Although the history of Denmark as a united kingdom did not begin until the 8th century, historical texts

mention the geographical region and the people who lived there, known as the Danes, as early as 500
AD. The works of Jordanes and Procopius are included among these early manuscripts. After the Danes
were converted to Christianity in the year 960 A.D., it became obvious that they had a monarchy. As a
result of the fact that Queen Margrethe II is able to trace her ancestry all the way back to the Viking
rulers Gorm the Old and Harald Bluetooth from this historical period, the Danish monarchy is the oldest
monarchy in all of Europe. [1] Since the end of the last ice age, the region that is now known as Denmark
has been inhabited by a variety of ancient civilizations and people for around 12,000 years, during which
time it has been known as Denmark. This has resulted in Denmark having a rich prehistory.

The geographical location of Denmark, which is between the North and Baltic seas, has had a significant
impact on the nation's history. Denmark occupies a strategically and economically significant position
between Sweden and Germany, and it has been at the center of competition between these two nations
for control of the Baltic Sea (dominium maris baltici). For a long time, Denmark was in a disagreement
with Sweden about who would rule Sknelandene, and it was also in a conflict with Germany over who
would control Schleswig and Holstein (a German fief).

In the end, Denmark was unable to prevail in both battles, and as a result, it was forced to cede first
Skneland to Sweden, and then Schleswig-Holstein to the German Empire. After Norway was finally
ceded to Denmark in 1814, Denmark kept control over the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland
territories that had previously been under Norwegian administration. In the 20th century, Iceland
achieved its independence, Greenland and the Faroe Islands were included into the Kingdom of
Denmark, and in 1920, North Schleswig was reincorporated into Denmark after a vote. Denmark was
controlled by Nazi Germany during World War II; nevertheless, it was finally freed by British troops of
the Allies in 1945; following this, it joined the United Nations. In the years after the end of World War II
and the beginning of the Cold War that followed, Denmark was one of the first countries to become a
founding member of the military alliance known as NATO. This occurred in 1949.