Counties of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Denmark
was until December 31, 2006 divided into 15 counties
(Danish
: amter), and 270 municipalities (kommuner
). On January 1, 2007, the counties were replaced by five Regions
and the number of municipalities slashed to 98.
Copenhagen County comprised all the municipalities of metropolitan Copenhagen, except Copenhagen Municipality and Frederiksberg Municipality.
Bornholm was originally divided in five municipalities and a county
comprising the entire island. These six administrations merged on January 1, 2003 forming the new Bornholm Regional Municipality
, giving it a status resembling the municipalities of Copenhagen
and Frederiksberg
. On January 1, 2007, these three municipalities lost their special status and their responsibilities and powers have been reduced to the same level as the 95 other municipalities.
Greenland
and the Faroe Islands
are also part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but both enjoy internal autonomy. Both are largely self-governing, and each community sends two members to the Danish Parliament
. The Faroe Islands obtained self-government in 1948; previously the islands had the status of a Danish amt.
See also the ranked list of Danish counties
.
with health care
as their sole responsibilities; two regions in Jutland
, two regions in Zealand and one region covering Funen
and the southernmost part of Jutland. The proposal also required the municipalities to merge reducing them from 271 to about 100, with a minimum of 20,000 inhabitants in each municipality, although some exceptions were made to this rule. From 2007 25 municipalities have fewer than 30,000 inhabitants each, with the average number of inhabitants being over 55,500 per municipality. Only the United Kingdom
and Ireland
have more populous entities at the lowest political administrative level.
The reform was confirmed by the Danish Parliament on February 24, 2005, and the counties were abolished on January 1, 2007.
Note: Ringkjøbing County
officially used a different spelling from its capital city, Ringkøbing
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
was until December 31, 2006 divided into 15 counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
(Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: amter), and 270 municipalities (kommuner
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
). On January 1, 2007, the counties were replaced by five Regions
Regions of Denmark
The Regions of Denmark were created as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform. The five regions replace the former sixteen counties . At the same time, the number of municipalities was cut from 270 to 98. The reform was made effective on 1 January 2007.- List of regions :The names of the regions...
and the number of municipalities slashed to 98.
Bornholm was originally divided in five municipalities and a county
Bornholm County
Bornholms Amt is a former county on the island of Bornholm in easternmost Denmark.-Short history:The county was established in 1662, replacing the former Hammershus Len. It was the only county unchanged by the administrative reforms of 1793 and 1970 consequently occupying the same territory from...
comprising the entire island. These six administrations merged on January 1, 2003 forming the new Bornholm Regional Municipality
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
, giving it a status resembling the municipalities of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg Kommune is a municipality on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It surrounded by the city of Copenhagen. The municipality, co-extensive with its seat, covers an area of and has a total population of 98,782 making it the smallest municipality in Denmark area-wise, the fifth most...
. On January 1, 2007, these three municipalities lost their special status and their responsibilities and powers have been reduced to the same level as the 95 other municipalities.
Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
are also part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but both enjoy internal autonomy. Both are largely self-governing, and each community sends two members to the Danish Parliament
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
. The Faroe Islands obtained self-government in 1948; previously the islands had the status of a Danish amt.
See also the ranked list of Danish counties
Ranked list of Danish counties
Ranked list of Danish countiesThe following lists rank the counties of Denmark according to population, area, and population density.Note: The municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg do not belong to Copenhagen County.-List:...
.
Reform
A government proposal in 2004 called for the counties to be replaced by five large regionsRegions of Denmark
The Regions of Denmark were created as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform. The five regions replace the former sixteen counties . At the same time, the number of municipalities was cut from 270 to 98. The reform was made effective on 1 January 2007.- List of regions :The names of the regions...
with health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
as their sole responsibilities; two regions in Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, two regions in Zealand and one region covering Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
and the southernmost part of Jutland. The proposal also required the municipalities to merge reducing them from 271 to about 100, with a minimum of 20,000 inhabitants in each municipality, although some exceptions were made to this rule. From 2007 25 municipalities have fewer than 30,000 inhabitants each, with the average number of inhabitants being over 55,500 per municipality. Only the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
have more populous entities at the lowest political administrative level.
The reform was confirmed by the Danish Parliament on February 24, 2005, and the counties were abolished on January 1, 2007.
List of counties (1970-2006)
| Name | Capital | Status | Population (2006) | Area (km²) | Pop. density (per km²) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... |
Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... |
Municipality | 501,158 | 91.3 | 5,489.1 |
| 2 Frederiksberg Frederiksberg Frederiksberg Kommune is a municipality on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It surrounded by the city of Copenhagen. The municipality, co-extensive with its seat, covers an area of and has a total population of 98,782 making it the smallest municipality in Denmark area-wise, the fifth most... |
Frederiksberg Frederiksberg Frederiksberg Kommune is a municipality on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It surrounded by the city of Copenhagen. The municipality, co-extensive with its seat, covers an area of and has a total population of 98,782 making it the smallest municipality in Denmark area-wise, the fifth most... |
Municipality | 91,855 | 8.7 | 10,560.5 | |
| 3 Copenhagen County Copenhagen County Københavns Amt is a former county on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. It covered the municipalities in the metropolitan Copenhagen area, with the exception of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. Effective January 1, 2007, the county was abolished and merged into Region Hovedstaden Københavns... |
Glostrup Glostrup Glostrup Kommune is a suburban municipality and town in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand approx. 10 km west of Copenhagen in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 13 km², and has a total population of 20,673 . Its Zip code is 2600... |
County | 618,529 | 526 | 1,175.9 | |
| 4 Frederiksborg County Frederiksborg County Frederiksborg Amt is a former county in the north of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Effective January 1, 2007, the county was abolished and merged into Region Hovedstaden .... |
Hillerød Hillerød Hillerød Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden . The municipality covers an area of 191 km² , and has a total population of 46,568... |
County | 378,686 | 1,347 | 281.1 | |
| 5 Roskilde County | Roskilde Roskilde Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.... |
County | 241,523 | 891 | 271 | |
| 6 West Zealand County West Zealand County Vestsjællands Amt is a former county in the west-central part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it merged into Region Sjælland Vestsjællands Amt is a former county (Danish: amt) in the west-central part of the island of Zealand... |
Sorø Sorø Sorø is a town in Sorø municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand in east Denmark. The population is 7,805 . The municipal council and the regional council are located in Sorø.... |
County | 307,207 | 2,984 | 103 | |
| 7 Storstrøm County Storstrøm County Storstrøms Amt is a former county on the islands of Zealand , Møn, Falster, Lolland and some minor islands in southeast Denmark. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising the former counties of Maribo and Præstø. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it merged into... |
Nykøbing Nykøbing Falster Nykøbing Falster is a southern Danish city, seat of the Guldborgsund kommune. It belongs to Region Sjælland. The city lies on Falster, connected by the 295-meter-long Frederick IX Bridge over the Guldborgsund waterway to the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 16,464... |
County | 262,781 | 3,398 | 77.3 | |
| 8 Funen County Funen County Fyns Amt is a former county in central Denmark, comprising the islands of Funen, Langeland, Tåsinge, Ærø, and approximately 90 other islands, of which only 25 are inhabited. The county was formed on 1 April 1970, comprising the former counties of Odense and Svendborg. The county was abolished... |
Odense Odense The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen... |
County | 478,347 | 3,485 | 137.2 | |
| 9 South Jutland County South Jutland County South Jutland County is a former county on the south-central portion of the Jutland Peninsula in southern Denmark.... |
Aabenraa Aabenraa The city of Aabenraa or Åbenrå , with a population of 15,760 , is situated at the head of the Aabenraa Fjord, an arm of the Little Belt, in Denmark, 38 miles north of the town of Schleswig. Its name originally meant "open beach"... |
County | 252,433 | 3,939 | 64.1 | |
| 10 Ribe County Ribe County Ribe Amt is a former county on the Jutland peninsula of southwest Denmark. It included Denmark's fifth largest city, Esbjerg. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it merged into Region of Southern Denmark .-List of County Mayors:-Municipalities :... |
Ribe Ribe Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county... |
County | 224,261 | 3,132 | 71.6 | |
| 11 Vejle County Vejle County Vejle Amt is a former county on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in southern Denmark. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it was divided between Region Midtjylland and Region of Southern Denmark... |
Vejle Vejle Vejle is a town in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle and Grejs Rivers and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality and the Region of Southern Denmark... |
County | 360,921 | 2,997 | 120.4 | |
| 12 Ringkjøbing County Ringkjøbing County Ringkjøbing Amt is a former county on the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. It had the lowest population density of all the Danish counties. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it merged into Region Midtjylland Ringkjøbing Amt (English, Ringkjøbing County) is a former... |
Ringkøbing Ringkøbing Ringkøbing is a town in Ringkøbing-Skjern municipality in Region Midtjylland on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. The town has a population of 9,742 .-History:... |
County | 275,065 | 4,854 | 56.7 | |
| 13 Viborg County Viborg County Viborg Amt is a former county in the north-central part of the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The county was abolished on 1 January 2007, when most of it merged into Region Midtjylland... |
Viborg Viborg, Denmark Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula... |
County | 234,896 | 4,122 | 57 | |
| 14 North Jutland County North Jutland County North Jutland County is a former county in northern Denmark. It was located on the eastern half of Vendsyssel-Thy and the northernmost part of the Jutland peninsula. It was the largest county in Denmark, but with a relatively low population. The county seat was Aalborg, Denmark's fourth largest... |
Ålborg | County | 495,090 | 6,173 | 80.2 | |
| 15 Aarhus County Aarhus County Aarhus County or Århus County is a former county in central Denmark on the Jutland peninsula. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when almost all of it merged into Region Midtjylland . A very small portion was merged into Region Nordjylland... |
Århus | County | 661,370 | 4,561 | 145 | |
| 16 Bornholm Bornholm Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is... |
Rønne Rønne Rønne is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,904 . Once a municipality in its own right, it is now the administrative centre of the Bornholm municipality.... |
Regional municipality | 43,245 | 587 | 73.6 | |
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... |
Entire country | 5,427,459 | 43,093 | 125.9 | |
Note: Ringkjøbing County
Ringkjøbing County
Ringkjøbing Amt is a former county on the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. It had the lowest population density of all the Danish counties. The county was abolished effective January 1, 2007, when it merged into Region Midtjylland Ringkjøbing Amt (English, Ringkjøbing County) is a former...
officially used a different spelling from its capital city, Ringkøbing
Ringkøbing
Ringkøbing is a town in Ringkøbing-Skjern municipality in Region Midtjylland on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. The town has a population of 9,742 .-History:...
.