Falster
Old houses in Stubbekøbing, Falster
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltic Sea |
| Coordinates | 54°48′N 11°58′E / 54.800°N 11.967°ECoordinates: 54°48′N 11°58′E / 54.800°N 11.967°E |
| Area | 486.2 km2 (187.7 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Region Zealand |
| Municipality | Guldborgsund Municipality |
| Largest settlement | Nykøbing Falster (pop. 16,405) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 43,398 (2010) |
| Pop. density | 89.25 /km2 (231.16 /sq mi) |
Falster is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of 486.2 km2 (187.7 sq mi) and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010. Located in the Baltic sea, it is part of Region Sjælland (County of Zealand) and is administered by Guldborgsund Municipality. Falster includes Denmark's southernmost point, Gedser Odde, near Gedser.
The largest town is Nykøbing Falster with over 40% of the island's inhabitants. Other towns include Stubbekøbing, Nørre Alslev and Gedser.
Falster has motor and railway links both to the larger island of Zealand to the north and to the island of Lolland to the south-west. These links also lead to the smaller islands of Masnedø and Farø. European route E47 links Copenhagen to Hamburg (Germany) via Falster.
From medieval times until 1766, most of Falster belonged to the crown. King Valdemar's Census Book from c. 1231 lists all the parishes and most of the villages. Falster's two main towns, Nykøbing and Stubbekøbing, were both founded towards the end of the 12th century.
In medieval times, the island was marked by wars with the Wends in 1158 and with Lübeck in 1253. The census of 1509 includes only 90 of the 110 villages mentioned earlier. By contrast, it mentions 29 new settlements mainly along the coast.
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Wikipedia