °F). June has the highest number of hours of sunshine on average at 218, closely followed by May and July. Precipitation is rather evenly distributed all year around, with an average of 76 mm (3 in) during October, normally

10414-461: The company shipped a record 570 wind turbine blades from the Port of Aalborg , mainly to England and Ireland, up 45% on the previous year. Aalborg was home to De Danske Spritfabrikker or Danish Distillers (now owned by the Norwegian company Arcus ), which produces numerous brands of akvavit , until 2014. The company is the world's largest akvavit producer and exporter. Aalborg Industries ,

10541-733: The damage to their crops, and it is sentenced to the breaking wheel . The state environmental surveillance vessel Limgrim , based at Skive, is named after the legend. A number of writers of the Modern Breakthrough period (1870-1890) and the next decades came from the area around the Limfjord and often used it as a lyrical motif, or a setting for their prose. These include Jens Peter Jacobsen of Thisted, Johan Skjoldborg of Hannæs , Jakob Knudsen of Aggersborg , Jeppe Aakjær and Marie Bregendahl of Fjends , Nobel Prize laureate Johannes Vilhelm Jensen of Farsø and his sister Thit Jensen . Thøger Larsen of Lemvig belonged to

10668-413: The development of many fine buildings in the city as merchants benefitted from their shipping routes from Norway to Portugal. In 1663, the city suffered yet another serious fire, which destroyed the tower of Budolfi Church. During the second half of the 18th century, Aalborg entered a further period of prosperity. In Erik Pontoppidan 's Danske Atlas (Danish Atlas) it was described as "after Copenhagen,

10795-399: The drop follows an s-shaped curve to create a smooth transition and reduce turbulence . However, this smooth transition does not dissipate the water's kinetic energy, which leads to heavy scouring. As a result, the canal needs to be reinforced with concrete or masonry to protect it from eroding. Another type of canal fall is the vertical fall, which is "simple and economical". These feature

10922-422: The east of the city centre), while Vokslev (20 km (12 mi) to the west) has also provided chalk. Clay is also quarried in Østerådalen in the southern outskirts, making the area ideal for cement production. The 6.5 hectares (16 acres) Østre Anlæg park is one of the oldest in Aalborg, visited by up to 175,000 people a year. It was used as a dumping ground in the 1920s before being cleaned up and made into

11049-670: The first summit level canal to use pound locks in Europe was the Briare Canal connecting the Loire and Seine (1642), followed by the more ambitious Canal du Midi (1683) connecting the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. This included a staircase of 8 locks at Béziers , a 157 metres (515 ft) tunnel, and three major aqueducts. Canal building progressed steadily in Germany in the 17th and 18th centuries with three great rivers,

11176-522: The fish disappeared after the sea breached the Agger Tange (which had linked Thy with the rest of Jutland at the western end of Limfjord) in the 1825 North Sea storm . The after effects of the state bankruptcy in 1813 also contributed to widespread poverty in the city. In the mid-19th-century, Aalborg was overtaken by Aarhus as the largest city in Jutland. Towards the end of the 19th century there

11303-462: The freedom to make deliveries well away from rail lined road beds or ditches in the dirt which could not operate in the winter. The longest extant canal today, the Grand Canal in northern China, still remains in heavy use, especially the portion south of the Yellow River . It stretches from Beijing to Hangzhou at 1,794 kilometres (1,115 miles). Canals are built in one of three ways, or

11430-549: The load were carried by a barge on a waterway, then up to 30 tons could be drawn by the same horse. — technology historian Ronald W. Clark referring to transport realities before the industrial revolution and the Canal age . Hohokam was a society in the North American Southwest in what is now part of Arizona , United States, and Sonora , Mexico. Their irrigation systems supported the largest population in

11557-480: The longest canal in the world today and the oldest extant one. It is 1,794 kilometres (1,115 mi) long and was built to carry the Emperor Yang Guang between Zhuodu ( Beijing ) and Yuhang ( Hangzhou ). The project began in 605 and was completed in 609, although much of the work combined older canals, the oldest section of the canal existing since at least 486 BC. Even in its narrowest urban sections it

11684-534: The longest one of that period being the Hong Gou (Canal of the Wild Geese), which according to the ancient historian Sima Qian connected the old states of Song, Zhang, Chen, Cai, Cao, and Wei. The Caoyun System of canals was essential for imperial taxation, which was largely assessed in kind and involved enormous shipments of rice and other grains. By far the longest canal was the Grand Canal of China , still

11811-583: The merchant- and trade association Guds Legems Laug was established in 1481, facilitating trade with the Hanseatic League , especially from 1516 when Christian II granted it a monopoly in salting Limfjord's herring. The king frequently visited the town, where he held court and stayed in the old Aalborghus . The herring fishery linked Aalborg to the East coast of England, across the North Sea, both in commercial competition and cultural exchange. During

11938-515: The more binding Aalborg Commitments on local sustainable development. The commitments have now been signed by 650 local authorities while over 2,500 have signed the earlier Aalborg Charter. Downtown Aalborg, along with some eastern districts, was hit by a strong tornado on August 10 2009. The tornado caused severe roof damage to many buildings, snapped and uprooted trees & tossed caravans over hedges along its 6.6 kilometer long path. The European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL) rated it F2 on

12065-539: The name. Aalborg is locally known as "Dobbelt A" ( Double A ) and the local rapper Niarn has even made a song about the city of the same name. The city has also been nicknamed "Nordens Paris" ( Paris of the North ). The area around the narrowest point on the Limfjord attracted settlements as far back as the Iron Age , leading to a thriving Viking community until around the year 1000 in what has now become Aalborg. In

12192-430: The north. There are several man-made lakes nearby: Lindholm Kridtgrav lies to the northwest of Skanse Park on the northern side of Limfjord, while Nordens Kridtgrav to the northwest of Mølleparken is on the southern side. The Aalborg area is one of three in Denmark where chalk deposits are found (the others being Møns Klint and Stevns ). The largest quarry is at Rørdal in Øster Sundby (6 km (4 mi) to

12319-506: The numbers that once fueled and enabled economic growth, indeed were practically a prerequisite to further urbanization and industrialization. For the movement of bulk raw materials such as coal and ores are difficult and marginally affordable without water transport. Such raw materials fueled the industrial developments and new metallurgy resulting of the spiral of increasing mechanization during 17th–20th century, leading to new research disciplines, new industries and economies of scale, raising

12446-486: The offices of the Region Nordjylland established in the east of the city. In addition to large industrial companies including Aalborg Portland, the only cement-producing company in the country, and the building products company Eternit, many small and medium-sized enterprises have been established. The telecommunications and information technology sector has developed with the support of Aalborg University and

12573-431: The population had grown to 59,091, although the figure was boosted by the merging of Nørre Tranders, Rørdal Fabriksby, Øster Sundby, and Øster Uttrup into Aalborg. In 1950, it reached 87,883, which grew to 100,587 by 1970. There was a temporary decline in population to 94,994 in 1976 but in 1981, following the incorporation of Nørresundby , it grew to 114,302. The population has increased steadily since then; according to

12700-490: The population had increased to almost 31,500. Around the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of decisions taken by the municipality, many of the city's half-timbered houses were torn down. They were replaced by hundreds of modern buildings, completely changing the look of the city. Factories with smoking chimneys became ever more prevalent in the outskirts. Among the most important were De Danske Spritfabrikker (spirits and liquors), De forenede Textilfabrikker (textiles),

12827-604: The pre-railroad days of the industrial revolution, water transport was the gold standard of fast transportation. The first artificial canal in Western Europe was the Fossa Carolina built at the end of the 8th century under personal supervision of Charlemagne . In Britain, the Glastonbury Canal   is believed to be the first post-Roman canal and was built in the middle of the 10th century to link

12954-408: The public. Aalborg has a maritime climate ( Cfb ), just above the humid continental climate classification (Dfb) with short, mild summers and long, moderately cold winters. Aalborg is cool most of the year, with average high temperatures of around 20 °C (68 °F) and lows of 11 °C (52 °F) during the summer, and average temperatures of −3 to 2 °C (27 to 36 °F) during

13081-538: The shipping harbor, Østhavnen, and the cement factory. The waterfront to the northeast of the centre is being transformed from a harbour into a recreational area with the Utzon Center and Musikkens Hus . Off the northwestern side of the city in the sound is the island of Egholm , reached via ferry. The island, with a population of 51 as of 2023 , covers an area of 6.05 square kilometres (2.34 sq mi) and consists mainly of farmland although there are still

13208-448: The sound. Despite effective drainage, the main streets, including Algade, still run east to west while the side streets run north to south. The Budolfi Church and the old town hall line Gammeltorv, the old market square. The main shopping streets are Algade and Bispengade, the latter lying in between the modern Vesterbro thoroughfare and Nytorv square. Østerågade, once the old harbor, is noted for its merchants' mansions. The city cemetery,

13335-420: The south as well as a golf club). Klarup and Storvorde lie to the southeast along the 595 road, which, flanking a stretch of the Limfjord known as Langerak, leads to the town of Hals . Nibe , with a harbour on the Limfjord, is 21 kilometres (13 mi) to the southwest, past the village of Frejlev. The Nibe Broads (Nibe Bredning) in the Limfjord not only has the largest eelgrass belts in Danish waters but

13462-449: The spelling of the city's name. In current times, the modern name of Aalborg is nearly always written with a double-a instead of the Danish standard letter for that sound, å . Å was implemented to replace "aa" in all Danish place names on 22 March 1948 as a result of a Danish spelling reform . However, the city council in Aalborg made the unanimous decision to ignore the new law and keep the old way of spelling, stating: "Upon receiving

13589-480: The standard of living for any industrialized society. Most ship canals today primarily service bulk cargo and large ship transportation industries, whereas the once critical smaller inland waterways conceived and engineered as boat and barge canals have largely been supplanted and filled in, abandoned and left to deteriorate, or kept in service and staffed by state employees, where dams and locks are maintained for flood control or pleasure boating. Their replacement

13716-603: The support of FLSmidth . Able to draw on the chalk deposits from Rørdal to the east of the city, it rapidly became a major cement producer. Today it is the world's largest supplier of white cement, which it exports around the globe. Canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation ) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi ). They carry free, calm surface flow under atmospheric pressure , and can be thought of as artificial rivers . In most cases,

13843-622: The symbolism of the 1920s. Johannes Buchholtz in Struer was a prose writer and his home was a meeting point for many of the Limfjord writers. The house is still kept up by the Struer Museum, which allows visitors. Jeppe Aakjær's farm Jenle close to Skive , Johan Skjoldborg's house in Øsløs , and the Johannes V. Jensen Museum in Farsø are also open to the public. Erik Bertelsen of Harboør

13970-423: The towns of the western Limfjord, since the water can't escape through the narrow, eastern part of the Limfjord. Historically, a North Sea to Limfjord canal has also been proposed between Hanstholm harbour and Vejlerne (or Klitmøller and Thisted ), e.g. by Jørgen Fibiger in 1933, the engineer behind the project of Hanstholm harbour. According to myth, a woman (in some versions a jötunn ) gave birth to

14097-573: The valley of the River Dee . Another option for dealing with hills is to tunnel through them. An example of this approach is the Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal . Tunnels are only practical for smaller canals. Some canals attempted to keep changes in level down to a minimum. These canals known as contour canals would take longer, winding routes, along which the land was

14224-494: The war, the Royal Air Force destroyed all the German facilities including planes, hangars and equipment but left the passenger facilities intact. By 1960, Aalborg had become known as the "city of smoking chimneys", with half of the inhabitants working in industry or manufacturing. Ten years later, Aalborg's population had grown to around 97,000 inhabitants. The significance of Aalborg's industry began to decline in

14351-414: The western breakthrough in 1825, these mussels wouldn't grow as well as they do in the waters with ocean-like salinity. 56°56′34″N 9°04′30″E  /  56.94278°N 9.07500°E  / 56.94278; 9.07500 Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( / ˈ ɑː l b ɔːr ɡ / AHL -borg , US also / ˈ ɔː l -/ AWL - , Danish: [ˈʌlˌpɒˀ] )

14478-410: The wettest month with an average 14 days with rainfall, and an average of 35 mm (1 in) during February, normally the driest month with an average of eight days of precipitation, closely followed by April. Henning G. Jensen , a Social Democrat , was the long-serving Mayor of Aalborg from 1998 until 2013. He was succeeded by Thomas Kastrup-Larsen , also a Social Democrat, who was elected to

14605-439: The wide, western part of the Limfjord meets the narrow eastern section, the infamous sand banks of Løgstør Grunde were an obstacle to ships. Larger ships needed to be unloaded and reloaded when passing the banks. The Frederik VII Canal at Løgstør was completed in 1861 to allow for easier passage. Traffic had increased after the western opening at Thyborøn became navigable. The sand banks were finally dredged out in 1901, rendering

14732-537: The world's largest manufacturer of marine boilers, has been established in Aalborg since the 1920s. It has recently expanded into floating production systems for the offshore market. Employing 2,600 people, in December 2010 it was acquired by the Swedish Alfa Laval , also a specialist in the area. Aalborg Portland , a subsidiary of the Italian Cementir since 2004, was founded in 1889 with

14859-466: Was also expensive, as men expect compensation in the form of wages, room and board. This was because long-haul roads were unpaved, more often than not too narrow for carts, much less wagons, and in poor condition, wending their way through forests, marshy or muddy quagmires as often as unimproved but dry footing. In that era, as today, greater cargoes, especially bulk goods and raw materials , could be transported by ship far more economically than by land; in

14986-458: Was an option in some cases, sometimes supplemented by other methods to deal with seasonal variations in flow. Where such sources were unavailable, reservoirs  – either separate from the canal or built into its course – and back pumping were used to provide the required water. In other cases, water pumped from mines was used to feed the canal. In certain cases, extensive "feeder canals" were built to bring water from sources located far from

15113-522: Was called Aleburgh , possibly meaning "the fort by the stream" as in Old Norse all meant a stream or current and bur or burgh a fort or a castle. The Church of Our Lady in Aalborg was originally built in the early 12th century but was demolished during the Reformation. The Franciscan friary, or Greyfriars, on the east side of Østerå, was probably built around 1240; it was documented in 1268, but like many other Roman Catholic monasteries and convents

15240-427: Was continuously filling with sand and eventually closed in 1877. Since then, the remaining Thyborøn Channel has been kept open and navigable by dredging. The harbour of Thyborøn was built in 1914–1918 and a town was founded. The two isthmuses have shifted eastwards since the 1800s. They have only been preserved by groynes , persistent sandpumping and two road dams along their inward (eastern) side. At Løgstør, where

15367-470: Was gradual, beginning first in the United States in the mid-1850s where canal shipping was first augmented by, then began being replaced by using much faster , less geographically constrained & limited, and generally cheaper to maintain railways . By the early 1880s, canals which had little ability to economically compete with rail transport, were off the map. In the next couple of decades, coal

15494-409: Was however an upturn. In 1865, the pontoon bridge over Limfjord was completed, and in 1869, the railway reached the city with a railway bridge over the sound to Vendsyssel three years later. The harbour facilities were also improved, making Aalborg Denmark's second port. Aalborg became the country's main producer of tobacco products and spirits, followed in the 1890s by fertilisers and cement. By 1901,

15621-424: Was increasingly diminished as the heating fuel of choice by oil, and growth of coal shipments leveled off. Later, after World War I when motor-trucks came into their own, the last small U.S. barge canals saw a steady decline in cargo ton-miles alongside many railways, the flexibility and steep slope climbing capability of lorries taking over cargo hauling increasingly as road networks were improved, and which also had

15748-426: Was once used to describe linear features seen on the surface of Mars , Martian canals , an optical illusion. A navigation is a series of channels that run roughly parallel to the valley and stream bed of an unimproved river. A navigation always shares the drainage basin of the river. A vessel uses the calm parts of the river itself as well as improvements, traversing the same changes in height. A true canal

15875-418: Was shut down in 1530 as a result of the Reformation. Aalborg's earliest trading privileges date from 1342, when King Valdemar IV received the town as part of his huge dowry on marrying Helvig of Schleswig . The privileges were extended by Eric of Pomerania in 1430 and by Christopher of Bavaria in 1441. The town prospered, becoming one of the largest communities in Denmark. Its prosperity increased when

16002-569: Was stormed and plundered by the king's troops after a peasants' revolt known as the Count's Feud led by Skipper Clement . It resulted in the death of up to 2,000 people. The Reformation in 1536 brought about the demolition of the town's two monasteries. As a result of the Reformation, Aalborg became a Lutheran bishopric in 1554. From the 1550s to the 1640s, as a result of increased foreign trade, Aalborg enjoyed great prosperity, second only to that of Copenhagen. The population grew in parallel with

16129-402: Was the largest town in Jutland until it was surpassed by Aarhus in the mid-19th century. In 1672, it had 4,181 inhabitants, growing slowly during the 18th century, with 4,425 in 1769, 4,866 in 1787 and 5,579 by 1801. By 1845, there were 7,477 inhabitants, increasing to 10,069 by 1860. Dramatic growth began in the late 19th century, with an increase from 14,152 in 1880 to 31,457 in 1901. By 1930,

#477522