Billund

Billund is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Region Syddanmark in the center of the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark. Formerly the municipality belonged to Ribe County. The new, merged municipality covers an area of 536,51 km², and has a total population of 26,181 (2008). Its mayor is Ib Kristensen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party. The site of its municipal council is the town of Grindsted.

The municipality is also a part of the East Jutland metropolitan area whit 1,2 mio inhabitants. [ [http://www.blst.dk/NR/rdonlyres/D57AF934-C471-41E6-A8B0-389AF80A94A6/0/Visionsoplaeg20082008.pdf] ] .

Billund is a company town, the home of the Lego Group headquarters. There is a Lego factory on the outskirts of town which as of 2005 manufactures 90% of the company's products, though the effects of globalization and competition from companies such as Mega Bloks is likely to lead to more off-shore manufacturing. Across the road from the company's headquarters is the first of the Legoland theme parks, first opened in 1968.

Billund Airport is Denmark's second busiest airport, and was opened in 1964.

On January 1, 2007 due to "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), the old Billund municipality was combined with the former Grindsted municipality.

Early area history

Due to peat bogs in some of the area vicinity, there is an unusual opportunity to find prehistoric remains in well preserved conditions. (Billund and western Denmark) For example, Grauballe Man, a 2000 year old human, is one of the most complete Danish finds of prehistory. It is the best preserved bog body from Iron Age Europe and can be observed all details, such as stubble, nails and skin structure at the Moesgaard Museum. Other area bog bodies are the Haraldskaer Woman (Rambow) and Egtved Girl. (Hogan)

References

* Municipal statistics: [http://www2.netborger.dk/Kommunefakta/ NetBorger Kommunefakta] , delivered from [http://www.kmd.dk/ KMD aka Kommunedata (Municipal Data)]
* Municipal mergers and neighbors: [http://kommune.eniro.dk/danmarkskort/ Eniro new municipalities map]
* [http://www.billundairport.sydjylland.com/index.lasso?page=401 Billund and western Denmark]
* Nuha Ansari, John D. Rambow, "Denmark: The Guide for All Budgets", Rambow, 2002, Fodor's Denmark, 224 pages ISBN 0676902014
* [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17686 Hogan, C.Michael, "Egtved Girl Barrow", The Megalithic Portal, editor A. Burnham 4 October, 2007]

External links

* [http://www.billundkommune.dk/ Billund municipality's official website] da icon
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/01/business/wblego.php Lego braces for big changes] , a July 2005 "International Herald Tribune" article
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=55+43+51+N,+9+6+55+E&spn=0.059279,0.080316&t=k&hl=en&z=3 Satellite image from Google Maps]
* [http://www.explo-guide.com/Vandel-Air-base Curious stuff to visit around Billund]