Ever since the very first people settled in the area in North Jutland, the population has been dependent on the local natural resources. For the people of North Jutland, the sea has naturally been very important. For as long as people have lived on the North Jutland coast they have exploited the fishing resources, to feed themselves, and also to trade. 

Over the past hundred years however, the sea has provided another important commercial benefit, namely for tourism. Today North Jutland is the most important tourist area in Denmark apart from Copenhagen, and industrial development and the development of service industries have relegated fishing and farming to a much smaller role in the region today.

Religion The official religion in Denmark is Protestantism. The evangelical Lutheran faith was introduced into Denmark during the Reformation in 1536. Language The official language in Denmark is Danish, a Germanic language. Danish is also spoken in the northern part of Schleswig-Holstein. Many Danes speak English and some also speak German.  Despite its relatively small geographic size, Denmark has many local dialects. Many of these dialects are gradually disappearing but you can still hear people speaking local dialect in North Jutland.

The entertainer Niels Hausgaard speaks 'vendelbomål', a local dialect which originated in west Vendsyssel. The 19th century poet and author Steen Steensen Blicher, who came from Central Jutland wrote much of his work in this local dialect.

The first inhabitants in the region The inhabitants of all European coutries north of the Alps immigrated from the south. A large number of archaeological excavations indicate that the first people arrived in the landmass which is today Denmark at the end of the last ice age around 10,000 years ago. The first traces of humans in North Jutland appear after the ice had melted.  There are many signs dating from that era and up to the Viking Age here in this region. At Lindholm Høje north of Limfjord there are traces of Iron Age and Viking activities, and at Fyrkat you can see the remains of one of the four round fortresses built by Harald Bluetooth probably to consolidate and demonstrate the king’s power.