The unified Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 8th century AD as a proficient maritime power

amid the struggle for control of the Baltic Sea. [3] In 1397, it merged with Sweden and Norway
to form the Kalmar Union, which lasted until the latter's secession in 1523. The 17th century
saw a number of wars that caused additional territorial cedings for the remaining Kingdom of
Denmark-Norway. The First Schleswig War of 1848 saw the defeat of a wave of nationalist
movements that had swept the 19th century. The absolute monarchy was abolished and the
current parliamentary system was established with the adoption of the Danish Constitution on
June 5, 1849. Denmark, an industrialized exporter of agricultural goods in the second half of the
19th century, introduced social and labor-market reforms in the early 20th century, laying the
groundwork for the current welfare state model and sophisticated mixed economy. While
Denmark remained neutral during World War I, its neutrality was compromised during World
War II when Germany invaded the country quickly in April 1940. A resistance movement began
to form during the occupation in 1943, and in 1944 Iceland proclaimed its independence. In
May 1945, Denmark was freed. In 1973, Denmark joined what is now the European Union,
along with Greenland but not the Faroe Islands, but it also agreed to a number of opt-outs,
including keeping its own currency, the krone.

A developed nation with a high standard of living is Denmark. Denmark is a founding member of
NATO, the Nordic Council, the OECD, the OSCE, and the United Nations. It is also a member of
the Schengen Area. Due to the Danish language's partial mutual inteligibility with both
Norwegian and Swedish, Denmark maintains strong political, cultural, and linguistic ties with its
neighbors in Scandinavia.

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