The first people to settle in Denmark were probably nomadic hunters who came here and had established communities by the time of the Stone Age. Around 500 AD, migrants from Sweden (ancestors of present-day Danes) arrived, and it is to them that much of Denmark’s present culture can be traced. By the 9th century, the Jutland Peninsula had been conquered by a group of Vikings under the chieftain Hardegon; and it was Hardegon’s son, Gorm the Old, who established Denmark’s monarchy. Initially spreading out over the nearby countries (including England), the empire eventually shrank back to Denmark after the decline in the power of the Vikings. Over the next few centuries, Denmark saw much political change, and by the late 14th century, Sweden and Norway also came under the rule of the Danish monarchy- a rule which was to remain for nearly four centuries.

The 16th and 17th centuries proved to be landmarks in Denmark’s history; Lutheranism came to the country, and a series of wars, including the disastrous Thirty Years’ War and the Napoleonic Wars, damaged Denmark considerably. By the mid 1800s, however, the country was on the road to recovery; a cultural revolution, combined with commercial development, helped Denmark get back on its feet.

Although neutral in both world wars, Denmark was occupied by the Nazis during WWII, but managed to emerge relatively undamaged from the experience. Since the war, the Danish government has largely concentrated on developing the country’s economy and on creating a very comfortable welfare state for its people. Despite the fact that Denmark is a member of the EU, its support for the EU is very limited, and is, in day-to-day life, hardly visible.