Lolland

Lolland

Fuglsang Manor, now a major cultural centre on the island
Geography
Location Baltic Sea
Coordinates 54°46′10″N 11°25′28″E / 54.76944°N 11.42444°E / 54.76944; 11.42444Coordinates: 54°46′10″N 11°25′28″E / 54.76944°N 11.42444°E / 54.76944; 11.42444
Area 1,243 km2 (480 sq mi)
Administration
Region Region Zealand
Municipality Lolland Municipality, Guldborgsund Municipality
Largest settlement Nakskov (pop. 13,886)
Demographics
Population 62,578 (2013)
Pop. density 52.9 /km2 (137 /sq mi)

Lolland (Danish pronunciation: [ˈlʌˌlanˀ]; formerly spelled Laaland, literally "low land") is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of 1,243 km2 (480 sq mi). Located in the Baltic sea, it is part of Region Sjælland (Region Zealand). As of 1 January 2013, it has 62,578 inhabitants.[1]

Overview

Lolland is also known as the "pancake island" because of its flatness: the highest point of the entire island is 25 m (82 ft) above sea level, just outside the village of Horslunde. The island has been an important communication highway, among others for Nazi Germany during World War II. Historically, sugar beet has been grown in Lolland. Sugar is still a major industry, visible from the large number of sugar beet fields.

The largest town of Lolland is Nakskov, with 12,600 residents. Other main towns are Maribo (6,000 residents), which hosts the seat of the Diocese of Lolland and Falster, Sakskøbing (3,500 residents) and Rødby (2,500 residents).

Since January 1, 2007, Lolland has been administered by two municipalities, Lolland covering the western two thirds, and Guldborgsund uniting the eastern third with the neighbouring island Falster.

Lolland has motor and railway links both to the island of Falster to the east and to Germany (the German island Fehmarn, linked to the mainland) via ferry. European route E47 links Copenhagen to Hamburg (Germany) via Lolland.

Transport

Route E47 from Copenhagen crosses the Guldborgsund strait between Lolland and Falster via a modern tunnel, but the motorway currently terminates at Rødbyhavn where a ferry carries vehicles and trains to Fehmarn. This ferry, in continuous service since 1963, serves 6 passenger trains per day. Freight trains and night trains do not use the ferry; they take the longer way to the mainland via the Great Belt Bridge, then Funen and Jutland.

The governments of Denmark and Germany plan to connect Lolland with Fehmarn by a future immersed tunnel, the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link.

Two older bridges also span the strait between Lolland and Falster, the Frederick IX Bridge and Guldborgsund Bridge at the northern end of the strait. Frederick IX bridge is the railway bridge to Falster.

Demography

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1901 68,331—    
1906 69,738+2.1%
1911 74,063+6.2%
1916 78,193+5.6%
1921 83,188+6.4%
1925 86,544+4.0%
1930 87,534+1.1%
1935 85,607−2.2%
1940 86,307+0.8%
1945 87,230+1.1%
1950 86,490−0.8%
1955 84,781−2.0%
1960 83,170−1.9%
YearPop.±%
1965 81,760−1.7%
1970 78,934−3.5%
1976 77,958−1.2%
1981 77,431−0.7%
1986 75,278−2.8%
1990 73,191−2.8%
1995 71,610−2.2%
1998 70,994−0.9%
1999 70,747−0.3%
2000 70,640−0.2%
2001 70,383−0.4%
2002 70,201−0.3%
2003 69,796−0.6%
YearPop.±%
2004 69,360−0.6%
2005 68,751−0.9%
2006 68,224−0.8%
2007 67,908−0.5%
2008 67,306−0.9%
2009 66,655−1.0%
2010 65,764−1.3%
2011 64,730−1.6%
2012 63,678−1.6%
2013 62,578−1.7%
2014 61,563−1.6%
2015 60,896−1.1%
2016 60,607−0.5%

Towns and villages

Nakskov 12,866
Maribo 5,933
Sakskøbing 4.539
Sundby 2.847
Rødby 2,092
Rødbyhavn 1,634
Søllested 1,458
Holeby 1,423
Nysted 1,336
Bandholm 678
Horslunde 671
Toreby 628
Guldborg 572
Kettinge 539
Nørreballe 532
Nagelsti 497
Stokkemarke 440
Dannemare 434
Hunseby 418
Sandby 386
Grænge 380
Langø, Lolland 319
Errindlev 298
Hillested 284
Ullerslev 276
Frejlev 264
Branderslev 229
Radsted 215

Attractions

Trebuchet ready for firing at Middelaldercentret.

Among the attractions of the island are Fuglsang Manor built in the second half of the 19th century, and the neighbouring Fuglsang Art Museum which opened in 2008. Knuthenborg Safari Park north of Maribo is the largest safari park in Northern Europe and the holiday resort Lalandia is a giant indoor water-fun-land. Furthermore, Middelaldercentret is an open-air museum on the most eastern part of the island just outside Nykøbing Falster. The Centre is an experimental living history museum and it contains a reconstructed part of a medieval town from around 1400. It is among the most authentic reconstructions of the medieval period in Europe, and holds both the largest and the oldest trebuchets in the world.

Lolland has many sandy beaches and areas with summer houses, which are primarily visited by German tourists.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Danmarks Statistik." Retrieved 26 June 2010.
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