Danish Realm

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark refers to the state's territory as {{lang|da|Danmarks Rige}} (Danish Realm), which means "The Realm of Denmark".{{Cite book|url=https://www.ft.dk/~/media/sites/ft/pdf/publikationer/grundloven/min-grundlov_web.ashx|title=Min grundlov – Grundloven med forklaringer.|publisher=Folketinget|year=2017|isbn=978-87-7982-172-9|edition=14.|language=da}}{{Cite web |last=Nielsen |first=Bue |date=16 April 2017 |title=Danmark |url=http://denstoredanske.dk/Danmarks_geografi_og_historie/Danmarks_geografi/Danmark_generelt/Danmark |access-date=4 April 2020 |website=Den Store Danske |publisher=Gyldendal |language=da}}

The Danish term {{lang|da|rigsfællesskabet}}, translated as "The unity of the Realm",{{Cite web|title=The unity of the Realm|url=http://www.stm.dk/_a_2752.html|publisher=The Prime Minister's Office|access-date=25 July 2020}} the "commonwealth of the Realm",{{Cite web|title=Arctic: Research|url=http://research.dmi.dk/research/research-topics/arctic/|publisher=Danish Meteorological Institute|access-date=4 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=The right to vote in Greenland|url=https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/right-vote-greenland|publisher=The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers|access-date=4 May 2020}} or the "Danish Commonwealth"[https://web.archive.org/web/20151004150319/http://um.dk/en/about-us/the-ministers/speeches-and-articles-by-former-ministers/martin-lidegaard-speeches-and-articles/a-danish-perspective-on-the-world-today/ A Danish perspective on the World today], Speech to the Foreign Policy Society, Christiansborg, Copenhagen 10 April 2014 refers to the constitutional status of the relationship between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland.{{Cite book|last=Adriansen|first=Inge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tfkzqqdhdakC|title=Nationale symboler i Det Danske Rige 1830–2000|publisher=Museum Tusculanum Press|year=2003|isbn=978-87-7289-794-3|series=Etnologiske Studier|volume=1|pages=435|language=da|issn=1398-8980}}

The name was used by Danish and Greenlandic authorities in the negotiations for home rule introduced in 1979, and has become popular since the beginning of the 1990s. The acts establishing the 1948 Faroese home rule and the 1979 Greenlandic home rule use the term rigsenheden instead. Jurist Frederik Harhoff argued in 1993 that rigsenheden should be replaced with rigsfællesskabet, as the former implies a common identity, while the latter implied a community of different identities. The use of the expression Rigsfællesskabet though can be traced back to at least 1908.{{cite news |author=Knud Berlin |author-link=:da:Knud Berlin |title=Island. Slutningsreplik til Dr. Berlin. |url=http://www2.statsbiblioteket.dk/mediestream/avis/record/doms_aviser_page%3Auuid%3Addd53073-ca2c-40a2-9523-7c4e67b77a7a |newspaper=Dannebrog (2 November 1908) |access-date=24 July 2020}}

{{further|Demographics of Denmark|Demographics of the Faroe Islands|Demographics of Greenland}}{{further|Geography of Denmark|Geography of the Faroe Islands|Geography of Greenland}}

File:Kingdom of Denmark, administrative divisions - en - colored (zoom).svg.]]

Denmark's population is by far the largest of the three; 5.8 million people live in Denmark, and about 52,000 and 56,000 in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, respectively.{{Cite web |title=Population 2020 |url=http://www.stat.gl/dialog/main.asp?lang=en&version=202001&sc=BE&subthemecode=O1&colcode=O |access-date=2 May 2020 |publisher=Statistics Greenland}} In comparison, there are ten cities in Denmark with a population above 50,000 people.{{Cite book|url=https://www.dst.dk/Site/Dst/Udgivelser/GetPubFile.aspx?id=22259&sid=staa|title=Statistisk Årbog 2017|publisher=Statistics Denmark|year=2017|isbn=978-87-501-2262-3|pages=23|language=da}} Denmark is populated by the Danes, the Faroe Islands by the Faroese, and Greenland by the Greenlandic Inuit. In both the Faroe Islands and Greenland, Danes make up 7.6% of the population, {{As of|2018||lc=y}}.{{Cite web|title=Europe :: Denmark|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/denmark/|website=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|access-date=2 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Europa :: Faroe Islands|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/faroe-islands/|website=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|access-date=2 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=North America :: Greenland|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/greenland/|website=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|access-date=2 May 2020}} {{As of|2020|}}, there are about 11,000 Faeroese-born and 17,000 Greenlandic-born people living in Denmark.{{Cite web|title=BEF5F: People born in Faroe Islands and living in Denmark 1. January by sex, age and parents place of birth|url=https://www.statistikbanken.dk/statbank5a/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?Maintable=BEF5F&PLanguage=1|website=StatBank Denmark|publisher=Statistics Denmark|access-date=2 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=BEF5G: People born in Greenland and living in Denmark 1. January by sex, age and parents place of birth|url=https://www.statistikbanken.dk/statbank5a/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?Maintable=BEF5G&PLanguage=1|website=StatBank Denmark|publisher=Statistics Denmark|access-date=2 May 2020}}

With respect to area, Greenland is by far the largest, and makes up 98% of the realm. The entire kingdom has an area of {{convert|2.2|e6km2|e6mi2|abbr=none}}, and is according to The World Factbook the twelfth-largest country in the world, the same rank held by Greenland alone. Denmark alone has an area of about 43,000 km², and is no. 133 on that list.{{Cite web|title=Country Comparison :: Area|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/fields/279rank.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111185557/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/fields/279rank.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 January 2019|website=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA |access-date=2 May 2020}} The list includes Antarctica, which is not a country. Denmark is situated in Northern Europe and is flat and arable; the Faroe Islands are in the Northern Atlantic and are rugged, with cliffs along the coast; while Greenland is in the North Atlantic and the Arctic, and is 79% covered in ice. Greenland is the most sparsely populated territory in the world, according to the World Bank.{{Cite web|title=Population density (people per sq. km of land area)|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST?most_recent_value_desc=false|publisher=The World Bank Group|access-date=2 May 2020}}

The Kingdom has submitted five claims to the United Nations that its exclusive economic zone extends beyond the usual 200 nautical miles limit: one north and one south of the Faroe Islands, and three around Greenland. One Greenlandic claim includes the North Pole and the Lomonosov Ridge, and extend all the way to the Russian exclusive economic zone.{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://a76.dk/en/main/|access-date=24 September 2020|publisher=The Continental Shelf Project|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920150451/https://a76.dk/en/main/|url-status=dead}} Claims overlapping with other nations' claims have to be resolved through negotiation;{{Cite web|title=Kommissionen for Kontinentalsoklens grænser|trans-title=Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf|url=https://a76.dk/facts/background/kommissionen.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619193151/http://a76.dk/facts/background/kommissionen.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 June 2012|access-date=24 September 2020|publisher=The Continental Shelf Project|language=da}} in 2019, Iceland, Norway and the Kingdom of Denmark settled their claims to the area north of the Faroe Islands.{{Cite news|date=30 October 2019|title=Historisk enighed om grænsedragning nord for Færøerne gør Rigsfællesskabet større|language=da|trans-title=Historic agreement on demarcation north of the Faroe Islands expands the unity of the Realm.|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark|url=https://um.dk/da/nyheder-fra-udenrigsministeriet/newsdisplaypage/?newsid=174f489b-41e0-4c6e-9ff0-76de5586a135|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001212606/https://um.dk/da/nyheder-fra-udenrigsministeriet/newsdisplaypage/?newsID=174F489B-41E0-4C6E-9FF0-76DE5586A135|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 October 2020|access-date=24 September 2020}}{{Cite news|last=Mortensen|first=Mikkel Walentin|date=30 October 2019|title=I dag vokser Rigsfællesskabet med et område svarende til Jylland|language=da|trans-title=Today the unity of the Realm grows with an area the size of Jutland|work=Berlingske|url=https://www.berlingske.dk/samfund/i-dag-vokser-rigsfaellesskabet-med-et-omraade-svarende-til-jylland|access-date=24 September 2020}}

The Kingdom was in a dispute with Canada on who has sovereignty over Hans Island{{Cite news|last=Levin|first=Dan|date=7 November 2016|title=Canada and Denmark Fight Over Island With Whisky and Schnapps|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/world/what-in-the-world/canada-denmark-hans-island-whisky-schnapps.html|access-date=24 September 2020}} between 1978 and 2022. The two governments eventually settled on a border running approximately halfway through the island, establishing a land border between the two states.{{cite news |last1=Beaumont |first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Beaumont (journalist) |title=Canada and Denmark end decades-long dispute over barren rock in Arctic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/14/canada-denmark-end-decades-long-dispute-barren-rock-arctic-hans-island |access-date=14 June 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=14 June 2022}}

{{Further|History of the Faroe Islands|History of Greenland|History of Iceland}}{{See also|Faroese independence movement|Greenlandic independence}}

The Faroe Islands were settled by Norwegian Vikings in the 9th century, displacing Irish monks already there.{{Cite web|url=https://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/faeroeerne/|title=Færøernes historie|last=Wåhlin|first=Vagn|date=16 August 2011|website=danmarkshistorien.dk|publisher=Aarhus University|language=da|access-date=28 April 2020}} Iceland was settled in the 9th century by Norsemen, and was a free state until 1262/1264, when it came under Norwegian taxation.{{Cite web|url=https://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/island/|title=Islands historie|last=S. Arnórsdóttir|first=Agnes|date=3 September 2018|website=danmarkshistorien.dk|publisher=Aarhus Universitet|language=da|access-date=28 April 2020}} Greenland, later populated by the Indigenous Greenlandic Inuit, was settled by Norwegians in the 10th century, among those Erik the Red.{{Cite web|url=https://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/groenland/|title=Grønlands historie|last=Kjær Sørensen|first=Axel|date=26 August 2019|website=danmarkshistorien.dk|publisher=Aarhus University|language=da|access-date=28 April 2020}} The connection to Greenland was lost in the 15th century, but Denmark–Norway again established connections in 1721 through the missionary Hans Egede.

In 1814, Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden under the Treaty of Kiel, but kept control of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland.{{Cite web|url=https://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/freden-i-kiel-14-januar-1814/|title=Freden i Kiel 14. januar 1814|last=Bregnsbo|first=Michael|date=27 January 2014|website=danmarkshistorien.dk|publisher=Aarhus University|language=da|access-date=28 April 2020}} The colonies on Greenland were situated on the west coast, and as a condition for the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States in 1917, the U.S. recognised Danish sovereignty over the whole island, and most countries followed suit. One exception was Norway who in 1931 occupied parts of East Greenland, but abandoned their claim in 1933, when it lost the case at the Permanent Court of International Justice.

In Iceland there was a growing nationalism in the 19th century, and Iceland was in 1874 given its own constitution and increased autonomy, but still with the executive power in Danish hands. Iceland was granted home rule in 1904, and, by the Danish–Icelandic Act of Union, full independence in 1918. The act established a personal union between Denmark and the newly created Kingdom of Iceland, with Denmark handling coastal protection and foreign affairs. In 1944, Iceland abolished the personal union and adopted a new constitution that established the current republic, after a referendum on the subject. This happened during World War II, where Denmark and Iceland were cut off from each other, as Denmark was occupied by Germany, and Iceland by the United States.

The Faroe Islands were made a Danish county in 1816, and with the constitution of 1849, it gained representation in the Rigsdag. During World War II, the Faroe Islands were occupied by the United Kingdom and they largely administered themselves. After the war, it was clear that the old system could not be reinstated.{{Cite journal|last=Andrias Sølvará|first=Hans|date=2003|title=Færøernes statsretlige stilling i historisk belysning– mellem selvstyre og selvbestemmelse|url=https://www.setur.fo/media/5273/f%C3%A6r%C3%B8ernes-statsr.pdf|journal=Faroese Law Review|language=da|volume=3|pages=146–181|access-date=28 April 2020|archive-date=14 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714074737/https://www.setur.fo/media/5273/f%C3%A6r%C3%B8ernes-statsr.pdf|url-status=dead}} In an independence referendum in 1946, 50.7% of the Faeroese voted for independence, but the result was rejected by the Danish government. Instead, after negotiations between the Faroe Islands and Denmark, the Faroe Islands were granted "home rule" in 1948.

Greenland was originally administered as two separate colonies, viz. North and South Greenland. In 1950, these two were merged as the Colony of Greenland. Following the constitutional reform in 1953, Greenland was incorporated into Denmark as a county and given representation in the Folketing.{{Cite web|url=https://danmarkshistorien.dk/leksikon-og-kilder/vis/materiale/groenlands-afkolonisering-1945-1954/|title=Grønlands afkolonisering, 1945–1954|last=Mølholm Olesen|first=Simon|date=16 March 2017|website=danmarkshistorien.dk|publisher=Aarhus University|language=da|access-date=28 April 2020}} When Denmark joined the European Communities (EC) in 1972, Greenland followed, despite 70% of the Greenlandic voters voting against it in the referendum. As a home rule agreement would allow them to leave again (the Faroe Islands did not join the EC), this was an important factor in the increasing support for home rule. Another factor was a desire to make Greenland more Greenlandic and less Danish. They were given home rule in 1979 and left the EC in 1985. Under the home rule agreement, Greenland gradually took over more responsibility from the Danish state. In 2009, the home rule was replaced with "self rule", granting greater autonomy.

The Danish constitution also applies in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, as section one states that it "shall apply to all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark".{{Cite book|url=https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/~/media/pdf/publikationer/english/my_constitutional_act_with_explanations.ashx|title=My Constitutional Act – My Constitutional Act with explanations|publisher=Folketinget|year=2014|isbn=978-87-7982-168-2|edition=12.|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=31 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831171231/https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/~/media/pdf/publikationer/english/my_constitutional_act_with_explanations.ashx|url-status=dead}} The sovereignty of the Faroe Islands and Greenland is held by the Danish state. The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state,{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} with the Folketing being its unicameral legislature. The Faroe Islands and Greenland each elect two members to the parliament; the remaining 175 members are elected in Denmark.

The Folketing have by law given the Faroe Islands and Greenland extensive autonomy; the Faroe Islands were given "home rule" in 1948, and Greenland in 1979. Greenland's home rule was replaced in 2009 by "self rule". There is an ongoing legal debate about what constitutional weight these arrangements have. In general, there are two conflicting views: (a) the laws delegate power from the Folketing and can be revoked unilaterally by it, and (b) the laws have special status so changes require the consent of the Faeroese Løgting or the Greenlandic Inatsisartut, respectively.{{Cite journal|last=Hertig|first=Mikael|date=March 2018|title=Indkald tvistnævnet: Er Selvstyreloven forfatningsstridig?|url=https://www.aquut.com/2018/07/25/er-selvstyreloven-forfatningsstridig/|journal=Tidsskriftet Grønland|language=da|publisher=Det Grønlandske Selskab|volume=1|pages=17–30|access-date=3 May 2020|archive-date=26 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226151922/https://www.aquut.com/2018/07/25/er-selvstyreloven-forfatningsstridig/|url-status=dead}}

Proponents of the first interpretation include Alf Ross, Poul Meyer and Jens Peter Christensen.{{Cite book|last1=Hansen Jensen|first1=Michael|title=Dansk Statsret|last2=Albæk Jensen|first2=Jørgen|last3=Peter Christensen|first3=Jens|publisher=Djøf Forlag|year=2016|isbn=9788757434750|edition=2|pages=145, 153|language=da}} Ross, the chief architect of the Faeroese home rule, argued that it was "a municipal self-government of extraordinary extensive scope". Meyer wrote in 1947, prior to the Faeroese home rule, that since section 2 of the 1915 constitution gave Risdagen the legislative power, any laws by the Løgting necessarily derived its authority from powers delegated to it from Rigsdagen. With regards to the extent Rigsdagen was allowed to delegate its legislative power under section 2, Meyers argued that more powers could be delegated to the Faroe Islands than other parts of the country, due to its special history. Similarly, Christensen, a Supreme Court judge, said that due to the special circumstances, the scope of delegation need not be strictly defined.

Proponents of the second interpretation include Edward Mitens, Max Sørensen and Frederik Harhoff. Mitens, a Faeroese jurist and politician, argued that the Faeroese home rule had been approved by both the Løgting and the Rigsdag, so it was an agreement between two parties, in particular because the approval by the Løgting happened according to special rules put in place in 1940 with the consent of the Danish representative there, during the occupation by the United Kingdom. Sørensen said the intention with the Faeroese home rule was that it should not be unilaterally changed, as stated in the preamble, so it had that effect. Harhoff, in his 1993 Doctorate dissertation, considered the home rule acts of the Faroe Islands and Greenland to be somewhere in between the constitution and a usual act by the Folketing, as it had been treated as such.

{{Main|Greenlandic independence}}

The Greenlandic self rule act of 2009 gives Greenland a way to achieve independence. First, the Greenlandic people must make the decision, after which there should be negotiations between the Greenlandic government (Naalakkersuisut) and the Danish government about how to practically implement it. The agreement reached needs to be ratified by Inatsisartut, and approved in a referendum in Greenland. It also needs consent from the Folketing, in accordance with section 19 of the Danish constitution.{{Cite web|title=The Greenland Self-Government Arrangement|url=http://www.stm.dk/_a_2957.html|publisher=The Prime Minister's Office|access-date=6 May 2020}} That section states that any changes to the Kingdom's territory needs to be approved by the Folketing. Greenlandic independence does not require a constitutional change; instead, if Greenland were to become independent, the rules in the constitution regarding Greenland would become void.{{Cite journal|last1=Sørensen|first1=Max|last2=Danielsen|first2=Jens Hartig|year=2011|title=Grønlands Selvstyre og Danmarks Riges Grundlov|journal=Juristen|language=da|publisher=Djøf Forlag|volume=2011|issue=1|pages=9–18}}

With regards to international law, Denmark signed the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention in 1996 and acknowledged the Greenlandic Inuit as an Indigenous people. In the 2009 self rule act, Denmark recognised the Greenlandic people as a "people" within the context of international law, and their inherent right to self-determination.

{{See also|Home rule|Politics of the Faroe Islands|Politics of Greenland}}

The Kingdom of Denmark constitutes a unified sovereign state, with equal status between its constituent parts.{{cite book|title=Denmark Regulations Handbook|date=3 March 2008|publisher=Int'l Business Publications|isbn=9781433069710|page=19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dB7O2CPq8qcC&pg=PA19|access-date=1 September 2015|quote="...a relationship known in Danish as Rigsfællesskabet (Commonwealth of the Realm)}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Devolution differs from federalism in that the devolved powers of the subnational authority ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains de jure unitary.

The Self-Government Arrangements devolves political competence and responsibility from the Danish political authorities to the Faroese and the Greenlandic political authorities. The Faroese and Greenlandic authorities administer the tasks taken over from the state, enact legislation in these specific fields and have the economic responsibility for solving these tasks. The Danish government provides an annual grant to the Faroese and the Greenlandic authorities to cover the costs of these devolved areas.

File:Tinganes, Tórshavn 2004.1.jpg, in the capital Thorshavn, is the location of the Faroese Home Government]]

The 1948 "Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands" sets out the terms of Faroese home rule. The Act states, "...the Faroe Islands shall constitute a self-governing community within the State of Denmark."{{cite web|title=Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands|url=http://www.stm.dk/_p_12710.html|publisher=Prime Minister's Office|access-date=19 May 2014|date=23 March 1948}} It establishes the home government of the Faroe Islands (Landsstýrið) and the Faroese parliament, the Løgting. More significantly, the Act specifies the powers devolved from the Government of Denmark, including: local government and municipal affairs; taxation, at a local and territorial level; public services, including police and town planning; welfare services, such as housing; primary and secondary education; Archives, libraries, museums; agriculture and fishing; entertainment; among other areas. The Faroe Islands were previously administered as a Danish county (amt); the Home Rule Act abolished the post of Amtmand (County Governor) and replaced it with the role of Rigsombudsmand (High Commissioner of the Danish government). These powers were expanded in a 2005 Act, which named the Faroese home government as an "equal partner" with the Danish government.{{cite web |url=https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=20991 |title=Lov om de færøske myndigheders overtagelse af sager og sagsområder |date=24 June 2005 |publisher=Retsinformation |language=da|access-date=23 September 2015 |quote=Denne lov bygger på en overenskomst mellem Færøernes landsstyre og den danske regering som ligeværdige parter.}}

The 1978 "Greenland Home Rule Act" devolves powers in much the same way as the Faroese Home Rule Act. It sets out a home rule government and Greenlandic parliament. Specific areas of governance specified in the act include: Organization of local government; Fishing and agriculture; Welfare system; protection of the environment; other areas affecting Greenlanders directly, etc.{{cite web|title=The Greenland Home Rule Act|url=http://www.stm.dk/_p_12712.html|publisher=Prime Minister's Office|access-date=20 May 2014|date=29 November 1978}}

On 21 June 2009, Greenland assumed self-determination with responsibility for self-government of judicial affairs, policing, natural resources, immigration and border controls. Also, Greenlanders were recognised as a separate people under international law.[http://www.stm.dk/_p_13090.html Description of the Greenlandic Self-Government Act on the webpage of the Ministry of State of Denmark]"The Self-Government Act provides for the Self-Government authorities to assume a number of new fields of responsibility, such as administration of justice, including the establishment of courts of law; the prison and probation service; the police; the field relating to company law, accounting and auditing; mineral resource activities; aviation; law of legal capacity, family law and succession law; aliens and border controls; the working environment; as well as financial regulation and supervision, cf. Schedule I and II in the Annex to the Self-Government Act." Greenland is now described as having "self rule", with its home government exercising a wider range of powers.

There are a number of matters that can not be acquired by the territories; Constitutional affairs, foreign policy, defence, the Supreme Court, citizenship, and monetary policy. Additionally, the Faroese and Greenlandic parliaments are subordinate to the Danish parliament, where the two territories are represented by two seats each (from a total of 179 seats).

The Faroe Islands have gradually taken control of more and more areas of responsibility according to their Home Rule Act from 1948.{{cite web|url=http://logting.elektron.fo/logkjak/logir/Heimastyrislog/Heimastyrislogin%20donsk%20-%20LOV%20nr%20137%20af%2023-03-1948.htm|title=Logting.elektron.fo}} The Faroese/Danish act of 2005 states: "This law is based on an agreement between the Governments of the Faroe Islands and Denmark as equal partners."

{{See also|Foreign relations of Denmark}}

{{Hatnote|Also related: Foreign relations of the Faroe Islands and Foreign relations of Greenland}}

Previously, most foreign relations were undertaken exclusively by the Government of Denmark on behalf of the entire realm, but more recently the Faroe Islands and Greenland have increased their role in foreign policy. Representatives for both have joined Danish delegations in discussions on some international matters, such as fishing rights. Greenlandic representatives were included in the process of a new treaty between Denmark and the US regarding the Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

The Kingdom of Denmark as a whole is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the OECD and the World Trade Organization. The Faroe Islands and Greenland are associated members of the Nordic Council in their own right as part of Denmark's membership. Although the Kingdom of Denmark is a member of the European Union, both areas have special dispensation and remain outside the EU. Greenland joined the EU as part of Denmark in 1973, but opted to leave in 1985 after Greenlandic home rule was introduced in 1979.

The "Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands" specifies that a 'Faroese' shall be understood to mean a person who is a "national of Denmark and a resident of the Faroe Islands". The Government of Denmark issues special passports for its citizens living in the Faroe Islands and Greenland with the right to choose a regular Danish passport as well. The Faroese Home Rule Act states that, in Faroese passports, Føroyingur (Faroese) and Føroyar (Faroe Islands) shall be inserted after the words Dansk (Danish) and Danmark (Denmark).

The provisions for home rule are limited to internal matters only. Neither Greenland nor the Faroe Islands can write laws that concern the relationship with other states, nor laws that apply to the entire Realm; furthermore, the Supreme Court (Danish: Højesteret) in Copenhagen is the final legal instance, and legal matters from Greenland and the Faroe Islands must be prepared for that court, like any Danish matter. Danish currency is also legal tender in Greenland, but not in the Faroes.{{Cite web |title=Færøske pengesedler |url=https://www.nationalbanken.dk/da/sedlerogmoenter/faroerne/Sider/default.aspx |access-date=9 August 2022 |website=www.nationalbanken.dk}} Denmark is responsible for the military defence of both nations.Danish Department of Justice PDF (2005), issues 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 to 3.4.5 at [www.logting.fo/files/casestate/4609/092.04%20Bilag%201.pdf]

The Kingdom of Denmark is a member state of the European Communities, the predecessor of the European Union, since 1973. In 1982, Greenland voted to leave the Communities after gaining home rule from the Realm of Denmark.{{cite web |title=Negotiations for enlargement |date=28 July 2016 |url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/negotiations_for_enlargement-en-19a4fd81-119d-4090-bfac-c7cc8ae64a20.html |publisher=cvce.eu |access-date=22 November 2021}} The Faroe Islands was never part of the EU, as explicitly asserted by both Rome treaties.{{cite web|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tec_2002/oj|title=Treaty Establishing the European Community Treaty establishing the European Community (Consolidated version 2002)|website=europa.eu|access-date=22 November 2021}} The relations of the Faroe Islands with the EU are governed by a Fisheries Agreement (1977) and a Free Trade Agreement (1991, revised 1998). The main reason for remaining outside the EU is disagreements about the Common Fisheries Policy.{{cite web|url=http://euobserver.com/9/21516|title=Fish keep Faroe Islands at a distance from EU|website=euobserver.com|date=4 May 2006 |access-date=22 November 2021}}

; {{lang|da|Hjemmestyre}}: Meaning "home rule", it indicates an autonomous administration (present in both in Greenland and the Faroe Islands) that has power over many internal affairs. In this arrangement, the Danish government deals with external matters such as defence and foreign affairs. Greenland and the Faroe Islands maintain their own elected assemblies and administrations, headed by a premier who appoints a cabinet. This is synonymous with "self-governing".

; {{lang|da|Selvstyre}}: Following a referendum on 25 November 2008 (the 30th anniversary of the establishment of home rule in Greenland), the relationship between the Danish and Greenlandic governments changed, with Greenland gaining greater autonomy. Further powers were granted to the Greenlandic government on 21 June 2009, including control of the police force, coastguard, and courts. Additionally, Greenland now receives fewer Danish subsidies, becoming more self-sufficient.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7749427.stm Greenland votes for more autonomy] BBC News, 26 November 2008 As a result of these changes, Greenland was then said to have self rule with minimal support from Denmark, as opposed to "home rule".

; {{lang|da|Rigsombudsmand}}: High Commissioners represent the interests of Denmark in the Faroe Islands and Greenland. There is one Danish High Commissioner in each territory. The commissioner can attend the meetings at the Løgting in the Faroes and at the Inatsisartut in Greenland, but can not vote.

; {{lang|da|Folketingsmedlemmer fra Færøerne og Grønland}}: Members of the Folketing from the Faroe Islands and Greenland: Greenland and the Faroe Islands and their self-rule administrations take part in consultations on policies and decisions affecting their region, including negotiations with the devolved legislatures and the Danish parliament (folketing). Greenland and the Faroe Islands have two members of the Danish {{lang|da|folketing}} each, with full voting privileges.

{{Portal|Denmark|Faroe Islands|Geography}}

• Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Realm of New Zealand

• Adriansen, Inge (2003): [https://www.mtp.dk/details.asp?eln=200080 Nationale symboler i Det Danske Rige 1830–2000], Vol I (Fra fyrstestat til nationalstater), Museum Tusculanum Press, University of Copenhagen. {{in lang|da}}
• Adriansen, Inge (2003): [https://www.mtp.dk/details.asp?eln=200080 Nationale symboler i Det Danske Rige 1830–2000], Vol II (Fra undersåtter til nation), Museum Tusculanum Press, University of Copenhagen. {{in lang|da}}

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{{efn|name=currency|In the Faroe Islands, the currency has a separate design and is known as the Faroese króna, but is not a separate currency.}}

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• The Danish Constitution for the Danish Realm: [http://www.grundloven.dk/ Danmarks Riges Grundlov], no. 169 of 5 June 1953. {{in lang|da}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Rahbek-Clemmensen |first1=Jon |title=Denmark in the Arctic: Bowing to three masters |journal=Atlantisch Perspectief |date=2011 |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=9–14 |jstor=48580871 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48580871}}
• {{cite journal |author1=Adam Kočí |author2=Vladimír Baar |title=Greenland and the Faroe Islands: Denmark's autonomous territories from postcolonial perspectives |journal=Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography |volume=75 |issue=4 |pages=189–202 |date=22 Jul 2021 |doi=10.1080/00291951.2021.1951837 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2021NGTid..75..189K }}

{{Sister project links|Denmark|voy=Denmark|wikt=Rigsfællesskabet}}

• [http://www.stm.dk/_p_10988.html The unity of the Realm; the status the Faroe Islands and Greenland] (Prime Minister's Office)
• [http://www.visitdenmark.com/ Tourism portal] at VisitDenmark.
• [http://www.visitgreenland.com/ Tourism portal] at VisitGreenland.
• [http://www.visitfaroeislands.com/ Tourism portal] at VisitFaroeIslands.

Denmark:

• [http://www.stm.dk/_a_2818.html Stm.dk] – official Danish government website
• [http://www.um.dk/en um.dk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122193426/http://www.um.dk/en |date=22 November 2017 }} – official Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark website
• [https://www.dst.dk/en/ Statistics Denmark (DST)] – Key figures from the Danish bureau of statistics
• {{Statoids|id=udk|title=Regions of Denmark}}

Faroe Islands:

• [https://www.government.fo/ Government.fo] – official Faroese government website
• [https://www.government.fo/en/the-government/ministries/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-and-trade/ Government.fo] – official Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Faroe Islands website
• [http://www.hagstova.fo/en Statistics Faroe Islands (FST)] – Key figures from the Faroese bureau of statistics
• {{Statoids|id=ufo|title=Regions of the Faroe Islands}}

Greenland:

• [https://www.naalakkersuisut.gl/en Naalakkersuisut.gl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515231211/https://naalakkersuisut.gl/en |date=15 May 2019 }} – official Greenlandic government website
• [https://naalakkersuisut.gl/en/Naalakkersuisut/Departments/Udenrigsanliggende Naalakkersuisut.gl] – official Ministry of Foreign Relations of Greenland website
• [http://www.stat.gl/default.asp?lang=en Statistics Greenland (GST)] – Key figures from the Greenlandic bureau of statistics
• {{Statoids|id=ugl|title=Administrative divisions of Greenland}}

• [https://news.google.com/news?ned=us&q=The_unity_of_the_Realm%2F&btnG=Search Google news The unity of the Realm]
• [https://news.google.com/news?ned=us&q=Kingdom_of_Denmark%2F&btnG=Search Google news Kingdom of Denmark – term used to include Greenland and the Faroe Islands]
• [https://news.google.com/news?ned=us&q=Danish_Realm%2F&btnG=Search Google news Danish Realm]

{{Denmark topics}}

{{Faroe Islands topics}}

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Category:Politics of Denmark

Category:Government of Denmark

Category:Government of the Faroe Islands

Category:Government of Greenland

Category:Countries and territories where Danish is an official language