Ertholmene
Encyclopedia
Ertholmene, generally called Christiansø, is a small archipelago situated approximately 18 km northeast of Bornholm
in the Baltic Sea
. Its permanent population is 96 (2008) and its area is 39 hectare
s. Ertholmene belongs to Denmark
and has the country's easternmost point
.
Ertholmene consists of three main islands, Christiansø (named after King Christian V
), Frederiksø (named after King Frederick IV
) and Græsholm, plus a number of minor rocks and skerries
. The best known of the latter are Tat and Østerskær
, Denmark's easternmost point. Christiansø makes up 22.3 hectare
s, Frederiksø 4, and Græsholm 11 hectare
s. Only Christiansø and Frederiksø are inhabited, while Græsholm is a bird reserve. The sound between Christiansø and Frederiksø, a well-sheltered natural harbour, is crossed by a pedestrian bridge that is pulled aside to accommodate larger vessels.
Fishermen from Bornholm have used Ertholmene for temporary shelter since the Middle Ages
. The first permanent inhabitation was the result of the Danish-Swedish conflicts in the late 17th century. As Denmark needed a naval base in the central Baltic Sea, a fort was built on Christiansø and Frederiksø in 1684 which served as an outpost for the Danish Navy
until 1855. The population peaked at the census in 1810 which showed 829 inhabitants. Many of the historical buildings now serve as living quarters for the local population, and some are rented, year after year, to regular summer residents. The islands' external appearance has changed very little in over 300 years. Girdled by thick granite walls with old cannons pointed seaward, Christiansø is a picturesque tourist spot seemingly frozen in time. A former part of the fort, Store Tårn on Christiansø has housed a lighthouse
for the past 200 years, and a small round tower on Frederiksø, Lille Tårn, serves as a museum.
The islands are state property - an unincorporated area
- and do not belong to either a municipality or a region, instead, they are governed by an administrator appointed by the Danish ministry of defence which is responsible for carrying out the tasks normally performed by municipalities. Major sources of income are fishery
and tourism
. There are 80,000 tourists per year, mostly day visitors arriving via Bornholm. Ertholmene is also a popular destination for yachts
.
As the only area of Denmark
, the islanders will be exempt from the central government 8% "Health Contribution" tax (Sundhedsbidrag) introduced with Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), because it is anticipated the relatively isolated islets would otherwise be abandoned. This tax replaced the county
tax, which the islanders were also exempt from paying, not being part of a county.
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. Its permanent population is 96 (2008) and its area is 39 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s. Ertholmene belongs to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and has the country's easternmost point
Extreme points of Denmark
This is a list of the extreme points of Denmark: the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.- Jutland Peninsula :This includes only land on the Jutland peninsula – land that is part of mainland Europe:...
.
Ertholmene consists of three main islands, Christiansø (named after King Christian V
Christian V of Denmark
Christian V , was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 to 1699, the son of Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
), Frederiksø (named after King Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
) and Græsholm, plus a number of minor rocks and skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
. The best known of the latter are Tat and Østerskær
Østerskær
Østerskær is a skerry belonging to the Ertholmene archipelago which is situated approximately 18 km from the island of Bornholm, Denmark. Østerskær is the easternmost point of the country, at 15° 11' 55" eastern longitude....
, Denmark's easternmost point. Christiansø makes up 22.3 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s, Frederiksø 4, and Græsholm 11 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s. Only Christiansø and Frederiksø are inhabited, while Græsholm is a bird reserve. The sound between Christiansø and Frederiksø, a well-sheltered natural harbour, is crossed by a pedestrian bridge that is pulled aside to accommodate larger vessels.
Fishermen from Bornholm have used Ertholmene for temporary shelter since the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The first permanent inhabitation was the result of the Danish-Swedish conflicts in the late 17th century. As Denmark needed a naval base in the central Baltic Sea, a fort was built on Christiansø and Frederiksø in 1684 which served as an outpost for the Danish Navy
Royal Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
until 1855. The population peaked at the census in 1810 which showed 829 inhabitants. Many of the historical buildings now serve as living quarters for the local population, and some are rented, year after year, to regular summer residents. The islands' external appearance has changed very little in over 300 years. Girdled by thick granite walls with old cannons pointed seaward, Christiansø is a picturesque tourist spot seemingly frozen in time. A former part of the fort, Store Tårn on Christiansø has housed a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
for the past 200 years, and a small round tower on Frederiksø, Lille Tårn, serves as a museum.
The islands are state property - an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
- and do not belong to either a municipality or a region, instead, they are governed by an administrator appointed by the Danish ministry of defence which is responsible for carrying out the tasks normally performed by municipalities. Major sources of income are fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. There are 80,000 tourists per year, mostly day visitors arriving via Bornholm. Ertholmene is also a popular destination for yachts
Yachting
Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
.
As the only area of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the islanders will be exempt from the central government 8% "Health Contribution" tax (Sundhedsbidrag) introduced with Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), because it is anticipated the relatively isolated islets would otherwise be abandoned. This tax replaced the county
Counties of Denmark
Denmark was until December 31, 2006 divided into 15 counties , and 270 municipalities . On January 1, 2007, the counties were replaced by five Regions and the number of municipalities slashed to 98....
tax, which the islanders were also exempt from paying, not being part of a county.