Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries. Located north of Germany (its only land neighbour), southwest of Sweden, and south of Norway, it is in Scandinavia in northern Europe, but not on the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Denmark borders the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and consists of a peninsula named Jutland (Jylland) attached to Northern Germany, the islands of Funen (Fyn), Zealand (Sjælland), Bornholm (Bornholm) and many smaller islands, often referred to as the Danish Archipelago.

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and is part of the European Union. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are crown territories of Denmark, each with political home rule.

Danish folk music has long been dominated by a fiddle and accordion duo, much like its northern neighbors in Scandinavia. An important difference, however, is that Danish fiddlers almost always play in groups, and so there is no tradition of virtuoso fiddle players capable of solo performance; Danish bands also tend to feature the guitar more prominently than the other Nordic countries, especially in recent years.

Fiddle and accordion duos play generally rhythmic dance music, local versions of the Nordic folk dance music. The oldest variety is called pols, and it is now mostly found on Fanø and includes even smaller variety likes sønderhoning from Sønderho.