The Central Denmark Region comprises most of the traditional geographical regions of
Østjylland (
East Jutland),
Midtjylland (
Central Jutland), and
Vestjylland (
West Jutland, identical with
Hardsyssel). Smaller areas within these larger designations include the peninsula of
Djursland, the hilly lake district of
Søhøjlandet,
Kronjylland (or
Ommersyssel),
Fjends,
Bjerreherred, and the peninsulas of
Salling and
Thyholm. The region borders the
North Sea in the west, the
Limfjord in the northwest, and
Kattegat in the east. It includes the islands of
Samsø,
Anholt, and the smaller
Endelave,
Tunø,
Hjarnø and
Alrø in Kattegat, as well as
Venø,
Jegindø and
Fur in the Limfjord. The western parts of the region are characterised by coastal dunes and inland heaths, while the slightly elevated central parts and the relatively hilly eastern parts are characterised by forests, lakes and streams, with plenty of fertile soils. The eastern parts (
Østjylland) are the most densely populated area within the region and form a large part of the proposed
East Jutland metropolitan area with a population of about 1.4 million.
Aarhus, with a population of 280,000, is the largest city of Jutland and the second-largest city of Denmark, as well as the hub of Eastern Jutland. Other cities with a population above 30,000 include Randers, Silkeborg, Horsens, Herning, Viborg and Holstebro. Most of these are situated in the eastern part. The administration and regional council is situated in the sixth-largest city,
Viborg, which has a population of 40,000 and was the medieval capital of Jutland. Administratively, Central Denmark Region consists of the former counties of
Ringkjøbing and
Aarhus (except the western half of
Mariager municipality which joined
Region Nordjylland), most of the former county of
Viborg, and the northern half of
Vejle County. The areas in question from the two latter counties were the former municipalities of
Bjerringbro,
Fjends,
Hvorslev,
Karup,
Kjellerup,
Møldrup,
Sallingsund,
Skive,
Spøttrup,
Sundsøre,
Tjele and
Viborg from
Viborg County and
Brædstrup,
Gedved,
Hedensted,
Horsens,
Juelsminde,
Nørre-Snede and
Tørring-Uldum from
Vejle County. The neighbouring administrative region to the south is the
Region of Southern Denmark (), as it includes not only the southern parts of Jutland but also the island of
Funen and smaller neighbouring islands. Furthermore,
Sønderjylland (Southern-Jutland) is the traditional name for
North Slesvig, which is the Danish part of the former
Duchy of Schleswig/Slesvig.
Geologically, the region lies in the northern part of Denmark, which is rising because of
post-glacial rebound. For statistical purposes, the region has two divisions or
provinces: East Jutland and West Jutland. These are almost, but not entirely, identical with the parliamentary constituencies of East Jutland and West Jutland. The western constituency is much larger in area but has a smaller population than the eastern one. Significant local antagonism arose before the region came into effect in 2007 and in the first years of its existence. Citizens in the northwestern areas protested against the closure of the hospital of
Holstebro. In the
2009 regional election, a local protest party called
Fælleslisten ("The Common List"), surged to 40% of the votes in the northwestern municipalities but failed to get any seats in the
2013 election.
Municipalities The region is subdivided into 19 municipalities: •
Aarhus •
Favrskov •
Hedensted •
Herning •
Holstebro •
Horsens •
Ikast-Brande •
Lemvig •
Norddjurs •
Odder •
Randers •
Ringkøbing-Skjern •
Samsø •
Silkeborg •
Skanderborg •
Skive •
Struer •
Syddjurs •
Viborg == Economy ==