The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

SOCIAL CONDITIONS—OCCUPATIONS. 67necessarily lost its importance when the small craft of former times were replacedby larger vessels. It occupies the southern end of a fiord now blocked by sandbanks;but it long continued to be the religious capital, was formerly full ofchurches and convents, and still possesses the finest cathedral in the kingdom,dating from the eleventh century, and containing the tombs of several Danishkings.In the interior of Sjiilland are the two cities of Sorb and Slagelse, the formernoted for its school and abbey associated with the name of Saxo Grammaticus, thelatter the centre of a rich agricultural district. On the west coast are Ealundborgand Korsbr, at the entrance of a large crater-like lagoon : on the south areNestvcd and Vordingborg ; in the island of Falster the sheltered harbour ofNykjbbing ; and in Laaland the port of Nakskov, with a considerable export tradein corn and cattle.Of Bornholm the chief town is Ronne, near the south-west angle, noted for itsclock works and potteries, and for some remarkable granite churches of the twelfthand thirteenth centuries.Social Conditions.— Occupations.Since the beginning of this century the population of Denmark has doubled,having increased from 929,000 to about 2,000,000. It is still increasing, thebirths exceeding the deaths by two-fifths. As in other civilised countries, the rate