Kraks vejviser 1929 Handelsregister

219

D A N ISH S H I P P IN G and other Communications. Navigation du Danemark — Danemarks Schiffahrt — La Navigacion de Dinamarca. The economic position of a country and its relative share in the world turnover are more dependent on the country’s Communications than upon anything else. Therefore, as the great political economist Adam Smith has written, advances in this domain are the most im- portant of all. The geographical position of Denmark, between the Baltic and the North Sea—both of great importance to international commerce — together with the faet of the country with its unusually long coast line (about 130 geographical miles for every 100 square miles), pos- sessing a large number of excellent harbours, is responsible for the Danes having from olden times been one of the foremost seafaring nations of the world. Only three nations have a larger merchant fleet in proportion to the size of the population viz: Norway, Gt. Britain and the Netherlands. The Ports. Harbour towns existed in Denmark as far back as in the Viking age, and were in- variably found situated down the many fiords, thereby permitting what was deemed the most effeetive protection against the depredations of pirates. Later on harbour towns arose out at the coast sheltered by the castles of the Crown or the Nobility. Of Denmark’s 81 market towns 65 possess harbours, 5 are situated in the vicinity of loading places, and 11 only are inland towns proper. Moreover there are in addition to the market towns over 200 small harbours (fishing etc.), ferry stations and landing piers. The stormy west coast of Jutland, inaccessible for shipping by reason of the many sand reefs, offers most formidable resislance to the construction of harbours, and it was only after a special Act of Parliament was passed on the 24th of April 1864 that the construction of a large harbour at Esbjerg could be commenced. It is from this port that a material part of the Danish export of agricultural produce takes place. The Danish State owns the harbours in Elsinore, Frederikshavn, Esbjerg and Skagen (The Scaw) and also some of the larger fishing harbours. Most of the Danish harbours in the market towns belong to the respective municipalities. The Port of Copenhagen is an indepen- dent institution, in the management of which the State, the Municipality and the large trade organizations are represented. The Copenhagen Free Port is owned by the Copenhagen Har­ bour Board but is managed by a joint stock company. The Federation of Danish Ports (Sammenslutningen af danske Havne) comprises most of the Danish provincial ports. Detailed mention of these ports will be found on page 227 and following pages. After the extensions carried out during the last ten yearsithe Port of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen Free Port together constitute the largest and befet harbour in Scandinavia and_the Baltic. It has a total length of quayage of 35 km. The grea^est depth of water is 10 m. which enables the largest vessels to navigate the harbour (See ad^ertisement on page 224). The Free Port was opened in 1§94 (the same year as the Kiel Canal) and it is of great im­ portance to Copenhagen as a distributing centre to the Baltic. \ Also several of the Danish provincial ports have during and after the Great War been extended and deepened considerably, and may now be called at direct by very large vessels. These ports are provided with modern technical facilities of variousxkinds and there are cranes, silos, elevators, tugs, icebreakers, railway lines down to the quays, tanks, bunkering sta­ tions, drydocks etc. permitting of an expeditious dispatch in loading and discharging, the execution of repairs and the provisioning of ships etc. etc. An excellent pilotage and beaconage service facilitates navigation.