Jylland

Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It stretches from the Grenen spit in the north to the confluence of the Elbe and the Sude in the southeast. The historic southern border river of Jutland as a cultural-geographical region, which historically also included Southern Schleswig, is the Eider. The peninsula, on the other hand, also comprises areas south of the Eider: Holstein, the former duchy of Lauenburg, and most of Hamburg and Lübeck.

Jutland's geography is flat, with comparatively steep hills in the east and a barely noticeable ridge running through the center. West Jutland is characterised by open lands, heaths, plains, and peat bogs, while East Jutland is more fertile with lakes and lush forests. The southwestern coast is characterised by the Wadden Sea, a large, unique international coastal region stretching through Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. The peninsula's longest river is the Eider, which rises close to the Baltic but flows in the direction of the North Sea due to a moraine, while the Gudenå is the longest river of Denmark. In order for ships not having to go around the whole peninsula to reach the Baltic, the Kiel Canal – the world's busiest artificial waterway, crossing the peninsula in the south – was constructed. Jutland is connected to Funen by the Old and New Little Belt Bridge, and Funen in turn is connected to Zealand and Copenhagen by the Great Belt Bridge.

Etymology

Jutland is known by several different names, depending on the language and era, including ; , known anciently as the Cimbric Peninsula or Cimbrian Peninsula (; or ; or ). The names are derived from the Jutes and the Cimbri, respectively.

Geography

Distinction between the Jutland peninsula and Jutland

The Jutland peninsula reaches from the sandbar spit of Grenen on the North Jutlandic Island in the north, to the banks of the Elbe in the south. The peninsula is also called the ''Cimbric peninsula''.

Jutland as a cultural-geographical term mostly only refers to the Danish part of the peninsula, from Grenen to the Danish-German border. Sometimes, the northern part of Schleswig-Holstein down to the Eider (Southern Schleswig), is also included in the cultural-geographical definition of Jutland, because the Eider was historically the southern border of Denmark and the cultural and linguistic boundary between the Nordic countries and Germany from 850 to 1864.

In Denmark, the term ''Jylland'' can refer both to the whole peninsula and to the region between Grenen and either the Danish-German border or the Eider.

In Germany, however, the peninsula as a whole is only referred to as ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'', while the term ''Jütland'' is reserved solely for the cultural-geographical definition of Jutland.

Maritime border

The Jutland peninsula is bounded by the North Sea to the west, the Skagerrak to the north, the Kattegat to the northeast, and the Baltic Sea to the southeast. The peninsula's Kattegat and Baltic coastline stretches from Grenen down to the mouth of the Trave in Lübeck-Travemünde, and its Skagerrak and North Sea coastline runs from Grenen until down to the Geesthacht barrage east of Hamburg, which is defined as the point where the Lower Elbe (''Unterelbe'') and the estuary of the Elbe, that are subject to the tides, begin. The part of the Baltic Sea the peninsula is bounded by is referred to as :da:Bælthavet in Danish and :de:Beltsee in German, a designation deriving from the Great, Little, and Fehmarn belts, while the Baltic Sea as a whole is called ''Østersøen'' and ''Ostsee'', respectively.

Land border

The peninsula's land border in the southeast and south is constituted by a string of several rivers and lakes: from the mouth of the Trave at Lübeck-Travemünde up to the mouth of the Wakenitz into the Trave (in Lübeck), from there up the Wakenitz until its outflow from lake Ratzeburger See, then through lake Kleiner Küchensee to the mouth of the into lake Großer Küchensee, from there along the canal through lakes Salemer See, Pipersee and Phulsee to lake Schaalsee, on from Zarrentin am Schaalsee along the outflow of lake Schaalsee, the Schaale, until its mouth into the Sude at Teldau, then along the Sude until its confluence with the Elbe at Boizenburg, and further on along the Elbe, until the Geesthacht barrage east of Hamburg, where the tide-dependent estuary of the Elbe begins.

Travemünde→Trave→ Wakenitz→ Ratzeburger See→Kleiner Küchensee→Großer Küchensee→Schaalsee canal→Salemer See→Pipersee→Phulsee→ Schaalsee→ Schaale→ Sude→Elbe at Boizenburg→beginning of the estuary of the Elbe at the Geesthacht barrage

Subregions (from south to north)

Lauenburg

Lauenburg is the southeasternmost area of Schleswig-Holstein. It exists administratively as the district of Herzogtum Lauenburg (''Duchy of Lauenburg''), the surface of which is equal to the territory of the former Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, which historically did not belong to Holstein. The Duchy of Lauenburg existed since 1296, and when it was absorbed by the Kingdom of Prussia and became part of the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein in 1876, the new district was allowed to keep the name "duchy" in its name as a reminiscence to its ducal past, and today it is the only district in Germany with such a designation. The region is named for its former capital, the town of Lauenburg on the Elbe, but its seat is now at Ratzeburg. Lauenburg is crossed by the Elbe–Lübeck Canal, that connects the Elbe at Lauenburg to the Baltic at Lübeck, and there are over 50 lakes in the area, many of which are part of the Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park.

Hamburg

Hamburg is its own city-state and does not belong to Schleswig-Holstein. The north elbish districts of Hamburg that are on the Jutland peninsula are historically part of the region of Stormarn. The former border rivers of Stormarn are the Stör and Krückau in the northwest, the Trave and Bille in the east, and the Elbe in the south. There exists also a district of Stormarn northeast of Hamburg in Schleswig-Holstein. But this district does not cover the entire area of the historic region of Stormarn, and while those parts of Stormarn now lying in Schleswig-Holstein are nowadays considered parts of Holstein, the areas of Stormarn today in the city-state of Hamburg, are not.

Holstein

The bulk of the southernmost areas of the Jutland peninsula belongs to Holstein, stretching from the Elbe in the south to the Eider in the north. Subregions of Holstein are Dithmarschen on the North Sea side, Stormarn at the centre, and Wagria on the Baltic side. There is an area in Holstein called Holstein Switzerland because of its comparable higher hills. The largest amount of lakes on the Jutland peninsula can be found in Holstein, the ten largest lakes being the Großer Plöner See (which is also the largest lake on the whole Jutland peninsula), Selenter See, Kellersee, Dieksee, Lanker See, Behler See, Postsee, Kleiner Plöner See, Großer Eutiner See, and the Stocksee. One of the world's most frequented artificial waterways, the Kiel Canal, runs through the Jutland peninsula in Holstein, connecting the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic at Kiel-Holtenau. The Eider is the longest river of the Jutland peninsula. Holstein is one of the most populated subregions of the Jutland peninsula because of the densely populated area around Hamburg, which in large parts lies in Holstein.

Southern Schleswig

Between the Eider and the Danish-German border stretches Southern Schleswig. Notable subregions of Southern Schleswig are the peninsula of Eiderstedt and North Frisia on the North Sea side, and the peninsulas of Danish Wahld, Schwansen, and Anglia on the Baltic side. There is a considerable North Frisian minority in North Frisia, and North Frisian is an official language in the region. In Anglia and Schwansen on the other hand, there exist indigenous Danish minorities, with Danish being the second official language there. The Danish Wahld once formed a border forest between Danish and Saxon settlements. A system of Danish fortifications, the Danevirke, runs through Southern Schleswig, overcoming the drainage divide between Baltic ( Schlei) and North Sea ( Rheider Au). At the Baltic end of the Danevirke is Hedeby, a former important Viking town.

Southern Jutland (''Sønderjylland'')

Between the Danish-German border and the Kongeå lies Southern Jutland (the South Jutland County), historically also known as Northern Schleswig. Northern and Southern Schleswig once formed the territory of the former Duchy of Schleswig. The region is called ''Sønderjyllands Amt'' in Danish, and it is regarded as the northern part of ''Sønderjylland'', which refers to the combined territory of Northern and Southern Schleswig.

Northern Jutland (''Nørrejylland'')

Northern Jutland is the region between the Kongeå and Jutland's northernmost point, the Grenen spit. In Danish, it is called ''Nørrejylland'', and also encompasses the North Jutlandic Island (Danish: ''Nørrejyske Ø'' or ''Vendsyssel-Thy''). Northern Jutland is traditionally subdivided into South Jutland (''Sydjylland''), West Jutland (''Vestjylland''), East Jutland (''Østjylland''), and North Jutland (''Nordjylland''). More recent is the designation Central Jutland (''Midtjylland'') for parts of traditionally West and East Jutish areas. Subregions of Northern Jutland include the peninsulas of Djursland with Mols, and Salling. Also in Northern Jutland is the Søhøjlandet, flows through Northern Jutland.

= South Jutland (''Sydjylland'')

=
South Jutland (''Sydjylland'') is the southernmost part of Northern Jutland. It is not to be confused with Southern Jutland (''Sønderjylland''), which is adjacent to South Jutland in the south. South Jutland stretches between ''Sønderjylland'' in the south, and the border between the two administrative regions of Southern Denmark and Central Jutland in the north.

= West Jutland (''Vestjylland'')

=
West Jutland (''Vestjylland'') is the central western part of Northern Jutland. It lies between Blåvandshuk in the south, and the Nissum Bredning in the north. It is north of South Jutland and west of East Jutland.

= East Jutland (''Østjylland'')

=
East Jutland (''Østjylland'') is the central eastern part of Northern Jutland. It lies between Skærbæk on the Kolding Fjord in the south, and the end of the Mariager Fjord in the north. Aarhus, the largest city completely on the Jutland peninsula, is in East Jutland.

= Central Jutland (''Midtjylland'')

=
The concept of Central Jutland (''Midtjylland'') is of recent date, since a few decades ago it was usual to divide Northern Jutland into the traditional East and West Jutland (in addition to North and South Jutland), only. However, the term has been used in and around Viborg, so that the people of Viborg could differentiate themselves from the populations to the east and west. The majority of what is today called Central Jutland is actually the traditional West Jutish culture and dialect area, i.e. Herning, Skive, Ikast, and Brande. By contrast, Silkeborg