Bornholm
| Basic Facts
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Municipality
seat | Rønne
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| Area | 588 km²
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| Inhabitants | 44,100 (2003)
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| Website |
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| County Map
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Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland (see map of Denmark below). The main industries on the island include pottery, using locally worked clay, clockmaking, dairy farming, and fishing. Tourism is important during the summer.
The small islands Ertholmene are located 18 km to the north-east of Bornholm.
Bornholm was bombarded at the end of the Second World War because the German officer in charge of the garrison there was under orders not to surrender to Soviet forces as the Allies had agreed they should. Soviet aircraft bombed and destroyed about 800 houses, with roughly 3000 more beign seriously damaged on the 7th and 8th of May 1945. In the end the German garrison did surrender to Soviet authorities who occupied the island until April 5, 1946.
Municipality
Bornholm Regional Municipality has county privileges, it comprise the five former municipalities (Allinge-Gudhjem, Hasle, Nexø, Rønne and Aakirkeby) and the former county.
Map of Denmark, Bornholm is to the far right
See also
