Danish Straits

Five straits are named 'belt' (), the only ones in the world. Several other straits are named 'sound' (Danish, Swedish and German: ). Where an island is situated between a "belt" and a "sound", typically the broader strait is called "belt" and the narrower one is the "sound": • Als: • separated from the continent by • separated from Fyn by the southern part of the Little Belt, an area referred to in German (but not Danish) as • Fehmarn • separated from the continent by , also • separated from Lolland by (German) / (Low German) / (Danish; former spelling: ) • Langeland: • separated from Tåsinge Island by (Tåsinge is separated from Fyn by ) • separated from Lolland by , the southern part of the Great Belt • Lolland: • separated from Falster by (Falster is separated from Zealand by Strait and by Møn by Grønsund) • separated from Langeland by • separated from Fehmarn by , which is the common continuation of Great Belt– and Little Belt • separated from Zealand by Smålandsfarvandet • Zealand () • separated from the Scandinavian peninsula by (Danish) / (Swedish) • separated from Fyn by the Great Belt • separated from Lolland, Falster and Møn (as well as from smaller islands Bogø and Farø) by Smålandsfarvandet , Storstrømmen Ulvsund and Bøgestrøm. ==Crossing the straits==

During the 20th and 21st centuries the surrounding areas grew in population and cross-border trade developed, particularly as part of the European single market. The European Union Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor runs north-south through the Danish straits. Ferries crossed many of the straits but some of these have been replaced with fixed links to reduce journey times. Most significantly, since 1999 the cities of Hamburg and Copenhagen have been linked without the use of ferries. The fixed links include: • 1930 – King Christian X's Bridge in Sønderborg • 1935 – "Old" Little Belt Bridge • 1937 – Storstrøm Bridge • 1960 – Siøsund Bridge • 1970 – "New" Little Belt Bridge (1970) • 1981 – Alssund Bridge • 1998 – Great Belt Bridge • 1999 – Øresund Bridge • 2029 – expected completion of Fehmarn Belt fixed link ==See also==