Funen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Funen (Danish: Fyn), with a size of 2,984 km², is the second largest island of Denmark. It has a population of 447,000 people (2006). The main city is Odense, connected to the sea by canal, though this is now seldom used. The city's shipyard Odense Steel Shipyard has been relocated outside of Odense proper.

The island forms the biggest part of Funen County which also includes the islands of Langeland, Ærø, Tåsinge, as well as a number of smaller islands. Funen is linked to Zealand, Denmark's largest island, by the Great Belt Bridge carrying both trains and cars. The Great Belt Bridge is in reality two bridges; a low bridge connecting Funen to the small island of Sprogø in the middle of the Great Belt and a long suspension bridge the rest of the way to Zealand. The suspension bridge was the second longest in the world at the time of opening. From Funen to Sprogø, trains use a separate bridge parallel to the low bridge and constructed in a similar way. A tunnel connects Sprogø with Zealand, forming the other half of the railway connection.

Two bridges connect Funen to the Danish mainland, Jutland; the first was constructed in the 1930s shortly before World War II for both cars and trains. The second, a suspension bridge, was constructed in the 1970s and is used for cars only.

Apart from the main city, Odense, all major towns are located in coastal areas. Beginning in the northeast of the island and moving clockwise, the list is as follows: Kerteminde (NE), Nyborg (E), Svendborg (S), Fåborg (SW), Assens (W), Middelfart (NW) and Bogense (N).

Funen is famous as the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen and the composer Carl Nielsen.